Law firm Dechert hires 20-partner team from rival McDermott

By Sara Merken

NEW YORK, Jan 23 (Reuters) - U.S. law firm Dechert said on Friday that it has hired a group of 20 partners from competitor McDermott, Will & Schulte, including a firm leader, gaining new offices in Chicago and Dallas in the process.

Mike Poulos, who was a member of McDermott's executive committee and its global strategy chief, leads the group joining Dechert across several cities.

Poulos, who is joining Dechert as vice chair and global head of strategy, noted that McDermott had completed a merger with Schulte Roth & Zabel last summer. He said Dechert was on a "spectacular trajectory" and he looked forward to being part of its current growth.

"As our firm continues to evolve, there will always be natural adjustments," a McDermott spokesperson said in a statement.

In addition to Chicago and Dallas, where Dechert did not previously have offices, the new partners are based in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. Philadelphia-founded Dechert closed an office in Chicago in 2024, while also shuttering Beijing and Hong Kong outposts following a "strategic review" of office locations.

Dechert last week brought on prominent trial lawyer Randy Mastro in New York to co-chair its securities and complex litigation practice. The firm on Friday also announced it hired Akin Gump trial lawyer Jim Wetwiska, who will help it launch an office in Houston.

The McDermott team is the latest large group to switch firms so far this year. Womble Bond Dickinson last week hired 19 lawyers from McGlinchey Stafford, a midsize U.S. law firm that voted earlier this month to shut its doors. On Friday, Spencer Fane added 16 lawyers from McGlinchey.