Janet Levine and Jeff Rutherford, founding partners of Crowell & Moring's Los Angeles office, have joined local litigation boutique Kendall Brill & Kelly.

Rutherford and Levine joined Crowell & Moring in 2008 when their former shop, white-collar boutique Lightfoot Vandevelde Sadowsky Crouchley Rutherford & Levine, was acquired by the Washington, D.C.-based Am Law 100 firm. Nearly a decade later, the duo decided to return to a smaller firm, noting that Kendall Brill provides them the opportunity to reconnect with old colleagues and friends.

“This is an opportunity for us to practice with good friends and old colleagues at a great firm with trial lawyers,” said Rutherford, who officially joined Kendall Brill on April 25. “And to do these things with fewer potential conflicts of interest.”

Rutherford noted that the boutique environment offers more flexibility in terms of the types of matters that he and Levine are able to take. Rutherford, who has been a criminal and civil trial lawyer for nearly 20 years, has focused his practice on high-profile political corruption, antitrust, health care, money laundering and civil and criminal False Claims Act cases.

Levine, who arrived at Kendall Brill on April 26, previously served as chair of Crowell & Moring's trial practice and white-collar and regulatory enforcement group. She has more than 30 years of experience in the field, having handled litigation involving securities, health care, tax fraud and public corruption matters.

Both Levine and Rutherford have worked together for more than 15 years, with both having served as deputy federal public defenders before entering private practice.

At Kendall Brill, Rutherford said he and Levine will continue to try high-stakes civil and criminal cases and work on complex white-collar defense matters. While white-collar defense practices have traditionally been a focus of smaller firms, over the years, as stakes rise, more large firms have taken on criminal matters as a means of expanding their white-collar criminal defense and investigations practices.

“I think I am a better lawyer for having worked in both environments,” said Levine about her time in big and small firms. “I have learned a lot in both—it enhanced my ability to understand how to practice law and how to serve clients.”

Kendall Brill was formed nearly nine years ago by Richard Kendall, Laura Brill and Robert Klieger, three litigators who had practiced together at Irell & Manella. Klieger left the firm in mid-2015 to join Hueston Hennigan, another Los Angeles-based litigation boutique started earlier that year by Irell & Manella refugees. Klieger's departure saw Kendall Brill's Philip Kelly elevated to name partner status.

Kendall, a co-founding partner of the firm, said in a statement that he was eager to work alongside his new recruits.

“We have known and admired Janet and Jeff for many years, since we squared off against each other in the federal courts as fledgling assistant U.S. attorneys and deputy federal public defenders,” Kendall said. “After leaving public service, Janet and Jeff have built very successful white-collar defense and trial practices. They are also proven leaders, as demonstrated by their contributions to the opening and growth of a successful white-collar defense and commercial trial practice in Los Angeles.”

Kendall Brill, which has emerged as one of Los Angeles' top litigation boutiques since its inception nearly a decade ago, now has 17 lawyers after the additions of Levine and Rutherford. Their hires come almost exactly a year after Kendall Brill brought on partner Robert Dugdale, a former chief assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles.