Washington,
D.C.
continues
to
prove
that
when
it
comes
to
elite
litigators,
the
urge
to
flee
Biglaw
motherships
and
strike
out
on
their
own
is
a
full
blown
trend.
The
latest
entrants?
Liu
Shur
Kravis,
a
new
litigation
boutique
founded
by
three
former
federal
prosecutors
who
have
collectively
logged
time
at
some
of
the
most
pedigreed
firms
in
the
country:
Jessie
Liu
(most
recently
at
Skadden,
Arps,
Slate,
Meagher
&
Flom),
Justin
Shur
(from
MoloLamken),
and
Jonathan
Kravis
(from
Munger,
Tolles
&
Olson).
The
trio
have
been
circling
each
other
professionally
for
years,
sometimes
on
the
same
side,
sometimes
not.
“We’ve
worked
together,
sometimes
in
government,
sometimes
in
private
practice
as
counsel
for
different
clients
on
the
same
matter.
And
so
we’ve
really
known
each
other
for
a
long
time,”
Liu
told
Law.com.
“We
all
felt
like
it
was
a
time
in
our
careers
when
we
wanted
to
build
something
new
that
was
our
own
project.”
They’re
making
a
calculated
bet
that
clients
increasingly
want
something
Biglaw
often
struggles
to
provide,
that
is
senior-level
attention
without
the
junior
associate
pyramid
scheme.
“In
terms
of
the
work
we
do,
investigations
and
complex
litigation
work,
I
don’t
think
that
there
is
one
model
that
is
right
for
every
client
and
every
matter,”
Kravis
said.
“There
are
matters
and
roles
where
a
smaller
firm
can
make
a
lot
of
sense.
I
expect
that
we
will
be
able
to
provide
lower
leverage,
to
provide
more
direct
engagement.”
That
means
fewer
layers,
more
partner
time,
and,
at
least
theoretically,
fewer
eye-watering
bills
padded
by
armies
of
associates
billing
in
six-minute
increments.
Kravis
also
emphasized
the
firm’s
sweet
spot,
parachuting
into
high-stakes
matters
where
a
lean,
specialized
team
can
complement
existing
counsel.
“There
are
a
lot
of
investigations
matters
and
litigation
matters,
particularly
in
[a]
co-counsel
type
arrangement,
where
that
kind
of
model
can
make
a
lot
of
sense
for
the
client
in
terms
of
what
they
want
to
achieve
and
what
their
needs
are,”
he
said.
And
yes,
they
plan
to
grow,
but
don’t
expect
them
to
recreate
Biglaw.
“A
big
part
of
why
we’re
doing
this
is
we
want
the
opportunity
to
build
a
small
team
of
excellent
lawyers,
starting
with
the
three
of
us,
and
then
sort
of
moving
on
from
there,”
Kravis
added,
noting
that
the
specifics
are
still
very
much
a
work
in
progress.
D.C.
has
been
absolutely
lousy
with
boutique
launches
lately.
Since
the
start
of
2025,
more
than
half
a
dozen
firms
have
hung
out
shingles,
including
Dunn
Isaacson
Rhee,
Civil
Service
Law
Center,
Washington
Litigation
Group,
Klubes
Law
Group,
Lowell
&
Associates,
and
D.C.
Law
Collective.
The
common
thread?
Litigation
and
investigations
i.e.,
the
kind
of
work
that
doesn’t
require
a
sprawling
corporate
apparatus
or
a
conflicts
committee
that
says
“no”
more
often
than
a
toddler.
And
that’s
the
real
appeal
here.
Litigation
boutiques
offer
rate
flexibility,
fewer
client
conflicts,
and
freedom
from
the
awkward
reality
that
your
firm’s
mega-deal
client
might
need
regulatory
approval
from
the
same
government
your
litigation
team
is
squaring
off
against.
In
other
words,
fewer
internal
headaches
and
more
room
to
just…
law.
Kathryn
Rubino
is
a
Senior
Editor
at
Above
the
Law,
host
of
The
Jabot
podcast,
and
co-host
of
Thinking
Like
A
Lawyer.
AtL
tipsters
are
the
best,
so
please
connect
with
her.
Feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
or
comments
and
follow
her
on
Twitter
@Kathryn1 or
Mastodon
@[email protected].