Cleary ramps up: 17 lateral partners this year

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is ramping up lateral hiring. The firm brought in a Jenner & Block energy partner to head its energy and infrastructure group, and says it has hired 17 lateral partners in 2026, on pace to top last year's 21. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison added two capital markets partners in New York, hired from Cooley and Ropes & Gray, days after adding a life sciences deals partner in San Francisco. Holland & Hart picked up a three partner patent team from Ashurst Perkins Coie in Denver and Portland, and Kirkland & Ellis hired a Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher litigation partner in Dallas.

On the business side, the founder of Ellenoff Grossman & Schole, the New York firm known for SPAC work, says he is exploring selling a stake in the firm through a management services organization.