Wake Up Call: Shearman Said to Also Eye Baker Botts for Merger

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

• As Shearman & Sterling mulls a possible merger, it isn’t just talking to Hogan Lovells but has also discussed a tie-up with Houston, Texas-based Baker Botts, according to a report. (American Lawyer)
• Transatlantic firm Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, created by a 2018 merger of US firm Bryan Cave with the UK’s Berwin Leighton Paisner, has lost 20% of its UK-registered partners in less than 12 months. Most of the 32 exiting partners have headed to big rivals that have lost partners at much lower rates, this report says. (Roll On Friday)
• Latham & Watkins, the second-biggest US law firm by revenue in a recent ranking, announced base bonuses that match the market standard and top bonuses that beat the market by a lot. (Above The Law)
• The Time’s Up Foundation, created in 2018 during the early days of the #MeToo movement to support victims of sexual harassment, is reportedly halting operations and moving its resources to its legal fund. In 2021, Roberta Kaplan, a Kaplan Hecker & Fink founding partner who helped start the foundation, resigned from the organization after being criticized for her law firm’s work in a sexual-harassment probe of then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. (Deadline via Yahoo.com)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• Law firm Boies Schiller Flexner is working to rebuild its London office after big exits last year, reportedly offering bigger pay packages to bring in and keep top lawyers. (Financial Times)
• Florida’s Supreme Court disbarred a plaintiffs’ attorney who was accused of filing thousands of frivolous lawsuits. (Insurance Journal)
• McGuireWoods appointed new office managing partners in New York, Chicago, Charlotte, and Baltimore; Duane Morris appointed global private equity co-chair Michael Hardy managing partner of its Baltimore office. Hardy succeeds trial partner Rob Hopkins, who managed the office since 2015 and will maintain his complex litigation practice at the firm; Stoel Rives named corporate partner Laurie Huotari as managing partner of its Minneapolis office. (Stoel.com)
• The Illinois Supreme Court disbarred a former Chicago judge who was accused of trying to kiss a police officer and also of sexually harassing a court reporter and prosecutor. (ABA Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Hogan Lovells said former litigation partner Rafael Ribeiro is returning to the firm after about 20 months at The Walt Disney Company as assistant general counsel for global ethics and compliance. He returns in the firm’s disputes practice group in the investigation, white collar, and fraud practice area. He also joins its sports, media, and entertainment industry sector. (HoganLovells.com)
• Dentons’ UK real estate head Deepa Deb is reportedly leaving the firm after close to five years to join listed firm DWF. (The Lawyer)
• Holland & Hart named Boulder, Colorado-based patent agent Devin Brennan to the firm’s new leadership role of principal, patent agent; Blank Rome hired patent agent Joseph Jackson in Houston, Texas, in the intellectual property and technology practice group. (BlankRome.com)
• Willkie Farr and Gallagher Paris-based private equity partner Gil Kiener took a job as director of legal at Meanings Capital Partners, a Paris-based private equity and real estate investment firm. (Le Monde du Droit)
• Keker, Van Nest & Peters promoted three associates to partner and two to of counsel, effective Jan. 1. (Keker) Matrimonial law boutique Krauss Shaknes Tallentire & Messeri promoted two to partner. (KSTMLaw.com)