Vinson & Elkins Eyes Bank-Style Talent Development for Big Law

Vinson & Elkins recruiting chief Hy Pomerance has hired seven “attorney development professionals” to cultivate new talent at his firm.

The staffers have been embedded in firm practice groups, tasked with helping partners spot talent and assist their growth. The goal is to ensure that junior lawyers, particularly women and racial minorities, get an opportunity to move up the ranks.

“Executives growing up in banking are being developed from the time they are associates,” Pomerance said in an interview. At law firms, “most partners haven’t had a stick of professional development.”

Six months into his job as chief talent officer, ...