Good morning,

Capital markets and energy infrastructure were the dominant themes in BigLaw lateral activity last week, with Orrick landing Kirkland & Ellis's Michael Keeley as global head of capital markets along with partner Ben Richards, while Paul Weiss added three partners across capital markets and life sciences.

Simpson Thacher made a statement by opening a new Chicago office with five partners from Kirkland focused on middle-market private equity. Cleary Gottlieb was equally active, bringing in an energy group head, two litigation partners, and a former UK Competition and Markets Authority director.

On the company side, ConocoPhillips is bringing Shannon Kinney back as GC as it completes its leadership transition by promoting Andy O'Brien to President and CEO ahead of Ryan Lance's retirement in September.

Steel Dynamics named Theresa Wagler as CEO effective January 2027, and Best Buy appointed Anne Bramman as CFO. The technology sector saw a wave of Chief AI Officer appointments, with Target naming its first-ever CAIO and Emerson Electric creating a combined Chief Technology and AI Officer role.

Now, on to what matters for your practice today.

BigLaw Moves Sentiment

Capital markets, energy and infrastructure, and structured finance continue to attract the most lateral hiring activity, reflecting sustained deal flow in these areas. The IP litigation hiring spree — with teams moving to Hecht Partners, Holland & Hart, Paul Hastings, and Kilpatrick — signals growing demand for patent and IP defense work, likely tied to rising technology litigation.

Simpson Thacher's Kirkland raid to open Chicago shows that middle-market PE remains a prize worth poaching for. White collar and healthcare litigation hires also point to continued regulatory and enforcement activity driving defense-side legal revenue.

BigLaw Moves

A few quick patterns worth noting: This week saw 24 firms welcoming 47 new partners. Simpson Thacher welcomed the most partners this week (5), all joining to launch a new Chicago office from Kirkland & Ellis. Kirkland & Ellis saw the most net departures (8), losing partners to Simpson Thacher, Orrick, and others, though it also brought in litigation partner Andrew LeGrand from Gibson Dunn.

Firms Welcoming Multiple Joiners

-Simpson Thacher: Ryan Harris, Cole Parker, Kyle McHugh, Ryan Jackson, and Ziyad Ziyadzade joined Simpson Thacher from Kirkland & Ellis to open a new Chicago office focused on middle-market private equity and family office work.

-Cleary Gottlieb: Raunaq Kohli joined as head of the energy and infrastructure group from Jenner & Block. Anna Naydonov and Alex Talarides joined as litigation partners. Naomi Burgoyne, former senior director of mergers at the UK Competition and Markets Authority, joined in London to strengthen the antitrust and competition practice.

-King & Spalding: Jonathan Ching and Andrew Kummer joined as structured finance partners in New York from McDermott. Jonah Retzinger joined as a healthcare litigation partner in Los Angeles from Nixon Peabody. Joel Goldberg joined as an energy and infrastructure partner in Houston from Porter Hedges.

-Paul Weiss: Peter Byrne joined as a capital markets partner from Cooley. Tristan VanDeventer joined as a capital markets partner from Ropes & Gray. Ian Edvalson joined as a life sciences transactions partner in San Francisco from Wilson Sonsini.

-Hecht Partners: Michael DeVincenzo, Andrea Pacelli, and Charles Wizenfeld joined as IP litigation partners from King & Wood.

-Holland & Hart: Amanda Tessar, David St. John-Larkin, and Daniel Keese joined as a patent litigation team in Denver from Ashurst Perkins Coie.

-Greenberg Traurig: Joseph W. Creech joined as shareholder and chair of its D.C. metropolitan real estate practice from Venable. Brian Helweil joined as a shareholder in its global real estate practice in New York.

-Orrick: Michael Keeley joined as global head of capital markets from Kirkland & Ellis. Ben Richards joined as a capital markets partner from Kirkland & Ellis.

-Hogan Lovells Cadwalader: Eric Fishman and Joanna Suna joined the firm.

-DLA Piper: Joshua Fox and Alexander Civetta joined the firm.

-Husch Blackwell: Benjamin Perry and Lauren Watson joined the firm.

-Nixon Peabody: Peter Belk and Matt Finkelstein joined the firm.

Firms Adding Single Joiners

-Akerman: Michael Adler joined as director of AI governance and data protection and partner in corporate practice in Washington, previously at Amazon.

-Clark Hill: Krystal Mikkilineni joined as a restructuring and bankruptcy lawyer in Phoenix from Dentons Davis Brown.

-Dorf Nelson & Zauderer: David Chidekel joined as head of media, entertainment and technology practice from Pierson Ferdinand.

-Holland & Knight: Jean Lee joined as an M&A partner in Newport Beach from Goodwin.

-Kilpatrick: Jonah Mitchell joined as a patent litigation partner in San Francisco.

-Kirkland & Ellis: Andrew LeGrand joined as a litigation partner in Dallas from Gibson Dunn.

-Lowenstein Sandler: Ivan Blumenthal joined as a capital markets and securities partner in New York.

-Paul Hastings: Chloe Kite joined as an IP practice partner in London.

-Polsinelli: Adam Wentland joined as a healthcare litigation lawyer in Los Angeles from Theodora Oringher.

-Seyfarth Shaw: Nathan Muyskens joined as co-chair of its white collar practice in Washington D.C. from Greenberg Traurig.

