A retired judge picks a firm, and Skadden raids Orrick

A&O Shearman brought in a retired federal judge from the Western District of Texas as a partner in its IP litigation practice in Austin. He stepped down from the bench on Monday, and the firm says few, if any, judges in America have handled more patent litigation. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom poached the head of Orrick's global banking and finance group, who joins as a finance partner in Palo Alto. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius added a White & Case M&A partner in Boston to deepen its life sciences transactions capabilities. Linklaters hired Johnson & Johnson's worldwide vice president of litigation as a partner in its US litigation, arbitration and investigations practice in New York. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan poached a Kirkland & Ellis antitrust partner in DC. Winston Taylor added a former assistant chief of the Justice Department Antitrust Division's Chicago office as an antitrust partner in Chicago. ArentFox Schiff poached a Holland & Knight private wealth partner in Los Angeles. Holland & Knight added a federal government affairs partner in DC. Burr & Forman added a white collar partner in Birmingham.

On the deal side, Cravath, Swaine & Moore is lead counsel to Aon on its $17 billion agreement to buy USI Insurance Services from KKR, with McDermott Will & Schulte handling regulatory matters and Skadden as financing counsel. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is advising KKR and USI. Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and four of its partners are facing a $1 billion malpractice suit from ex-client White Oak Global Advisors, filed Tuesday in New York state court. It expands the suit White Oak filed against King & Spalding in January.