Good morning,

This week's lateral market tells a clear story about where BigLaw is placing its bets. Holland & Knight made four hires spanning healthcare regulatory, gaming, and general regulatory work, signaling a deeper push into specialized compliance and licensing verticals. Greenberg Traurig continued its aggressive lateral strategy, adding four partners across M&A, energy, tax, and government contracts. Dechert picked up restructuring talent from McDermott while simultaneously expanding its Singapore corporate and securities bench with two partners from Milbank. And Paul Hastings added both a securities litigation partner and a litigation partner, pulling from Goodwin Procter and Paul Weiss respectively. Across the board, M&A, restructuring, regulatory, and IP practices attracted the most movement.

On the industry executive side, the week's biggest story was KKR reshuffling its software leadership, promoting Angad Singh and Robert Recer to co-heads while John Park and Bradley Brown departed, with Brown landing at Arsenal Capital Partners. Meanwhile, HF Sinclair lost both its CEO and CFO amid audit concerns, Philip Morris International tapped an 18-year internal veteran as its next CFO, and EQT positioned new co-heads to deploy a record $15.6 billion Asia fund. The C-suite churn this week skewed heavily toward CTO appointments at mid-cap technology and healthcare companies.

Now, on to what matters for your practice today.

BigLaw Moves Sentiment

Regulatory and compliance hiring dominated this week, with Holland & Knight building out gaming, healthcare, and regulatory practices while Greenberg Traurig added government contracts and energy talent. The steady M&A lateral flow to firms like Wilson Sonsini, DLA Piper, and Lowenstein Sandler suggests sustained optimism about deal activity.

Restructuring hires at Dechert and Steptoe point to firms preparing for credit stress in certain sectors. The Singapore expansion by Dechert, combined with Stephenson Harwood's Madrid launch and KKR's Milan opening, reflects continued cross-border capital deployment that will generate significant legal advisory revenue for firms positioned in these markets.

BigLaw Moves

A few quick patterns worth noting: This week saw approximately 30 firms welcoming over 45 new partners. Holland & Knight welcomed the most partners this week (4 including gaming and regulatory hires) alongside Greenberg Traurig (4), and Dechert (3).

Firms Welcoming Multiple Joiners

-Holland & Knight: Kimberly Rai joined as a healthcare regulatory and enforcement partner in New York from King & Spalding. Katherine Baker joined as team leader of the national gaming industry group in Boston from Nelson Mullins. Joshua Kirschner joined as deputy team leader of the gaming industry group in Atlanta from Nelson Mullins. Clarissa Howley Mills joined as a regulatory partner in Dallas from Haynes Boone.

-Greenberg Traurig: Abigail Xu joined the M&A practice in New York from Paul Weiss. Toshiyuki Yoshida joined the global energy and natural resources practice in New York from K&L Gates. John Ormonde joined the state and local tax practice in Washington, D.C. from Eversheds Sutherland. Shaun Kennedy joined the government contracts and space practices in Denver from Holland & Knight.

-Dechert: Jerry Hall joined the restructuring practice in New York from McDermott Will & Emery. David Cho and Min Kim joined the corporate and securities practice in Singapore from Milbank.

-Paul Hastings: Jennifer Burns Luz joined the securities litigation practice in Boston from Goodwin Procter. Roberto Gonzalez joined as a litigation partner in Washington, D.C. from Paul Weiss.

-DLA Piper: Michael Dorf joined the M&A practice in San Francisco from A&O Shearman. Geoffrey Palachuk joined the real estate practice in Seattle from Perkins Coie.

-Seyfarth Shaw: Katie Rosen and Devin Smith joined the labor and employment practice in Seattle from Davis Wright Tremaine, where both focused on wage and hour matters.

-Perkins Coie: Marc Campopiano joined the environment, energy and resources practice in San Diego from Latham & Watkins.

Firms Adding Single Joiners

-Alston & Bird: Satvi Vepa joined as a federal and international tax partner in London from Simmons & Simmons.

