(Photo
by
Bill
Clark/Getty
Images)
Back
in
January,
Judge
Paul
Watford
of
the
Ninth
Circuit
announced
that
he
would
be
resigning
from
the
bench
to
return
to
private
practice.
The
55-year-old
judge
would
officially
call
it
quits
on
May
31,
and
in
his
resignation
letter,
he
said
stepping
down
was
“one
of
the
most
difficult
decisions
I
have
had
to
make
in
my
life.”
At
the
time,
the
legal
community
wondered
where
Watford
would
land.
He’d
previously
worked
at
Munger
Tolles
as
a
partner,
and
many
speculated
that
he
may
be
returning
to
his
old
stomping
grounds.
We
now
know
where
Watford
is
working
—
and
it
isn’t
at
Munger.
Earlier
today,
Wilson
Sonsini
—
a
firm
that
brought
in
$1,354,000,000
gross
revenue
in
2022,
putting
it
at
No.
33
in
the
most
recent
Am
Law
100
—
announced
that
Watford
had
joined
the
firm’s
litigation
practice
as
a
partner.
The
recently
retired
judge
will
work
out
of
the
firm’s
Los
Angeles
office,
where
he’ll
focus
on
appellate
and
complex
commercial
disputes.
What
does
Watford
have
to
say
about
his
move
from
the
bench
to
Biglaw?
Here’s
the
scoop
in
a
press
release
from
the
firm:
“Throughout
my
time
serving
as
a
Ninth
Circuit
judge,
I
had
the
opportunity
to
work
with
amazing
people
in
a
collegial
and
professionally
rewarding
environment,
and
to
be
directly
involved
in
the
disposition
of
interesting
and
important
matters,”
said
Judge
Watford.
“In
joining
Wilson
Sonsini,
I
will
be
able
to
continue
working
with
talented
lawyers
and
professionals
in
a
collaborative
culture
that
places
high
value
on
diversity
and
teamwork.
I
look
forward
to
taking
on
challenging
and
engaging
matters
for
the
firm’s
clients,
which
include
many
of
the
world’s
most
innovative
and
dynamic
companies.”
Congratulations
to
Judge
Paul
Watford
on
landing
at
a
law
firm
that
he
loves,
and
congratulations
to
Wilson
Sonsini
on
adding
a
former
federal
appellate
judge
to
its
roster.
Best
of
luck!
Former
Ninth
Circuit
Judge
Paul
Watford
Joins
Wilson
Sonsini
as
a
Partner
[Wilson
Sonsini]
Earlier:
Ninth
Circuit
Judge
Plans
To
Leave
The
Bench,
Return
To
Private
Practice
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
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