Newswatch · U.S. & Americas

The week in Big Law:
U.S. & Americas.

83 stories72 firms

Lateral moves27

Confirmed

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani adds six partners in Tennessee and Florida

Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani welcomed six partners: Christopher Cathey in Miami; Jordan Neiderland, Allan "A.J." Parker and Craig Sarner in Nashville; Sharhonda Robinson-Edwards in Jacksonville; and Scott Vincent in Memphis. Their backgrounds span commercial litigation, insurance, professional liability, healthcare, construction and general liability.

  • Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani
  • Christopher Cathey
  • Jordan Neiderland
  • Allan "A.J." Parker
  • Craig Sarner
  • Sharhonda Robinson-Edwards
  • Scott Vincent
  • Miami, Nashville, Jacksonville, Memphis
  • Disputes

SourceGordon Rees Scully Mansukhani (firm news page)

Confirmed

Faegre Drinker adds tax partner Andreas Andrews in Philadelphia

Faegre Drinker announced that Andreas Andrews joined its corporate group as a tax partner in the Philadelphia office, coming from a global law firm (not named). He advises on US federal income tax matters, focusing on mergers and acquisitions, private investment funds and renewable energy transactions.

SourceAttorney at Law Magazine

Confirmed

Gibson Dunn set to hire Weil's nearly 50-lawyer New York private funds team

Gibson Dunn is set to hire Weil's nearly 50-lawyer New York private funds team, amid Weil's proposed wind-down announced Wednesday 28 October. It follows Gibson's hire of Weil's London funds team of nearly 40 lawyers a week earlier. The team is led by global private funds head Andrew Chizzik.

SourcesLegal BusinessLaw360 — Legal IndustryAbove the LawBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed

Goodwin Procter, Quinn Emanuel take Weil Gotshal partners after wind-down indication

Social post states Goodwin Procter and Quinn Emanuel are taking on partners from Weil, Gotshal & Manges less than a week after the New York-based firm indicated it plans to wind down its operations. Post links to a Reuters article. Number and names of partners not stated.

SourcesBloomberg LawBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed

Ball Janik LLP adds associate Nicholas Wright to Orlando construction defect team

Ball Janik LLP welcomed Orlando associate Nicholas Wright to its Construction Defect Practice Group. Wright has nearly a decade of civil litigation experience, including construction defect, premises liability, automobile negligence, negligent security and wrongful death matters. He will represent community associations, property owners and other clients pursuing recovery for construction-related damages.

  • Ball Janik LLP
  • Nicholas Wright
  • Orlando
  • Disputes

SourceAttorney at Law Magazine

Confirmed

DLA Piper adds former IRS APMA Director John Wall as Tax partner

DLA Piper added John Wall, former Director of the IRS Advance Pricing and Mutual Agreement Program, as a partner in its Tax practice. He will be based in Washington, D.C. and has more than 14 years of APMA leadership experience. He will advise on transfer pricing disputes, advance pricing agreements and competent authority proceedings.

SourcePulse 2.0 — Law

Confirmed

Quinn Emanuel adds Weil litigator Adam Fee as storied New York firm winds down

Weil Gotshal & Manges litigator Adam Fee is joining Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. The post says a storied New York law firm is winding down its operations. It does not say which firm that is.

SourcesBloomberg LawBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchLegal Business

Confirmed

Goodwin adds Thomas Henry as partner and real estate industry group co-leader

Goodwin said Thomas Henry will join the firm as partner and co-leader of its real estate industry group.

Read the full article →

SourcesLaw.com — The American LawyerLegal BusinessBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed

Troutman Pepper Locke adds Jennifer Gullotti East from Kirkland & Ellis as funds partner

Troutman Pepper Locke welcomed Jennifer Gullotti East as a partner in its Private Equity and Investment Funds Practice Group. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis, where she counseled institutional fund sponsors on structuring, negotiating, forming and operating private investment funds and management companies, including multibillion-dollar infrastructure and credit funds.

