Latham & Watkins: Difference between revisions
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== Recognition == |
== Recognition == |
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''[[The American Lawyer]]'''s 2008 "A-list" ranked Latham & Watkins 2nd in the nation out of more than 200 firms[http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202422145792] taking into account factors such as diversity, dedication to pro bono, prestige and associate satisfaction. It ranked 7th in the 2009 [[Vault (company)|Vault]] Prestige List, a survey which asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms[http://www.vault.com/nr/lawrankings.jsp?law2007=2&ch_id=242&top100=1]. However, after the mass layoffs in 2009, morale has been significantly hurt, particularly in the New York office, where 130 Associates were laid-off in January and February. Latham also made Vault surveys due on February 26, 2009, the day before the February 27, 2009 mass layoffs. Further, in 2007 the Vault ranked Latham as one of the "Best 20 Firms to Work For," one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list.[http://www.vault.com/nr/lawrankings.jsp?law2007=6&ch_id=242&best20=1]. Latham was ranked first by Legal500, along with two other firms in the US, for project finance. Latham was also identified in the December 2006 issue of The American Lawyer as the Am Law 200's "most admired firm." Legal Business magazine awarded Latham the coveted title "Law Firm of the Decade" for its ability to handle the immense challenges posed by the legal industry globally over the last ten years and its financial and strategic success during the period. |
''[[The American Lawyer]]'''s 2008 "A-list" ranked Latham & Watkins 2nd in the nation out of more than 200 firms[http://www.law.com/jsp/tal/PubArticleTAL.jsp?id=1202422145792] taking into account factors such as diversity, dedication to pro bono, prestige and associate satisfaction. It ranked 7th in the 2009 [[Vault (company)|Vault]] Prestige List, a survey which asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms[http://www.vault.com/nr/lawrankings.jsp?law2007=2&ch_id=242&top100=1]. However, after the mass layoffs in 2009, morale has been significantly hurt, particularly in the New York office, where 130 Associates were laid-off in January and February. Latham also made Vault surveys due on February 26, 2009, the day before the February 27, 2009 mass layoffs. Further, in 2007 the Vault ranked Latham as one of the "Best 20 Firms to Work For," one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list.[http://www.vault.com/nr/lawrankings.jsp?law2007=6&ch_id=242&best20=1]. Latham was ranked first by Legal500, along with two other firms in the US, for project finance. Latham was also identified in the December 2006 issue of The American Lawyer as the Am Law 200's "most admired firm." Legal Business magazine awarded Latham the coveted title "Law Firm of the Decade" for its ability to handle the immense challenges posed by the legal industry globally over the last ten years and its financial and strategic success during the period. However, the recession has revealed the weakness of Latham's strategic reliance on transactional work for much of its revenues, as it has been hit harder by the economic downturn than many other law firms. |
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On October 10, 2007, Latham & Watkins was included in a ranking of law firms by the national law student group [[Building a Better Legal Profession]].<ref>Amir Efrati, You Say You Want a Big-Law Revolution, Take II, "Wall Street Journal", October 10, 2007. </ref> <ref> Adam Liptak, In Students’ Eyes, Look-Alike Lawyers Don’t Make the Grade, ''New York Times'', October 29, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/us/29bar.html?em&ex=1193889600&en=4b0cd84261ffe5b4&ei=5087%0A </ref> The organization ranked firms by billable hours, demographic diversity, and pro bono participation. The results can be found on the organization's website, http://www.betterlegalprofession.org.<ref> Thomas Adcock and Zusha Elinson, Student Group Grades Firms On Diversity, Pro Bono Work, "New York Law Journal," October 19, 2007, http://www.law.com/jsp/nylj/PubArticleNY.jsp?hubtype=BackPage&id=1192698212305 </ref> |
On October 10, 2007, Latham & Watkins was included in a ranking of law firms by the national law student group [[Building a Better Legal Profession]].<ref>Amir Efrati, You Say You Want a Big-Law Revolution, Take II, "Wall Street Journal", October 10, 2007. </ref> <ref> Adam Liptak, In Students’ Eyes, Look-Alike Lawyers Don’t Make the Grade, ''New York Times'', October 29, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/us/29bar.html?em&ex=1193889600&en=4b0cd84261ffe5b4&ei=5087%0A </ref> The organization ranked firms by billable hours, demographic diversity, and pro bono participation. The results can be found on the organization's website, http://www.betterlegalprofession.org.<ref> Thomas Adcock and Zusha Elinson, Student Group Grades Firms On Diversity, Pro Bono Work, "New York Law Journal," October 19, 2007, http://www.law.com/jsp/nylj/PubArticleNY.jsp?hubtype=BackPage&id=1192698212305 </ref> |
Revision as of 21:28, 25 April 2009
This article contains content that is written like an advertisement. (October 2008) |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California |
---|---|
No. of offices | 28 |
No. of attorneys | approx. 1,900 |
Major practice areas | General practice |
Key people | Robert Dell, Chairman and Managing Partner[1] |
Revenue | $1.9 Billion |
Date founded | 1934 |
Founder | Dana Latham[2] |
Company type | Limited liability partnership |
Website | www.lw.com |
Latham & Watkins LLP is a global law firm. It is one of the largest law firms in the world, currently employing around 1,900 attorneys in the US, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.[3] The firm was started in Los Angeles in 1934 and has extensive California roots, but its largest office is now in New York City.
