Paul Weiss Adds Ex-Assistant to Solicitor General in Firm Return

Masha Hansford rejoined Paul Weiss after arguing Supreme Court cases at the US solicitor general’s office since 2020.

Hansford works as a partner in the firm’s Washington, DC office, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison said Thursday. She will represent clients in civil and criminal appeals at the New York-founded firm, which brought in more than $2.6 billion in revenue last year, according to data published by the American Lawyer.

“Masha is one of the finest appellate advocates of her generation, and I am thrilled that she is returning to Paul Weiss,” said Supreme Court lawyer Kannon Shanmugam, who serves as co-chair of the Paul Weiss litigation department. “With her exceptional skills and remarkable track record, Masha will be a significant asset for our clients.”

Masha Hansford

Photo: Paul Weiss

Hansford argued for the US government in a total of nine cases during her time as assistant to the solicitor general, including disputes involving government officials’ social media activity and supervised release of criminal offenders.

Her return comes after a series of departures of high-profile lawyers from the litigation side of Paul Weiss following the firm’s controversial deal with the Trump White House to evade sanctions against its lawyers.

Partner Karen Dunn, known for working with Amazon and Kamala Harris’ White House campaign, and a group of trial lawyers left in May to start a new firm, recruiting several of their colleagues from the Paul Weiss litigation department.

Once known primarily for its litigation capabilities, Paul Weiss has turbo-charged its profitability in large part due to its investments in corporate and private equity deal practices over the last decade. The firm has a notable stable of litigation clients, including Facebook owner Meta Platforms Inc. and BlackRock. The firm’s transactions lawyers recently advised the Kraft Heinz Company on its plan to separate into two companies and Keurig Dr. Pepper on a $18.4 billion acquisition of coffee company JDE Peet.

Hansford previously worked as a counsel at Paul Weiss, the firm she joined after practicing as an associate at DC-based litigation firm Williams & Connolly.

Elizabeth Prelogar, who served as solicitor general in the Biden administration, last month officially returned to Cooley LLP to lead the firm’s Supreme Court and appellate practice group. She reunited with Ephraim McDowell, another assistant to the solicitor general who is now a partner at the firm.