Out-of-towners bank on sending in appellate big guns as one way of peeling the Big Apple; firms turn backs on flashy lateral hires

Law firms eager to expand in the New York market from elsewhere have long bemoaned the fiercely competitive local market for lateral partners. The firms want big-name New York lawyers who will bring in business and attract other recruits, but the partners they land at huge cost all too often disappoint in both respects.