Paul, Weiss: Big Kahuna in London Law Firm Market

 In the US market, there's still the residue of controversy sticking to the Paul, Weiss brand. But no sign of that in the London market. That's a powerhouse operation that current partner/former chair Brad Karp helped build. Although that law firm had been in London since 2001, it was a small operation. Only recently did Karp, along with now current chair Scott Barshay, start paying serious attention to it. 

Who, for example, in the legal sector doesn't recall that shock and awe Paul, Weiss poaching of talent from Kirkland & Ellis' London office back in August and September 2023. Now, as LawFuel documents, the raiding has become broader: 

"Paul Weiss is the firm everyone else has been losing partners to. Since summer 2024 it has hired more than 20 partners from rivals, eleven of them from Kirkland, four from Linklaters and three from Clifford Chance ..."

So dominant a presence Paul, Weiss has developed in the London legal scene that it's now considered part of the Magic Circle. It's one of five US-headquartered law firms to achieve that status. None of the law firms which had been in the Magic Circle back in 1990 still are.

In coaching, I hammer what became Karp's gospel in his leadership from 2008 through February 2026: Grow or go. He articulated that in a Bloomberg Law interview in 2021. The prediction was that law firms which lacked the resources, especially financial, to recruit, retain and motivate stars could go out of business. It was on that platform that Karp transitioned a Wall Street litigation firm into a global transactional go-to. 

It was by analyzing Karp's thought leadership publications and seeking guidance from him now and then that I was able to make my own journey out of a dying sector into two emerging ones. 

 Career Paths? So Over. It’s about Earning a Good Living. No matter what.

Complimentary consultation. No Pressure. Street-smart Guidance. Contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

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