This is the latest update on lateral partner and counsel moves in the Washington, D.C. area. The data included in these reports is primarily derived from Firm Prospects LLC. For more details and analysis, please contact TMG’s Steve Nelson (snelson@tmg-dc.com) or Dave Ris (dris@tmg-dc.com).
Industry experts are expecting a flood of laterals in 2021, and consistent with that prediction, partner-level hiring increased in the D.C. area in January, as 59 partner and counsel moves were reported. It was the second consecutive month in which a gain was reported, as 42 moves were reported in December and 31 were reported in November. It was also up almost double from the pre-Covid January 2020 figure, when 34 moves were reported. And early indications are that the numbers will even be greater in February.
Keying the increase were 16 moves from federal government positions, up from six in December. Leading the way were six moves from the Department of Justice. Other agencies active in the revolving door were the Securities & Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Department of Health & Human Services, with two moves apiece.
There were three group moves included in the January, all of which involved two partners. Those included a financial payments and fintech group moved from Morrsion & Foerster to Cooley, an IP group that moved from Fish & Richardson to Willkie Farr, and a tax controversy duo that went from Eversheds Sutherland to Winston & Strawn. Other firms reporting multiple partner/counsel hires in January were Husch Blackwell; Jenner & Block; Jones Day; Kirkland & Elllis; McDermott, Will & Emery, and Wilmer Hale.
Other notable findings include:
- For the first time since we have been recording these moves, the leading practice area involved was Banking/Finance, with eight moves. Other active practice areas included International Trade (5), Securities and Commodities (5), Litigation (4), White Collar/Investigations (4), Intellectual Property (4), Antitrust (3), FDA (3), and Government Contracts (3).
- Overall, 48 of the lawyers came in as partners (or an equivalent title), while 11 came in at the counsel level.
- For the third straight month, less than 30 percent of the movers were women, with only 14 woman partners and three woman counsel making the list.
