They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40—meet our 2024 honorees

We’re thrilled to announce the 2024 honorees of “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40,” our fourth annual Bloomberg Law award recognizing the accomplishments of stellar young lawyers nationwide.

This accomplished group inspires their law firms, companies, non-profit organizations and government agencies to elevate, innovate and serve — not only clients but their communities beyond.

They discussed the intricacies of leading “bet the farm” trials and appeals for corporate clients, advising government officials in the face of crises, and charting their courses in complex — and often cross-border — M&A deals, among other matters.

They also shared stories about the senior attorneys and judges who mentored them. And they illustrated how they harnessed their legal skills to help the underserved.

Read more about the 2024 class here.

Polsinelli Opens in Philadelphia With 20 From Holland & Knight

Polsinelli is opening a Philadelphia office after hiring more than 20 partners from Holland & Knight, the firm announced.

“Philadelphia was a missing piece in our platform as one of the largest full-service US-only firms,” said Chase Simmons, Polsinelli’s chairman and chief executive, in a statement.

Philadelphia boasts a robust life science and biotech sector, making it an attractive destination for law firms. Goodwin Procter opened an office there in January 2023 with 14 partners from Troutman Pepper Hamilton & Sanders.

Polsinelli’s new hires are embedded in the life sciences, health care, energy and financial services sectors, making them an ideal fit for the Kansas City, Missouri-founded firm, Simmons said.

“Their addition is by far the strongest market entrance we have ever conducted,” Simmons said.

Chicago-Founded Firms Itching to Start Talent War on Home Turf

Welcome back to the Big Law Business column. I’m Roy Strom, and today we look at how Chicago-founded firms are trying to grow in their own backyard. Sign up to receive this column in your Inbox on Thursday mornings.

A group of major law firms founded in Chicago want to reverse a trend of shrinking local headcounts and start growing their Windy City offices by poaching talent from neighboring competitors.

At Sidley Austin LLP, launched in Chicago in 1866, Chris Abbinante is leading a nascent recruiting effort that’s already reached out directly to “dozens” of local partners at marquee firms.

“We probably haven’t been as proactive in Chicago thinking about laterals as we have in other markets,” Abbinante said in an interview. “I intend to change that, because I think it’s accretive growth not just here in Chicago but globally for the firm.”

Kirkland & Ellis, founded in 1909, has seen its office grow in the past 10 years—by roughly 27% to 769 lawyers, according to data compiled by Chicago Lawyer magazine. The world’s largest firm by revenue now has 300 more Chicago-based lawyers than the second-largest office in town, that of Sidley Austin.

“We want to grow in areas that are talent rich markets, whichChicago is and always has been,” said Andrew Kassoff, a Chicago-based Kirkland litigation partner and executive committee member. “It’s got great law schools, sophisticated global businesses, and high-end legal talent. That hasn’t changed at all.”

Read more of Roy Strom's column here.

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