Wake Up Call: McGuireWoods Sees Revenue Climb to $1.1 Billion

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

• McGuireWoods saw a 9% increase in revenue to $1.1 billion in 2024, driven by higher demand, increased billing rates, and record-high productivity. Despite a 3% rise in equity partners, profitability grew significantly, with net income up 15% and profits per equity partner rising nearly 12%. Notable client work, including deals with Microsoft and Teledyne Technologies, contributed to the firm’s soaring profits. (Law.com)
• South Carolina’s government saw massive accounting errors that led the government to pay over $4.4 million in outside attorney fees for state agencies, with additional millions requested by the Attorney General’s Office for legal counsel. The Comptroller General’s Office, State Auditor’s Office, and Treasurer’s Office each retained firms like BakerHostetler, Milbank, and Robbins, Alloy, Belinfante, Littlefield. Attorney General Alan Wilson also sought $4 million for his office’s legal support. (The State)
• US District Judge Thomas Cullen declined to sanction attorney Thad Guyer after he submitted a legal brief containing erroneous citations generated by AI, calling it an “honest mistake” rather than misconduct. Guyer, a longtime whistleblower lawyer, took full responsibility, pledged to implement safeguards, and self-reported the issue to bar authorities. (LawSites)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Jason Mills and Alana Genderson joined Sidley Austin as employment partners. They join from Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
• Eric Olshan, Ryan Buchanan, and Michael Easley Jr. joined McGuireWoods as partners in its government investigations and white collar litigation department. The trio join from serving as US attorneys.
• Kevin-Paul Deveau joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its London and Middle East finance practice. He joins from Reed Smith.
• John Bain and Wes Smith joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as partners in its real estate practice in Dallas. They join from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
• David Newman rejoined Morrison Foerster as a partner and co-chair of its national security and crisis management groups in Washington. He joins from the Justice Department.
• Gianluca Bacchiocchi rejoined Clifford Chance as a partner in its global financial markets team.
• Kevin Garvey joined Steptoe as a partner in its international trade and regulatory compliance practice in Washington. He joins from the US Chamber of Commerce.
• Nathaniel Asker joined Davis Polk as a partner in its antitrust and competition practice in New York. He joins from Fried Frank.
• Frances Dales joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in its US private equity group in Los Angeles. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Chris Milliken joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its mergers and acquisitions practice in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. He joins from Freshfields.
• Edward Reines and Derek Walter joined Jones Day as partners in the firm’s intellectual property practice.
• Malcolm Ingram joined Littler Mendelson as a shareholder in Philadelphia. He joins from Greenberg Traurig.
• Lewis Zirogiannis joined Massumi + Consoli as a partner in its litigation and dispute resolution practice in Dallas. He joins from Baker Botts.
• Hale Sheppard, Cassandra Bradford, and Samuel Grier joined Eversheds Sutherland as partners in its tax practice group in Atlanta.
• Michelle Crockett joined Honigman as a partner in its labor practice group and labor and employment department in Detroit. She joins from Miller Canfield.
• Jeffrey Saltman joined Cole Schotz as a member of its litigation and intellectual property departments in Baltimore and Washington. He joins from Fisch Sigler.
• Daniel Alonso joined Vedder Price as a shareholder in its government investigations and white collar defense group in New York. He joins from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.