The Lateral Partner Movement Game

Ben Thomson, LawFuel Big Law editor

The partner poaching – or lateral movement – season among Big Law firms has been in full swing in recent months with recent departures form Linklaters to Skadden and Paul Weiss being notable recent moves.

Recent moves in both the US and UK markets reflect the competitive nature of the market and firms’ strategic efforts of big law firms to strengthen their expertise and market position.

The recent moves in London moves contribute to a growing trend of partner departures from Linklaters, which saw 12 partners exit its London office in 2023, as reported by Edwards Gibson’s annual partner moves report.

Paul Weiss have also set up their new Brussels branch by hiring antitrust specialists Richard Pepper and Ross Ferguson, the former from Macfarlanes, having handled Dow’s merger with DuPont and

Richard Pepper joins from Macfarlanes, bringing his expertise in cartel and behavioral investigations, global merger control, and foreign direct investment. Notably, Pepper has consulted on significant mergers, including Dow’s merger with DuPont and the joint venture between Telefónica and Liberty Global that formed Virgin Media O2.

Ross Ferguson, formerly with Simpson Thacher, focuses on cross-border transactions and regulatory compliance involving antitrust and EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation filings.

Linklaters Departures

Among the departures from Linklaters has been Matthew Hearn who went to Paul Weiss’s London M&A team, making him the fourth partner acquisition from Linklaters within 12 months.

Paul Weiss has been under a London renaissance since the recruitment of law star Neel Sachdev, that we have reported.

Skadden recruited a regulatory and finance partner from Linklaters, Sebastian Barling, who has extensive experience in UK and EU work.

Kirkland & Ellis strengthened its debt finance practice by hiring Vanessa Xu, a debt finance leader, from Allen & Overy.

Gibson Dunn recently hired former Linklaters partner David Irvine in London to co-chair its global finance practice.

Other firms have been active too, including Lewis Silkin who hired a litigation partner from Linklaters and Clyde & Co hired Robin Wood, a construction disputes and litigation partner from CMS.

Who are the ‘Partner Poaching’ Big Law Firms?

There are some notable trends that can be observed in the partner poaching, such as the attraction of lawyers with cross-border transaction expertise, reflecting the global nature of client needs in an increasingly competitive market.

United States

Kirkland & Ellis – Known for its aggressive hiring strategy and vast multi-billion dollar revenues, Kirkland & Ellis has made several high-profile lateral hires. For instance, the firm recently recruited two litigation partners from Quinn Emanuel to bolster its litigation practice in New York.
Latham & Watkins – Latham has continued to expand its transactional practice by hiring several partners from competitors. The firm recently added a prominent M&A partner from White & Case in New York.
Paul Weiss – This firm has been particularly active in lateral movements and has strengthened its litigation and regulatory practices, among others, by adding partners from other top firms such as the move from Kirklands of John Patten along with others, reflecting its commitment to offering top-tier legal services.
Sidley Austin – Sidley has been active in recruiting partners with regulatory and transactional expertise, recently hiring a leading financial regulatory partner from Debevoise & Plimpton.

United Kingdom

Allen & Overy – A&O has made significant lateral hires, particularly in its financial regulation practice, recruiting partners from other Magic Circle firms to solidify its position in the market.
Clifford Chance – This firm has focused on enhancing its capital markets and disputes resolution capabilities by bringing in partners from competitors both domestically and internationally. Last year it recruited two energy partners from Latham & Watkins after opening its new Houston office.
Linklaters – As part of its strategy to enhance its technology and fintech offerings and has recruited several partners specializing in these areas from other leading London firms, notwithstanding its recent lateral partner ‘losses’.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer – Continuing to expand its U.S. presence, Freshfields has hired high-profile transactional and litigation partners in New York, poaching from Wall Street firms like the esteemed Cravath Swaine & Moore to build out its capabilities.

As the strategic alliances and cross-border competition increase, so too will partner poaching from the major firms and the specialized boutique practices. Law firms are also increasingly focusing on sector-specific growth, hiring partners from other firms with comprehensive industry knowledge in sectors like technology, healthcare, and energy.

Welcome to the new world of partner poaching practices keeping headhunters and others on the active lookout for new legal talent opportunities.