The early September rash of white-collar hirings around the country is evidence that firms continue to see a need for experienced lawyers to handle government investigations and defense for corporate clients, even if the practice area has slowed somewhat overall.

Baker & Hostetler, which beefed up its white-collar strength in Texas this month by hiring a prominent partner in Dallas, is far from the only national firm snatching up partners who specialize in white-collar defense and investigations.

But legal recruiters are split on the strength of the market for white-collar lawyers. Larry Watanabe, founder of Watanabe Nason in Solana Beach, California, said the demand is up across the board, especially in California. But other recruiters caution that the market for white-collar lawyers has not been extraordinarily strong lately, despite the numerous big-firm announcements since Labor Day.