-Barnes & Thornburg: Michael Leard joined as a commercial litigation partner in Boston from Nutter. The firm also saw Kenneth Kansa depart to Steptoe.

-Bradley Arant Boult Cummings: Joshua Portnoy joined as a real estate partner in Atlanta from Hatteras Sky, where he served as general counsel.

-Cole Schotz: Joseph Landolfi joined as a tax partner in Boca Raton from Shapiro Blasi Wasserman & Hermann.

-Cozen O'Connor: Drew Barsalou joined as a member in the private client, trusts, and estates practice in Boca Raton from Gunster Yoakley & Stewart.

-Davis Polk: Jessica Delbaum joined as a partner in the antitrust and competition practice in New York from A&O Shearman.

-Eversheds Sutherland: Michael Robotti, a former federal prosecutor, joined the white-collar disputes and investigations practice in New York from Ballard Spahr.

-FBT Gibbons: Carolyn Riggs joined the product tort and insurance litigation practice in Indianapolis.

-Foley & Lardner: Heather Miles joined the transactions practice in New York from Goodwin Procter.

-Foley Hoag: Alain Mathieu joined as chair of a newly launched sports practice in Boston from Prince Lobel Tye.

-Fox Rothschild: Joe Meadows joined as a litigation partner in Washington, D.C. from Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani.

-Hinshaw & Culbertson: Jennifer Driscoll joined the healthcare group in New York from Robinson + Cole.

-Hunton Andrews Kurth: Joseph Turzi joined the labor and employment group in Washington, D.C.

-Husch Blackwell: Greg Pimstone joined as a litigation partner in Los Angeles from Manatt Phelps & Phillips.

-Jones Day: Laurie Humphreys joined as of counsel in the tax practice in Chicago after nearly 23 years at the IRS, where she most recently served as senior counsel in the Office of Chief Counsel.

-Lowenstein Sandler: Scott Fisher joined the M&A and capital markets & securities practices in New York from Steptoe.

-McDermott Will & Emery: MiRi Song joined the employment practice in Los Angeles from Ogletree Deakins.

-Neal Gerber Eisenberg: Brian Murray joined as an IP partner in Chicago from Holland & Knight.

-Norton Rose Fulbright: Matthew Grunert returned as an employee benefits partner in Houston from Bracewell.

-Ogletree Deakins: Brooke Nixon joined as a shareholder in Birmingham.

-RFB+Fisher Potter Hodas: Derek Cohen, a former federal prosecutor, joined the litigation practice in New York from Baker Botts.

-Steptoe: Kenneth Kansa joined as a restructuring partner in Chicago from Barnes & Thornburg.

-Wilson Sonsini: Sachin Kohli joined the M&A practice in New York from Weil, Gotshal & Manges.

-Winston & Strawn: Morgan Mayne joined the IP practice in Dallas from Baker Botts.

In Other Talent News

Debevoise & Plimpton named 16 new partners across its global offices. Stephenson Harwood is opening a Madrid office on June 1 with an eight-partner team focused on private capital, energy, and infrastructure.

Corporate Moves Sentiment

The KKR software leadership shuffle, combined with Bradley Brown's move to Arsenal Capital Partners, signals ongoing rebalancing within private equity's technology vertical. The simultaneous CFO transitions at HF Sinclair (forced departure),

Philip Morris International (planned succession), and Amgen (retirement) represent different flavors of the same trend: boards prioritizing financial leadership stability.

For law firms, the KKR reorganization and EQT's Asia fund deployment will generate private equity fund formation, portfolio company M&A, and regulatory advisory work. The HF Sinclair governance situation creates potential securities litigation and board advisory mandates.

Corporate Moves

Investment Banking Leadership

-Lazard hired Daniel Burton-Morgan to the newly created role of head of equity capital markets advisory in North America. Burton-Morgan previously led Bank of America's ECM Americas financial sponsor origination desk.

