Wake Up Call: Law Firm Leasing Sinks in First Half of 2020

In today’s column, Skadden poached a top M&A lawyer from Freshfields in London; President Trump’s nomination to replace Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, federal court judge Amy Coney Barrett, looks headed for a contentious Senate confirmation process; House Democrats plan to introduce a bill that would limit future Supreme Court justice terms to 18 years; general counsel recently talked about the importance of using their buying power to get better diversity results from their outside law firms; some GCs responded to recent flak for allegedly not matching their tough talk on diversity with real action.

• Leading off, law-firm leasing activity shrank by nearly one-third in 2020’s first half, as Covid stay-at-home orders hit big U.S. cities, according to a report by Savills U.S. With law firms not as hard-hit by the pandemic crisis as some other sectors of the economy, certain firms may be in good enough shape to take advantage of a soft real estate market to get cheaper, long-term leases. (American Lawyer)

• A corporate and finance partner at so-called hybrid law firm Taylor English Duma argues firms don’t need all the space they have. Taylor English, which has about 170 lawyers, has one physical office in Atlanta and remote working attorneys around the country. Podcast. (Law.com)

• Cooley was the first firm to offer so-called Covid-appreciation bonuses, earlier in September, but it was soon far out-done by Davis Polk’s much more generous bonus scale. Several firms have since matched Davis Polk’s notch, but Cooley has not upped its ante. (Above the Law)

Nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to Replace RBG

• President Donald Trump on Saturday nominated federal court Judge Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court seat opened by the recent death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The nomination of Barrett, a former clerk for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, set the stage for a confirmation battle in the Republican-dominated Senate. She’s a graduate of Notre Dame Law school, avowed Catholic and mother of seven who’s stated that abortion is “always immoral.” (BLAW) (WSJ)

• Barrett’s nomination also puts the career of her husband, Indiana-based trial lawyer Jesse Barrett, under a microscope. The former federal prosecutor, now a litigator and white collar criminal defense attorney, faces a unique career decision for lawyers whose spouses join the high court. (BLAW)

• With Trump now on the way to making his third lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court, House Democrats are reportedly ready to propose a bill that would limit Supreme Court judges to 18-year, non-renewable terms. (ScotusBlog.com)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• A group of general counsel recently discussed the importance of using their buying power to hold law firms accountable for diversity and equity in the legal profession. (Corporate Counsel)

• Top in-house lawyers have gotten some recent criticism for being slow to take action to address the profession’s diversity gaps. Some general counsel respond that they are not “all-powerful,” and don’t have a “magic wand.” (Corporate Counsel)

• A lack of diversity data for “complex” practice areas including bankruptcy, life sciences, and intellectual property matters undermines progress on getting a more diverse range of lawyers working on those matters, according to a report. (Corporate Counsel)

• Lawyers for comedian Bill Murray and the Doobie Brothers have reportedly swapped humorous legal letters over Murray’s use of the band’s song “Listen to the Music” for an ad for his clothing line, without paying. (Tone Deaf) (USA Today) (Above the Law)

• Several Big Law firms advised on defense contractor Amentum’s announced agreement to acquire DynCorp International, in a deal that would create a service company with about $6 billion in combined revenues and over 34,000 employees, according to reports. Cravath, Swaine & Moore is Amentum’s legal counsel, while Covington & Burling is its regulatory and government contracts counsel. Schulte Roth & Zabel is advising DynCorp, according to a report. (Govconwire.com) (DefenseDaily.com)

• Dechert advised German interactive display provider Via Optronics AG on its estimated $94 million initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange. (MarketWatch)

Laterals, Moves

• Skadden poached M&A partner Bruce Embley in London from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where he was global co-head of the firm’s practice group. Embley had been at Freshfields for more than 15 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. (Skadden.com)

• In Paris, the real estate department of U.K.-based firm Taylor Wessing added former Winston & Strawn tax structuring partner Franck Lagorce as a senior counsel. According to his LinkedIn profile, Lagorce has also spent time at PwC, KPMG, Clifford Chance, and French firm Fidal over a 35-year career. (LeMondeduDroit.com)

• Blank Rome hired real estate finance associate Gabrielle C. Phillips in Washington. She was previously at Gallagher Evelius & Jones. (BlankRome.com)

• The nonprofit Legal Services Vermont hired six attorneys and paralegals, including a former Cozen O’Connor associate in Chicago. (Vermontbiz.com)

In-House

• MDC Partners Inc., a New York City-based advertising and marketing holding company, is splitting with its general counsel, Jonathan Mirsky, at month’s end, according to a report citing an SEC filing. Mirsky is a former Gibson Dunn associate who spent 18 years as a Washington-based corporate partner at Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis, his Linkedin profile states. The report says Mirksy is being replaced by the company’s current executive vice president, strategy and corporate development, David Ross. (MediaPost)

Legal Education

• The American Bar Association released a schedule of webinars for its 2020 national meeting of state access-to-justice chairs. (AmericanBar.org)