A group of three attorneys–Partner Michael E. Santa Maria, Of Counsel Todd Bowers, and associate Kevin Maher–has moved from DLA Piper to Baker McKenzie LLP’s Dallas office. The were recruited to expand Baker McKenzie’s complex commercial cross-border transactional practice. Both Santa Maria and Bowers have worked for Baker McKenzie previously as associates. The three hope to improve Baker McKenzie’s Latin American presence.
Source: lawfuel.com
Troutman Sanders raised first year salaries by $15,000 to $140,000 in their Atlanta, Washington, Virginia and North Carolina offices Thursday. The pay hikes will take effect on January 1, 2008, the same day as Alston & Bird’s recently announced salary jump. Representatives from Troutman Sanders claimed the same reason for the hikes as other firms have recently; that the move has been made to remain competitive both with law school students and in lateral recruiting markets.
Source: www.dailyreportonline.com
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner and U.K. law firm Pinsent Masons have split their global construction law joint venture. Masons Thelen Reid, formed in 2003, was designed to help the firms take on a larger work load and attract new clients, and in that respect it was a profitable venture for both parties. The firms decided to split when they realized that they could achieve the same results without the administrative costs separately, and have agreed to maintain a “best friends” relationship.
Source: www.law.com
Lowell C. Brown and Jonathon E. Cohn will join the Los Angeles office of Arent Fox this August. Both attorneys are from law firm Foley & Lardner LLP and are two of the most prominent health care attorneys in the state of California. Arent Fox’s LA office has doubled in size since January to 20 lawyers, and the firm expects to see continued growth within this office.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Day Pitney of Florham Park New Jersey has announced that as of January 1st, first-year salaries will be raised by $15,000 to $135,000. Although this is a non-traditional move, Day Pitney representatives say that was a simple decision to make in order to stay competitive. Midyear salary hikes are part of a trend which includes fellow New Jersey firm Lerner, David, Littenberg, Krumholz & Mentlik. Industry experts claim that the recent flurry of pay hikes nation-wide has been draw top law school graduates away from corporate legal departments.
Source: www.law.com
Dennis E. Kinnaird has joined Foley & Larnder LLP’s Los Angeles office as a member of the Litigation Department and the General Commercial Litigation Practice. Kinnaird spent the vast majority of his career as a trial lawyer for Munger Tolles & Olson LLP. Prior to that, he worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in California’s Central District. Foley’s representatives stated that they are looking forward to their clients’ having access to Kinnaird’s extensive experience.
Source: lawfuel.com
King & Spalding responded to Alston & Bird’s pay raise by making the same $15,000 increase to first-year associate salaries. Effective Jan. 1, 2008, the starting pay will be $145,000, but the firm made no similar announcements regarding senior associates’ pay. A firm spokesperson reported that K&S will “continue to evaluate” the pay structure for other levels of associates. Recruiters have ventured the guess that the firm quickly matched only the first-year salary rather than all levels in order to remain competitive during summer associate recruiting rush.
Source: www.law.com
Dallas-based Haynes & Boone announced that all Texas associates’ salaries will now be at the market rate of $160,000 for first years. The salaries for second and third years will be $170,000; $180,00 for forth years; $190,000 for fifth years; $200,000 for sixth years; $205,000 for seventh years; and $210,000 for eighth years. Associates’ bonuses will also be increased to as much as $5,000 for first-years and up to $70,000 for eighth-year associates. Associate classes, as a group, must reach certain billable-hour totals for the bonuses to be distributed, but for the first time Haynes & Boone has also added individual billable-hour bonus goals.
Source: www.law.com
Mark Lee has left Debevoise & Plimpton to join Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s Hong Kong office as a partner. He is the sixth new partner to join the firm’s China offices in 2007. Lee is joined by of counsel, David Cho, and associate Una Cho, all from Debevoise & Plimpton. Lee’s corporate M&A and private equity practice focuses on Korea; he joins Orrick’s Korea team which includes Eugene Chang, a Tokyo-based finance partner, and Michelle Taylor, a Hong Kong-based partner and head of Orrick’s regional structured finance team.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Six Holland & Knight Miami partners have announced their departure from the firm to start their own boutique. The Coral Gables firm will be known as Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Ferri. Former head of H&K’s banking and finance group, Alcides Avila, will be joined by partners Wilfredo Rodriguez, Eugenio Hernandez, Patricia Hernandez, Daniel Mena, and Marco Ferri; associate Asnardo Garro Jr. is also joining. Holland & Knight’s Miami office executive partner, Peter Prieto, is not worried about the loss of the partners, and said that the remaining attorneys cover all the same areas of expertise.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
