Wake Up Call: McDermott, Schulte Plan to Merge Into Top NY Firm

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

• McDermott Will & Emery and Schulte Roth & Zabel are in the final stretch of merging, aiming for a partnership vote within 90 days to form a combined firm with over $2.8 billion in revenue and more than 1,650 lawyers. The merger, which began informally through partner connections, would significantly bolster their presence in New York, creating one of the city’s largest private law offices. (Law.com)
• Former Allen & Overy leaders Wim Dejonghe and David Morley launched a consultancy, Dejonghe & Morley, to advise private capital investors on opportunities in the legal sector, amid rising interest from private equity and family offices. With law firm profits at record highs and growing pressure to invest in technology like artificial intelligence, the pair plan on seeing a wave of investments and mergers over the next 12 to 18 months. (Financial Times)
• El Paso County, Texas paid nearly $4 million for the defense and $1.9 million for the prosecution of a man who killed 23 people in a 2019 mass shooting, despite the case never going to trial. Defense attorney Joe Spender blamed former district attorney Yvonne Rosales for inflating costs through misconduct and attempts to remove the judge, calling the efforts “frivolous.” Prosecutors, whose expenses were mostly covered by state grants, also faced increased costs under Rosales and her successor due to disorganized evidence sharing and prolonged pretrial motions. (El Paso Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Jessica Pillai joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in its US real estate group in New York. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Rebecca Servian joined Orrick as a partner in its compensation and benefits group in London. She joins from Latham & Watkins.
• Anat Holtzman joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as a partner in its private funds practice in Washington. She joins from Carlyle.
• Rebecca Crowley joined Cadwalader as an infrastructure finance partner in London.
• Matthew Friedrich joined Polsinelli as a principal in its real estate practice in Los Angeles.
• Sarah Belger joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its labor, employment, and benefits practice group in Tysons, Va. She joins from Quarles & Brady.
• Keith Hagan rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its North America tax practice in Miami.
• Daniel Serota joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its corporate and securities practice in New York. He joins from Sidley Austin.
• Peter Laveran-Stiebar joined Clifford Chance as a partner in its US corporate mergers and acquisitions practice in New York. He joins from Covington & Burling.
• Edward So joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in its corporate and finance practice in New York. He joins from White & Case.
• Ellen Wheeler joined Proskauer Rose as a partner in its mergers and acquisitions practice in New York.
• Dorian Daggs joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its global litigation practice in Miami.
• Humayun Khalid rejoined Cleary Gottlieb as a partner in its capital solutions and private credit practice. He joins from Goldman Sachs.
• Justin Kingsolver joined Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner as a partner in its litigation and investigations department and antitrust, competition, and trade practice group in Phoenix and Washington. He from Crowell & Moring.
• Erin Hughes joined Husch Blackwell as a partner in its real estate, development, and construction industry team in Nashville. She joins from Holland & Knight.
• Frank Toddre, II joined Cozen O’Connor as a member in its global insurance department in Las Vegas. He joins from Lewis Brisbois.
• Evan Knott joined Honigman as a partner in its litigation department in Chicago. He joins from Reed Smith.
• Pedro Suarez joined FisherBroyles as a partner in its intellectual property and patent prosecution practice groups in Los Angeles.