Davis Wright Tremaine snags large group, mostly partners, from Heller

As the fallout from Heller Ehrman continues, Davis Wright Tremaine has snagged 20 of its former lawyers, most of whom are joining the Seattle office, including 14 partners and four associates.

The group, which focuses on a broad mix of practices including corporate, litigation, real estate, financial services, energy and hospitality, is among the largest to join from Heller Ehrman. This week, Jones Day announced that 15 partners would join the firm’s offices in San Francisco, New York and Washington, and Hogan & Hartson, based in Washington, announced that nine partners and one attorney of counsel would join the firm’s New York office and open offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Covington & Burling also hired 14 partners, six counsel and 30 associates, opening offices in San Diego and Silicon Valley’s Redwood Shores, Calif. None of those hires involved Seattle lawyers.

Some of the recent announcements have involved Heller’s Seattle office, which, just before the firm dissolved, had 60 attorneys.

Most of the remaining employees at Heller Ehrman are expected to be laid off on Friday.  

Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe announced that 27 Heller partners and one senior counsel would join the firm. Five of them came from the Seattle office. Cooley Godward Kronish, based in Palo Alto, Calif., announced that 15 partners would join the firm from Heller, including four in Seattle. The group joining Davis Wright Tremaine, which is based in Seattle, involves 19 lawyers from Heller’s office in Seattle and one, Keith Betzina, who focuses on employee benefits, from San Francisco.

The Seattle partners are Elizabeth Deckman in employee benefits; Bruce Bjerke, Scott MacCormack, Bernie Russell and Matt Le Master in mergers and acquisitions; Pamela Charles in tax; John Hanley, Don Percival and Brian Hulse in real estate: Brendan Mangan and Warren Rheaume in intellectual property; Leslie Nellermoe in environmental litigation; and Ken Payson in class action litigation.

Two attorneys are joining of counsel: Jacob Scholl, in business transactions, and Dave Wilson, in corporate finance.

Four associates also are joining: Anthony Caso in real estate, Michael Caughey in business transactions, Donna Cochener in mergers and acquisitions and Dipa Sudra in employee benefits.