The American Lawyer

Quinn Emanuel Attorneys Face 'Unusual' Sanctions Following Finding of Ethical Misconduct

Fri, 22 May 2026 16:50:01 EST

]]>The discipline handed out by Northern California District Judge Edward M. Chen is a rare instance of firm-mandated ethics training and a hefty $3-million fine.

Quinn Emanuel Sues to Confirm $1.5M Award Against Binance Ex-CEO

Fri, 22 May 2026 13:54:49 EST

]]>The firm expected to charge $2,410 for partner William Burck, $1,735 for partner Avi Perry and $940 for first-year associates in 2024, according to court documents.

GC Pay Keeps Climbing, but Equity and Company Scale Are Driving a Wider Divide

Fri, 22 May 2026 13:50:17 EST

]]>“Equity plays a central role because it aligns the GC with long-term enterprise value creation, said Mary Rombaut, a fractional chief marketing officer at BarkerGilmore.

The Growing Comparative Differential Between Elite Law Firms Requires Firm Leaders to Make Hard Choices

Fri, 22 May 2026 13:01:54 EST

]]>Simpson Thacher's Alden Millard and Davis Polk's Neil Barr discuss hard choices necessary to facilitate strategic growth in a hyper-competitive and dynamic Big Law ecosystem.

US Law Firm Leasing 'Not Falling Off the Cliff,' Despite Q1 Decline

Fri, 22 May 2026 00:30:29 EST

]]>The Savills Legal Tenant Practice Group Q1 report found that U.S. leasing dropped in Q1 compared with the 2025 average, but it was due to a lack of availability of Class A and trophy space and timing of lease renewals.

Beyond the Billable Hour: Why Younger Lawyers Should Invest in Civic Life

Thu, 21 May 2026 23:59:59 EST

]]>The lawyers who build the most enduring careers are rarely those who simply out-bill their peers, Henry O'Connor writes.

The Mentoring Myth and What Leaders Must Do Differently

Thu, 21 May 2026 21:20:41 EST

]]>We've built systems that distribute formal mentoring equally, but have let informal mentoring distribute itself inequitably, Yusuf Zakir writes.

With 40 Days Until Merger Closes, Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader Confront Final Integration Challenges

Thu, 21 May 2026 17:25:15 EST

]]>Leaders from both firms are resolving questions surrounding leadership titles, office footprints, business teams and software. Meanwhile Cadwalader is seeking permission from the Manhattan Supreme Court to put over $750,000 of escrowed client funds into the Lawyers Fund for Client Protection.

As U.S.-Cuba Tensions Escalate, Fla. Firms Are Guiding Clients on Navigating Uncertainty and Eying Fresh Opportunities

Thu, 21 May 2026 16:17:11 EST

]]>"We've hoped for change so many times, right? We've always thought, is this going to happen? When Castro dies, is it going to happen? And this indictment, I think, is really the the end of the rope for this regime," said Aliette DelPozo Rodz, managing partner of Shutts & Bowen's Miami office and chairwoman of its Cuba Task Force.

Rising AI Mistakes in Legal Pose Quandary for Law Firms' Insurance Policies

Thu, 21 May 2026 14:07:09 EST

]]>Headline-generating AI hallucinations in the legal industry have some questioning whether carriers who insure lawyers may be looking to change future liability policies.

Debevoise Creates Bonus Pool for Partners, Modifying Comp System

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:09:20 EST

]]>Firm presiding partner Peter Furci said the firm looks to use the fund to retain talent as well as expand via the lateral market in funds, finance and M&A, among other areas.

Mental Health by the Numbers: The 2026 Survey Infographic

Thu, 21 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>These data points highlight key findings from the 2026 survey, which tracked responses from thousands of people.

At Law Firms, Turmoil Outside Outweighs Incremental Progress Within, Mental Health Survey Shows

Thu, 21 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Some stressors in the legal profession are treated as table stakes. But it's tough to ignore the signs of the times in Law.com's latest survey of mental health in the legal industry.

Paul Hastings Adds Paul Weiss Partner to Chair Sanctions Team

Thu, 21 May 2026 05:54:59 EST

]]>Roberto Gonzalez, who previously co-chaired Paul Weiss' economic sanctions and anti-money laundering practice, will chair Paul Hastings' sanctions and anti-money laundering team, the firm said Thursday.

2 Litigation Partners at Paul Weiss Leaving

Thu, 21 May 2026 05:54:59 EST

]]>Partner Andrew Ehrlich, who co-chairs the firm's securities litigation and enforcement group, says he has no immediate plans.

Major US Firms 'Worst Offenders' As Fossil Fuel Deals Top £3 Trillion Over 5 Years

Thu, 21 May 2026 04:58:39 EST

]]>White & Case, Latham & Watkins and Kirkland & Ellis all feature among the top 10 of firms that have led the most lucrative fossil fuel transactions in recent times, according to a report by Law Students for Climate Accountability.

