News

Foley & Lardner partners with LexisNexis to serve its IT needs

After spending nine months reviewing a number of data centers, Foley & Lardner, LLP, has zeroed in on the LexisNexis data center in Dayton, OH, which will now serve as its main system's hosting center. The law firm, which has 1,000 lawyers working in 17 U.S. and two global offices, felt the need for an around-the-clock data center to better serve clients and eliminate downtime. LexisNexis' Dayton data center serves clients in more than 100 countries. The new system will serve Foley & Lardner's critical-data needs, improve management, and provide additional storage.

ALM's Law Technology News Awards

ALM's Law Technology News has published the names of recipients of awards at its fourth annual Law Technology News Awards program honoring the best technologies used by law firms and in-house legal departments. The winners in the five law firm categories were Oz Benamram, Jo Haraf, and James McKenna from Morrison & Foerster; Judith Flournoy from Loeb & Loeb; John J. Kruse from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft; Pen Volkmann from Holland & Hart; and Chip Goodman and Cheryl Garrett from Winston & Strawn, along with the firm's IT department. The in-house winners were John Theriault and Mary Ann Sarao from Pfizer, Inc. The program announced other awards, including honors for "Most Innovative Use of Technology by a Law Firm," "Most Innovative Use of Technology during a Trial," and "Champion of Technology."

New York witnesses salary increases for first-year associates

Salaries of first-year associates in New York are climbing to dizzying heights. Manhattan-based Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett has raised the annual base pay of its first-year associates to $160,000 before bonuses. To remain competitive, a number of law firms have planned to follow suit. Sullivan & Cromwell; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft have announced that they will also be raising base salaries. After being stuck at $125,000 for five years, the average base salary for first-year associates in New York increased to $145,000 in February 2006, and it is seeing a rise this year, as well.

Chadbourne creates new Manager of Diversity Initiatives post

Chadbourne & Parke, LLP, has created a new position—Manager of Diversity Initiatives. It has hired Rachel V. Simmonds-Watson to serve in the post; she will oversee the diversity program, which will ensure that the firm continues to hire a diverse workforce and manage a diverse workplace environment. Simmonds-Watson has been associated with the law firm since 1996, when she was at New York University School of Law. Her most recent stint was in the career services office, where she served as Assistant Director, Recruiting and Marketing. New York City-based Chadbourne & Parke, LLP, is a full-service international law firm serving clients in the U.S., as well as Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, and Latin America.

Dewey Ballantine announces firm-wide appointments

International law firm Dewey Ballantine, LLP, has announced a series of appointments. The firm has elected 14 new members, named seven local partners, and appointed three new counsel. The appointments took place at the firm's offices in New York, London, Frankfurt, Milan, Warsaw, and Washington. Established in 1909, Dewey Ballantine has 500 lawyers working in a host of practice areas, including complex corporate transactions, litigation, and tax law.

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman hires three associates

St. Louis, MO-based Gallop, Johnson & Neuman has announced the additions of Robert J. Droney, Gary R. Long, and Robert B. Preston as associates. Droney, a former Associate County Counselor in the St. Louis County Counselor's Office, will serve in the firm's real estate and construction law and governmental law and relations department. Long focuses his practice on construction law, business litigation, creditors' rights, and appellate practice; he will work in the firm's litigation department. Preston, who represents clients in real estate matters, has joined the firm's real estate and construction law department. One of the 10 largest law firms in St. Louis, Gallop, Johnson & Neuman serves public and privately held corporations, start-up enterprises, and nonprofit entities, as well as individuals and families.

Ragsdale Liggett adds of counsel

Diane L. Parsons-Salem will now serve as of counsel in law firm Ragsdale Liggett's real estate division. She will provide counsel to the firm's clients, many of whom are lenders and developers, on legal matters relating to projects involving apartment buildings, shopping centers, condominiums, and student housing projects. Most recently, she was Vice President and General Counsel of Panera Bread Company, and she has served as in-house counsel for Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. A business law firm, Ragsdale Liggett offers business counseling and advises on mergers and acquisitions, as well as dissolutions and dispositions of small and large companies.

Cozen O'Connor recruits associate in Los Angeles

Law firm Cozen O'Connor has appointed a new associate, Tenny Mirzayan, in its Los Angeles office. Mirzayan, a former associate at a Novato, CA, law firm, will work in Cozen's subrogation and recovery department. She focuses her practice on complex litigation matters involving products liability and toxic torts. One of the top 100 law firms in the United States, Cozen O'Connor has 500 attorneys, 21 U.S. offices, and international offices in London and Toronto.

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