Continuing a trend among Chicago law firms, both Baker & McKenzie and Jenner & Block have raised their first-year base salaries to $160,000. These increases follow those made by other Chicago firms such as Kirkland & Ellis, Sidley Austin, Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw, and DLA Piper. The Chicago pay hikes are part of a national trend started in New York and California and are due in large part to increased competition among firms for top law school graduates.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Vincent J. Pisano, formerly of Kirkland & Ellis, has moved to Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker as a capital markets partner. Previous to working at Kirkland & Ellis, Mr. Pisano worked for Skaden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and transferred to Kirkland & ELlis in 2003. Mr. Pisano specializes in representing major underwriters such as Bear Stearns, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Houston-based law firm Yetter & Warden LLP has opened an office in Austin which will have six or seven attorneys. The Austin office will focus on a national apellate practice and major clients include American Airlines, General Electric, Levi Strauss & Co., and Southwest Airlines. Greg Coleman, previously of Weil Gotshal & Manges’s national appellate practice in Austin, will head the new office.
Source:www.news.moneycentral.msn.com
Dallas-based Winstead has announced it will not be joining the other Texas firms that raised associate salaries. The new salary scale is effective today at Vinson & Elkins, the firm that started the move to $160,000 for 1st-years, and $170,000 for 2nd years. Winstead will continue to pay a starting base salary of $135,000, and will instead offer a merit-based bonus of up to $25,000. Denis Braham, chairman and chief executive officer of the firm, commented on the decision saying that Winstead would prefer to reward individual associates based on their contributions. He feels that bonuses will keep the firm competitive, attracting associates with a long-term view and who want to be rewarded for hard work.
Source: www.law.com
The New York managing partner of King & Spalding has left to join WilmerHale. Michael O’Brien will focus on M&A and private equity with WilmerHale. At King & Spalding, O’Brien served on the firmwide operating committee since 2003, and last year he lead the firm in representing Caremark Rx Inc. in its $26 billion merger with CVS Corp. IP attorney Robert Perry will take over as the managing partner of King & Spalding’s 120-lawyer NY office.
Source: www.law.com
Philip Olsen has joined the Boston office of McCarter & English as a partner. The state and local tax attorney was formerly a senior counsel with Holland & Knight. He has represented clients in major tax controversies in numerous state administrative boards and superior courts, as well as state appeals and supreme courts. McCarter & English’s 400 attorneys are based in Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, Stamford, and Wilmington.
Source: www.boston.dbusinessnews.com
Baker & McKenzie has recruited the former Deputy Attorney General, Paul McNulty. McNulty joins the firm as a partner in the D.C. office. He will be involved in several practices including business crimes and investigations, corporate compliance and risk management, and global dispute resolution groups. During his most recent appointment with the Department of Justice, his testimony on the firing of the nine prosecutors angered AG Alberto Gonzalez, and caused Congress to further investigate the issue. His testimony suggested White House involvement and political motivations behind the firings.
Source: www.law.com
Five Fulbright & Jaworski attorneys have joined Greenberg Traurig’s Houston office to launch a real estate practice there. Kent Newsome will serve as the Chair of the Houston real estate practice. He has 22 years of experience in real estate, healthcare, financing, and business law. Joining Newsome are of counsel Gerald Lance and associates Robert Brannon, Adam MacLuckie, and Thomas Rogers. Lance is experienced in commercial real estate, land development, and real estate financing. Greenberg Traurig is an international firm with over 1,000 lawyers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
Source: www.earthtimes.org
O’Melveny & Myers has moved a key player from its Tokyo office to Hong Kong. Partner Gregory Puff was handpicked to head the M&A practice in Hong Kong, with hopes that he will help the firm become a strong force in the Asian corporate market. Puff is experienced in cross-border corporate finance transactions; he will continue to handle his work in Tokyo despite the transfer to Hong Kong. O’Melveny’s Asian offices are located in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Bracewell & Giuliani has opened an office in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Partner David Stockwell will head the new office; he is a 25-year resident and legal practioner, as well as a former senior U.S. diplomat in residence there. The Dubai office will advise clients on doing business in Dubai, local labor law, commercial and corporate law, arbitration, licensing, litigation, energy, and environmental matters in the Arabian Gulf region.
Source: www.metrocorpcounsel.com
