- U.S. & Americas
- Big Law Weekly
Week covered: 5–11 October 2026 · Back to the week page
The week's lateral activity centered on finance and private capital. White & Case hired three leveraged finance partners, Ted Lacey, Anthony Wolfe and Tristan Manley, from Cahill, the New York Law Journal reported. They were the second group to leave Cahill's leveraged finance practice in a month. Two Freshfields New York private capital leaders, co-head Neal Reenan and US head Ian Bushner, are reportedly moving to Debevoise less than three years after joining from Latham & Watkins in March 2024, Legal Business and The American Lawyer reported.
It was also the week Kirkland & Ellis, the first firm to pass $10 billion in revenue, told the American Lawyer it would stop sharing financial figures. The firm said public reporting of revenue and profits does not provide meaningful value to clients, the ABA Journal reported.
White & Case, Sidley and Clifford Chance add finance and private capital partners
The three partners joining White & Case from Cahill worked on deals including the financing of Paramount Skydance's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. Their move follows an earlier group departure from the same Cahill practice within the month.
At Freshfields, Reenan was global private capital co-head and Bushner led the US team. Both arrived from Latham in March 2024 as part of the firm's US private capital build. Sidley hired a Kirkland partner for funds work. Partner Brian Fahrney told The American Lawyer that the area is a strategic priority behind the firm's private equity growth. Clifford Chance added Jill Kelley, former general counsel of the New York Jets, in New York. She was the firm's tenth private capital partner hire globally in 2026, the firm announced on 6 October.
Kirkland & Ellis stops sharing revenue after passing $10 billion
Kirkland's leadership told the American Lawyer that $10 billion was the point at which the numbers stopped providing meaningful value, Above the Law reported. The decision came in the same week that Sidley and Baker McKenzie announced partner hires from Kirkland.
Sullivan & Cromwell, Latham and Baker McKenzie add Washington litigation and investigations partners
Sullivan & Cromwell is rebuilding its appellate litigation practice with a former Perkins appellate chair and a McGuireWoods appellate co-chair, who will lead the group in Washington, The American Lawyer reported. Latham & Watkins added Lisa Kattan from Baker Botts as a partner and co-chair of its International Trade Commission practice in Washington. She brings more than 25 years of ITC and patent litigation experience. Latham said it added five trial lawyers to the practice over the past year, Law360 reported.
Baker McKenzie hired Kirkland partner Allison Murphy to co-chair its congressional investigations practice alongside Rod Rosenstein, The National Law Journal reported. Davis Polk added Glen Mastroberte, former head of Skadden's global media and entertainment practice, as an M&A partner in Los Angeles, the firm said on 7 October. WilmerHale named Hugh Murtagh chair of its transactional bankruptcy and financial restructuring practice in New York. The move is part of a wider expansion of its transactional department during 2026, Pulse 2.0 reported. Novara launched a global disputes and regulatory practice led by Tony Andriotis, who joins from DLA Piper and will split his time between Tokyo and New York, Law.asia reported. Read more.
Kelley Drye, Carlton Fields, Baker Donelson and Squire Patton Boggs name new leaders
Kelley Drye set an expanded structure effective 1 January 2027. Michael Lynch becomes chair, succeeding Paul Rosenthal, while Bill Jackson and David Zalman become co-managing partners. Dana Rosenfeld moves to senior advisor, the firm said. Carlton Fields named Richard Choi CEO-elect. He will take over on 1 January 2028 from Gary Sasso, who grew the firm to more than 350 lawyers over two decades. The firm is eyeing Texas for growth, The American Lawyer and Carlton Fields reported.
Baker Donelson elected Kristine L. Roberts, who chairs its financial services department, as president and chief operating officer. The Memphis-headquartered firm announced the change on 8 October, Law360 reported. Squire Patton Boggs named Abby Brown Americas Chair of its Global Corporate practice, succeeding Cipriano Beredo, Pulse 2.0 reported. New Morgan Lewis chair David McManus told Law360 he has met with more laterals and lateral groups over the past six months than before. The American Lawyer noted that at Crowell & Moring, Mintz, Morgan Lewis and Carlton Fields, the center of leadership is moving to a different city.
RPC opens in New York, Foley Hoag grows in Denver, Goodwin promotes 43
RPC launched a New York office with insurance partner Scott Schechter from Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan to build a dedicated insurance team. The firm said the launch responds to client demand, Legal Business reported. Foley Hoag added three partners in Denver, two from Sheridan Ross and one from Pillsbury, to grow its intellectual property, emerging company and venture capital work in Colorado, Law360 reported. Shook added three partners and said California remains its highest-need area, The American Lawyer reported. Read more.
Goodwin promoted 43 lawyers to partnership, slightly above last year's round despite a decline in total headcount, The American Lawyer reported. More than a year after the merger that formed HSF Kramer, the firm is addressing its largest integration challenges after settling its pay structure, Law.com reported. Read more.
The week brought partner movement in leveraged finance, private capital and Washington litigation, along with several leadership transitions across the Am Law 200. At Crowell & Moring, Mintz, Morgan Lewis and Carlton Fields, some of those changes are moving a firm's center of gravity to a new city. Amid that competition for partners, the first firm to pass $10 billion in revenue chose to stop publishing its revenue and profit figures.
The full list of the week's moves is on the United States week page.
