Another One (Or 5) Bites The Dust: Cadwalader Litigation Leaders Exit Amid Hogan Lovells Merger Fallout - Above the Law

"The newest departures are significant. Cadwalader litigation co-chairs Philip Iovieno and Nicholas Gravante, Jr., along with partners Sean O'Shea, Michael Petrella, and Matthew Karlan are decamping en masse for Mintz. That's because the merger created client conflicts that couldn't be papered over, and the lawyers decided their clients' interests - and their own - required a fast exit. "We found out about the merger on December 18th with Hogan, and we knew there was a conflict,""

"Mintz, for its part, wasted no time framing the move as a major win. The firm said the group will establish "a powerful new vertical at Mintz, combining exceptional trial strength with a standout record representing technology, healthcare, retail, and food and beverage clients." Iovieno echoed that enthusiasm, saying the group was looking for a firm "that had a top-flight litigation and trial practice," and that Mintz was "in a position to support us.""

"Zooming out, this isn't an isolated incident, it's part of a much larger pattern that Above the Law has been documenting for months. Long before the Hogan Lovells merger was announced, Cadwalader was already leaking partners. As we reported last fall, merger momentum was building precisely because the firm's woes were deepening, with leadership changes and exits piling up as rumors swirled."

Cadwalader's planned merger with Hogan Lovells created client conflicts that could not be resolved, prompting key litigation leaders and partners to leave for Mintz. Litigation co-chairs Philip Iovieno and Nicholas Gravante Jr., along with partners Sean O'Shea, Michael Petrella, and Matthew Karlan, moved quickly to protect client interests and transition their practices. Mintz positioned the hires as creating a powerful new litigation vertical serving technology, healthcare, retail, and food and beverage clients. The departures amplify a longer pattern of attrition at Cadwalader, which had experienced prior partner leaks, leadership changes, and a large practice-group raid.

Read at Above the Law