The American Lawyer

Former Paul Hastings GC Adele Maloney Joins Ropes & Gray in Top Legal Role

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 17:18:14 EST

]]>The longtime Kirkland & Ellis lawyer, who most recently oversaw risk management as general counsel at Paul Hastings, will succeed retiring Ropes & Gray general counsel Peter Erichsen.

Seven Warning Signs a Recruiter Outreach May Be Fake, Fishing or AI

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:49:03 EST

]]>Certain recruiters are using deceitful outreach strategies that sometimes hook sophisticated partners, Dan Binstock writes.

Simpson Thacher Expands Partner Hiring From Weil

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 13:21:41 EST

]]>Sources say more Weil lawyers could join the six partners going to Simpson Thacher.

How Baker McKenzie Is Using Training to Gauge Value of Its AI Investments

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:17:25 EST

]]>As law firms grapple with how to track returns on their AI investments, Baker McKenzie is focusing on firmwide training to ensure lawyers can actually use AI in ways that deliver value.

Longtime Covington Partner Peter Hutt, Dean of the Food and Drug Bar, Dies at 91

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 13:18:54 EST

]]>Hutt, a former chief counsel of the FDA, helped create the nutrition label format that is used today.

AI Won't Kill the Apprenticeship Model—It Can Fix It

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 23:59:59 EST

]]>For firms that invest meaningfully, well-designed AI workflows can replace apprenticeship by chance with development by design, Wayne Stacy and Caren Ulrich Stacy write.

Gibson Dunn Gains Data Centre Heft With White & Case London Partner Duo

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 09:15:31 EST

]]>Several major law firms are investing in data centre expertise amid the AI boom.

Paul Hastings Adds Stephenson Harwood Funds Partner Following Flurry of Laterals

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 06:00:25 EST

]]>The firm is among the busiest in London's lateral hiring market.

SCOTUS Litigator Demand Surges in Big Law, Amid Partner Shuffle in Top Firms

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 16:16:55 EST

]]>At least seven law firms have announced hires within their Supreme Court and appellate practices since the beginning of 2025, and recruiters say they expect to see more moves over the coming months.

BJay Pak Departs Alston & Bird for GC Job at Delta Air Lines

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 15:24:20 EST

]]>The former Georgia U.S. attorney had resigned in the wake of Trump's challenge to the 2020 election results before joining the Am Law 50 firm.

O'Melveny Hires Corporate Restructuring Veteran From Cleary

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 14:40:23 EST

]]>Partner David Botter joined O'Melveny's New York office ahead of his 26th year as a Big Law restructuring partner.

Wachtell Tax Partner Heads to Sidley to Co-Head Practice

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 13:59:10 EST

]]>Sidley called Deborah Paul "one of the country's preeminent M&A tax lawyers, with an exceptional combination of technical skill, long-standing relationships, and leadership in the tax bar."

Davis Polk Hires Corporate PE Partner From Ropes & Gray

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>Todd Kornreich, who helped lead Ropes & Gray's transportation and logistics sector group, joins Davis Polk in New York.

Goodwin Hires Cooley Life Sciences M&A Partner

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:29:59 EST

]]>Life sciences transactions partner Rowook Park said a need for innovation in the industry, combined with "optionality" in the market, is "driving a particularly active environment for strategic transactions."

Norton Rose Lures Crowell Office Leader Amid Busy Chicago Lateral Market

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Among the latest lateral activity in Chicago, Jason Stiehl, a former office managing partner for Crowell & Moring, has arrived at Norton Rose Fulbright.

Latham, MoFo and Davis Polk Line Up on SoftBank-Backed SB Energy's $7B IPO

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 01:40:09 EST

]]>The company is reportedly seeking to raise between $5 billion and $7 billion at a valuation exceeding $50 billion.

Why Big Law's Pay War Ends in Equity, Not Cash

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 18:26:59 EST

]]>AI is making star partners more valuable and the pay war more brutal. That reverses as firms build a “firm brain to capture partners' judgement and move to an enterprise model giving those partners permanent equity in what they help create.

2 More Weil Partners Plan Moves to Simpson Thacher

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 16:00:27 EST

]]>A source familiar with the conversations said that the actual exits could be weeks away, depending on Weil's hold policy for exiting partners.

Quinn Emanuel's Alex Spiro to Represent Joshua Kushner and Thrive in FIFA Legal Fight

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:12:23 EST

]]>Quinn Emanuel's representation of Joshua Kushner and Thrive Capital adds the firm to the growing roster of law firms advising the Kushner brothers on disputes and transactions.

Former Federal Judge Alan Albright Joins A&O Shearman in Austin

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 11:10:55 EST

]]>Alan Albright, a federal judge since 2018, grew a busy and influential patent litigation docket from his bench in the Western District of Texas.

Global Insurance Policyholder Law Firm Turns to Swiss Verein Model for New Combination

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 10:59:59 EST

]]>SDV Fenchurch will span eight jurisdictions across three continents and will exclusively represent policyholders and the brokers who advise them.

