Career Tracker: Revolving door spins along as law firms lure agency alums
5/3/21 REUTERS LEGAL 22:35:22
Copyright (c) 2021 Thomson Reuters
Arriana McLymore
 
Sara Merken
REUTERS LEGAL
May 3, 2021
(Blank Headline Received)
(Reuters) - The migration of government lawyers to Big Law hasn't shown much sign of slowing more than 100 days into the Biden presidency, with ex-officials finding new homes at several firms in recent days.
On Monday, Jones Day swept up at least its 11th Trump administration attorney this year, adding former U.S. Labor Department solicitor (and ex-Kirkland & Ellis partner) Kate O'Scannlain. Dechert said Monday it had added Steven Engel, a former head of the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel who was floated as a potential Supreme Court nominee by the Trump White House.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher also tapped a top agency lawyer Monday, bringing on the former chief counsel of the Internal Revenue Service, Michael Desmond.
Last week was full of announcements too. McGuireWoods added Farnaz Thompson, a former deputy general counsel in the U.S. Department of Education. The former principal deputy solicitor in the U.S. Department of the Interior, Gregory Zerzan, is now at Jordan Ramis. Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Matthew Krueger is joining Foley & Lardner's government enforcement defense and investigations practice group.
Other firms that are giving recently departed U.S. attorneys homes include McDermott Will & Emery and Steptoe & Johnson.
One revolving door move stood out last week for its swiftness. Former Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partner Alex Oh resigned her role as director of the Securities and Exchange Commission's Enforcement Division after just five days on the job, citing a "development" relating to one of her previous cases that threatened to be "an unwelcome distraction to the important work of the Division." The SEC said she left for personal reasons.
Here are some other notable law firm partner moves since the last Career Tracker:
Arent Fox brought on David Tafuri, a public international law attorney who previously chaired Dentons' emerging democracies practice, as a partner in D.C. He joined the firm along with senior advisor Richard Griffiths. The firm also recruited private equity and M&A attorney Stephen Hanson to join its New York office as a partner. Hanson was previously at Robinson & Cole.
Ryan Hartman, the former vice president of BP Plc, is joining Arnold & Porter as a partner in Houston.
Baker Botts has scooped up partner Shashank Krishna for the firm's global projects department in London from McDermott Will & Emery.
Healthcare fraud and compliance partner Gina Cavalier is leaving King & Spalding to join Cooley's healthcare regulatory and business litigation practices in Los Angeles.
Davis Wright Tremaine added former Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Porter as a partner in its white-collar, investigations, and government controversies group.
Healthcare antitrust attorney James Burns has found a new home in Dykema's business litigation group in its D.C. office, joining from Akerman.
Real estate partner James Spitzer is leaving Holland & Knight to join FisherBroyles as a partner in New York.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin Matthew Krueger is heading to Foley & Lardner's government enforcement defense and investigations practice group as a partner, attached to the firm's Milwaukee and D.C. offices. The firm has also tapped partner Matthew McBride for its fund formation and investment management practice group in Boston. McBride joins from Proskauer Rose.
Goodwin Procter's Los Angeles office is getting bigger with the addition of Jean Lee, who joins the firm's technology M&A practice as a partner from Kirkland & Ellis. The firm also made a hire in Paris, snagging Anne-Charlotte Riviere from Dechert. She joins as a partner in the life sciences and technology practices.
Michael Burwick is joining Greenspoon Marder's New York and Miami offices. Burwick, who leaves Taylor English Duma after six months, will be on Greenspoon's corporate and business practice group.
Holland & Hart has added partner Melinda Pasquini from Polsinelli to join its real estate, finance, and development practice. Pasquini will be based in the firm's Denver office.
Jones Day is welcoming back Brinton Lucas, a former Clarence Thomas clerk and assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General.
Gregory Zerzan, a former principal deputy solicitor in the U.S. Department of the Interior, has joined Jordan Ramis' banking and finance, governmental relations and environmental and natural resources teams.
Ruta Skucas joined K&L Gates as a partner in its power practice in D.C. from Pierce Atwood.
Kane Kessler has brought on Jeffrey Douglas, a former partner at FordHarrison, to co-chair its labor and employment group.
McDermott Will & Emery has added former U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Kenji Price to its litigation practice in Washington, D.C.
Farnaz Thompson, a former deputy general counsel in the U.S. Department of Education ad former in-house counsel at the University of Virginia, has joined McGuireWoods' labor and employment department as a partner in D.C.
David Shaw, a former deputy chief of staff and counsel to the assistant attorney general, is taking his talents to Morrison & Foerster, where he will be a partner in the antitrust practice group. Shaw will be based in D.C.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison has added Austin Pollet, who advised private equity firms at Kirkland & Ellis, as a partner in its corporate department in San Francisco.
Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr has tapped Timothy Walsh as a partner in its real estate practice from Henson Efron. Walsh is joining Saul Ewing's Minneapolis office.
Thomas Califano, who was DLA Piper's global co-chair and the U.S. chair of its restructuring group, has joined Sidley Austin as a partner in New York.
Todd Lundell joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton's Orange County, California office as a partner in the firm's appellate practice. Lundell is a former a partner at Snell & Wilmer.
Former U.S. Attorney William Powell has joined Steptoe & Johnson in Martinsburg, West Virginia. He joins the firm's litigation department.
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has swiped four insurance lawyers from Mayer Brown, including the co-leader of the firm's U.S. insurance regulatory and enforcement group, Kara Baysinger. The rest of the team includes Stephanie Duchene in San Francisco and Los Angeles and Matthew Gaul and David Heales in New York.
Willkie also brought on a three-lawyer team of creditor-side restructuring partners from Morrison & Foerster in New York, including MoFo's New York managing partner Brett Miller. Miller, who will serve as global head of creditor rights at Willkie, is joined by partners Dennis Jenkins and Todd Goren.
Winston & Strawn has added Stephen Kong as a partner in its corporate practice in Los Angeles. He joins from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders. The firm also hired Rachel Gray as a partner for its leveraged finance team in New York. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
Womble Bond Dickinson has snagged D.C.-based partner Luke Cass for its white collar and government investigations practice. He joins from Quarles & Brady.
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