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3. 59 partners leave A&O Shearman outside Asia…

Layoffs

59 partners leave A&O Shearman outside Asia since decision to trim 10% of equity partnership

By Debra Cassens Weiss

April 28, 2025, 3:19 pm CDT

Twenty-five U.S. partners are among the 59 partners who left A&O Shearman since its decision last year to trim 10% of its global equity partnership, according to a count by Law.com.

The count does not include 15 partners who left A&O Shearman in Asia, as previously reported by Law.com. Butit does include partners who left in the United States, London, Europe, Africa and Australia.

A&O Shearman said last year the partner cuts were “a difficult but necessary step forward” following the merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling. About 45 partners who left joined other law firms.

A&O Shearman said it currently has around 800 partners worldwide, which is about the same number that it had when it announced the cuts. It is unclear why the current number isn’t lower, according to Law.com.

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3. Dozen major law firms had new partnership…

Women in the Law

Dozen major law firms had new partnership classes with 50% or more women for at least 4 years

By Debra Cassens Weiss

October 31, 2024, 11:27 am CDT

Female lawyers made up at least half of new partner promotions in 82 major law firms this year, according to the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance.

The 82 firms are “tipping the scales” toward gender parity, the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance—a consulting and membership organization helping businesses optimize diversity, equity and inclusion, flexible work environments and well-being—said in an Oct. 29 press release.

The group looked at public information for 196 firms to determine gender breakdowns in new partner classes in the United States and globally. The “tipping the scales” firms had 50% or more women in new partner classes in total or in the United States, according to an infographic.

Several firms on the list had 50% or more women in their new partner classes for multiple years. They are:

  • Six years: Davis Wright Tremaine

  • Five years: Epstein Becker & Green; Jackson Lewis; Littler Mendelson; Miller & Chevalier

  • Four years: Boies Schiller Flexner; Debevoise & Plimpton; Dechert; Jenner & Block; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius; Weil, Gotshal & Manges; Wiley Rein

Although more firms are achieving gender parity in new partner classes, there is an overall decline in female representation in new partner classes, said Manar Morales, president and CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, in the press release.

Overall, 41.6% of U.S.-based new partners at 196 major firms were women this year. Last year, the percentage was 43.7%.

The decline “is a stark reminder that progress isn’t inevitable—it requires intentional action,” Morales said.

Here is the complete list of 82 firms that included 50% or more women in their new partner classes:

1. Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
2. Allen Matkins Leck Gamble Mallory & Natsis
3. Armstrong Teasdale
4. Arnall Golden Gregory
5. Baker McKenzie
6. Baker Botts
7. Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz
8. Baker & Hostetler
9. Ballard Spahr
10. Barnes & Thornburg
11. Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff
12. Beveridge & Diamond
13. Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod
14. Blank Rome
15. Boies Schiller Flexner
16. Bradley Arant Boult Cummings
17. Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
18. Burns & Levinson
19. Burr & Forman
20. Chapman and Cutler
21. Cooley
22. Cox, Castle & Nicholson
23. Cozen O’Connor
24. Davis Wright Tremaine
25. Debevoise & Plimpton
26. Dechert
27. Dickinson Wright
28. Dinsmore & Shohl
29. Duane Morris
30. Dykema Gossett
31. Eversheds Sutherland
32. Epstein Becker & Green
33. Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
34. Fredrikson & Byron
35. Goldberg Segalla
36. Gordon Feinblatt
37. Goulston & Storrs
38. Greenspoon Marder
39. Herrick, Feinstein
40. Hinckley, Allen & Snyder
41. Husch Blackwell
42. Ice Miller
43. Irell & Manella
44. Jackson Lewis
45. Jenner & Block
46. Kelley Drye & Warren
47. Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton
48. Lane Powell
49. Lewis Roca Rothgerber Christie Lewis Roca
50. Littler Mendelson
51. McCarter & English
52. McDermott Will & EmeryMcDermott
53. Miller & Chevalier
54. Moore & Van Allen
55. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
56. Morris, Manning & Martin
57. Munger, Tolles & Olson
58. Nixon Peabody
59. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
60. Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler
61. Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison
62. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
63. Polsinelli
64. Porter Wright Morris & Arthur
65. Pryor Cashman
66. Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan
67. Robins Kaplan
68. Ropes & Gray
69. Saul Ewing
70. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton
71. Sidley Austin
72. Snell & Wilmer
73. Susman Godfrey
74. Thompson Hine
75. Tucker Ellis
76. Venable
77. Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease
78. Whiteford, Taylor & Preston
79. Weil, Gotshal & Manges
80. Wiley Rein
81. Williams & Connolly
82. Williams Mullen

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3. Baker McKenzie partner sues IRS for documents…

Law Firms

Baker McKenzie partner sues IRS for documents on partnership audit strategies

By Debra Cassens Weiss

March 20, 2024, 2:10 pm CDT

A lawsuit filed by a Baker McKenzie tax partner is seeking to compel the Internal Revenue Service to disclose documents about its tougher policies for auditing partnerships, other pass-through entities and their owners.

The March 18 suit filed by tax partner George M. Clarke says the IRS has not produced records in response to his Dec. 19 request under the Freedom of Information Act.

Law.com, Reuters and Law360 have coverage.

Among the documents sought is a paper discussed by its author, an IRS employee, at a November 2023 conference sponsored by the ABA Section of Taxation. An article about the employee’s remarks appeared in Tax Notes with the headline “IRS Taking Partnership Audits to New Level.”

The IRS is auditing 75 of the country’s largest partnerships and has sent compliance letters to 500 partnerships, according to the Tax Notes article attached to the complaint. The scrutiny is part of the agency’s increased focus on wealthy taxpayers.

Clarke says in the suit he wants to learn more about IRS practices, “so that I can better represent my clients.”