Midlevel Associates Increasingly Fear AI Will Replace Them

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>Midlevels report confusion over how to choose the right tool for the job, and express desire for firm-specific options as the number of legal AI service providers grows.

The 2026 Midlevel Associates Survey: The Rankings

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>There was a significant amount of year-over-year rankings movement, including the top three spots, our data shows.

Associates Say the Darndest Things, 2026: Fewer Dweebs, Please

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>Our survey of nearly 3,000 midlevel associates fielded thoughtful, substantive responses on serious topics. It also yielded these.

Fewer Midlevel Associates Believe They're Cut Out for Partnership

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>Big Law looks like a steppingstone to an increasing proportion of midlevels.

Analyst Insights: What Expanded Associate Survey Data Reveals About Satisfaction, Retention and the Partnership Pipeline

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:59:59 EST

]]>For the first time, the annual associate satisfaction survey was distributed to juniors and seniors alongside its traditional midlevel population, revealing that firms face distinct engagement and retention challenges at each career stage.

Morgan Lewis Adds White & Case Life Sciences Co-Head in Boston

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:59:59 EST

]]>As competition for legal talent in Boston continues to heat up, Morgan Lewis & Bockius has added White & Case life sciences leader Andres Liivak in a bid to expand its transactional capabilities in the city.

Paul Weiss Hits Freshfields for London Structured Finance Partner

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:06:33 EST

]]>A sign that the firm's hiring appetite in London remains.

Linklaters Hires Johnson & Johnson Litigation Head in Latest US Build

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 07:24:59 EST

]]>The firm continues to grow in the U.S. with another disputes hire.

Quinn Emanuel, Paul Hastings, S&C, A&O Shearman Add Antitrust Partners in DC

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>The antitrust lateral surge highlighted a busy week in D.C., where at least 11 Big Law firms have added lateral partners since Monday.

Skadden Poaches Orrick Global Banking and Finance Lead

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Orrick appointed corporate finance lawyer Bill Haft to assume Finley's vacated role on an interim basis.

Cahill Gordon Creates New Chief AI Strategy & Innovation Leadership Role

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 04:59:59 EST

]]>Kelly Graves, a lawyer who has been with the firm for close to two years, was tapped for the new position. She was also simultaneously promoted to partner.

Law Firm Leasing Outpaces Last Year Through the First Half of 2026

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:10:02 EST

]]>The Cushman & Wakefield Legal Sector Leasing Report for Q2 2026 finds that U.S. legal sector leasing totaled a record 7.3 million square feet during the quarter, and leasing for the first six months of the year is well above the same period in 2025.

Ex-Clifford Chance Partners Say Clawback Attempts Unenforceable Under NY Law

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:42:56 EST

]]>“The UK Partnership Agreement's claw-back provisions impose severe financial penalties on departing equity partners who seek to compete with the Firm" — provisions that a New York bar ethics committee has found "are clearly unenforceable, Sabin and Cone say.

'We Need to Consolidate Surface': How Weil Is Keeping Up With AI and Google Gemini

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 14:22:09 EST

]]>Weil's relationship with Google Cloud reflects a broader push to give lawyers fewer AI interfaces while allowing them to operate other tools they use for legal work.

Kirkland and Quinn Taking Different Paths Into the Same Litigation Future

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 13:45:33 EST

]]>Both firms appear to be preparing for a future in which the most important question is no longer how long something takes, but what it's worth.

Kirkland Adds Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn's State Attorneys General Practice

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 08:59:59 EST

]]>Prerak "Pre" Shah, who joined Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in Houston on Monday, formerly served as acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas as well as chief of staff and chief counsel for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Inside Weil's Private Equity Partner Shuffle

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 07:07:25 EST

]]>It's the second time within two years that the firm has sustained a series of departures from key partners.

Building West Coast Bench, Weil Adds PE Pros From Kirkland, Dechert

Mon, 31 Aug 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Weil has been growing in California, particularly in the Silicon Valley area, as PE demand in the tech and AI space accelerate.

DC Law Firms See Modest Growth in Demand, Revenue in First Half of 2026

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 14:32:11 EST

]]>Law firms in the D.C. region reported modest revenue and demand growth for the first half of 2026, which trailed industry-wide averages, as firms in the region weren't boosted as much by an M&A boom, according to a Citi report.

The Client Is the Strategy: Rethinking How Law Firms Grow

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 23:59:59 EST

]]>The lesson is a simple one: Define yourself too narrowly, and sooner or later you run the risk of losing relevance, Naz Vahid and Rajesh Madabushi write.

BakerHostetler Launches Proprietary, Firm-Built AI Platform

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:47:49 EST

]]>The Practice Intelligence Center, featuring tools developed in partnership with Clio, is designed to combine institutional knowledge and AI-powered workflows.

'Unresponsiveness' and 'Unclear Goals' Dog Big Law Marketing Departments—Not to Mention the AI Risks

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 07:35:47 EST

]]>According to Law.com's legal marketing survey for 2026, several nagging issues — including unclear and under-resourced expectations — are creating tension between law firm management and marketing departments, often leading to burnout.