A New York firm that specializes in financial services is looking to bolster its appellate practice with the hiring of a Supreme Court advocate for the U.S. Department of Justice.
Jeffrey Wall, an assistant to the Solicitor General who has argued 10 cases before the Supreme Court, is leaving to serve as one of the co-leaders of Sullivan & Cromwell's appellate practice.
Wall will lead the practice with Palo Alto, Calif.-based partner Brendan Cullen. It's not uncommon for lawyers to leave the SG's office to take leadership roles in appellate practices. In August, Pratik Shah left the Office of the Solicitor General to co-lead Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's Supreme Court practice. Shah is working with Patricia Millett, a veteran high court advocate. William Jay in September 2012 left the SG's office for Goodwin Procter.
During last year's Supreme Court term, Wall argued the government's side in Bailey v. United States, which tested the scope of the Fourth Amendment as it applied to a search warrant and the detention of a suspect. The Supreme Court, overturning a ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, rejected the government's position.
The hiring of Wall will "round out the capabilities we have and enhance our ability to represent our clients in all aspects of litigation," Daryl Libow, managing partner of Sullivan & Cromwell's Washington office, said in an interview with Legal Times. "Not many of the top Wall Street firms have this kind of capability."
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