The American Lawyer

Former Big Law Chiefs Find Second Act as Consultants to the Industry

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:36:29 EST

]]>While firms are growing like never before, law firm consulting remains more of a cottage industry. "The consulting world is not massive," said one industry observer.

Big Law Beefs Up on Litigators in Texas, Seeking to Balance Out Transactional-Heavy Rosters

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 15:18:39 EST

]]>The move into beefing up the disputes side of the practice mix swings away from the focus on transactions practices that swelled in the Covid-19 recovery years.

Latham, Reed Smith Among Firms Facing Exits This Week

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:15:47 EST

]]>Two partners have left Reed Smith's London office this week, with three senior lawyers also expected to depart from Latham in New York.

Debevoise Recruits DOJ Acting Director of Antitrust Litigation

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>The firm highlighted George “Chip Nierlich's experience in both the private and public arenas as a primary driver for the hire.

Skadden Lands 5-Attorney Mass Torts Team From DLA Piper

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>The arrivals in Chicago come several months after the firm added product liability litigator Brian O'Donoghue to the same office.

Clifford Chance to Split With Singapore Alliance Partner Cavenagh Law After 14 Years

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 05:14:12 EST

]]>Exclusive: The U.K. firm's separation from its Singapore alliance partner comes amid a regulatory review of foreign law firm arrangements.

AI Utilization Is 'Skyrocketing,' but Law Firms Aren't Sweating Consumption Pricing

Tue, 13 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>"I wouldn't say it's concerning, said Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer chief AI officer Ilona Logvinova. “There are a number of unknowns that can be comforting or less comforting.

Willkie Adds JP Morgan In-House Lawyer as Partner in Chicago

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:48:39 EST

]]>Willkie, Farr & Gallagher has grown to more than 140 lawyers in Chicago, with roughly 60 of them focused on litigation.

As AI Data Centers Expand, Legal Is Getting Pulled Into the Business Earlier

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 15:04:31 EST

]]>Garrett Rosen of Larson Maddox says regulatory uncertainty around data center development is not slowing legal hiring, it is increasing demand for lawyers who understand energy, permitting, policy, real estate and infrastructure.

Haynes and Boone Launches San Diego Office to Serve Life Sciences, Tech Clients

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 13:43:36 EST

]]>Three Haynes and Boone lawyers already working in the Southern California market are now practicing from the new San Diego office.

A New Strategic Framework in the AI Era: Mapping Future Business Models of Law

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 00:16:26 EST

]]>Pathways: The Future of the Business of Law 2040—developed in partnership by Law.com, the TLTF Fund, Harvey and leaders across the industry—pressure-tested the legal industry business model and developed a map that allows organizations to have more agency over the future they want to see.

Taft Planning to Double Head Count Within Five Years in New Atlanta Office

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 10:21:21 EST

]]>The Am Law 100 firm's new Buckhead office is 23% smaller than the one Taft and legacy firm Morris Manning & Martin occupied for four decades.

Simpson Thacher's PE Power Play: Partner Hires Signal War for Talent

Mon, 12 Oct 2026 07:31:54 EST

]]>Overall, Simpson Thacher has hired at least 33 partners this year who work with private equity clients or handle PE-related work, 17 of whom are based in New York.

Weil Hires Freshfields PE Partner in London Amid Upheaval at Both Firms

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 19:49:17 EST

]]>Both firms have seen a recent wave of partner exits in London and beyond.

PE Investment Won't Halt Big Law's Descent Into Short Termism

Sun, 11 Oct 2026 18:49:58 EST

]]>Pressure to make big, often risky, hires, alongside the pressure to invest, is more intense than ever, leading firms to avoid significant questions over their long term health, something which PE investment is unlikely to resolve, writes the Global Lawyer.

The Hybrid Work Gap: Senior Associates Want Flexibility, but Question Its Cost

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 16:31:16 EST

]]>Hybrid or remote arrangements are what this workforce wants. The competitive advantage will now belong to firms that make it operationally credible

Make Money From AI Tools? How Some Law Firms Can Make It Happen

Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:26:56 EST

]]>Big Law firms generally have three ways to reap commercial benefits from AI right now, though all of them are still “pretty nascent," consultants say.

Law Firm Disrupted: Merger Denials Follow a Predictable 'Playbook'

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 17:30:33 EST

]]>"We are not in merger conversations, but we are always evaluating strategic opportunities to best serve our clients" is a typical statement before a firm announces a merger.

