This is the first of a monthly series of updates by The McCormick Group on lateral partner and counsel moves in the Washington, D.C. area. All data included in these reports are derived from Firm Prospects LLC.
The word in the DC legal community is that current government lawyers will have a tough time finding positions in law firms, both because of the current preoccupation of firms with bringing in partners with portable business, and the perception that the top political appointees from the current administration might not be as attractive as those in past administrations. However, an exclusive study of lateral partner and counsel moves in October indicated that government lawyers are still quite valuable, in that more than a third of the 35 reported moves were from government. Those moves were from a variety of agencies, including DOJ, Treasury, EPA, the FTC, and the White House. Also included was the return of former Special Counsel Bob Mueller to his former home at Wilmer Hale. One of Mueller’s chief deputies, Aaron Zebley, also joined Wilmer Hale.
Other important findings from the study include:
- Antitrust and Environmental were the most popular specialty areas for the month, with 5 moves in those areas apiece. In the Environmental area, four of the moves were as a result of a large multi-city group that moved from Katten Muchin to Baker Botts. Three of the five moves in Antitrust came from government. Four lawyers in the White Collar/Investigations area moved during the month.
- Of the 35 moves, 22 came to their new firms as a Partner (or Member), with 12 having a counsel title, and one coming in as a Director.
- Ten of the 35 people who moved were women; of those, five came in as partners and five entered their firms with a counsel title.
- In addition to the 12 government moves, two laterals went from corporations into a law firm, and one came from a consulting firm.
- An equal number of attorneys moving went to larger firms vs. smaller firms, although in most cases, lawyers moving firm-to-firm went to firms of roughly equal size.
- King & Spalding had the greatest number of lateral entries in October with five, four coming from the government. Other firms reporting multiple lateral hires included Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Baker Botts, Blank Rome, Cozen O’Connor, and Wilmer Hale.
For more details on recent movement or to discuss your firm’s lateral hiring program, contact TMG’s Steve Nelson (snelson@tmg-dc.com) or Dave Ris (dris@tmg-dc.com).
