Discussion of Firms and Life in SF/SV - Page 26

c2ed · 06-06-2003, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by frodo corleone
Can anyone with knowledge give me any insight on the litigation (particularly IP litigation) practice groups of the following SF/SV firms (work load, partners personality, business development, opportunity to work outside specialty)? Thanks in advance.

Altheimer
Pennie
Sonnenschein
Weil

Pennie has recently lost a number of its top IP litigators (including the head of its IP litigation to Weil's NY office). My sources there say the firm as a whole isn't healthy and it has been desperately searching for a merger partner. With partners and associates bleeding out of the mother ship in NY, I would not be surprised if the SV office tries to sell itself off to another firm here or if you see different groups heading off to other area firms.

C(if I had other options, I wouldn't go there)deuced

AngryMulletMan · 06-06-2003, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Dude. Don't we all?

Dude?! NTTAWWT

AM(really not a)M

Tyrone Slothrop · 06-06-2003, 04:40 PM

Just get a room already!

Tyrone Slothrop · 06-06-2003, 05:20 PM

I am informed that not only is there sparring between different partners within Weil's offices, there is competition between the SV and NY IP litigation groups. Although they try to make it sound like they're a happy family, it's somewhat disfunctional.

Tyrone Slothrop · 06-09-2003, 03:01 PM

The Minority Law Journal (?) writes that some of the most diverse law firms in the country have been in the Bay Area, but that three such firms -- McCutchen, Crosby and Brobeck -- are now more, having merged (or whatever you want to call it in Brobeck's case) into less diverse East Coast firms. "Last summer McCutchen Doyle, which ranked No. 5 in our previous Diversity Scorecard, merged with No. 106, Boston's Bingham Dana. Crosby Heafey -- which shows up at No. 16 in our current survey -- linked up last fall with No. 158, Pittsburgh's Reed Smith. Prior to its collapse this winter, Brobeck -- No. 12 in our latest Scorecard -- attemped a merger with No. 60, Philadelphia's Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Though Brobeck fell apart when the merger was called off, the largest number of its lawyers still went to Morgan Lewis." Full story is here.

Sidd Finch · 06-09-2003, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
"Last summer McCutchen Doyle, which ranked No. 5 in our previous Diversity Scorecard, merged with No. 106, Boston's Bingham Dana. Crosby Heafey -- which shows up at No. 16 in our current survey -- linked up last fall with No. 158, Pittsburgh's Reed Smith. Prior to its collapse this winter, Brobeck -- No. 12 in our latest Scorecard -- attemped a merger with No. 60, Philadelphia's Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Though Brobeck fell apart when the merger was called off, the largest number of its lawyers still went to Morgan Lewis."

Bay Area firms: Available to diversify bigger players via merger.

Incidentally, this does seem to run counter to some of the arguments we've heard about Bay Area firms not being diverse...though perhaps that was limited to SV (where, of course, Brobeck and McQetcheon both had large offices).

AngryMulletMan · 06-09-2003, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sidd Finch
Bay Area firms: Available to diversify bigger players via merger.

This assumes that the "diverse" attorneys at Brobeck and the McDungeon were included in the groups that were acquired in the merger or mass hire. I suspect pre-merger layoffs and cherry-picking had some effect on those numbers.

Also, although not addressed by the scorecard, I'm wondering if anyone knows how friendly the bigger players have been to openly gay lawyers.

Sidd Finch · 06-09-2003, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AngryMulletMan
Also, although not addressed by the scorecard, I'm wondering if anyone knows how friendly the bigger players have been to openly gay lawyers.

ssssssssssssssssssss

That's the sound of my bubble bursting. NTTAWWT.

Sidd(relax, people, it's a joke)Finch

bleeding hearts · 06-09-2003, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Tyrone_Slothrop
The Minority Law Journal (?) writes that some of the most diverse law firms in the country have been in the Bay Area, but that three such firms -- McCutchen, Crosby and Brobeck -- are now more, having merged (or whatever you want to call it in Brobeck's case) into less diverse East Coast firms. "Last summer McCutchen Doyle, which ranked No. 5 in our previous Diversity Scorecard, merged with No. 106, Boston's Bingham Dana. Crosby Heafey -- which shows up at No. 16 in our current survey -- linked up last fall with No. 158, Pittsburgh's Reed Smith. Prior to its collapse this winter, Brobeck -- No. 12 in our latest Scorecard -- attemped a merger with No. 60, Philadelphia's Morgan, Lewis & Bockius. Though Brobeck fell apart when the merger was called off, the largest number of its lawyers still went to Morgan Lewis." Full story is here.