Cooley Teams Up With Google to Co-Develop Agentic AI Redaction Tool

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:54:55 EST

]]>The tool, built on Gemini Enterprise, is one of several AI projects Cooley has in the works, and it is one in a flurry of recent Big Law/Big Tech partnerships.

100 Days In: CEO of Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Miguel Zaldivar Reflects on His Cold Call, What's to Come

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:51:56 EST

]]>Zaldivar planted the seeds of his relationship with Cadwalader years before the merger was effective, with a cold call to firm chair Patrick Quinn in November 2024.

Why ArentFox Schiff Shut Down Its Chatbot: 'Not a Hard Decision for Us'

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 16:32:13 EST

]]>AFSChat introduced the firm's employees to LLM-based tools but had been surpassed in capability by third-party options, which eventually met the firm's strict criteria.

Momentum for Litigation Funding Transparency Efforts Continues as Ohio Law Takes Effect

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 15:50:07 EST

]]>A new Ohio law went into effect on Tuesday that completely bans any foreign investment in third-party litigation funding agreements. The law also contains enhanced disclosure requirements and transparency measures.

Will Your Firm Survive More Than One Generation After a Legal MSO Deal?

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 23:59:59 EST

]]>Getting a magnificent deal for yourself while eliminating the economic aspirations of your successors is roughly equivalent to selling the family farm and leaving the grandchildren a very attractive brochure about corn, Frederick Shelton and Ayven Dodd write.

How Election Results Could Reshape M&A, AI and Energy Practices

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>A new Cleary Gottlieb report concludes that a full chamber change could both expedite, and then slow, dealmaking due to the potential for increased antitrust legislation.

Clifford Chance Revamps Top Private Equity Roles to Spotlight Global Focus

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 05:22:51 EST

]]>The move comes as the firm develops its global private capital brand in the highly competitive space.

DLA Piper Hires O'Melveny IP Litigation Duo

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>Partners Sean Trainor and Robert Shaffer now hold leadership roles in DLA Piper IP groups.

3 Deals in 2 Days: Inside One Mayer Brown Partner's Busiest 48 Hours Ever

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>Jonathan Dhanawade, head of private capital solutions at Mayer Brown, just got through "one of those crazy weeks" when when he led deal teams on three transactions that closed within 48 hours.

Slow Growth and Individualism: Behind Weil's London Exodus

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:45:05 EST

]]>Following a wave of high-profile partner departures from the firm's base in the U.K. capital, backed by the key data, Law.com spoke with several sources to understand what is driving the exodus and what it could mean for Weil's future.

Debevoise to Shift AI Platform Costs, as Big Law Seeks Pricing Model Beyond Billable Hour

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 17:16:46 EST

]]>The New York-based firm uses a subscription model to charge clients for access to its STAAR artificial intelligence advisory platform, but it is evaluating how best to price the service outside the traditional billable hour.

Lawyer Burnout Has Finally Been Quantified. The Implications Are Troubling

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 10:46:43 EST

]]>The pattern we are seeing among lawyers may represent a frontloading of career morbidity, Patrick Krill writes.

Profits From AI Remain 'Stubbornly Out of Reach' For Big Law

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 07:19:36 EST

]]>"One of the things we keep hearing from managing partners is: 'How do we make a profit on this?'" said one consultant.

Foley Hoag Adds IP, Venture Capital Depth in Trio of Denver Hires

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:59:59 EST

]]>The firm continues to grow in Denver after arriving in the Mile High City in 2023.

Clifford Chance Hits Hogan Lovells Cadwalader for New York Private Capital Partner

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:01:53 EST

]]>The hire brings the firm's private capital lateral additions to 10 this year.

Goodwin Promotes 43 to Partnership

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 05:20:41 EST

]]>Despite the decline in the firm's total headcount, this year's partner promotion round is slightly higher than last year's.

Polsinelli Names New Restructuring Chair in Expansion-Focused Practice Rebrand

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>The firm's middle market restructuring practice is increasingly targeting work from private credit funds as well as special counsel roles in major Chapter 11s, practice chair David Karp said.

As Demand Grows in Tennessee, Maynard Nexsen Adds Real Estate and Private Markets Team From Butler Snow

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:57:02 EST

]]>"Nashville is a booming market that is supporting a lot of growth in the transactional area, not just the healthcare space," said Maynard Nexsen managing shareholder Jeff Grantham.

Vorys Deploys AI Personas for Lawyers, Says Clients Are Next

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:52:17 EST

]]>The personas, developed in partnership with Stanford's LIFT Lab, are designed to replicate specific attorneys' insights in an effort to provide legal staff with additional perspectives.

