Wake Up Call: Baker McKenzie Says It’s Leaving Russia

In today’s column, the hot market for associates may be cooling; Cooley hired a former Justice Department antitrust trial leader as a partner; Saul Ewing plans to start its hybrid work program in May.

• Leading off, Baker McKenzie said Tuesday it’s pulling out of Russia after 33 years. The firm’s Russia operations in Moscow and St. Petersburg will become an independent law firm, it said. (BakerMcKenzie.com)
• The legal profession’s “frothy” talent market for mid-level associates may finally be cooling down as the war in Ukraine, inflation and other fears cloud the outlook for future transactions work. Recruiters are citing fewer associates looking to move, choosier law firms, and lower bonuses in some markets, this report says. (American Lawyer)
• Philadelphia-headquartered Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr said it plans to officially start its hybrid work plan in May, asking lawyers and staff to come into its offices on Wednesdays. (Reuters) As Big Law firms get ready to return to the office this spring, many are still trying to figure out how to make hybrid plans work. (Law.com)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• St. Louis-headquartered Armstrong Teasdale, which recently opened an office in Miami, has opened a Dublin, Ireland, office to expand its EU reach. (ArmstrongTeasdale.com) Hunton Andrews Kurth expanded its diversity and inclusion billable-hour incentives beyond lawyers to nonlawyer timekeepers, including paralegals. (American Lawyer)
• King & Spalding, Cooley, and Willkie Farr & Gallagher matched the Cravath scale for associate pay, which goes up to $415,000, depending on seniority. (Above The Law)
• Detroit-founded Clark Hill’s record demand for practices including M&A, worklaw, litigation, and cybersecurity fueled gross revenues growth up 11.7% to $345.2 million. Its profits per equity partner expanded 12.5% to $712,000. (American Lawyer) Saul Ewing had 6.9% revenue growth to $257.3 million in 2021, and its average PEP rose 14.8% to $809,000. (Legal Intelligencer)
• New Jersey law firm Cole Schotz increased firmwide revenue by 16.9% last year, to $167.68 million. Its average profits per equity partner rose 5.8% to $1.4 million. (New Jersey Law Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Cooley grabbed Quinn Emanuel antitrust trial lawyer Ethan Glass as a partner in its antitrust litigation practice in Washington. He’s a former Justice Department assistant chief and trial attorney in its antitrust division. At Quinn he was chair of its antitrust investigations and government enforcement practice; Cooley also hired antitrust and competition attorney Caroline Hobson as a partner in London. She arrives after 22 years at CMS UK; Holland & Knight added corporate and private equity partner David Valeck in Washington. He arrives after over 16 years at Arnold & Porter; Holland & Knight also got Viacom executive and tax counsel John Wertz as a partner in New York. He was earlier a managing director at PricewaterhouseCoopers. (HKLaw,com)
• Kilpatrick Townsend brought in international trademarks attorney Jennifer R. Waitman as a partner in New York. She arrives after close to 24 years at Abelman, Frayne & Schwab; Loeb & Loeb picked up Manatt litigator Lauren Fried as a partner in Los Angeles. Her practice focuses on complex commercial disputes with a specific emphasis on entertainment and media; Troutman Pepper appointed commercial litigation partner Sara Richman to its new role of pro bono chair and partner. She’s based in Philadelphia. (Troutman,com)
• Blank Rome hired corporate, M&A and securities attorney Nina Bianchi Skinner in Houston as a partner. She joins from Liskow & Lewis, where she was a shareholder and advised energy, manufacturing, industrial, and services companies; Dykema added former health system transactions chief counsel Valerie Rup as senior counsel in its health care practice group in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.; Glenn Agre Bergman & Fuentes recruited Katten Muchin transactional attorney Stacy Tecklin, a former portfolio company general counsel, as a partner in New York to lead its new distressed debt & claims trading practice; fast-food chain Whataburger hired Walgreens Boots Alliance senior vice president and general counsel Elena Kraus as its new executive vice president and chief legal officer, starting April 11. She’s a former DLA Piper real estate attorney and has been at the pharmacy chain for close to 31 years. (Whataburger.com)