SourceAttorney at Law Magazine

Confirmed

Latham adds energy and infrastructure partners from Baker Botts, Sidley and Orrick

Latham & Watkins adds partners working in energy and infrastructure in Houston and Washington, D.C. The text cites high demand in projects.

SourcesThe Global Legal PostLaw.com — The American LawyerThe Texas LawbookBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchLegal Business

Promotions4

Confirmed

Barnes & Thornburg promotes 25 attorneys to partnership across 10 offices

Barnes & Thornburg announced the promotion of 25 attorneys to partnership, effective January 1, 2027, across six practice groups and 10 offices. The firm recruited more than 160 attorneys in 2026, including 80 partners and five lateral groups. Thirteen of the promotions are in Litigation.

  • Barnes & Thornburg
  • Madeline Buxton
  • Christine Duncan
  • Albert Farr
  • Dominique Gallacher
  • Travis Ortiz
  • Ryu Fukuyama
  • Thomas Everett
  • Joel Benson
  • Brian Auerbach
  • Sarah Harrell
  • Valerie Matthews
  • Caroline Dickey
  • Andrew J. Detherage
  • Minneapolis, Indianapolis, New York, Los Angeles, South Bend, Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, Dallas
  • Disputes

SourcePulse 2.0 — Law

Confirmed

Latham & Watkins promotes 70 associates to counsel effective January 1, 2027

Latham & Watkins LLP announced 70 associates have been promoted to counsel, effective January 1, 2027. The group is described as global, with listed promotees in Asia and Europe, including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Frankfurt and London. Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner, and Michelle Carpenter, Chair of the Associates Committee, are quoted.

  • Latham & Watkins
  • Rich Trobman
  • Michelle Carpenter
  • Nicholas Cavallo
  • Jonathan Feng
  • Benjamin Han
  • Yiheng Luo
  • Sam Maxson
  • Weigang Meng
  • François Blanchet
  • Hugo Bodkin
  • Isabelle Brams
  • Jason Britto
  • Samuel Burleton
  • Morgane Chaloin
  • Alex Cox
  • Laura Elliott
  • Aymerick Fradin
  • Johannes Groß
  • Dr. Isabelle Brams
  • Dr. Marco Grotenrath
  • Constanze Köttgen
  • New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Frankfurt, London, Hamburg
  • M&A, Banking & Finance, Capital Markets, Disputes, Project Finance/Energy & Infra, Regulatory

SourcesPR Newswire — Personnel AnnouncementsLTO — Kanzleien & Unternehmen

Offices4

Mergers & combinations18

Confirmed

Latham takes on five Weil London trainees amid Weil's proposed wind-down

Latham & Watkins confirmed it has taken on five current trainees from Weil's London office. Weil's management committee recommended an "orderly wind-down" last week. Latham was named among 11 US and City firms supporting Weil's future trainees.

SourcesLegal CheekLaw Society GazetteLaw Society Gazette

Confirmed

Weil Gotshal's planned dissolution would force clients to choose between departing partners and replacements

Weil Gotshal's planned dissolution would require hundreds or more clients to decide whether to follow departing partners to new firms or retain replacement attorneys. The firm has a large stable of litigators with lead roles in high-stakes lawsuits and bankruptcy cases. The post links to a Reuters short link.

SourcesAbove the LawBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed

Eleven firms reportedly offer help to future trainees affected by Weil wind-down

Per Financial News, citing a person familiar, 11 firms are supporting future trainees whose Weil training contracts will not proceed, including streamlined applications. Weil's management committee recommended an "orderly wind-down" last week; the proposal is expected to go to a partner vote in coming days. Weil has around 1,200 lawyers globally.

SourceLegal Cheek

Confirmed

Weil associate criticises 'greed' and 'lack of leadership' as firm reportedly collapses

Weil Gotshal, described as nearly century-old, is preparing to wind down, sending nearly 600 associates into the job market. Executive Partner Barry Wolf announced the news. Associates and staff are told they will receive salary and benefits for 90 days, with bonuses for those who stay until near year-end.