Multi-Year M&A Lateral Build Created Bedrock for Paul Hastings' Rise in League Tables, PEP

Wed, 20 May 2026 15:59:08 EST

]]>The firm's approach is a case study of the lengths some firms have taken to build their M&A and private equity practice — often the most profitable practices in Big Law.

AI Is Speeding Up Legal Work, but Global Lawyers Say Judgment Still Belongs to Humans

Wed, 20 May 2026 14:46:05 EST

]]>There will “always be an irreducible human component that is absolutely essential and can't be dispensed with, said Gary Born, chair of the international arbitration practice group at Wilmer in London.

Modern Pricing in the Age of AI

Tue, 19 May 2026 23:59:59 EST

]]>Today's firm success may one day be seen as the closing chapter of a long period of steady rate growth and high leverage, James K Dixon writes. That model is now under pressure.

US Firms Capture Claims Worth 13 Times the Average in UK Litigation

Wed, 20 May 2026 07:11:07 EST

]]>New data from Solomonic shows that U.S. firms are taking market share at the top end of U.K. litigation.

The 'Rebalancing' of Paul Weiss Has Accelerated—and Litigators Are Feeling It

Wed, 20 May 2026 07:08:25 EST

]]>Leadership changes at the top, notable exits, associate cuts, and continued controversy over the firm's deal with the Trump administration have compounded the identity shift to a top M&A and private equity firm, legal industry observers and recruiters say.

Former Sidley Partner Resigns as Treasury Dept GC

Tue, 19 May 2026 15:19:54 EST

]]>Brian Morrissey resigned amid news that the Treasury Department is set to oversee the payout of nearly $1.8 billion for an "Anti-Weaponization Fund," created by the DOJ.

Gulf Partner Promotions Decline as Middle East Tensions Increase

Tue, 19 May 2026 00:27:12 EST

]]>At least one U.S. firm in the Middle East has lowered its usual 2,100 2,200 billable-hour threshold and shifted to a three-year performance average to ensure fairer evaluations as a result of the “unusual circumstances.

NYC Lateral Hiring Reaches 3-Year High

Tue, 19 May 2026 11:22:17 EST

]]>Dechert, Sidley Austin, Kirkland & Ellis and Ropes & Gray were the top firms with the most Q1 laterals in New York, according to Macrae.

Cooley Recruits Perkins Coie Duo, Including Co-Chair of Privacy & Security Practice

Tue, 19 May 2026 08:59:59 EST

]]>The lawyers from Perkins Coie are "already the primary privacy advisers to many of the world's major technology companies," Cooley said.

Could Harvey and Legora Be on Borrowed Time?

Tue, 19 May 2026 06:30:04 EST

]]>The rise of Anthropic and heavy criticism from an ex-Latham lawyer who claims to have built a similar product himself pose challenges for the established legal tech players.

Private Credit, LME Activity Drive Lateral Hiring Wave in Restructuring Practices

Tue, 19 May 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>An in-demand and increasingly complex restructuring market is behind a series of recent partner moves.

Deal Watch: Kirkland, McGuireWoods Guide $67B Energy Deal

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:51:34 EST

]]>The deal is one of the largest M&A transactions announced in 2026. The enterprise value of the combined entity is estimated at $420 billion.

Are Law Firm EO Suits Headed for Supreme Court? Appeals Court Split May Set 'Roadmap'

Mon, 18 May 2026 16:33:29 EST

]]>A three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit appeared “sympathetic and may uphold lower court rulings invalidating EOs against four law firms, attorneys said.

Quinn Emanuel General Counsel Killed in Georgia Car Crash

Mon, 18 May 2026 15:02:06 EST

]]>Harry Olivar's stepson, David Jackson, also died in the accident; Olivar's wife, Leigh, was seriously injured and is currently hospitalized.

Fifth Wachtell Partner Moves to Latham

Mon, 18 May 2026 11:40:48 EST

]]>Latham & Watkins is adding its fifth lateral partner from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz since February 2025, this time bringing in an executive compensation, employment & benefits partner.

Can Partial Equity Systems Make Partners 'Stickier' Within Law Firms?

Mon, 18 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>In the free-agency Big Law world, giving newer partners some skin in the game is also aimed at combatting the disconnect and transience that sometimes typifies Big Law, some say. Still, others have said creating additional differentiation in the ranks can result in a caste system.

Big Law Real Estate Practices See More Momentum Amid Boom in Data Center Deals

Mon, 18 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Amid some of the latest lateral moves, Latham & Watkins, Jones Day and Mayer Brown have all, in the last week, hired real estate partners, all of whom point to growing client activity in their practices.

Kirkland Takes 4-Partner Antitrust Team From Cleary in Brussels and London

Mon, 18 May 2026 05:54:31 EST

]]>The highly-ranked team has worked closely with Google as well as other major clients and marks a move by Kirkland to expand its investigations capabilities in the EU and U.K.

