On The Merits

Jones Day's connection to Donald Trump has landed at least 14 of their lawyers positions in the administration. But the law firm stood out long before the Trump relationship. Jones Day has the most total lawyers working in the United States, according to the most recent ranking. In 2015, they hired 10 U.S. Supreme Court law clerks. And, perhaps most unique by today's standards, they have a management structure that gives almost all decision making authority to their managing partner, including decisions about compensation and who will be his successor. In this episode of the Big Law Business podcast, Josh Block does a deep dive on Jones Day with Bloomberg Businessweek's Paul Barrett, and Above the Law's David Lat. Big Law Business: https://bol.bna.com/ Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

It’s not often that lawyers from Big Law firms are arrested by the FBI, in disguise, accused of selling a whistleblower complaint. When our colleagues at Bloomberg News broke the news early yesterday, we knew we had a story that was about to blow-up in legal circles and beyond. On a day that shut down cities across the Northeast, Casey Sullivan trudged into our NYC studio to record this podcast and learn more about the arrest from Jef Feeley, one of the trio of reporters who broke the story. Big Law Business: BigLawBusiness.com Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

Is another megafirm about to get even bigger? Yesterday, Norton Rose Fulbright and New York-based Chadbourne & Parke both confirmed that they were in discussions to merge. The combined law firm would have nearly 4,000 lawyers and about $2 billion in revenue. Josh Block and Casey Sullivan discuss the likely first candidate for biggest law firm merger of 2017. Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

Alfred Dewayne Brown was sent to death row in 2005 for a crime he didn’t commit. The dedication of a Big Law associate, Brian Stolarz, to his pro bono representation of Brown helped exonerate him. The price Stolarz paid for the hours he put into the case cost him bonuses and the path to partnership. Stolarz, who wrote a book about his experience, Grace and Justice on Death Row, joins Josh Block and Casey Sullivan on the Big Law Business podcast. Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2 Lawyer Who Helped Save Death Row Inmate Didn’t Make Partner - By Gabe Friedman https://bol.bna.com/lawyer-who-helped-save-death-row-inmate-didnt-make-partner/ Grace and Justice on Death Row: The Race against Time and Texas to Free an Innocent Man - By Brian W. Stolarz http://skyhorsepublishing.com/titles/11892-9781510715103-grace-and-justice-on-death-row

Arnold & Porter and Kaye Scholer, after months of talks, announced today that they will merge effective January 1, 2017. The new firm will have roughly 1,000 lawyers and will be called Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. Josh Block and Casey Sullivan discuss the largest law firm merger (so far) of 2016. Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

Former United States Solicitors General Paul Clement and Donald Verrilli are among the “top tier” of Supreme Court advocates, according to Greg Stohr who covers the Court for Bloomberg News. So, it’s big news that both announced in September that they are joining Big Law firms. In Clement’s case, he’s taking his whole boutique appellate firm, Bancroft, with him to Kirkland & Ellis. While, in Verrilli’s case, his return to Big Law was not quite as unexpected. The firm he joined however, Munger Tolles & Olson, was a surprise. Many observers expected Verrilli to rejoin his former firm, Jenner & Block. Stohr speaks with the hosts of the Big Law Business podcast, Josh Block and Casey Sullivan, about Clement, Verrilli, and what to expect as the new Supreme Court term begins. Sponsored by Bloomberg Law: www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

