In a significant move, UK law firm CMS has entered into an agreement with Sweden’s Wistrand to further their global reach. With the deal set to finalize next year, the firm will be rebranded as CMS Wistrand, bolstering their existing presence by adding their 150 lawyers located in Stockholm and Gothenburg. Further details of the cooperation are available on the CMS website.
In other news, Reed Smith, Wilson Sonsini, Venable, and Munger, Tolles & Olson are amongst the 150 law firms that have been named in Time Magazine’s inaugural “America’s Top Law Firms” list. Time Magazine surveyed more than 50,000 lawyers from firms and corporate law offices to compile the list. The full list can be accessed on Time.
On a different note, New York-based law firm Sidley Austin has reportedly terminated an associate, Melat Kiros, following her online criticism of law firms’ stance on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Further details about this situation are covered in an article by Law.com.
A former Fenwick & West associate and FTX executive, Can Sun, who played a significant role in the probe leading to the conviction of Sam Bankman-Fried, has announced plans to initiate a new crypto exchange together with former FTX associates. Dubai startup Trek Labs aims to sell 10% of the company for a valuation that surpasses $100 million. More about this development can be found in the Wall Street Journal.
Some notable movements within the industry include Kilian de Cintré’s migration to Vinson & Elkins’ corporate and finance practice in London from Milbank, Ryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s addition of global tax practice partner David Holmberg, and Peter Jordan’s move to Mayer Brown’s litigation and dispute resolution practice in Texas from Huntsman Corporation, among several other significant switches. Many seasoned legal professionals have relocated in search of new opportunities, demonstrating the dynamic nature of the legal landscape. Details at Bloomberg Law.