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
Baker & McKenzie has recruited three lawyers for its San Francisco/Palo Alto office. Victor A. Flores joins as Of Counsel in the Global Equity Services group in San Francisco. He was formerly with Latham & Watkins. Jenny C. Yeh also joins as Of Counsel from Wilson Sonsini. She will work in Palo Alto in the Corporate group. Lastly, Sharlyn Drefus joins the San Fran office as an associate in the Litigation group.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Mike Delaney has joined Kilpatrick Stockton as a partner in the Atlanta office. Delaney joins the Corporate Department from Powell Goldstein. He has significant experience in mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance, including structuring and financing acquisitions and divestitures for public and privately-owned companies. Kilpatrick Stockton has over 500 attorneys in seven domestic and two foreign offices.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
Vinson & Elkins raised Texas first-year associates’ salaries to $160,000, becoming the first Texas-based firm to match the New York market rate. V&E also raised pay for its Washington, D.C. associates. Salaries for first through eighth year associates were raised, but starting in the third year, associates must work 2,000 credit hours in order to be eligible for the complete raise. With this system, associates earn salaries comparable to those in NY, but if they are not able to make the 2,000 hours their pay is reduced only slightly, and only for that year.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Foley Hoag welcomed Jayne Bultena to its Washington, DC office today. She joins the firm from Hogan & Hartson as a partner in the Government Strategies Practice. Bultena will work with life sciences companies on FDA matters. Her practice focuses on products in the biotech, pharmaceutical and consumer health care sectors. She also has done work creating marketing plans addressing policy and regulatory concerns, preparing clients for advisory committee presentations, and conducting internal compliance audits and training. Foley Hoag’s Government Strategies Practice attorneys counsel clients in regulated industries to reach mutually beneficial solutions to public policy issues.
Source: www.home.businesswire.com
The Indian market is second only to China in its economic growth rate, and law firms are beginning to take notice. However, because foreign firms cannot practice or set up offices in India, many conduct their business from Singapore, London, or elsewhere. The booming economy is generating tons of work for U.S. firms, ranging from international public offerings to overseas acquisitions. New York firms such as Davis Polk & Wardwell; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; and Shearman & Sterling dominate the market in high end securities work. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati; Fenwick & West; and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman are particularly strong in tech work. One issue for U.S. firms is that Indian clients often try to cap costs, pushing down normal firm billing rates.
Source: www.law.com
