Wake Up Call: Cravath Said to Axe US Lawyers in London

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Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

Cravath Swaine & Moore has reportedly laid off an unspecified number of US-licensed associates in London as part of a plan to refocus on England and Wales-qualified lawyers in the UK market. Cravath kicked off that plan earlier this year by launching an English law practice in London with a finance team poached from Shearman & Sterling, according to a report. (Roll On Friday)
Hunter Biden’s hire of Winston & Strawn white collar partner Abbe Lowell to take a more aggressive approach to defending President Joe Biden’s son against Republican attacks has led to tensions with the White House. (Axios.com)
Dickinson Wright’s strong year in general and intellectual property litigation and corporate work helped the Detroit-based firm post a record $317.9 million revenue in 2022. Its profits per equity partner jumped 11.9% to $876,000. (American Lawyer)

Lawyers, Law Firms

Bracewell’s energy industry work boosted revenue by 4.8% to $303 million in 2022. Profits per equity partner at the Houston, Texas-based firm ticked up 0.4% to $1.41 million. (Texas Lawyer)
Global giant Dentons said its Pittsburgh-based affiliate, Dentons Cohen and Grigsby, elected shareholder Christie Tillapaugh to succeed Christopher Carson in October as president and CEO. She’ll be the Pittsburgh firm’s first female leader. (Denton.com)
Ropes & Gray named M&A and private equity partner John Sorkin to co-lead its 500-plus-lawyer New York office, with existing co-leader Eva Carman. (RopesGray.com)
Eckert Seamans appointed longtime Pittsburgh-based member Tim Grieco chair of its construction and alternate dispute resolution groups. He takes over from litigator Scott Cessar, who recently became the firm’s chief executive officer. (EckertSeamans.com)
Perkins Coie signed a long-term lease for new 30,955 square foot premises in central Phoenix, Arizona, where it has around 60 lawyers. The firm is making improvements to the new premises and expects to move in next spring, this report says. (AZBigmedia.com)

Holland & Knight recruited aviation attorney Donald Gray as of counsel in Miami, Florida. He arrives from Canadian firm Blake Cassels & Graydon, where he was based in Toronto and led the aviation & aerospace group for more than 12 years. (HKLaw.com)
Barnes & Thornburg hired White & Case trusts and estates tax-planning attorney Jacqueline Connor as a partner in its private client services practice in New York. (BTLaw.com)
In Germany, Eversheds Sutherland grabbed Baker McKenzie M&A partner Silke Gantzckow, as a partner in Frankfurt. She earlier spent close to nine years at DLA Piper. (Eversheds Sutherland)
Longtime Clifford Chance private equity partner Frederik Mühl is moving to Paul Hastings in June. (Juve.de)
Epstein Becker Green hired FordHarrison employment litigation partner Heath Edwards as a member in Nashville, Tennessee. (EBGLaw.com)
Altice USA, a broadband communications and video services provider, said it promoted executive vice president and general counsel and board secretary Michael Olsen to GC and chief corporate responsibility officer. (Businesswire)
Israeli-American financial technology firm Pagaya Technologies Ltd., which went public last year via a SPAC merger, hired veteran consumer lending in-house leader Eric Watson as chief legal officer. A former Skadden structured finance attorney, Watson has had senior roles at Sallie Mae, SoFi, and Mosaic, and was recently top lawyer at title insurance fintech Doma. (Businesswire)

Lawyers are using “war game drills” to prepare their clients for cyber attacts. (Financial Times)

The University of Alabama School of Law said professor William S. Brewbaker III will become the school’s dean on July 10. (Tuscaloosa News)