Two Litigation Partners Depart Paul Weiss
Two companions are leaving Paul Weiss, the newest blow to the distinguished New York regulation agency that reached a extensively criticized cope with President Trump final yr, in line with two individuals conversant in the matter.
The companions — Kannon Shanmugam and Masha Hansford — are departing to begin a observe specializing in Supreme Court and different appellate litigation on the rival agency Davis Polk.
Scott Barshay, who took over as Paul Weiss’s chairman in February, introduced their departures at a partnership assembly on the agency’s workplaces in New York on Thursday, the individuals mentioned.
In a press release to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Paul Weiss mentioned, “We thank Kannon and Masha for their contributions and wish them well in their future endeavors.”
Mr. Shanmugam has been some of the distinguished litigators at Paul Weiss. He has often argued instances earlier than the Supreme Court and led the agency’s Supreme Court and appellate observe.
Ms. Hansford is leaving Paul Weiss after lower than a yr as a associate. She beforehand was an affiliate on the agency after which labored within the Justice Department’s solicitor basic’s workplace, the place she argued instances earlier than the Supreme Court. She returned as a associate at Paul Weiss final fall.
The exits are the newest turmoil at Paul Weiss, who was lengthy recognized inside the authorized group as a litigation powerhouse — a repute that was shattered throughout Mr. Trump’s first time period, when the agency took on distinguished professional bono instances difficult the administration’s insurance policies.
In March final yr, underneath the management of Brad Karp, then the chairman of the agency, Paul Weiss reached a cope with Mr. Trump to keep away from an govt order that might have prevented him from representing purchasers earlier than the federal authorities.
The authorized group criticized the deal as a capitulation to Mr. Trump that might make legal professionals cautious of difficult the administration in court docket.
It additionally uncovered tensions between among the agency’s litigators and its company legal professionals who usually characterize large firms in mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Karp resigned as chairman In February, after a collection of emails turned public revealing particulars about his dealings with Jeffrey Epstein, the registered intercourse offender.
In the months after the agency’s cope with the Trump administration, a number of well-known litigation companions departed, together with Karen Dunn, who oversaw debate preparation for former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton throughout their presidential campaigns.
Mr. Shanmugam, a Republican, has a conservative authorized background, having clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia on the US Supreme Court and for J. Michael Luttig, an appellate court docket choose.
Davis Polk, the place Mr. Shanmugam and Ms. Hansford are heading, by no means confronted one of many quite a few govt orders that Mr. Trump issued in opposition to main regulation companies final yr.
