In its most recent fiscal year, Newark's McCarter & English may not have seen the profitability growth that made 2021 such a "banner" year. But firm leaders say that's because of the return of pre-pandemic costs and investments in the firm's national footprint they hope will pay dividends in the years to come.

And after the firm suffered a data breach in April that left attorneys without access to email for days, McCarter & English bolstered its cyber defenses with the recruitment of a cybersecurity professional from World Wrestling Entertainment Inc. in November to oversee ongoing vulnerabilities, firm leaders said in a recent interview.