via
Getty)
The
exodus
of
Biglaw
heavyweights
into
the
boutique
arena
rolls
on,
with
Brown
Rudnick’s
top
litigators
leading
the
charge
this
time.
Michael
Bowe
and
Lauren
Tabaksblat,
formerly
co-chairs
of
the
Am
Law
200
firm’s
litigation
practice,
announced
earlier
this
week
the
opening
of
Brithem
LLP,
a
New
York-based
firm
devoted
exclusively
to
high-stakes
courtroom
advocacy.
At
launch,
Brithem
has
13
professionals
—
including
nine
lawyers,
two
investigators,
and
two
paraprofessionals
—
and
expects
to
reach
at
least
20
attorneys
by
the
first
quarter
of
2026.
Early
hires
include
a
former
Supreme
Court
clerk
joining
as
of
counsel
and
two
Quinn
Emanuel
alumni
stepping
in
as
partners.
Bowe
and
Tabaksblat
hope
to
make
a
big
impact
with
their
new
impact
litigation
firm,
and
Bowe
has
been
quite
direct
about
what
differentiates
Brithem
from
the
firm
he
and
Tabaksblat
left
behind.
“[Biglaw]
is
drunk
on
leverage
and
billables
that
deliver
little
bang
for
the
buck,”
he
said.
“Smart
consumers
of
legal
services
know
better,
want
an
alternative,
and
love
supporting
a
firm
that
is
also
heavily
committed
to
combating
child
abuse,
human
trafficking,
discrimination,
and
other
injustices.”
Perhaps
one
of
the
most
striking
details
of
the
new
boutique
is
its
compensation
model.
The
firm
will
pay
above
the
Cravath
scale,
and
in
a
sharp
departure
from
Biglaw
lockstep,
associates
will
not
be
slotted
strictly
by
class
year.
Bowe
explains
what
that
means:
“We
are
paying
above
the
Cravath
scale
and
are
not
ranking
by
class
year.
If
you
are
performing
above
your
class
level
that
is
where
you
get
paid.
Below
you
get
paid
there.
You
can
go
up
after
down
if
you
get
there.
And
it
is
based
on
performance
and
skill
value
not
billables.
We
want
a
system
that
rewards
associates
who
demonstrate
the
desire
to
become
autonomous
first-chair
lawyers.
We
are
convinced
this
will
result
in
a
product
clients
will
flock
to.”
That
merit-based
approach
is
designed
to
accelerate
the
development
of
young
trial
lawyers
—
a
message
reinforced
by
Tabaksblat,
whom
Chambers
sources
have
said
“commands
the
courtroom.”
She
noted
that
Brithem’s
structure
“offers
a
fast
track”
to
becoming
a
competent
trial
lawyer
and
has
already
attracted
significant
interest
from
ambitious
associates.
Tabaksblat
went
on
to
share
what
litigators
will
really
love
about
the
firm:
“Brithem
is
devoted
to
the
art
of
trial
lawyering
and
using
that
art
to
make
a
difference.
Our
name
is
not
on
the
door
because
the
firm
is
about
our
clients,
not
us.
Our
first
love
is
being
courtroom
advocates
who
deliver
results
for
clients
and
make
a
difference.”
By
pairing
premium
associate
pay
with
a
fast
track
to
the
courtroom,
Brithem
is
positioning
itself
as
both
a
client-focused
alternative
and
proving
ground
for
the
next
generation
of
trial
lawyers.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
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on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
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with
her
on LinkedIn.