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Big Firms Begin Hiring for Upturn
New demand for corporate, international work expected

Lily Henning
Legal Times
08-11-2003


In the late 1990s, shrewd law firm managers deepened their litigation, bankruptcy, and white collar crime practices in hopes of capturing business during an anticipated economic downturn.

Now they're quietly calculating which practices will ripen next.

Many of D.C.'s biggest firms are preparing for a transactional comeback, hanging on to corporate lawyers despite low billables and even starting to hunt for laterals. Others are honing in on European regulatory work or arbitration. Still others say that, while evergreen, health care is a solid bet for growth.

What they all agree on, though, is the necessity of preparing for cyclical shifts. Litigation is expected to remain strong at most firms, but there are indicators that practices like bankruptcy have passed their zenith.

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