Hogan & Hartson’s Denver managing partner, Tom Strickland, is leaving to become the chief legal officer of UnitedHealth Group, Inc., one of the firm’s clients. At United, Strickland will address issues within the national healthcare debate such as the rising cost of healthcare and the senior’s market. Strickland was a former U.S. attorney, and a two-time Democratic candidate for the Senate. Cole Finegan will fill Strickland’s shoes at Hogan & Hartson’s Denver office. As a former Denver city attorney, Finegan re-organized the city attorney’s office of 100 attorneys, which saved the city more than $1 million.
Source: www.bizjournals.com
Venable Recruits Lateral for NY Real Esate Practice
Ralph Miles has joined Venable’s New York office, where he will chair the New York Real Estate Group. He joins from McCarter & English, where he was a partner in real estate and public finance groups. Miles has close to thirty years of experience in real estate finance, development, leasing and real estate bankruptcies and restructurings. Since Venable’s New York office opening in 2005, the firm has been working to grow its real estate practice.
Source: www.dsnews.com
Foley & Lardner Applies for Shanghai Office
Foley & Lardner announced that it has filed an application to open an office in Shanghai. Catherine Sun, a partner from Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ Shanghai office, was hired to head Foley’s Shanghai office, assuming that it will be approved. The new office will focus on intellectual property, specifically IP counseling and dispute resolution. Clients will also need the firm’s help with IP asset management, licensing, and litigation. Joining Sun in Shanghai will be seven other Foley attorneys, including three Chinese nationals. The Shanghai office would be Foley’s second in Asia, following the Tokyo location that opened in 2003.
Source: www.prnewswire.com
San Fran Firm Loses Top Land Use Lawyer to Luce, Forward
Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps has recruited hot-shot land use lawyer, Timothy Tosta, from Steefel, Levitt & Weiss. Tosta will join the San Francisco office, along with four other real estate attorneys from Steefel. Tosta’s departure adds to the number of partner losses Steefel has faced in the past year; the firm’s attorney headcount is now at 50. Most of the lawyers who have left have gone to larger national firms. Luce, Forward has 200 attorneys and five offices in California, though it plans to expand further into the Bay Area and Los Angeles. It’s 21-lawyer San Francisco office focuses on real estate, bankruptcy, and business and real estate litigation.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
NY Lateral Hires, Firms Gain IP Litigators
Peter J. Toren of Sidley Austin has been recruited by Kasowitz, Benson, Torres & Friedman in New York. Toren focuses on patent litigation, especially computer fraud, and he was once the head of Sidley’s NY IP group. Loeb & Loeb’s NY office has also added an IP litigator. Mark E. Waddell joins the firm as a partner from Sonnenschein, Nath & Rosenthal. Waddell specializes in litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act governing the introduction of generic pharmaceuticals.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Howrey London Prepares to Move to New Office
Howrey’s London operation is preparing to move to a new office, doubling its size. By the end of next fall, the firm hopes to move into a 40,000sq ft. space in a new building at 5 New Street Square. Howrey moved into its present 18,0000sq ft. office just last year. The firm has been growing via lateral hires and is especially looking to expand its arbitration practice; this year its focus has been on IP.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Crowell & Moring Adds Three Bankruptcy Lawyers
Crowell & Moring has recently hired three bankruptcy and restructuring attorneys for its growing financial services team; the firm just added nine others to the same practice in February. Monique Almy joins the Corporate and Bankruptcy groups in Washington as a partner from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Mark Lichtenstein left Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney to join Crowell’s New York office as a partner. Finally Matthew Cheney, a bankruptcy and creditor’s rights lawyer, will also join the Washington office as counsel. The three lawyers add unique strengths to the Bankruptcy group and will also contribute expertise on litigation, loan workouts, and restructurings to the financial services team .
Source: www.prnewswire.com
LA Boutique Founder and Partner Leave for Larger Firm
The founder of LA boutique, Fox Spillane Shaeffer, is leaving to join Liner Yankelevitz Sunshine & Regenstreif. Gerard Fox and partner Raul Perez are leaving because the practice needs the support of a larger firm. Fox’s 15-lawyer former shop will continue practicing, changing its name to Spillane Shaeffer Aronoff Bandlow. Fox specializes in entertainment, intellectual property, and product liability defense. He and Perez will bring Liner Yankelevitz an additional $5 million in business.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Lateral Hire at London Firm’s Paris Office
London firm Ashurst has hired Orrick Rambaud Martel finance partner Sylvie Perrin for its French projects practice. Perrin specializes in project finance, asset finance, and tax leasing. Ashurst’s Paris office now has 70 lawyers and focuses on M&A, acquisition finance, and structured finance. Several other attorneys have left Orrick’s Paris office since its Jan. 2006 merger with Rambaud Martel.
Source: www.legalweek.com
New M&A Partner at Jones Day, Atlanta
Jones Day has hired Bryan Davis as a partner in its Atlanta office. Davis comes from Alston Bird, where he was the chair of the M&A practice quality practice. With his new firm, he will be working in the international law practice group. Jones Day’s international presence and the current trend of increasing cross-border M&A made the decision to move a good one for Davis. He works primarily on the representation of public and private companies and investment banking firms in M&A transactions.
Source: www.lawfuel.com
