SONNENSCHEIN DROPS IN WASHINGTON EVEN AS THE FIRM GOES GLOBAL
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal may have pulled off a trans-Atlantic merger this year, creating SNR Denton, but in Washington the firm saw its headcount fall sharply. The firm went from 89 lawyers to 61, marking a decline of 31.5%. Sonnenschein’s drop comes after the firm had been working to rebuild after three rounds of layoffs in 2008 and 2009. In late 2008, the firm brought on 100 lawyers from now-defunct Thacher Proffitt & Wood, including several in Washington. Elliott Portnoy, co-chief executive officer of SNR Denton, attributed most of the most recent departures to the “natural attrition” of associates. That said, in February, partners Marc Zwillinger and Christian Genetski left the firm to open the cybersecurity boutique Zwillinger Genetski and were joined by two associates. Among the reasons cited by Zwillinger and Genetski for their move was the ability to offer more flexible rates. The firm also saw veteran lobbyist Ron Platt jump to McGuireWoods and Elizabeth Ferrell, who chaired the firm’s government contracts practice, join McKenna Long & Aldridge. Portnoy said that, recently, the firm has been working to add laterals. In June, the firm brought on Carter Simpson, who had been Exxon Mobil Corp.’s senior counsel for antitrust and trade regulation, and John Harrington, formerly international tax counsel for the Treasury Department. “We’ve changed how we approach lateral hires,” Portnoy said. “We’re looking for lawyers whose practices are more global in nature.”