Private Capital and Asset Management

-KKR promoted Angad Singh and Robert Recer to co-heads of software within Americas private equity. John Park, who previously led the software team, will serve in an advisory role and exit the firm after roughly 13 years. Bradley Brown, a managing director in the software group, departed to join Arsenal Capital Partners as an Investment Partner after about eight years at KKR. Separately, KKR is opening an office in Milan to access Italy's growing wealth market.

-EQT promoted Nicholas Macksey and Hari Gopalakrishnan to co-heads of Asia private equity, positioning them to deploy a record $15.6 billion regional fund.

-Ardian promoted Mark Benedetti to co-CEO.

-Carlyle hired Bryan Fenton, former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, as an operating executive.

-AustralianSuper promoted Shaun Manuell to chief investment officer. He had been leading the pension fund's Australian equities team.

-Tikehau Capital promoted Guillaume Arnaud to head of France and deputy CEO of Tikehau Investment Management.

-Silver Point Capital appointed Eldar Pius as head of European capital markets.

-Lightning Capital hired Michele Griffin as partner and COO from Andreessen Horowitz. Lightning Capital is raising a $100 million targeted second fund.

-Obvious Ventures hired Mo Islam as a partner from Threshold Ventures.

-Quad-C Management hired Ali Shams as managing director of portfolio optimization from H.I.G. Capital.

-EIV Capital, a Houston-based energy PE firm, promoted Jason Tracton to partner.

-Omni Partners hired Roald Hunvik as a partner leading a Nordic investment strategy from Sweden's Monterro.

Corporates

-HF Sinclair announced the termination of CFO Atanas Atanasov, who had been on leave since February after the company's audit committee raised concerns. CEO Timothy Go also departed under a separation agreement. Board chair Franklin Myers continues as interim CFO, and Chief Accounting Officer Vivek Garg continues as acting CFO.

-Philip Morris International appointed Massimo Andolina as CFO effective August 1. Andolina has been with the company for 18 years and currently serves as President, Europe Region. He succeeds Emmanuel Babeau, who will stay through March 2027 as a Strategic Advisor.

-Amgen announced that Peter Griffith is retiring as CFO. Thomas Dittrich, currently CFO of Galderma, will succeed him on September 1. Dittrich previously spent eight years at Amgen, where he served as Corporate Controller and Chief Accounting Officer.

-DoorDash appointed Tim Castree as CMO. Castree previously served as VP EU Prime & Marketing and VP Global Media at Amazon. He succeeds Kofi Amoo-Gottfried, who is departing.

-Jacobs Solutions appointed Cheryl Lim as CHRO. Lim most recently served as CHRO at Vertiv Holdings.

Heard on the Street

According to Above the Law, BigLaw now hires more lateral associates than law students. A new five-year white paper from Firm Prospects found that in 2025, the majority of associate hiring happened at the experienced end of the market for the first time. Law student hires fell to 37.5 percent of all associate hiring, down from 43.8 percent in 2021. The shift reflects firms optimizing around experience over potential, prestige over pipeline, and growing markets over expensive ones.

NALP reported that the U.S. law firm lateral market expanded for the second consecutive year in 2025, with overall hiring up 16 percent. Partner moves hit a five-year high with 3,009 lateral partner hires, including a notable 9 percent from government agencies. Litigation led partner hiring at 26 percent, followed by corporate at 16 percent.

On the executive front, Altrata reported that C-suite appointments among S&P 500 companies continued to accelerate, with new leadership appointments jumping from 14 percent in 2023 to 22.7 percent in 2025, equating to more than 1,400 new roles. Growth is concentrated in hybrid leadership positions at the intersection of strategy, execution, and accountability, particularly around transformation, growth, and data governance mandates.

That’s the rundown. See you next where law meets the markets.

-The BigLaw Markets Team

*DISCLAIMER: BigLaw Markets analyzes publicly available information, filings, press releases, and news stories published by reputable media sources to deliver newsletters that highlight the drivers of demand for legal services.