Biglaw

Top Biglaw Firms Trade Partner Raids In Rainmaker Battle

Which partners will be the next to go?

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goodbye lawyerKirkland may now be the largest law firm in New York, but Paul Weiss — which had long held that title in prior years — sure is trying to get payback in its latest lateral raid of the highest-grossing Biglaw firm in the world, both within and outside of the U.S.

As noted by the American Lawyer, more than 10 partners — including three whose books of business are “rumored [to be] in the nine-figure range” — have recently departed Kirkland for Paul Weiss. Here are some additional details:

Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison’s raid of Kirkland & Ellis this month includes a four-partner London team led by private equity giant Neel Sachdev as well as other partners in the U.S. and U.K., a team that could number more than 10 lawyers in all.

Sources confirmed that Paul Weiss has also hired Kirkland debt finance partner Eric Wedel, who had been with the firm for almost 17 years, working out of New York and Los Angeles. It’s anticipated that Wedel will bring a team of three or four partners with him, sources said.

Meanwhile, Roger Johnson, a mergers and acquisitions partner in London who left Kirkland earlier this month, will also likely join Paul Weiss, with his team of partners, in short order, sources said.

Meanwhile, Kirkland conducted its own raid of the Paul Weiss London outpost this month, so this back-and-forth between the dueling firms may not be ending any time soon.

Are partners at your firm poised to make group lateral moves? You can email us or text us (646-820-8477). Thank you for your assistance.

Paul Weiss Raid on Kirkland Encompasses More Corporate Partners in US and UK [American Lawyer]

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Staci ZaretskyStaci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter and Threads or connect with her on LinkedIn.

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