Pittsburgh-based Am Law 200 firm Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott lost 61 attorneys in 2021, more than twice as many as it onboarded since the start of the year, according to data from ALM Intelligence. The firm’s website currently lists 311 attorneys in its roster.

Firm leaders chalk up the losses to the white-hot lateral market this year. But interviews with recently departed laterals and industry observers tell a story of a litigation stalwart struggling to institutionalize client relationships on the corporate side.