In Legal Malpractice Suits Against Am Law 200 Firms, Stranger Things Surfaced

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:41:39 EST

]]>Law.com Radar detected nearly 50 cases against Big Law in September, most of them alleging professional misconduct.

Baker McKenzie Hires White & Case Chief of Staff as New COO

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 16:27:30 EST

]]>Jennifer Parks, who worked in operations for White & Case for nearly two decades, started in the COO role in September.

Cornell Taps Sally Yates for Independent Review Amid Assault-Law Debate

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:19:33 EST

]]>Cornell University hired Yates, the former U.S. deputy attorney general, and King & Spalding to review its handling of sexual misconduct allegations tied to the Chi Phi fraternity, as lawmakers reexamine New York's consent statutes and a bill addressing intoxicated victims.

More Than a Dozen Big Law Firms Worked on Paramount-Warner Bros. Combination

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 15:07:42 EST

]]>Law firms including Cravath, Latham & Watkins, Winston Taylor and Wilkinson Stekloff employed their best and brightest on Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., which closed Tuesday.

HSF Kramer Integration Period Drawing to a Close After Pay Structure Settled

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 06:36:50 EST

]]>As the biggest integration challenges are addressed more than a year on after the merger, Law.com speaks with ex-partners and firm leaders.

Across the Am Law 200, the Leadership Carousel Keeps Turning

Tue, 06 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>Crowell & Moring, Mintz, Morgan Lewis and Carlton Fields were among the firms announcing or completing leadership transitions in the last week, and at all four, the locus of power is moving to a new city.

Deal Watch: M&A Dealmaking Slows as Big Tech IPOs Stall

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 17:14:09 EST

]]>Some top law firms continue to be busy. Kirkland helped steer at least three of the four deals valued at more than $1 billion that were announced in the last seven days.

Wachtell Adds Cleary Litigator After Litigation Exits

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 15:48:11 EST

]]>Joon Kim's move, following a six-partner exit from Wachtell's litigation team, signifies the firm's growing ear to the lateral market.

Baker McKenzie Lures Kirkland Partner, Plans for Congressional Investigations Boom

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 14:52:16 EST

]]>Allison Murphy will co-chair Baker McKenzie's congressional investigations practice alongside Rod Rosenstein.

White & Case Hires Leveraged Finance Trio From Cahill

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 13:33:52 EST

]]>The move gives White & Case's finance team a three-partner boost while marking the second group departure from Cahill's leveraged finance ranks in the past month.

S&C Turns to Perkins, McGuireWoods to Restock Appellate Litigation Practice

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 10:31:48 EST

]]>Former Perkins appellate practice chair and McGuireWoods appellate practice co-chair will take over the reins in D.C. for S&C.

Growing Number of Am Law 100 Firms Leasing Trophy Space in Big Markets

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>Leasing activity by Am Law 100 suggests the firms are "really driving recovery" in the leasing market, and it serves as a bellwether for the overall market.

Sidley Snags Kirkland Partner, Seeing 'Strategic Priority" in Funds Work

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 08:59:59 EST

]]>“We've had incredible growth on the private equity side of our business, said Sidley's Brian Fahrney. “Funds is a really important part of that, and so we've been really active in hiring up in that area.

Carlton Fields Elects New CEO After Two Decades

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>The firm, which has turned down merger opportunities in the past, is eyeing Texas for growth.

Freshfields Private Capital Leaders Exit for Debevoise

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 05:55:50 EST

]]>Debevoise said Reenan and Bushner are joining its M&A practice as partners in New York, "expanding the firm's deep private equity M&A bench.

Kelley Drye Expands Leadership Structure, Names New Chair

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>“Managing a law firm has gotten so much more complicated, said incoming chair Michael Lynch, and the idea of "pulling productive partners out of their practice is just not that appealing.

Law Firms Are More Eager Than Ever for Mergers, Yet Sealing the Deal Hasn't Gotten Easier

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>The case for greater scale has never been clearer, but the number of completed mergers so far this year trails the first three quarters of 2025.

Shook Adds 3 Partners in 'Fierce' Market, Looks for More California Growth

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>California likely remains the firm's highest-need area, noted firm chair Madeleine McDonough.

Big Law's Biggest Nightmare Isn't Partner Poaching or Mergers. It's AI

Sun, 04 Oct 2026 15:29:59 EST

]]>As AI agents slip their guardrails and threaten Big Law's traditional business model, firm leaders face a dual risk: operational chaos in institutions built on confidentiality and trust, and economic upheaval that talent wars and mega-mergers can't fix, writes The Global Lawyer.