Sidley Adds Morgan Lewis Pair, Clears New Partner Profits Mark

Sidley Austin is continuing its lateral hiring spree after a profits spike, adding a pair of partners from Morgan Lewis & Bockius.

Jason Mills, who co-leads the occupational safety and health team at Morgan Lewis, and employment lawyer Alana Genderson are joining the firm as partners. Mills will be based out of the firm’s Los Angeles office, while Genderson is joining in Washington.

Sidley’s profits per equity partner—a key financial law firm metric—exceeded $5 million in 2024, up from $4.5 million the year prior, according to a source familiar with the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the figure has not been made public.

“We are seeing a huge disruption in the market as there’s been a consolidation in certain firms that are more profitable,” said Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Sidley’s executive committee. “We’re fortunate to be in that group.”

The new hires’ OSHA work compliments Sidley’s existing crisis response and environmental practices, Ostolaza said. Those are among the practices the firm is actively looking to grow.

Mills represents employers in wrongful termination, discrimination, and disability claims. He also handles federal and state OSHA litigation and investigations.

He represented business groups in a 2021 lawsuit challenging California’s emergency workplace safety rules during the Covid-19 pandemic and has defended Amazon, Aramark, and Tesla against employment and injury claims, according to court dockets.

Genderson advises clients on employment practices and defends employers in litigation.

“It was really a shockingly good fit for us and it’s exciting because it’s exactly what we want to do” Mills said, “bringing this bespoke, high-level OSHA service to an exceptional platform where we can service our clients.”

“It’s really a no-brainer to combine the safety and health practice with an environmental practice,” Genderson said.

Sidley this year has brought on several lateral partners from rivals, including David Grubman, the former M&A chair of Jones Day in Washington, White & Case energy partner Steven Tredennick in Houston, and Latham & Watkins emerging companies partner Michael Podolny in California.