White & Case Taps Trio of Weil Litigation Partners in New York

White & Case is picking up three litigation partners from Weil Gotshal & Manges, including the global co-head of its litigation department Jonathan Polkes, in yet another high-profile departure for the New York law firm.

Polkes, who also served as a member of Weil’s management committee, is joining White & Case as co-head of its global litigation practice, the firm announced on Monday. Weil litigators Stacy Nettleton and Adam Banks are also joining the firm as partners.

White & Case has a large, international platform with deep and long-standing client relationships on the corporate side that presents a “one-of-a kind” chance for a litigator who wants to get out there and grow something, Polkes said.

“I leave behind very close relationships at Weil Gotshal,” Polkes said. “I was there for 20 years, but this was just too good an opportunity to resist.”

Jonathan Polkes, Stacy Nettleton, Adam Banks

White & Case

The trio are the latest departures from Weil, which has seen several practice leaders head to rivals in recent months. Ray Schrock, co-head of Weil’s bankruptcy group whose clients have included PG&E, J Crew, AMC Entertainment and Sears, left the firm in November along with three partners for Latham & Watkins. Elizabeth Stotland Weiswasser, co-head of Weil’s litigation department, decamped with nearly 20 lawyers to Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison.

Amid the wave of partner departures, Weil announced last month that it would create a new leadership committee headed by the leader of its corporate group Mike Aiello. Weil’s executive partner Barry Wolf prepares to retire at the end of 2027. The firm also named two new managing partners who will take on the day-to-day firm operations.

Polkes works on bet-the-company securities, corporate and white-collar disputes, as well as government and regulatory investigations. He also previously served as deputy chief of the business and securities fraud unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.

He secured a victory for The Carlyle Group as it sought to get out of a billion-dollar deal to acquire a travel services business in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. He advised the likes of AIG, Washington Mutual, and Lehman Brothers through U.S. and foreign criminal and civil investigations stemming from the 2008 financial crisis. He’s also advised clients such as First Data Corp., Pilgrim’s Pride, Sherwin-Williams, and Walgreens Boots Alliance.

Polkes represented MBIA, the largest bond insurer, in connection with multibillion-dollar litigation arising out of the Puerto Rico debt crisis. He also recently represented The Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law and Jewish Americans for Fairness in Education in a pro bono case against Harvard University alleging that Jewish and Israeli students were subject to direct discrimination in violation of Title VI.

Nettleton represents clients in complex disputes in federal, state trial and appellate courts, as well as before arbitration panels. Banks’ expertise spans business, antitrust, intellectual property and securities matters.

Polkes said that he, along with the other litigation department co-chairs David Hille and Glenn Kurtz, are looking to take White & Case’s litigation practice and grow it to become more of an integral part of the business and expand its capabilities in the US.

“We are delighted that Jonathan, Stacy and Adam are joining us,” said White & Case chair Heather McDevitt, adding it is “a strength on strength move.”

Record Year

White & Case is coming into 2025 off of a record financial year last year. Its revenue grew more than 12% to a historic $3.3 billion in 2024 while its profits per equity partner exceeded more than $4 million.

The firm is focused on continued growth in the United States, not only in disputes, but in M&A, private equity and capital markets, McDevitt said. Last month the firm addedshareholder activism lawyers from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft led by Richard Brand, who co-chaired the firm’s corporate practice.

“Off the back of a really strong, record 2024 we’re well positioned going into 2025 and we’re going to continue to keep growing,” McDevitt said.