Wake Up Call: U.S. Firms Lure Aussie Talent With Big Pay

In today’s column, as Big Law’s talent war continues, Latham was among over a dozen firms matching or topping the Davis Polk scale for associate pay hikes yesterday; several big firms still have not matched the scale; as private equity deals soar in London, Squire Patton Boggs is launching a funds practice there.

• Leading off, firms including Kirkland & Ellis, Davis Polk & Wardwell, and Latham & Watkins are using American-size salaries to entice Australian associates to work in the U.S., according to a report. Australian associates with experience in banking, M&A, private equity and other transactions, can get double or triple what they earn at home. (American Lawyer)
• The world’s second biggest law firm by revenue, Latham & Watkins, yesterday said it’s matching the Davis Polk scale for associate pay hikes, which runs from $202,500 to $365,000 per year, depending on year of seniority. Latham added a $375,000 peg for the 2012 associates; two much smaller firms, Kellog Hansen and Desmarais, are topping the Davis Polk scale. Meanwhile, U.K.-headquartered Clifford Chance matched for its U.S. associates. (Above the Law)
• Other firms reported to be matching the standard included Cahill, Gordon & Reindel; Choate; Covington Burling; Irell & Manella; McKool Smith; Morrison & Foerster; Sidley Austin; Sullivan & Cromwell; while Weil’s memo stops at $350,000 for 2014 associates; San Francisco-based Keker Van Nest announced it’s matching the pay scale and also offering Davis Polk-scale special bonuses of up to $64,000. (Above the Law)
• So many firms have now matched the scale, that Above the Law is now listing firms, including some big names, that haven’t matched it. (Above the Law) And as associates get big pay raises, it’s not clear how counsel pay is affected. (New York Law Journal)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• Squire Patton Boggs said Tuesday it’s launching a funds practice in London, focusing on private equity, real estate, venture capital, and debt funds. It hired Paul Hastings lawyer Steven Ward as a partner to lead the practice; Eversheds Sutherland is expanding in Portugal, merging with a local firm. (Global Legal Post) Perkins Coie signed a lease on a new 18,000-plus sq. feet office space to occupy in early 2022 in Austin, Tx., where it has 16 lawyers and nine staff members. (PerkinsCoie.com)
• Dechert lawyers were hit by $12,000 in sanctions for violating the judge’s order in a U.S. Army veterans’ bellwether lawsuit alleging defects in 3M Co.’s combat earplug. Dechert was among firms representing 3M, which was hit by a $1.7 million verdict in the case. (Reuters)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Schulte Roth & Zabel grabbed DLA Piper finance lawyer Gregory Ruback as a partner in New York; Goodwin Procter hired three partners. Private equity lawyer Matthew Gruenberg joined in New York. He arrives from Schulte Roth & Zabel. Tax partner Steve Clemens, who advises on tax aspects of private equity, M&A and other transactions, joined in New York. According to his LinkedIn profile, he arrived from Dechert. Tax partner Oded Schein joined Goodwin from Kirkland in Munich, Germany, where he advises on cross-border private deals, among other things; McGuireWoods got Vinson Elkins private equity lawyer Jeffrey Shah as a partner in New York. (McGuireWoods.com)
• Mayer Brown got back former Pennsylvania federal prosecutor Sean McDonnell as a partner in its litigation and dispute resolution practice in Washington. He was an associate at the firm before joining the Justice Department; Cozen O’Connor hired litigator Joshua Levy as a member in Washington in its class actions practice group. He arrives from Sullivan & Cromwell; Blank Rome hired away Troutman Pepper commercial litigator Erica Graves in Los Angeles; Management-side worklaw firm Littler brought in employment litigator William “Bill” Robbins as a shareholder in Kansas City, Mo. He arrives after over 22 years at Polsinelli. (Littler.com)
• Medical technology company Inogen hired solar energy, communications, gaming industry veteran in-house leader Jason Somer as executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, effective July 12. He’s a former Big Law attorney. (Businesswire)

Technology

• Legal tech “app store” Reynen Court Inc. hired “legal technologist” Sam Moore from Scottish law firm Burness Paull, where he was head of innovation. (Artificial Lawyer) Scammers are using WhatsApp to pose as Big Law partners in the U.K. (Legaltech News)