Sullivan & Cromwell has lost long-time partner Henry Christensen. The private client partner is leaving for McDermott Will & Emery after 37 years with Sullivan & Cromwell. Christensen will head the Chicago firm’s New York and international private client group, focusing on international estate planning. There are about 40 attorneys in McDermott’s private client practice, but until this recent hire it has lacked a New York and international presence.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice has announced plans to relocate its Atlanta office from One Atlantic Center to the tower being built at 271 17th St. in Atlantic Station. The firm plans to move its 70 lawyers to four floors, or 100,000 square feet, in the 25-story building in March of 2009. Ford & Harrison is also considering a move into the new tower.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Dreier recruited a five-lawyer intellectual property group from Greenberg Traurig. Albert L. Jacobs, the former national head of Greenberg’s IP practice, Daniel A. Ladow, the former head of Greenberg’s New York IP litigation group, and Gerald F. Diebner will become partners at Dreier. Elizabeth S. Lapadula joins as of counsel, and one associate is also making the jump. This team specializes in patent litigation, especially in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical areas. Last year Dreier also added four IP attorneys from Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner.
Source: www.nylaywer.com
Locke Liddell & Sapp is the third Texas-based firm to raise associates’ salaries in Texas and Washington, D.C. Following Vinson & Elkins and Andrews Kurth, Locke Liddell has also raised first years’ pay to $160,000 and second years’ pay to $170,000. Additional raises for other associate classes are still under discussion. Locke Liddell is based in Houston and Dallas.
Source: www.law.com
Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge has opened an office in Washington, D.C., and has hired four intellectual property attorneys to work in the new office. James Armstrong and William Brooks, formerly with Armstrong Kratz Quintos Hanson & Brooks LLP, join the firm as partners. Armstrong specializes in patent preparation/prosecution, expert legal opinions, trademarks and litigation in the technical areas of chemical engineering, primarily polymers, biotechnology, materials, process machinery and semiconductors, as well as mechanical engineering. Brooks focuses his practice in the areas of patent prosecution, expert opinions and litigation with experience in all aspects of electrical and mechanical engineering. IP associates Gi-In An and Reina Kakimoto also joined from Armstrong Kratz. Edwards Angell’s IP group is made up of more than 70 lawyers and patent agents who have degrees in technological and scientific disciplines.
Source: www.earthtimes.org
UK-firm Clifford Chance has hired banking partner Thomas Pax for its D.C. office. Pax spent the last 14 years at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman. Apparantly, Clifford Chance has made U.S. expansion a priority in its seven year strategy plan. Other U.S. hires that have been made this year include John Howitt and Ray Warman from Paul Hastings, and Lori Bean of Winston & Strawn.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Commercial litigators Jan Levine and Robin Sumner have joined Pepper Hamilton’s Philadelphia office as partners. The attorneys left Dechert, where Levine was a litigation partner and the chair of the health law group. Sumner was a partner in the antitrust/competition group and the financial services and securities litigation law group. Nine lateral commercial litigation partners have joined Pepper Hamilton so far this year.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Fox Rothschild has gained a new Labor & Employment partner in New York. Carolyn Richmond joined the firm as the co-chair of the Hospitality practice group. Her work focuses on representing and counseling clients in the hospitality industry, as well as the financial services, retail, and manufacturing sectors on a variety of labor and employment matters. Richmond is particularly experienced in matters such as wage and hour issues, restrictive covenants, independent contractor status, EEO discrimination claims, employee handbooks and the hiring process, diversity awareness training, union avoidance, and e-workplace issues such as privacy and surveillance.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
Proskauer Rose has opened an office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This will be the second foreign office for New York-based Proskauer; the firm has seven U.S. offices and one in Paris. Partner Antonio Piccirillo will relocate from New York to head the new office. He specializes in Latin American finance transactions, especially in Mexico and Brazi.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
In response to Vinson & Elkins’ Wednesday salary hike, Houston-based Andrews Kurth has announced pay raises of its own. First-year associates in Texas and D.C. will now receive $160,000, and second-years will earn $170,000. The firm has not decided on the compensation structure for higher-level associates.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
