Wake Up Call: FisherBroyles Adds GC as It Recovers From Spinoff

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• FisherBroyles has brought on a new general counsel and partner, Devika Kewalramani, as it continues to recover from “one of the largest law firm spinoffs on record” that occurred when 128 partners—including its former GC—left in January to form Pierson Ferdinand. Kewalramani said FisherBroyles’ innovative, work-from-anywhere model drew her to the firm. (Law.com)
• Firms with strong Connecticut footprints like Day Pitney and Wiggin and Dana are expanding to Florida to follow their “ultra-wealthy” clients, as they change permanent residencies or buy homes to take advantage of non-existent estate and income taxes in the Sunshine State. “Services go where people are,” said Tasha Dickinson, a West Palm Beach partner with Day Pitney, which has doubled its Florida lawyers from 15 to 30 in the last five years. (Hartford Business Journal)
• Companies are tempting senior lawyers to become corporate general counsel in the UK with “huge salaries,” as the average comp for GCs “soars” by more than 40% “as companies attempt to lure senior lawyers into offices five days a week.” According to researchers, “top-end” salaries for corporate GCs, particularly at banks, have risen from 160,000 to 230,000 pounds on average. (Times of London)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Kevin Fink has joined Jones Day as a partner with its financial markets practice in the firm’s Los Angeles and Irvine, California offices.
• Michael Burke has joined Pillsbury as a partner with its insolvency and restructuring group in New York. He joins from Sidley Austin.
• Judith Hasko has joined WilmerHale as a partner and co-chair of the firm’s life sciences practice group in its Palo Alto, California office.
• Julia Taylor and Michael Petrizzo have joined Saul Ewing as partners in its corporate practice in Washington and Philadelphia, respectively. They join from Armstrong Teasdale.
• Bronwyn Roberts has rejoined Duane Morris as a partner with its employment, labor, benefits and immigration practice in Boston. She joins from Cooley.
• Paul Del Aguila has joined Dickinson Wright as a member with the firm’s Chicago office.
• Laurie Huotari has rejoined Lathrop GPM with the firm’s business transactions practice group in Minneapolis. She joins from Stoel Rives.
• Stephen Luttrell has joined the Baltimore office of Baker Donelson as a corporate group shareholder with a focus on the energy industry.