-Sidley: Sharanyaa Kruti Vasan joined as an energy and infrastructure partner in New York from Milbank.

-Smith, Gambrell & Russell: Simone Riley joined as a transport partner in New York from Vedder Price.

-Snell & Wilmer: Lisa Paine joined as a private client services partner in Phoenix from Jaburg Wilk.

-Troutman Pepper Locke: Sean Higgins joined as a bankruptcy and restructuring partner in Boston from K&L Gates.

-Vinson & Elkins: Michael Burns joined as head of energy and infrastructure M&A for EMEA in London from Ashurst.

Corporate Moves Sentiment

The CFO musical chairs across Fortune 500 companies — Best Buy, AGCO, Zoetis, ConocoPhillips, Steel Dynamics, W.W. Grainger — signals a strategic reset at the top of corporate finance, creating openings for transaction advisory, compensation consulting, and corporate governance work.

The proliferation of Chief AI Officer roles at Target, Emerson Electric, and Brightfin highlights that AI governance and technology transactions will increasingly drive legal advisory mandates.

The energy sector leadership transition at ConocoPhillips, with a new CEO, CFO, and GC all arriving simultaneously, could reshape outside counsel relationships worth monitoring.

Corporate Moves

Investment Banking

Citigroup: Rasvi Ahmed was named to lead financial institutions advisory in the UK from BNP Paribas.

JPMorgan: Marc Brown joined as managing director for North American venture coverage from EQT Growth Equity.

Wells Fargo: Nikhil Goel was hired as managing director in M&A (healthcare) from UBS.

Asset Managers

Aviara Partners Capital: Duran Curis formed Aviara Partners Capital for independent sponsor-led transactions, previously founding partner of Ocean Avenue Capital Partners.

Great Hill Partners: Vinay Ramprasad and Douglas Wigley were promoted to Principal.

Northleaf Capital Partners: Michelle Joliat was hired as COO from Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.

Summit Partners: Scott Collins transitioned to senior advisor after 30+ years.

Tayeh Capital Group: Eliza Oshana McGrath joined as head of IR and capital formation from Northern Trust Asset Management.

Corporates

AGCO: Indira Agarwal was named CFO, promoted from Chief Accounting Officer. Damon Audia transitioned to President of PTx and Corporate Strategy.

Arrow Electronics / W.W. Grainger: Deidra Merriwether is leaving W.W. Grainger as SVP and CFO on Sept. 4 to join Arrow Electronics as President and COO (effective Sept. 8). Laurie Thomson, VP and Controller at Grainger, will become Interim CFO.

Best Buy: Anne Bramman was appointed EVP and CFO (effective Aug. 19) from Circana, previously CFO of Nordstrom and Avery Dennison. She succeeds Matt Bilunas.

Brightfin: Preeti Shukla was appointed chief product and AI officer, a newly created role.

CACI International: Marcie Small was promoted to EVP and CHRO, succeeding retiring Angie Combs.

CarMax: Diane Cafritz, EVP and Chief Innovation and People Officer, will leave Dec. 31 after 23 years.

CDW: CFO Albert Miralles plans to retire in 2027.

Conagra Brands: Amy Held was named Chief Administrative Officer (new role, effective Sept. 14) from The Simply Good Foods Company. CHRO Charisse Brock is retiring after 20 years.

ConocoPhillips: Andy O'Brien was promoted to President and CEO (effective Sept. 1), succeeding retiring Ryan Lance. Konnie Haynes-Welsh was promoted to SVP and CFO. Shannon Kinney returned to ConocoPhillips as law department leader, an in-house move signaling the company's broader leadership transition.

Emerson Electric: Rudy Sengupta was named SVP and Chief Technology and AI Officer (effective Aug. 15), succeeding retiring Peter Zornio.

Ionic Mineral Technologies: Kelton Smith was appointed CTO (effective Aug. 3).

Kailera Therapeutics: Nur Nicholson was named CTO (effective Aug. 31) from Apellis Pharmaceuticals.

Paradigm: Justin Wang (ex-OpenAI) and Calvin Zeng (Dandelion Capital) joined as research partner and investing partner, respectively.

Render Networks: John Sullivan was appointed CTO.

Somos: Shannon Donohue was appointed CTO from Vonage.

Steel Dynamics: Theresa Wagler was appointed CEO (effective Jan. 1, 2027), succeeding cofounder Mark Millett (transitioning to executive chairman). Richard Poinsatte will succeed Wagler as CFO.

Target: Chandhu Nair was appointed first-ever chief AI officer from Lowe's.

West Shore Home: Brian Nabet was named CTO from Armstrong World Industries. Predecessor Danny Fisher moved to the newly created chief systems officer role.

Zoetis: Jay Saccaro was appointed EVP, CFO, and COO (new combined role, effective Aug. 17) from GE HealthCare Technologies. He succeeds CFO Wetteny Joseph (transitioning to special advisor).

Heard on the Street

The ABA Journal reported that BigLaw firms are deploying bigger bonuses, higher starting equity shares, and other financial incentives to attract lateral candidates, with Latham & Watkins and Cleary Gottlieb among the most aggressive recruiters.

Forbes reported that AI literacy and deployment judgment — not technical depth — now defines C-suite readiness across every leadership role, not just CTO and CAIO positions.

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.