Wake Up Call: US Firms Drive Big Year of London Partner Moves

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

• London’s litigation market is on track for another record year of partner hiring, with 35 lateral moves already logged in 2025—surpassing last year’s overall total. The activity was strongest in intellectual property, international arbitration, and product liability, with cross-border and technology-driven practices on the rise. US firms led the hiring spree, accounting for 22 of the new partners, while top UK firms brought on 15. (Non-Billable)
• Two former top deputies to special counsel Jack Smith are launching their own Washington law firm—marking another private-sector move by prosecutors who handled Donald Trump’s criminal cases. Fired from the Justice Department shortly after Trump’s return to the White House, J.P. Cooney and Molly Gaston are now setting up a white-collar boutique focused not only on defending clients but also consulting with state and local authorities on corruption investigations. (The Wall Street Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Jennifer Yashar joined Gibson Dunn as a partner in its real estate practice group in New York. She joins from Fried Frank.