Hmmm...according to that survey, if you have 100% minorities, you'd be ranked #1 in their "diversity index." No white people = perfect score.

06-09-2003, 11:04 PM

As many of you know, I had a weblog (or "blawg") called WeirdOfTheNews. I've moved it to a new and better land, but otherwise it continues unabated. And I've renamed it "The Legal Reader."

The new, improved site is:

http://www.legalreader.com

Please update your bookmarks if appropriate.

Thanks

sgtclub · 06-10-2003, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AngryMulletMan

Also, although not addressed by the scorecard, I'm wondering if anyone knows how friendly the bigger players have been to openly gay lawyers.

My firm (a bigger player) openly recruits gay lawyers - each recruiting season they send around an email asking if those that are gay would agree to be listed for the purposes of both the firm being able to list the number of openly gay lawyers and to act as a mentor during the recruiting process.

By the way, on this whole subject of diversity, it is my understanding that it is not a problem of demand on the firms' part, but of supply. Not sure if this is because of disproportionately low number of minorities graduating from law school or a low number that meet the firms' hiring criteria (as adjusted for affirmative action).

06-10-2003, 01:50 AM

Wondering what, if anything, is happening on the Heller lawsuit. No real personal interest in the outcome... just nosy.
Oh, and by the way, when do I get my prize for winning the Brobeck death pool? I need a certificate or something, at the very least, so that when potential employers question that self-promoting line on my resume, I have actual backup.

leagleaze · 06-10-2003, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sgtclub
My firm (a bigger player) openly recruits gay lawyers - each recruiting season they send around an email asking if those that are gay would agree to be listed for the purposes of both the firm being able to list the number of openly gay lawyers and to act as a mentor during the recruiting process.

By the way, on this whole subject of diversity, it is my understanding that it is not a problem of demand on the firms' part, but of supply. Not sure if this is because of disproportionately low number of minorities graduating from law school or a low number that meet the firms' hiring criteria (as adjusted for affirmative action).

Wow....we do recruit.

I was going to say my experience has never been that they actively recruit gay folks. Out here (PA) they claim to be ok with orientations other then hetero and they are polite enough, but I don't really think they are ok with it. California though it always struck me for the most part, as a nonissue. And thank goodness.

Though I have noticed the occasional you're gay? Awesome, another minority for the checklist, thing going on from time to time.

I think it is great your firm does this however. I would have loved to have had a mentor, especially very early on in my career, who would have understood some of the more unique issues I faced and given me some advice on how to deal with them.

06-12-2003, 05:31 PM

http://www.mathurlawoffices.com/

Looks like the contract attorney/For Love or Money "star" got whacked. And the firm he used to work for posted a letter regarding its decision to fire him on their website.

Tyrion Lannister

Tyrone Slothrop · 06-12-2003, 07:54 PM

The Recorder reports that the Milberg Weiss firm is going to split into an East Coast firm, to be headed by Melvyn Weiss in New York, and a West Coast firm, to be headed by Bill Lerach in San Diego and Pat Coughlin in San Francisco.

"With all the legitimate reasons for a 220-lawyer class action firm to break up, though, sources familiar with the situation say it's come to a head because of a feud between Lerach and Weiss over the handling of the WorldCom litigation.

"Though the firm's large offices in New York and San Diego already operate largely independent of each other, the latest development may have been precipitated -- or at least sealed -- by the actions of Lerach, the firm's famed, flamboyant and, to some, notorious partner."

Lerach had an alleged fit of pique when he was excluded from key positions (lead counsel, liaison counsel) in the WorldCom litigation. But the article doesn't suggest why something so mundane would make such a difference, although it's a fun little story.