Litigation boutique, Susman Godfrey, is expanding its NY office. The Houston, TX firm recently added a new partner and relocated another from Dallas to New York. The 75-lawyer firm opened the NY office last fall, and it focuses on representing clients in antitrust, intellectual property, securities and accounting malpractice cases. Having won some of the largest damages awards and settlements in history, Susman Godfrey is most known for its antitrust practice.
Source: www.law.com
Three Atlanta firms followed Troutman Sanders’ lead in raising salaries. Jones Day, King & Spalding and Alston & Bird are implementing raises that actually put them above Troutman’s first-year associate increase from 115K to 125K. Jones Day’s starting pay will be $135,000, King & Spaulding will pay first-years $130,000, and Alston & Bird raised all associate salaries by 15K, putting first-year pay at $130,000. Alston will also raise salaries in D.C. and New York to match the market increases of last month; D.C. attorneys start at $145,000, and NY associates receive $160,000 in their first year.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Associates are not staying silent about the recent pay increases. Those in CA especially have something to say – while some complain about their firms not matching the NY market, others prefer that the markets remain separate and unique. Most associates recognize that NY attorneys are working longer hours, and should therefore be compensated for them. Many also claim that they would rather work less and get paid an accordingly smaller salary. The slight differences in pay generally matters most to students looking for their first firm (and hoping to pay off loans). For mid-level associates, on the other hand, comfort, environment, and overall good fit usually matter more than a 10K difference in pay.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Sichenzia Ross Friedman Ference relocated from 1065 Avenue of the Americas to 61 Broadway in downtown New York, expanding by 11,250 square feet. The larger space will better accomodate the growing firm, which now has 25 lawyers and 13 support staff. The new office before was home to Healy & Baillie, which recently merged with Blank Rome and now operates out of the Chrysler Building. Cole, Schotz, Meisel, Forman & Leonard has also moved from 460 Park Avenue to a larger, 17,300 square foot office at 900 Third Avenue. Fourteen attorneys and 10 professionals will work in the new office, but there is room for growth. The firm, which merged with Angel & Frankel last year, expects there to be additions to the staff over the next few years.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Last week Littler Mendelson announced the opening of two new offices in Connecticut – one in New Haven and the other in Stamford. Entering the CT market, the San Francisco-based firm encroaches on the territory of Jackson Lewis, before the dominant player in employment law. With the opening of its two new offices, Littler now has 41 offices nationwide and close to 600 attorneys. The self-proclaimed largest labor and employment boutique in the U.S., Littler maintains a healthy rivalry with Jackson Lewis; however, the competition does not seem to be affecting the employment practices of local firms.
Source: www.law.com
Tyler, Cooper & Alcorn recently opened a Manhattan office, and soon thereafter made its first two new hires. Though it is unusual for the firm to hire laterals with little experience practicing law, these two associates’ backgrounds are primarily in journalism and business. After graduating from Brooklyn Law School and practicing as an in-house counsel, Harvey Sigelbaum spent 40 years working in the insurance industry. Carl Ginsburg worked for 25 years as a news producer at NBC and CBS covering courts, government agencies and business. At Tyler Cooper, Sigelbaum and Ginsburg will be dealing with healthcare fraud and abuse; the two attorneys will advise clients, but not represent them in court.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
New York has recently been a hotbed of activity for lateral moves and associates making partner. Blank Rome added James V. Masella III to its corporate litigation group as a partner. Three attorneys also joined DLA Piper as partners in its NY, DC, and LA offices. In offices across the globe, White & Case just named thirty-seven associates to the partnership. Two partners from Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney left to join the litigation department of Carter Ledyard & Milburn.
Source: www.nylawyer.com
Epstein Becker & Green recently acquired hot-shot attorney Joseph P. Klock, Jr. for its Miami office. Klock offers valuable experience in litigation and business law; he also played an important role in the legal controversy surrounding the 2000 presidential elections. He was formerly the head of Miami-based Steel, Hector & Davis, prior to its merger with Squire, Sanders & Dempsey LLP. With over 380 attorneys in 11 offices nationwide, Epstein Becker continues to grow in the Southeast.
Source: www.sev.prnewswire.com
Latham & Watkins and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher announced Friday that they will increase first year salaries in NY to $160,000, but only to $145,000 in CA and other offices. Because several firms have refrained from matching CA salaries to those of NY, other West-coast firms feel less pressure to increase. Billing rates, cost of living, and other issues make the two markets very different; most California firms are making pay raises to reflect that difference. However, one of the factors involved in the decision to raise salaries is whether or not the firm wants to be considered a top-tier firm.
Source: www.law.com
Eight lawyers from Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner have been recruited by Winston & Strawn to join its New York office. The group of attorneys is led by former vice chairman and litigation chief of Thelen Reid & Priest, Michael Elkin. Elkin primarly deals with copyright and other intellectual property issues within the entertainment, luxury goods, technology and financial industries. Chicago-based firm Winston & Strawn has about 150 lawyers in its NY office.
Source: www.law.com
