Cravath, Swaine & Moore has started a bankruptcy practice with the hire of Richard Levin, a former partner with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Prior to joining Skadde, Levin served as the general counsel, chief financial officer, and chief administrative officer of Whittaker, Corp. Several other firms like Skadden Arps, Kirkland Ellis, and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft have been building their bankruptcy practice in anticipation of an increase in insolvency work.
Source: www.law.com

Needing space for expansion, McCarter & English had been looking for a new home. The firm originally planned to move into Riverfront Center, a new 14-story building that was under construction near their current office, but delays in construction and an impending lease expiration forced them to look elsewhere. Ultimately, the Newark firm decided to take another 15-year lease at its current location, where it has been since 1990. The Riverfront office would have given McCarter & English 230,000 square feet; though the firm only has 143,000 now, there is an option for additional space, and renovations will be made.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Steefel, Levitt & Weiss has lost five more attorneys from its San Francisco land use practice. Partner L. Elizabeth Strahlstrom has joined Bingham McCutchen’s land use and development practice. Associates William Fleishhacker, Miriam Montesinos, Alexis Pelosi and Elizabeth Sibbett followed their fomer Steefel Levitt bosses, partners Judy Davidoff and Arthur Friedman, to Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. Davidoff and Friedman joined Sheppard Mullin on April 2. Steefel Levin’s San Francisco office has lost six partners in the last year, and the attorney counts stands at 40, down from 80 in 2000.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Winston & Strawn has been the victim of lateral recruitment recently, having lost three attorneys to two different firms. Olshan Grundman Frome Rosenzweig & Wolosky snagged partner Manes Merrit to launch an employee benefits practice. Barry Salkin is also joining Olshan Grundman’s new employee benefits team as of counsel. Corporate partner Marvin Miller was hired by Seyfarth Shaw; Miller deals with complex finance transactions including structured financings.
Source: www.law.com

Bryan Cave has added four lateral attorneys to launch a private client practice in its Washington, D.C. office. The private client group counsels and represents a wide range of clients such as individuals, families, closely held businesses, and trust and charitable institutions. Partner Mary Ann Mancini, Counsels Susan Blumenthal and Tanya Harvey and Associate Jordan Ware all join Bryan Cave from the D.C. office of a national firm. Mancini deals especially with estate and business planning and taxation; she has been recognized nationally for her expertise in issues involving compensation-related benefits. Bryan has close to 800 lawyers in 13 offices around the world.
Source: www.lawfuel.com