The word on the (wall) street is that “green real estate” is only going to get increasingly popular.  The term represents buildings and homes that are environmentally friendly.  This boom, which coincides with the expansion of environmental building regulations, is luckily resulting in more work for environmental and construction lawyers.  Green construction litigation and product liability are both expected to increase.       

Source:  http://www.nylj.com/nylawyer/news/09/04/040609r.html

Some firms are not following the downward trend in all areas of law firm life.  For instance, a few U.S. law firms did not follow the downward spiral of merger and acquisition deals worldwide.  The value of reported deals fell 29.4 percent, from $578 billion in the first quarter of 2008, to $408 billion in the first quarter of 2009.  Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom jumped from third place to first place, with $169 billion dollars in M&A deals.  Wachtell made a drastic move from 21^st place to 2^nd place, with a total of nine deals totaling almost $125 billion dollars.

Source:  http://www.nylj.com/nylawyer/news/09/04/040609h.html

Atlanta now has claim over another law firm, that of Barnes & Thornburg.  The firm opens its 8^th office with lateral attorneys, Stuart C. Johnson and Jason A. Bernstein.  They join from Bryan Cave Powell Goldstein’s Atlanta office.  Managing Partner Alan Levin reported the office will be actively recruiting lateral attorneys, with the goal of being a full-service law firm.  

Source:  www.indystar.com

Andrew N. Vollmer, previously deputy general counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, rejoined Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr.  Vollmer joins the Washington office as partner.  He will focus his practice on securities law.  Vollmer left Wilmer in 2006.

Source:  www.nylj.com

Some firms are creating programs that lend junior lawyers to public interest practices with the intent minimizing layoff numbers, while giving these attorneys some experience.  Sidley Austin LLP, Latham & Watkins, and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe are a few of the firms with such a program.  Latham & Watkins offered its incoming associates a salary of $75,000 for doing community service work for one year, and thus delaying their start dates until October 2010.  Orrick has done something similar, in that the firm has asked about 70 third year students, who were previously promised jobs, to defer for year, or take on a fellowship in public service for a year.  

Source:  www.latimes.com

Alexander Cohen retired from his position as chief of staff at the Securities and Exchange Commission in December.  His next step?  Cohen just joined Latham & Watkins as co-chair of the corporate finance practice.  He work out of the D.C. office. 

Source:  www.legaltimes.typepad.com

Blank Rome announced that it is taking on David Gitlin, the chairman of Wolf Block’s corporate securities group.   Wolf Block recently voted to dissolve the firm.  Gitlin focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private equity and international transactions.  He will be bringing two associates along with him.  

Source:  www.philadelphia.bizjournals.com

Fox Rothschild announced that it has taken on a law firm in Stamford.  The firm, Pastore Osterberg, is composed of 9 lawyers.  It’s practice is based on the following: intellectual property, telecommunications, information technology, litigation, real estate law, and securities.

Source:  www.philly.com

Hammonds has lost four partners on one of the two days a year, equity partners are allowed to resign at the firm. Those days are March 31^st and September 30^th. Fixed share partners are able to leave at any time. David Beswick, a partner in the Birmingham office, left for Eversheds. Martin Letz and Amanda Allen left the Birmingham office as well. Jay Doraisamy, partner-in-charge of Hammonds London pensions practice, also resigned.

Source:  www.thelawyer.com