In 2006, Latham was the 5th largest law firm in the world by revenue, and the second largest in the United States. In 2008, Latham & Watkins became the first US-based law firm in history to announce over $2 billion in yearly revenue.[4] However, the firm's 2008 revenue dropped by over $300 million to $1.9 billion following a significant decline in transactional activity. Partner profits also fell 21% to $1.8 million per partner.[5] Prompted by declining revenue and market uncertainty, the firm froze associate salaries in January [6], and a number of partners have departed from the New York and Chicago offices [7]. On February 27, 2009, Latham also confirmed that it was laying-off 190 associates and 250 staff members.[2] To date, this is the largest firing of attorneys and staff from a U.S. based law firm. The layoffs were particularly focused on first year associates in the New York office. More than half of Latham's New York first years were let go in February 2009. No partners were let go during the most recent rounds of layoffs. Latham also made Vault surveys due on February 26, 2009, the day before the February 27, 2009 mass layoffs.
Recognition
The American Lawyer's 2008 "A-list" ranked Latham & Watkins 2nd in the nation out of more than 200 firms[3] taking into account factors such as diversity, dedication to pro bono, prestige and associate satisfaction. It ranked 7th in the 2009 Vault Prestige List, a survey which asks law firm associates to rank the perceived prestige of the major law firms[4]. However, after the mass layoffs in 2009, morale has been significantly hurt, particularly in the New York office, where 130 Associates were laid-off in January and February. Latham also made Vault surveys due on February 26, 2009, the day before the February 27, 2009 mass layoffs. Further, in 2007 the Vault ranked Latham as one of the "Best 20 Firms to Work For," one of only three large firms with New York offices to make the list.[5]. Latham was ranked first by Legal500, along with two other firms in the US, for project finance. Latham was also identified in the December 2006 issue of The American Lawyer as the Am Law 200's "most admired firm." Legal Business magazine awarded Latham the coveted title "Law Firm of the Decade" for its ability to handle the immense challenges posed by the legal industry globally over the last ten years and its financial and strategic success during the period. However, the recession has revealed the weakness of Latham's strategic reliance on transactional work for much of its revenues, as it has been hit harder by the economic downturn than many other law firms.
On October 10, 2007, Latham & Watkins was included in a ranking of law firms by the national law student group Building a Better Legal Profession.[8] [9] The organization ranked firms by billable hours, demographic diversity, and pro bono participation. The results can be found on the organization's website, http://www.betterlegalprofession.org.[10]
At the 2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards[11], Latham & Watkins was crowned:
- Deal of the Year - Project Finance Deal of the Year
- Deal of the Year - Equity Market Deal of the Year
At the 2008 ALB China Law Awards[12], Latham & Watkins was crowned:
- Deal of the Year - Project Finance Deal of the Year
Notable clients and cases
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2008) |
- Represented Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. in its $4.84 billion sale to the Sony Corporation in cooperation with Providence Equity Partners Inc, Texas Pacific Group Inc, DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Comcast Corporation (Sept. 2004).
- Advised Bayer AG in its successful 2006 €16.4 billion takeover offer for Schering AG pharmaceuticals.
- Legal counsel to bookrunners and arrangers Deutsche Bank Securities Inc, Goldman Sachs International and Merrill Lynch International in $2 billion Rule 144A/Regulation S notes offer for ICICI Bank Ltd, through its Bahrain branch (Oct. 2007).
Notable Latham & Watkins attorneys
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2008) |
- Sean Berkowitz - Federal prosecutor in the trials of Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.
- Kirk Davenport II - High-yield debt attorney.
