Jeffrey Lamken Leaving Baker Botts to Launch Boutique Firm

Jeffrey Lamken, a veteran Supreme Court advocate and head of Baker Botts' Supreme Court and appellate practice in D.C. since 2004, is leaving the firm Tuesday to create a boutique firm with a longtime friend Steven Molo, a white collar trial and appellate litigator at Shearman & Sterling in New York. The firm will be called MoloLamken LLP.

"We've had this ambition to be in our own little boutique law firm," said Lamken today. He recalled that when he was at the Kellogg Huber firm years ago, he had joined when it only had seven lawyers. "We want to do something that was that fun, that high-powered." He and Molo will have offices in New York and D.C., and they plan to use alternative fee arrangements to "provide predictability for clients." Lamken says he expects to continue with Supreme Court advocacy.

In fact, Lamken is counsel of record in three cases set for argument this fall: Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (representing the board); NRG Power Marketing v. Maine Public Utilities (for NRG); and Shell Oil Products v. Mac's Shell Service (for Shell.) It's unclear whether the representation will go with Lamken to his new firm.

Lamken is a former law clerk to Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, and served in the solicitor general's office from 1997 to 2004. At that office and since, Lamken has argued 17 cases before the high court. He said his departure from the firm was his own decision. "I love the folks here at Baker Botts, and they've been very kind to me before and after I made this decision," said Lamken.

The news came as a surprise to many of his former colleagues at the SG's office and among high court advocates. "If anyone can pull it off, it's Jeff," said Kannon Shanmugam at Williams & Connolly. "Not only is he a terrific lawyer, but he's very committed and enthusiastic about his work. He'll thrive in this new setting."

Comments

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Without knowing anything but what I read here, I agree with Joe. In 1974, I left an established firm with a national practice to form a boutique. We were very successful both in quality of life and financial success, and I never regretted the move for one minute.

Congratulations, Mssrs. Molo and Lamken.

[Joe]

Better to be in business for yourself than trying to ride out the bad economy in some mega-firm these days. Good for him.