It’s cliche to say, in today’s legal market, that only law firms that do “bet the ranch” litigation can charge top rates. Gibson Dunn isn’t just one of those “bet the ranch” type of firms. As Bloomberg Businessweek’s Paul Barrett notes, the firm has been called on by clients to replace both Jones Day and Skadden Arps: “when things kind of go bad and you need to be rescued, you call on Gibson Dunn to come up with some type of innovative strategy to get you out of the soup.” Once again we’re taking a full episode of the Big Law Business podcast to do a deep dive on a single law firm, Gibson Dunn. A firm that consistently ranks among the top in the U.S. in gross revenue, profits per partner, and revenue per lawyer. Their clients include Chevron, Apple, and even New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie. Paul Barrett, our guest for this episode, knows the firm well, having written extensively about Chevron’s legal battles in Ecuador in the pages of Businessweek and Bloomberg.com, and his book, Law of the Jungle. Sponsored by Bloomberg Law www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes. itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2 Discussed in this episode: What Do Chevron, Apple, and Chris Christie Have in Common? https://bol.bna.com/what-do-chevron-apple-and-chris-christie-have-in-common/ What’s Culture? No Bonuses to High-Ranking Gibson Dunn Partners https://bol.bna.com/whats-culture-no-bonuses-to-high-ranking-partners-at-gibson-dunn/ Chevron’s Pollution Victory Opens Door for Companies to Shirk Foreign Verdicts https://bol.bna.com/chevrons-pollution-victory-opens-door-for-companies-to-shirk-foreign-verdicts/ How Apple Will Fight U.S. Demand for Access to Attacker’s iPhone https://bol.bna.com/how-apple-will-fight-u-s-demand-for-access-to-attackers-iphone/ Ted Olson Tapped in Legal Battle Against LGBT Law In North Carolina https://bol.bna.com/ted-olson-tapped-in-legal-battle-against-lgbt-law-in-north-carolina/ K&L Gates and ‘The Shark Tank of Law Firms’ https://bol.bna.com/podcast-kl-gates-and-the-shark-tank-of-law-firms/

Jeremy Hodges, of Bloomberg News, joins Casey Sullivan to discuss how Britain's vote to leave the European Union is affecting the business of law in the UK. Hodges provides an overview of the London legal market, the work (or lack thereof) that is coming to the biggest law firms as a result of Brexit, and big law mergers past and present. Brought to you by: Bloomberg Law www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes. itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2

2007. George W. Bush was President, Steve Jobs announced the first iPhone, Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for There Will Be Blood, and across the legal industry, Big Law firms raised the base salary of their first-year associates to $160,000 from $145,000. It would be the last such raise until this month. Probably no other legal news site has covered the associate salary raises of 2016 as extensively as Above the Law, so we invited one of their editors, Joe Patrice to talk with Josh Block about the raises. Brought to you by: Bloomberg Law www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes. itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2 Discussed in this episode: Is Following Cravath’s Lead the Best Way to Set Salaries? https://bol.bna.com/is-following-cravaths-lead-the-best-way-to-set-salaries/ $180K Associates? Not at This Firm, Says Chair https://bol.bna.com/is-following-cravaths-lead-the-best-way-to-set-salaries/ Will Associate Salary Raises Be Billed to Clients? https://bol.bna.com/is-following-cravaths-lead-the-best-way-to-set-salaries/ Breaking: NY To $180K!!! Cravath Raises Associate Base Salaries!!! (Above the Law) http://abovethelaw.com/2016/06/breaking-ny-to-180k-cravath-raises-associate-base-salaries/ The Comprehensive Partner’s Guide To Associate Raises (Above the Law) http://abovethelaw.com/2016/06/the-comprehensive-partners-guide-to-associate-raises/

The former editor-in-chief of The American Lawyer, Aric Press joins Josh Block and Casey Sullivan to discuss his career, law firm rankings, and what he's learned about the legal industry since becoming a law firm consultant. Brought to you by: Bloomberg Law www.bna.com/bloomberglaw?promocode=BLBBLAW Subscribe to the Big Law Business podcast on iTunes. itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/big-l…d1074067483?mt=2 Discussed in this episode: What is the Value of Law Firm Rankings? https://bol.bna.com/what-is-the-value-of-law-firm-rankings/ In Defense of Law Firm Rankings https://bol.bna.com/in-defense-of-law-firm-rankings/ ‘You’re Not My Family Doctor,’ Verizon GC Tells Law Firms https://bol.bna.com/youre-not-my-family-doctor-verizon-gc-tells-law-firms/ Law: ‘The Least Diverse Profession’ https://bol.bna.com/law-the-least-diverse-profession/ Aric Press: Law Firms Must Communicate with The Client https://bol.bna.com/aric-press-law-firms-must-communicate-with-the-client/