Nov 13 (Reuters)

The collapse of one of New York’s oldest law firms has spelled opportunity for many of its competitors, with a growing number of firms scooping up lawyers from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan since its partners voted last month to shutter the firm.

Crowell & Moring, Hogan Lovells, Steptoe & Johnson, Squire Patton Boggs and Thompson Coburn are among the law firms that have so far hired partners and other lawyers from Stroock, helping them quickly expand in New York and elsewhere.

Leaders at Stroock said in an internal email late last month that its partners had voted to take steps to dissolve the firm. The 147-year-old firm had seen a series of lawyer exits over the past year and failed to secure a merger after discussions with larger firms.

Efforts by other firms to capitalize on Stroock’s woes continued on Monday, when Washington, D.C.-based Crowell announced that it had hired former Stroock financial services litigation partner Joshua Sohn and nine other Stroock lawyers in New York.

Last week, Hogan Lovells named 28 partners it is bringing on from Stroock, including co-managing partner Jeff Keitelman and several other Stroock practice leaders. Hogan Lovells said the group – the largest so far to land at a single firm from Stroock – would be a boost to its New York operations.

Alan Klinger, another longtime Stroock co-managing partner, will move to Steptoe & Johnson. Steptoe said Friday that Klinger will lead its labor practice and that Stroock partner Dina Kolker is also joining the firm on Monday. The lawyers, based in New York, represent public sector clients in litigation.

Klinger told Reuters that Stroock discussed a potential merger with Steptoe more than a year ago but failed to reach a deal. Stroock also discussed a possible merger with Nixon Peabody, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman and other firms.

Steptoe brought on 27 Stroock lawyers in July. Klinger and Kolker kept in touch with Steptoe’s leadership, and the timing now made sense to join, Klinger said. He said other Stroock lawyers may also make the move.

“Our people are landing well,” Klinger said. “That is gratifying.”

Other partners who have found new firms include Tom Firestone, who was Stroock’s white collar and investigations practice. He recently joined Squire Patton Boggs.

Chris Griner, who chaired Stroock’s national security and CFIUS practice, and partner Shannon Reaves, who was in the same practice, are also joining Squire with a team of lawyers and staff, the firm said on Monday.

Howard Lavin, a labor and employment partner, started last week at Thompson Coburn.

Stroock declined to comment.

The firm’s dissolution, which is still not official, followed a string of departures that had already gutted its partnership. The firm lost a group of more than 40 restructuring lawyers to Paul Hastings in March 2022, setting off a wave of exits to other firms.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, McDermott Will & Emery, Bracewell and Norton Rose Fulbright are among the firms that hired Stroock partners who left before the dissolution vote.

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Sara Merken reports on the business of law, including legal innovation and law firms in New York and nationally.