Back
in
November
2025,
Perkins
Coie
announced
its
plans
to
combine
with
Ashurst,
a
transatlantic
tie-up
expected
to
propel
the
combined
firm
into
the
top
20
of
the
Am
Law
100.
With
the
merger
expected
to
close
sometime
in
the
third
quarter,
partners
at
Perkins
Coie
are
already
voting
—
with
their
feet.
Within
the
last
week
alone,
competitors
have
announced
two
large
group
departures
from
the
firm.
McGuireWoods
picked
up
a
pack
of
eight
departing
Perkins
partners,
announcing
plans
to
open
a
Seattle
office,
while
Morrison
&
Foerster
managed
to
grab
a
group
of
15
litigation
partners,
also
announcing
plans
to
open
a
Seattle
office
with
its
new
Perkins
partners
in
tow.
Both
firms
are
taking
several
practice
group
leaders
in
their
Perkins
partner
haul.
The
National
Law
Journal
has
the
details
on
those
who
are
leaving
for
McGuireWoods:
Rike
Connelly,
former
co-leader
of
Perkins
Coie’s
business
litigation
practice
group,
will
serve
as
managing
partner
of
McGuireWoods’
new
Seattle
office
and
co-lead
their
business
litigation
practice
group.The
other
seven
partners
joining
McGuireWoods
includes:
Eric
Wolff,
who
co-chaired
Perkins
Coie’s
appellate
practice;
Mack
Shultz,
who
chaired
Perkins
Coie’s
product
liability
litigation
group;
Todd
Rosencrans,
who
was
vice
chair
of
Perkins
Coie’s
product
liability
litigation
group;
Judge
Abdul
Kallon;
who
co-chaired
Perkins
Coie’s
trial
practice
group;
Daniel
Ridlon;
who
co-chaired
Perkins
Coie’s
autonomous
and
uncrewed
vehicle
systems
industry
group;
Monique
Wirrick;
and
Christopher
Ledford.
The
American
Lawyer
has
the
details
on
the
laywers
who
are
leaving
for
MoFo:
The
group
joining
Morrison
&
Foerster
includes
David
Perez,
who
was
previously
chair
of
Perkins’
business
litigation
practice
until
last
May,
and
had
been
with
the
firm
for
more
than
14
years,
as
well
as
Brendan
Murphy,
Zachary
Davison,
Mallory
Gitt,
Laura
Hill,
Megan
Houlihan,
Michelle
Maley,
Matthew
Mertens,
Gregory
Miller,
and
Eric
Weiss,
all
in
Seattle.The
firm
also
hired
two
Perkins
partners
in
San
Diego:
Ray
Hartman
and
Jacob
Spekhard.Morrison
&
Foerster
also
confirmed
that
three
additional
partners
are
expected
to
join
from
Perkins
in
Seattle
in
the
coming
weeks,
but
the
firm
could
not
yet
release
the
remaining
three
names.
In
response
to
the
partner
exits,
Perkins
Coie
said
the
firm
was
“grateful
for
the
contributions
of
our
former
colleagues,
and
we
wish
them
well.”
Best
of
luck
to
McGuireWoods
and
Morrison
&
Foerster
on
their
new
Seattle
offices,
which
are
brimming
over
with
former
Perkins
partners.
Morrison
&
Foerster
Hires
15
Perkins
Coie
Partners,
Launches
Seattle
Office
[American
Lawyer]
McGuireWoods
Recruits
8-Partner
Perkins
Coie
Group,
Launches
Seattle
Office
[National
Law
Journal]
Earlier:
The
Next
Transatlantic
Biglaw
Heavyweight:
Ashurst
Ties
The
Knot
With
Perkins
Coie
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
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