Trendspotting: Biglaw’s Boston Office Bonanza

Biglaw corporations have to be actually wanting to “pahk the automobile in Hahvahd Yahd,” as a result of there’s at the moment a rush on opening new places of work in Boston. In somewhat greater than per week, three Am Legislation 100 corporations have introduced their plans for brand new Boston places, and one agency even initiated an enormous group lateral transfer to get a Boston authorized group in place. We’re acquired more than a feeling that it is a pattern within the making.

Simpson Thacher will open its Boston workplace “later this 12 months,” and Kenneth Burdon, a registered funds accomplice from Skadden, will assist the agency throw open its doorways. Nathan Somogie, an STB accomplice in New York, may also head to Massachusetts to help. As famous by the American Lawyer, the agency plans to advise purchasers in asset administration and different monetary establishments, well being care, biotechnology, life sciences, and know-how on their transactional, disputes, regulatory, and enforcement wants.

Paul Hastings can be planning to open up shop in Beantown by way of the hiring of Sidley Austin non-public fairness co-leader, Alexander Temel. Becoming a member of him might be Sidley non-public fairness accomplice William Schwab. “[W]e consider Boston supplies fertile floor in non-public fairness, life sciences, funds formation, litigation, capital markets, and different areas which can be synergistic throughout a lot of our strengths,” Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez stated of the agency’s enlargement.

Final, however definitely not least, Clean Rome not too long ago picked off a 25-lawyer team of corporate and cannabis lawyers from Burns & Levinson to get its footprint in Boston, making it the agency’s sixteenth workplace. “We’ve thought of including a hashish business group for plenty of years,” stated Grant Palmer, Clean Rome’s chair and managing accomplice. “We’ve purchasers who’ve invested within the hashish business or present providers within the hashish house… We’ve been Boston for a while as a result of we have now plenty of purchasers there.”

Again in 2023, three Biglaw corporations — Covington & Burling, Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, and Akin Gump — all opened places of work in Boston. Now, three extra Biglaw corporations might be becoming a member of them. Who might be subsequent? For those who’ve acquired any data on which corporations would be the subsequent within the rush to turn out to be Massholes, please tell us.

Simpson Thacher Plans Boston Office, Hires Skadden Funds Partner [American Lawyer]
Paul Hastings Lands Co-Leader of Sidley’s PE Practice in 2-Partner Move [American Lawyer]
Blank Rome Recruits 25 Burns & Levinson Lawyers to Launch Boston Office [American Lawyer]

Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Legislation, the place she’s labored since 2011. She’d love to listen to from you, so please be at liberty to email her with any ideas, questions, feedback, or critiques. You possibly can observe her on X/Twitter and Threads or join along with her on LinkedIn.