Big Law's Partnership Paradox

Sun, 17 May 2026 06:53:05 EST

]]>After eliminating its legacy non-equity partner tier, A&O Shearman is now weighing whether to bring it back. But just because “everyone's doing it doesn't mean it is the right move.

Second Group of Investors Claim Alston & Bird 'Integral' to Alleged $328M Crypto Ponzi Scheme

Fri, 15 May 2026 17:08:07 EST

]]>The case follows a similar but separate class-action filed in March, for which the firm has hired White & Case to defend it.

Law Firm Disrupted: Big Law's AI Extremes (Both Logical and Illogical)

Fri, 15 May 2026 16:40:00 EST

]]>What are the nearer-term, reasonable, repeatable KPIs when it comes to AI integration?

Following Reelection, Ballard Spahr's Chair Aims to Keep Forward Momentum

Fri, 15 May 2026 15:04:16 EST

]]>Peter Michaud has been unanimously reelected to a second term as head of the firm. He's looking to build on a 2025 merger with Lane Powell and recent launch in San Francisco, saying discussions with several small firms and groups are underway.

Salesforce CLO: Law Firms That Lag in AI Are Putting Themselves in Peril

Fri, 15 May 2026 13:36:17 EST

]]>"Firms that don't embrace this moment risk becoming observers in an era they should be leading. They won't just lose efficiency; they will lose the talent that demands modern systems and lose the clients who demand modern results," said Sabastian Niles, chief legal officer of Salesforce.

Kirkland's New Group Combines Real Estate and Energy Teams Into Integrated Practice

Fri, 15 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Kirkland said it wanted to align with clients and “formalize its approach, saying the combined real assets group would have more than 600 lawyers across its footprint.

Wilson Sonsini Offers Nearly $1M in Stipends to Summer Associates, Nonprofits to Encourage Pro Bono Partnerships

Thu, 14 May 2026 18:16:50 EST

]]>So-called “signing bonuses for summer associates who do public interest work are growing in popularity, but Wilson Sonsini took it a step further, compensating nonprofits and government organizations for taking on the students as well.

Keys to and Importance of Scale in Modern Big Law

Thu, 14 May 2026 17:06:51 EST

]]>Over the last decade, in an environment where more and more high-performing firms are able to grow these elements simultaneously and at impressive speed year over year, competitive scale has become widely understood to be a key ingredient, the authors of "The Outperformers" write.

Meta Legal Ops Chief to Law Firms: It's Time to Ditch the Billable Hour—for Your Own Good

Thu, 14 May 2026 14:51:04 EST

]]>Speakers on a CLOC Global Institute panel agreed that AI will force law firms to adopt value-based pricing.

Squaring Off Against Law Firms, DOJ Argues Trump Can Revoke Their Security Clearances

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:51:03 EST

]]>While the case was squarely about the EOs against the four law firms, Trump's EO against Paul Weiss, and subsequent deal, was also of interest to the lawyers and panel of judges.

Atlanta Firms Seek Corporate Talent Amid Dealmaking Surge

Thu, 14 May 2026 11:42:06 EST

]]>“Deals are still getting done notwithstanding this turbulence and all of the risk that you see out there, said Cal Smith of King & Spalding.

Davis Polk Eyes Full-Service Office in LA, Recruiting More Talent

Thu, 14 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Firm chair Neil Barr said the firm's current footprint created some limitations to what talent it could get and where. The firm believes opening in Los Angeles will help eliminate those barriers.

DOJ Preps for Law Firm EO Battle

Wed, 13 May 2026 15:38:15 EST

]]>The arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C Circuit represent the next litmus test for how far the Trump administration's battle against law firms in court will go.

Law Firm Aggregate Market Has Trendline 'Pointing Down' in 2026

Wed, 13 May 2026 15:24:38 EST

]]>Global wars and instability are also affecting both dealmaking and restructuring practices, according to the latest Law Firm Financial Index.

Before Law Firms Link Up With PE, Partners Need Persuasion

Wed, 13 May 2026 15:10:23 EST

]]>‘Selling' the idea of an PE-backed, MSO arrangement to rank-and-file partners may be new, but it is analogous to the process underpinning past law firm mergers.

Anthropic Is Building a Legal Tech Ecosystem in Claude. Can Companies Adapt?

Wed, 13 May 2026 14:26:16 EST

]]>Claude may be following in Microsoft's footsteps by becoming a legal tech ecosystem. But some question whether such interface consolidation is ultimately feasible for legal professionals.

DLA Piper Boosted PEP by Nearly 20% in Final Year of Verein

Wed, 13 May 2026 13:36:14 EST

]]>The global law firm also increased gross revenue by more than 8% during the fiscal year.

The Future of Lawyer Development Requires AI and Human Relationships

Wed, 13 May 2026 13:05:59 EST

]]>We must use AI and human relationships not as replacements for each other, but as mutually reinforcing efforts. If we do, we will see a genuine and lasting advantage in developing the lawyers this industry needs.