- David Gordon and Bill Voge - project finance attorneys.
- John Kirby - Intellectual property attorney, in honor of whom Nintendo named its "Kirby" character after a series of high-profile cases
- Maureen Mahoney - Former Deputy Solicitor General in 1991, represented the University of Michigan before the U.S. Supreme Court in Grutter v. Bollinger
- Philip Perry, was Dept. of Homeland Security[13] General Counsel, now a partner in the litigation department and chair of the Public Policy practice group. He is married to Elizabeth Cheney, attorney, diplomat and daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney.
- David J. Schindler – convicted famous hackers Justin Tanner Petersen, Kevin Mitnick (aka Condor), and Kevin Poulsen (aka Dark Dante)[14], represented the notable Church of Scientology in the Reed Slatkin Ponzi scheme[15], signed hand-delivered letters on Latham & Watkins stationary to anonymous protesters tracked down by the Church of Scientology, demanding cessation of unspecified "illegal activities against the church".[16][17]
- Joshua Stein- One of the leading writers on commercial real estate law in the US as well as a leading practitioner. Editor of the website Real-Estate-Law.com [6].
- Margaret Zwisler- One of the leading anti-trust lawyers in the United States.
Offices
Latham currently has 1,900 attorneys throughout its offices in: Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Brussels, Chicago, Dubai, Doha, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Newark, New Jersey, New York City, Costa Mesa, California, Reston, Virginia, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley(Menlo Park), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington D.C.
Notable Latham & Watkins alumni
This section needs additional citations for verification. (October 2008) |
- Bruce Babbitt, former Governor of Arizona and U.S. Secretary of the Interior
- Michael Chertoff, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
- Chris Cox, former SEC Chair
- Samuel Fishman, convicted on mail fraud case. [18]
- Fred T. Goldberg, Jr. former Partner and Commissioner of Internal Revenue at the IRS
- Carla Anderson Hills, former U.S. Trade Representative and HUD Secretary
- Roderick M. Hills, former SEC Chair
- Reed Hundt, former FCC Chair
- Dana Latham, Commissioner of Internal Revenue from 1958-1961
- Bill Wehrum, acting Assistant Administrator, Office of Air & Radiation United States Environmental Protection Agency
- James J. White, Robert A. Sullivan Professor of Law at the University of Michigan Law School and author of a treatise on the Uniform Commercial Code (with Summers).
- Beth Wilkinson - Prosecutor in the Oklahoma City bombing case.
References
- ^ Dell's Attorney Bio
- ^ About the firm
- ^ Internet Legal Research Group — 250 Largest Law Firms in the US
- ^ Ashby Jones, "Latham & Watkins Breaks $2 Billion Revenue Barrier", Wall Street Journal, February 11, 2008.
- ^ http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2009/02/the-am-law-100-latham-profits-down-21.html
- ^ http://abovethelaw.com/2008/12/latham_watkins_salary_freeze.php
- ^ http://abovethelaw.com/2009/02/latham_watkins_two_ip_partners.php
- ^ Amir Efrati, You Say You Want a Big-Law Revolution, Take II, "Wall Street Journal", October 10, 2007.
- ^ Adam Liptak, In Students’ Eyes, Look-Alike Lawyers Don’t Make the Grade, New York Times, October 29, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/29/us/29bar.html?em&ex=1193889600&en=4b0cd84261ffe5b4&ei=5087%0A
- ^ Thomas Adcock and Zusha Elinson, Student Group Grades Firms On Diversity, Pro Bono Work, "New York Law Journal," October 19, 2007, http://www.law.com/jsp/nylj/PubArticleNY.jsp?hubtype=BackPage&id=1192698212305
- ^ www.legalbusinessonline.com.au
- ^ www.legalbusinessonline.com.au
- ^ [1]
- ^ Bowman, Lisa (1999 October 3). "Schindler heads toward life post-Mitnick". ZD Net. Retrieved 2008 April 24.
{{cite news}}
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(help) - ^ Reckard, Scott (2006 November 8). "Scientology groups to pay back $3.5 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008 April 24.
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(help) - ^ Gray, Tyler (2008-03-31). "Anonymous on Trial? Scientology Steps Up Skirmish". Radar. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Lat, David (2008-04-01). "Latham & Watkins to Free Stress Tests?". Above the Law. Retrieved 2008-12-16.
- ^ Heller, Jamie (2008 March 28). "Lawyer Pleas in Case Charging that He Bilked Firm and Clients". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008 April 18.
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