SourcesAbove the LawBluesky — Big Law searchExpansión — JurídicoAbove the LawLawFuel

Confirmed

Weil, Gotshal & Manges leaders move to wind down firm; Texas lawyers weigh offers

Weil, Gotshal & Manges was still profitable when its leaders moved to wind down the 95-year-old firm. Current and former partners say a long-running fight over growth, including how hard to invest in Texas, cost the firm talent. Its roughly 70 Texas lawyers, who brought in roughly $118.2 million last year, are weighing offers.

SourcesThe Texas LawbookAbove the LawBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed

Weil wind-down: partners reportedly in talks with Kirkland and Gibson Dunn

Weil's management committee recommended an orderly wind-down, with a partner vote expected in coming days. Ramona Nee, chosen to lead Weil from 2027, is reportedly in advanced talks with Kirkland & Ellis, per Bloomberg Law. Gibson Dunn reportedly may take almost 40 London private funds lawyers.

SourcesLegal CheekDécideurs Juridiques — NominationsAbove the LawAbove the Law

Pay & bonuses1

Financials1

Rankings3

Confirmed

Am Law 100 2026: Kirkland tops revenue past $10 billion; Wachtell leads PEP

The American Lawyer published the 2026 Am Law 100 on 14 April 2026, covering fiscal 2025. Kirkland & Ellis ranked first at $10.556 billion revenue; Latham & Watkins second at $8.3 billion. Wachtell led PEP at $12.152 million.

SourceLegal Desire

Also notable23

Confirmed

Brownstein Hyatt Faces Suit Over Allegedly Flawed Cannabis Company Settlement Agreement

A Colorado real estate developer and his company allege Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP negligently drafted their settlement agreement. The agreement related to a dispute with members of cannabis dispensary chain Native Roots over a sale of the chain's entities. The developer's company received a roughly $100 million arbitration award against it.

SourcesLaw360 — Legal IndustryLaw360 — Legal Ethics

Confirmed

Cooley advises Cresta on agreement to be acquired by Salesforce

Cooley advised Cresta on its agreement to be acquired by Salesforce. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of Salesforce's fiscal year 2028, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals. Cooley previously advised Cresta on its Series B (2021), Series C (2022) and Series D (2024) financings.

  • Cooley
  • Garth Osterman
  • Jamie Leigh
  • Eric Walder
  • Natalie Vernon
  • Peter Werner
  • Ryan Montgomery
  • Stella Sarma
  • Jeremy Morrison
  • Caitlin Courtney
  • M&A

SourceCooley — media feed

Confirmed

Cooley pro bono partner quoted on firm's 2026 midterm election protection work

Cooley pro bono partner Maureen Alger was quoted in Bloomberg Law about the firm's participation in nationwide election protection efforts during the 2026 midterm elections. The efforts include staffing the Election Protection hotline, monitoring election misinformation in coordination with the Legal Defense Fund, and serving as poll monitors.

SourcesCooley — media feedCooley — media feedCooley — media feed

Confirmed

Lawdragon profiles Susman Godfrey's rise in New York litigation market

Lawdragon says Susman Godfrey's New York contingent, led by Bill Carmody, won NFL $4.8B, Baha Mar $1.6B, Everly $1.07B, Opioids $693M and Google $440M in the past two years, plus a $787M Dominion Voting Systems settlement against Fox. Carmody moved from Dallas, arriving in New York on Jan. 4, 2007.

SourceLawdragon

Confirmed

Marvell to buy Lumentum for $115 billion; Wilson Sonsini and Davis Polk advise

Davis Polk and Wilson Sonsini have the lead roles as Marvell Technology agrees to acquire Lumentum in a $115bn deal. Wilson Sonsini is acting for Marvell, with a team led by M&A partners Rob Ishii in San Francisco and Ethan Lutske.

SourcesLegal BusinessBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law searchBluesky — Big Law search

Confirmed items are announced by the firm or reported as fact by the cited outlets. Unconfirmed items are reports the firms have not confirmed. Every item links to its sources; we add nothing the sources do not say.

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