Wake Up Call: Wooing Partners Is a Full-Time Job in Many Firms

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

• Law firms have turned partner recruiting into a dedicated professional task, often with entire teams controlling millions of dollars. Just over half of law firms (54% ) believe lateral hiring will be the main engine of growth this year, according to survey data from Leopard Solutions. (Law.com)
• Sudha Setty, dean of the City University of New York School of Law, has been named president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council, a nonprofit that promotes access to law school admissions. effective July 1. She previously was dean of Western New England University School of Law and has focused on supporting social justice and public interest lawyering in both roles. (LSAC)
• Jim Walden, who heads the law firm Walden Macht Haran & Williams, is suing to run for New York City mayor as an independent. The suit contends a state law enacted in 2022 that prohibits the use of the word “independence” on a ballot line is unconstitutional. (The New York Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Julia Ushakova-Stein and Niki Ford joined Baker McKenzie as partners in its tax practice in San Francisco and New York, respectively.
• Chad Jennings returned to Hinshaw & Culbertson’s defense litigation group as a partner in Belleville, Ill. He joins from W.R. Berkley Insurance Company/Midwest Employers Casualty Company.
• Alexander Ritter joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in its intellectual property practice in Munich. He joins from Baker McKenzie.
• Hugh O’Sullivan will join Latham & Watkins as a partner in its banking practice in London. He joins from Goodwin.
• Jonathan Brohard rejoined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its real estate practice group in Phoenix. He joins from Lat33 Capital.
• David Ni has rejoined O’Melveny as a partner in its capital markets practice group in New York. He is returning to the firm from Sidley Austin.
• Tony Torain joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its employment practice group in Washington. He joins from Polsinelli.
• Carlos Ortiz retired after 35 years as vice president and general counsel at Goya Foods, and Jesús Vázquez was appointed as the new general counsel.
• Errin Martin joined Thompson Coburn as a partner in its business litigation and white collar defense and investigations practice groups in Dallas. She was assistant US attorney for the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
• Mary Schnoor joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its litigation practice group in Washington. She joins from Covington & Burling.
• Chris McGarry joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its structured finance and private capital groups in London. He joins from White & Case.
• Hoyt Sze and Margia Corner joined Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton as health-care partners in San Francisco. The most recently were co-interim deputy general counsels for the University of California.
• Kirsten Worley joined Stoel Rives as a partner in its real estate and construction group in San Diego. She joins from Higgs, Fletcher & Mack.
• Christine Harlow joined Proskauer as a partner in its tax practice in New York. She joins from Schulte Roth & Zabel.
• Nathan Schuur joined Proskauer as a partner in its private funds group in Washington. He joins from the US Securities and Exchange Commission where he was counsel to a commissioner.
• Aaron Wolfson joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in its litigation department in New York.