Lawyers may be competitive by nature, but their job loyalty may be in question. A recent survey found more than one-fourth of attorneys polled said they would leave their current positions for opportunities to advance professionally.
The survey conducted by Robert Half Legal, a New Jersey-based legal staffing service, found a bigger title and more money more than enough for an attorney to make a job switch.
Charles Volkert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, said that attorneys are ambitious by nature, having competed for admission to top law schools and posts with the best law firms. Volkert said legal professionals need ongoing challenges and opportunity to grow.
Only 3 percent of those surveyed said they would not leave their current position, while 26 percent said they would for opportunities to advance, 21 percent for increased salary, and 9 percent for more flexible hours.
The survey includes responses from 300 attorneys from the 1,000 largest law firms in the United States and Canada. Results were released last month.
– – –
Local Growth: Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo P.C., an international firm with offices throughout the United States and United Kingdom, announced the expansion of the firm’s San Diego office with the addition of three members.
Edith Bauer, Mitch Danzig and Pedro Suarez joined Mintz Levin last month.
Bauer, formerly a principal of Fish & Richardson P.C., has joined as a member in the business and finance section. She is a corporate and securities attorney who has particular experience representing companies in the health care, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, software, telecommunications and information technology industries.
Danzig, formerly a partner of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart Oliver & Hedges LLP, has joined as a member of the employment, labor and benefits section. He has focused on employment law matters as well as general commercial and intellectual property litigation. Before practicing as an attorney, Danzig served as a police officer with the New York City Police Department.
Suarez, formerly of the D.C. office of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner LLP, has joined the firm as of counsel in the intellectual property section. He has considerable legal and technical expertise in the telecommunications, networking and wireless fields.
Mintz Levin, which opened its San Diego office in the University Towne Center area in June, now has 14 local attorneys.
– – –
SAIC Assistance: Two Heller Ehrman LLP’s San Diego attorneys served as counsel to SAIC Inc. in its $1 billion initial public offering and declaration of a special $2.45 billion dividend paid in connection with the corporate restructuring.
Driving the legal team were San Diego-based Stephen C. Ferruolo and Ryan A. Murr and two Heller Erhman lawyers from Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.
SAIC, a San Diego defense-engineering firm, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Oct. 13.
– – –
Rockin’ Inside, Outside Courtroom: Attorney Laura Roppe, with the San Diego-based Brown Law Group, finds time to sing in a local rock band while she is not in the courtroom, with her family, or training for a marathon.
Roppe, who earned a degree in theater from UCLA before starting her law career, specializes in employment and business litigation.
After hearing CoolBandLuke’s music recently, Roppe approached members of the band and asked if they needed a female vocalist. The band performs pop, rock, funk, blues and soul songs at local venues, parties and events.
Send law news to Michelle Mowad at mmowad@sdbj.com. She can also be reached at (858) 277-6359, ext. 3112.
