Patrick Smith

Patrick Smith, based in New York, covers the business of law, including the ways law firms compete for clients and talent, M&A and corporate work, leadership and marketing innovation. Reach him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @nycpatrickd

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August 19, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Deal Watch: Deals Abound, Debt Offerings Soar and Private Equity Firms Start Exercising

Deal work continues its up and to the right trajectory, while work constructing and litigating liability management exercises grows.

By Patrick Smith

11 minute read

August 19, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Simpson Partner Heads to Paul Hastings, as Firm Plots Growth in Banking, Finance

"Our practices are not fully mature. There is room for market share expansion, and we will be looking to make opportunistic hires for high-level talent that will help expand our market share," firm chair Frank Lopez said.

By Patrick Smith

3 minute read

August 19, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Debevoise, Seeing Tech Practice 'Traction,' Adds IP Litigator From Quinn Emanuel

Lindsay Cooper Hayman has won notable cases for Google, Samsung, NIVIDIA and others.

By Patrick Smith

4 minute read

August 16, 2024 | Law.com

Litigation Launched: How to Sue NASA for Fallen Space Debris

In this week's Legal Speak episode, Cranfill Sumner Partner Mica Worthy discusses unique challenges involved in suing NASA for space debris damages amidst international law and the Federal Tort Claims Act.

By Cedra Mayfield | Patrick Smith | Mason Lawlor

1 minute read

August 15, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Simpson Lands Public Company Advisory Attorney From Skadden

James Rapp, who was at Simpson from 2013 through 2021, will rejoin his former firm alongside former colleagues from Skadden who recently joined.

By Patrick Smith

2 minute read

August 15, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Paul Hastings Continues to Build M&A Capability With Shareholder Activism Partner from Goodwin

Andrew Goodman's shareholder activism practice, and its focus on life sciences, real estate and technology, brings both bench depth in the practice and adds a stronger presence for the firm in Boston.

By Patrick Smith

3 minute read

August 14, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Sweet and Savory: Skadden, Kirkland, Cravath, Simpson, S&C and Cleary Guide $35.9B Big Snack Deal

The Mars-Kellanova transaction is one of the latest big deals for Big Law. Megadeals of more than $10 billion were up 70% in the first half of 2024 compared with 2023 levels.

By Patrick Smith

3 minute read

August 13, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Deal Watch: AI Race Changes Deal Market, Influencing Capital Markets, Energy, Real Estate Practices

Simpson Thacher partner David Azarkh said the need for capital to support AI companies and those in the energy, data, infrastructure and real estate industries "will mean additional capital markets offerings."

By Patrick Smith

8 minute read

August 13, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Davis Polk Adds Debevoise Fund Formation Partners in 'Transformative Development'

Firm chair Neil Barr said, "Growing our investment management platform to scale is a top priority for our firm."

By Patrick Smith

3 minute read

August 12, 2024 | The American Lawyer

Skadden's Reputation Remains Sterling. So Why Are Partners Leaving?

The firm's M&A brand is as strong as any, but it has weathered a rare leadership transition and some observers say the private equity practice falls short of elite peers.

By Patrick Smith

8 minute read

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Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.