A six-partner intellectual property team has left Hunton & Williams’ Washington, D.C. office for Goodwin Procter. Thomas Scott, the former chair of Hunton & Williams’ IP practice, will chair Goodwin’s national IP practice. Joining Scott are Scott Robertson, Jennifer Albert, Patrick Doody, David Young and Stephen Schreiner. Especially after its 2004 merger with Shea & Gardner, Goodwin has significantly strengthened its D.C. presence. On a hunt for high profile laterals, the firm recently hired Mark Heller to start a FDA practice in D.C.
Source: www.law.com

Another firm shows that it is never too late to implement pay raises for its first-year associates. Pepper Hamilton announced that it has increased its starting salary from $125,000 to $145,000, effective in its Philadelphia; Berwyn, PA; Pittsburgh; Princeton; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington offices. No decisions have been made regarding pay increases for higher-level associates or for other offices. Pepper Hamilton, along with Drinker Biddle & Reath, will raise salaries on Sep. 1; Dechert and Morgan Lewis & Bockius are already at $145,000, making four Philadlephia firms to reach that level. Some firms, such as Cozen O’Connor are still resisting. The firm has no plans to raise its starting salary above $125,000, and sees the pay increses as detrimental to the clients.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Five litigation attorneys from Frost Brown Todd’s Louisville office have left to start their own firm. Robert Gwin, Robert Steinmetz, Donald Miller II and W. Bruce Baird were members with the firm, and William Donnell was an of-counsel. Frost Brown Todd was created from a merger between Ohio’s Frost & Jacobs and Kentucky’s Brown, Todd & Heyburn. The firm has eight offices in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee.
Source: www.louisville.bizjournals.com

Howrey has recruited the managing partner and co-chair of the IP litigation group of Dewey Ballantine’s Silicon Valley office. Jeannine Yoo Sano will join Howrey’s East Palo Alto office, leaving her former office with eight attorneys, including only one partner. Dewey’s shrinking numbers are largely attributed to the failed merger with Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, after which many attorneys got offers elsewhere. Sano was drawn to Howrey because of the firm’s focus on IP, antitrust, and global litigation. The addition of Sano is a part of Howrey’s plan to expand in the Bay Area; accordingly, an antitrust partner was recently hired in San Francisco.
Source: www.law.com

Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis has been slow to jump on the salary raise bandwagon. The firm just announced that effective Sept. 1 it would raise starting salaries in Philadelphia from $125,000 to $135,000. Corresponding increases will be made in other offices, and the firm is still determining raises for more senior associates. Several other firms announced raises in their Philadelphia offices. Wolf Block Schorr & Solis-Cohen bumped its first-year pay to $135,000, retroactive to Feb. 1. Duane Morris, Blank Rome and DLA Piper have also raised Philly starting salaries to $135,000, retroactive to Jan. 1.
Source: www.nylawyer.com