In a notable turn of events, Big Law firms have seen a significant drop in the hiring of ethnic minority candidates in 2023, compared to the prior year. These declines are largely a result of difficulties faced regarding diversity initiatives, which have become increasingly contentious within both legal and political spheres. According to a report by Leopard Solutions, the number of diverse entry-level hires in the top 200 US firms fell from 2,371 in 2022 to 2,049 last year. More details on the report can be found on the Financial Times.
Furthermore, a potential investigation is looming for WilmerHale partner William Lee regarding a possible conflict of interest. Lee could face scrutiny from the Massachusetts attorney general over legitimate payments made by Harvard University to his firm, WilmerHale, which amounted to nearly $42 million between 2011 and 2022 – a period during which Lee served on Harvard’s governing board. More details can be found in the New York Post.
In positive news, firm leasing in the US experienced an upswing in Q4 of 2023, reaching its highest quarterly levels since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to reports, firms leased 7.8 million square feet of office space in Q4, marking the highest annual total since 2019. Detailed insights are available at the Commercial Property Executive.
In a more sensationalist vein, Gibson Dunn partner Orin Snyder is presently embroiled in a heated legal dispute among Bravo TV stars. A legal letter of a defamatory nature from “Real Housewives of New York City” member Leah McSweeney is under contention. Further details on the unfolding drama can be found at Page Six.
In terms of legal professional movements and lateral hires, notable mentions include Katherine A. Fillmore joining Michael Best, John Monahon and Todd Wade moving to Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Gregg Stevens joining Hinshaw & Culbertson, Nikolas S. Komyati moving to Fox Rothschild, Brian J. Lohan and Maja Zerjal Fink joining Clifford Chance, Zachary Kobrin moving to Saul Ewing, David Broderick joining Paul Hastings and Carlos Renato Vieira becoming a tax partner at TozziniFreire Advogados.
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