In response to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s salary increase implemented this week, several firms have matched their first year pay rate of $160,000. Miami’s Greenberg Traurig reported that first-year, mid-level, and senior associates’ salaries in its 330-lawyer New York office would be increased. Litigation boutique Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges also plans to increase salaries in both its Los Angeles headquarters and its 85-lawyer New York office. New York firms Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Shearman & Sterling and Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson also announced associate pay raises yesterday. Some firms like O’Melveny & Myers, on the other hand, matched NY salaries, but didn’t apply them in all offices; first years in their CA office will receive $145,000. Morrison & Foerster also will match in New York, but keep its CA starting pay at $135,000.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

New York firm Dreier Stein & Kahan recently opened a Los Angeles affiliate firm focusing on entertainment law. The 100-lawyer litigation boutique, headed by litigator Marc S. Dreier, has opened several affiliate firms specializing in areas like trusts and estates, labor law and lobbying. For the LA firm, Dreier recruited around 40 lawyers from the litigation and transactional practices of Los Angeles’ Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Nixon Peabody acquired a four-lawyer Century City, California, boutique, gaining two partners with expertise in video games and new media transactions. The lawyers from Offner & Anderson will join Nixon’s 18-lawyer downtown Los Angeles office and bring all of their clients with them. Daniel Offner and David Anderson come aboard as partners and the firm’s two other lawyers as associates. In the past two years, the LA office has grown from two to 22 attorneys.
Source: www.law.com

Arent Fox makes its presence known in California with Tuesday’s takeover of Los Angeles-based, litigation boutique O’Brien Abeles. This is the first expansion for the Washington firm since they closed four offices starting in 1993, keeping open only the D.C. and NY headquarters. Besides O’Brien Ables’ nine lawyers, Arent Fox is also adding two new attorneys and relocating two others to the CA office. Arent Fox’s revenue was up 7.7 percent last year, grossing $153 million in revenue with 260 lawyers.
Source: www.law.com

Denver firm Brownstein Hyatt & Farber and Las Vegas’ Schreck Brignone will merge on Jan. 1, 2007. The new firm will be called Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck. After the merger, Brownstein Hyatt will have over 170 associates in seven different locations. The 25-attorney Schreck Brignone is known for its gaming practice, while Brownstein Hyatt has political, real estate, corporate and litigation practices. Bruce James of Brownstein Hyatt will remain CEO and managing partner of the new firm, and Schreck Brignone managing partner Ellen Schulhofer will join the executive committee.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

Continuing its ambitious expansionary path, New York’s Dreier has set another goal: Los Angeles. In a merger set to go through by January 1, Dreier looks to pick up thirty attorneys and an office from L.A. firm Alschuler Grossman Stein & Kahan, including name partners Stanton Stein and Robert Kahan. Head-man Marc Dreier expects the office to house 100 attorneys by next year.
Source: www.nylawer.com

Reed Smith is in talks with Chicago firm Sachnoff & Weaver over a possible merger. Based in Pittsburgh, Reed Smith is looking to continue the expansionary trend it has set over the past several years. The recent merger with London-based Richards Butler is effective as of January 1st, and will bring the firm to a total of 1,300 lawyers. Reed Smith currently has 18 offices, including Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Source: www.law.com

Manatt, Phelps & Phillips has given its associates another raise in pay, with first-years now earning $145,000 anually. Manatt employs 300 attorneys and has offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County, Sacramento, New York and Washington, D.C.
Source: www.law.com

Hunton & Williams, the 850 attorney firm based in Richmond, Virginia, is opening its 18th overall office in Los Angeles. The firm will enter the market with the recruitment of 8 lawyers from dissipating L.A. boutique O’Donnell & Mortimer. The office’s initial practice will concentrate on product liability, environmental law and intellectual property.
Source: www.law.com

Hunton & Williams has opened its 18th office in Los Angeles, California. Five litigation partners from local boutique O’Donnell & Mortimer will seed the new office. 10 current Hunton & Williams lawyers will join from other offices to aide in the job. The firm will focus initially on IP and environmental litigation.
Source: www.legalweek.com