Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has added attorney Michael A. Molano. Molano, who joins from Mayor Brown, will concentrate his practice in Silicon Valley within the Intellectual Property practice group. In 1993, he received his J.D. from St. Louis School of Law, and attended Northwestern University where he received a B.S. In Electrical Engineering. Molano is currently a registered patent attorney.
Source: www.br.sys-con.com
Tags: Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe has announced its plan to freeze salaries in 2009. Its 670 associates can expect the same salary from 2008. The firm explains that this is in result of a “challenging business environment”, which assuredly, also resulted in their 40 lawyer layoff in November. Those who survived the redundancies, will still receive their 2008 bonuses, ranging from $25,000 to $85,000.
Source: www.amlawdaily.typepad.com
Tags: Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
Morrison & Forester’s Tokyo office is doing well, despite the global recession. Ken Siegal, managing partner, reports that its budget grew by 15% in 2008; they continue to stay very busy. The firm also has a perk to look forward to in the new year: the Japanese government is sending a second stimulus package to aid in combating the recession.
Source: www.asia.legalbusinessonline.com
Tags: Morrison & Foerster LLP | Tokyo
Cadwalader’s London office has suffered a major hit with the departure of seven partners. It is most likely that all seven will be joining Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker. The partners include: Michelle Duncan, Karl Clowry, Conor Downey, Justin Jowitt, Tom O’Riordan, Christian Parker, Charles Roberts. Cadwalader is left with four partners in London, causing the question: will it close its doors? This news follows the announcement that the firm’s partner profits decreased from $2.725m (£1.8m) to $1.88m (£1.24m), a percentage of more than 30%. Its total revenue fell 13.8%.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Tags: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLPLovells has created a bribery and corruption practice area. The group will be composed of dispute resolution partners. As the recession continues, it is reasonable to expect there to be an increase in such illegal dealings, as the nation becomes increasingly nervous about its financial situations. It is expected for the US government to enact a bribery bill this year.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
DLA Piper is making its presence in Asia known with the recent hire of Kit Kwok. Kwok joins the firm’s China corporate practice as partner. DLA has also boosted its Asia practice by promoting five other lawyers to partner. Kwok, previously with Roosevelt Sino Retailers, will work out of the Shanghai office.
Source: www.financeasia.com
Tags: DLA Piper | ShanghaiIn the past year, litigation in the US increased by 9 percent. According to the Law 360 Litigation Alamanac, 2009 edition, this boom is due to hte growing number of cases involving antitrust and product safety, as well as employment matters. This fact is more than a mere number. It reflects the continuing importance of litigation to US corporations.
Source: www.earthtimes.org
Jones Day has launched it’s Mexico office today, merging with the firm De Ovando y Martínez del Campo, S.C. This new office, led by partner-in-charge, Ferdnando de Ovando, will focus on the following: banking, finance, real estate, capital markets, as well as international merger and acquisitions. With this new addition, Jones Day now has 31 international offices, and its first located in Latin America.
Source: www.crainscleveland.com
Tags: Jones DayTwo bankruptcy partners departed from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft and have both joined Greenberg Traurig in the firm’s New York office. Bruce Zirinsky, previously Cadwalader’s co-chair of restructuring, left the firm just before he would have been given a spot on the management committee. Zirinsky joins with John Bae, also a bankruptcy partner.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Tags: Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP | New YorkOne cannot escape the consequences of a suffering economy. Although it was birthed in the United States, it has soon become a global problem. Law firms can attestify that changes had to be made to endure these difficult times. Practice areas, such as private equity and real estate have slowed down immensely. But the economy slump has not hit every practice area, nor market equally. Litigation has been doing well. Also, firms with Moscow offices, have reported that they are still very busy in Russia. But the luckiest are the New York firms that are working on the bank bailouts. Even in times like these, legal work continues and at times is even created by the downturn iteself.
Source: www.amlawydaily.typepad.com
Tags: Moscow