Gibson Dunn Takes Paul Weiss's AI Co-Chair in New York

Gibson Dunn hired a Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison partner in New York who co-chaired Paul Weiss's global artificial intelligence group. He joins as a partner and co-chair of Gibson Dunn's technology transactions practice group. Cooley took a Goodwin Procter capital markets partner in San Francisco, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman poached a Morrison & Foerster consumer class action partner in San Francisco, and Holland & Knight added a Kirkland & Ellis M&A and private equity partner in Los Angeles. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough added a real estate finance partner in New York, hired from Polsinelli. McKool Smith brought in a veteran first-chair trial lawyer as a principal in Dallas, who joins from the boutique she founded. Law.com reports Morgan & Morgan opened a Chicago office with eight attorneys.

On the business side, new survey data from Wells Fargo's Legal Specialty Group shows large US law firms posted average revenue growth of 12.4% in the first half of the year, up from 11.2% a year ago, driven by higher billing rates and demand fueled in part by AI work.

On the deal side, Willkie Farr & Gallagher guided Victory Capital in its roughly $7 billion agreement to buy First Eagle Investments.