Wake Up Call: Inflation, Higher Wages Add to Rate Hike Pressure

In today’s column, rate hikes averaged 5.6% last year at the top 100 U.S. firms and could be more this year; another firm matched the Milbank salary hike scale; Mayer Brown is the latest Big Law firm to open in Salt Lake.

• Leading off, the biggest U.S. law firms hiked their rates an average 5.6% last year and will likely want to increase them as much or more this year, as high inflation and compensation add to costs. But clients, with their own inflation jitters, could be pushing back, this report says. (American Lawyer)
• WilmerHale matched Milbank’s associate salary hike scale and gave more information about its bonuses; Loeb & Loeb announced pay hikes below Milbank’s scale, and bonuses that match the market for very high billers; Sheppard & Mullin announced special bonuses for staff. (Above The Law)
• Mayer Brown said it’s opening an office in Salt Lake City, Utah, it’s 27th overall, to bolster the firm’s technology and investment offerings. The Chicago-based firm said corporate & securities partner Jennifer Carlson is relocating her Northern California practice to the city. It’s also getting emerging companies and M&A partners Samuel Gardiner and Mark Bonham and litigation partner Matthew Moscon, with a group of associates, from Stoel Rives for the office. (MayerBrown.com)
• Mayer Brown follows Kirkland & Ellis, Foley & Lardner, and Wilson Sonsini into Salt Lake, drawn by its legal talent and thriving start-up scene. (BLAW) Greenberg Traurig’s office in the city recently got a former Securities and Exchange Commission regional director. (GTLaw.com)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough said its adding 22 partners to its litigation practice from a midsize firm and opening offices in Minneapolis, San Diego, and Richmond, Virginia. It also expects to add nine more partners in Dallas; a U.K. law firm merger is creating RWK Goodman, with about 360 specialist lawyers. (Global Legal Post)
• A large majority of London law firm partners told a recent survey they favor a return to the office because they think remote work is hurting their firms’ “culture.” (Law.com International via Legaltech News)
• The state of New Hampshire’s opioid public nuisance trial against Johnson & Johnson, scheduled for Feb. 1, was delayed to September because of an increase numbers of omicron-variant Covid-19. (Law.com)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Latham & Watkins added two global co-chairs for its environmental, social and governance practice group as partners. Sarah Fortt from Vinson & Elkins in Austin and Washington and Betty Moy Huber from Davis Polk in New York join existing ESG co-chair Paul Davies, who’s in London; Steptoe & Johnson added white collar defense and cross-border investigations lawyer Iris Bennet as a partner in Washington; big U.K. firm Mishcon de Reya said it picked up health & safety attorney Kizzy Augustin as a partner in London on its white collar crime and investigations team; Kirkland & Ellis poached Akin Gump funds partner Aleksander Bakic in London. He earlier spent over six years at O’Melveny & Myers as a partner; Willkie Farr & Gallagher brought in music and entertainment partner Sid Fohrman from Sheppard Mullin in Los Angeles. (Willkie.com)
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges named Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser, a life sciences and patent litigation practice co-leader, as global litigation co-chair. She’s the first woman to hold that role. (American Lawyer) Ropes & Gray added three partners: Debevoise & Plimpton private funds counsel Jennifer Graff and White & Case M&A partner Suni Sreepada joined in New York. Milbank finance special counsel Jennifer Harris joined in Los Angeles; Stradley Ronon snagged Troutman Pepper corporate and funds partner Irwin Latner in New York; management-side worklaw firm Ogletree Deakins grabbed Eversheds Sutherland attorneys Scott McLaughlin and Marlene Williams in Houston office as shareholders. (Ogletree.com)
• Ceiling and wall solutions maker Armstrong World Industries, Inc. said former Big Law litigator Austin So will join the company as senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary effective Feb. 1. He’s currently at StoneMor Inc. as senior vice president, chief legal officer, and secretary. (ArmstrongWorldIndustries.com)