A variety of factors motivated recent moves.  For example, seven lawyers left the Geneva office of Hogan & Hartson upon announcement of its merger with UK-based Lovells, and moved as laterals to Akin Gump.  And some firms are making particular investments in particular legal specializations, e.g., Bingham (which picked up Susan Merrill, former head of enforcement for FINRA) and Cadwalader (which picked up Proskauer’s litigation co-Chair Louis Solomon and antitrust co-chair Colin Underwood, DLA’s Beijing private equity head Rocky Lee, and a 9-partner energy and commodities group from McDermott).

One firm that has been particularly active in bringing on laterals is DC-based Covington & Burling.  Among other 2010 acquisitions, Covington brought on board John Dugan (former comptroller of the currency), Edward Yingling (former president and CEO of the American Bankers Association), Gerald Waldron (former staff director and chief counsel of the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming), Steven Fagel (former deputy chief of staff to Assistant AG Lanny Breuer), and James Garland, deputy chief of staff to Attorney General Eric Holder).  Outside the US, Covington added such lateral partner-level attorneys as Timothy Stratford (former US Trade Representative for China Affairs—Beijing office), Peter Camesasca (former Howrey antitrust attorney—Brussels office) and Robert Amaee (formerly of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office—London office).

Dewey & LeBoeuf also showed substantial activity, recruiting such big-name partner rainmakers as Henry Bunsow (IP litigation, formerly of Howrey), and James Carter (international arbitration, formerly of Sullivan & Cromwell).

Approximately 2,000 partners switched firms in the NLJ-250 in 2010, a number which may rise in 2011, in light of steady movement and significant developments like the demise of firms like Howrey during this year.  Partners considering a lateral move are encouraged to contact Charles River Recruiting for a confidential consultation.

According to Kasowitz, the firm’s real estate practice is being launched in response to demand from clients in the real estate industry, including developers, real estate funds, and other real estate investors, for which the firm provides litigation and restructuring services.  Kasowitz, known primarily as a litigation firm, indicates that it has established its real estate practice in response to requests from clients for transactional capabilities.

Mr. Schwartz has over 30 years of experience in real estate development, acquisitions, leasing, partnerships and joint ventures, financing, real estate funds, and public and private offerings of real estate securities.  His representations includes lenders, owners and developers in connection with loan workouts and restructurings relating to mixed-use properties, as well as banks and issuers in connection with REITs, rated securitized debt and acquisition funds.  International work has included representing U.S. and foreign clients in their acquisition and development of hotels, shopping centers, ski resorts, office buildings and residential projects in Japan, China, the United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico and throughout the U.S. Prominent clients include Boston Properties, Tishman Speyer Properties, ING Clarion, Silverstein Properties, Forest City Ratner, Penn National Gaming and BlackRock Realty.

Mr. Endick has represented clients in commercial leasing, joint ventures, financings, acquisitions, dispositions, loan workouts and developments.

The Kasowitz firm is known for its specialization in complex litigation.  The firm has offices in New York, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami and Newark, and indicates that it plans to open a Silicon Valley office in 2011.

Despite the lingering effects of the 2008-2009 recession, some law firms are benefitting from strong countercyclical practices.  Such may be the case at Cadwalader, where government investigations and antitrust- and financial services litigation have reportedly been strong.  And Curtis Mallet reports a 24% rise in profits per partner, to $1.41 million, on strong arbitration and bankruptcy results—e.g., the million dollars per month that the firm is reported to be billing in connection with the Lehman Brothers matter.  There are several implications of this for lateral law firm partner recruiting.  In the first place, diversified firms with countercyclical practices are likely to be attractive destinations for lateral partners challenged by their current firms’ concentration in disfavored sectors.  In addition, firms with booming countercyclical practices—e.g., bankruptcy—are likely to be hungry for even more talent in those areas, even as practitioners are in greater demand both at their own firms and elsewhere.

San Diego recruitment Fitzgerald hailed his former firm as top-notch, but said that his practice will be better suited to San Diego litigation boutique Chapin Fitzgerald Sullivan (CFS).  That practice includes plaintiffs work, which few large firms are able to accommodate.

However, there has been a trend of Am Law 200 IP litigation partners moving to smaller firms due to price pressure from clients.

The American Lawyer quoted Fitzgerald as saying he had once called up former Latham mentor and CFS founder Joseph “Jay” Wheeler and “hearing him scream across the office to [longtime friend] Ed [Chapin] about a conflicts check.  And he [quickly] had his answer."  (Latham, on the other hand, has 2100 lawyers).

Schwartzbaum will land at Greenberg Traurig’’s New York office. Revenue at the 1,730-lawyer firm in 2008 was $1.2 billion, while profits per partner increased slightly to $1.3 million.

Jones Day in Paris recruited Baud and Latham associates Aurélie Verdier and Nathalie Marchand.

And Allen & Overy recruited Baud’s former partner Jean-Christophe Tristant, an IP licensing and litigation lawyer.

According to Am Law 100 data, Latham’s profits dropped over 20 percent in 2008, and profits per partner fell from nearly $2.3 million to $1.8 million.  Latham laid off 90 associates and 250 staff members early last year, but recently opened an office in Beijing.

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