Crowell & Moring announced it has hired former Kirkland & Ellis partner Andrew Pruitt in its Washington, D.C., office. Pruitt is a litigation attorney who focuses on complex civil litigation on behalf of Fortune 500 companies. 

Crowell has been active in the lateral department over the last year, bringing on Michelle Gitlitz to head its blockchain and digital assets practice in October 2019, as well as adding former GM litigation counsel Lawrence Lines last June, among others. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Andrew to the firm. He is a seasoned litigator who brings first-chair trial experience, as well as an impressive track record guiding clients through critical phases of complex litigation," Philip Inglima, chair of Crowell & Moring, said in a statement. "His experience handling high-stakes matters and successfully working with expert witnesses will be of great value to our clients." 

Pruitt has worked with clients including Tronox, British Petroleum, ABB AG, Accenture and student loan provider Navient. 

"Our complex litigation docket—class actions, health care, product liability, IP, etc.—is growing and we are actively looking to add high-quality trial lawyers with that expertise, and an entrepreneurial spirit, in Washington and elsewhere," Mark Klapow, co-chair of Crowell's litigation group, said in a statement.

Working with a variety of companies in the technical and engineering space has given Pruitt a level of expertise in dealing with the often complicated industry terms and concepts that can arise during litigation. 

"Andrew is recognized as a 'go-to' attorney for expert deposition and trial examinations," Klapow said. "He has earned a reputation for crafting winning strategies for clients facing highly technical commercial disputes based on scientific issues." 

According to a firm press release, Pruitt has handled over 100 depositions and trial examinations, including representing British Petroleum during the Deepwater Horizon incident off the Gulf of Mexico. 

According to his Kirkland biography, Pruitt was able to get a favorable result in that case by proving that the amount of oil that was spilled was significantly less than the numbers put forth by the Justice Department.

"I saw it as a great opportunity to join a top-tier litigation practice that is forward thinking," Pruitt said in an interview. "They have their finger on the pulse of a changing marketplace and aren't afraid to confront challenges in a new way."

Pruitt, who officially started at Crowell on Jan. 13, will initially be focusing on the nationwide litigation involving General Motors. GM is currently dealing with civil litigation around defective vehicles made between 2015 and 2018, as well as suing Fiat Chrysler for alleged racketeering charges stemming from its negotiations with the UAW, so there won't be a shortage of work. 

Pruitt spent his entire legal career at Kirkland, working there for the past eight years before joining Crowell. He was made partner at Kirkland in October 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Pruitt isn't the first and certainly won't be the last Kirkland partner to change firms. The world's largest firm by revenue, at $3.75 billion, Kirkland does have a relatively small percentage of equity partners when compared with the 2,300-plus lawyers that work at the firm. Those that don't find themselves on that path are often keen to explore other options in the legal arena. 

But Pruitt said that didn't factor in to his decision to move to Crowell, an Am Law 100 firm about one-eighth the size of Kirkland by revenue. After relatively modest growth from 2009 to 2015, Crowell's revenue peaked at $434 million in 2016 before dropping the last two years, down to $401 million in 2018. 

But size isn't everything, and Pruitt is excited about the new opportunity. 

"I am excited to join a firm with a deep commitment to its clients and a strong collaborative culture," Pruitt said in a statement. "I look forward to contributing to the growth of the firm's complex litigation and trial practices."

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