Cadwalader’s Mass Exodus Continues: Nearly 40 Lawyers Jump To Top 50 Biglaw Firm In Practice Group Raid
The hits keep coming for Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft. Reports of a mass lateral defection from the firm’s collateralized loan obligation and asset-backed lending team have now been confirmed, with Orrick taking in a 37-lawyer team from the firm — including 10 partners — in one of the most sweeping group lateral moves the Biglaw world has seen this year. This will give Orrick an immediate boost in one of its most profitable practice areas, and deal year another serious blow to Cadwalader’s already shake sense of stability.
As noted by the American Lawyer, this group lateral moves spans continents, with lawyers in the U.S. and the U.K. involved, and this expansion has allowed Orrick to claim rights to one of the largest finance practices in the world. Here’s a statement from Mitch Zuklie, Orrick’s chair, on the news:
“The addition of this world-class team positions our firm uniquely to advise our private credit and banking clients as they innovate on private debt solutions. It advances multiple strategic priorities, including growing our London office and scaling our finance practice with a team of remarkable quality.”
For Cadwalader, this move lands at a delicate moment. The 233-year-old firm seems to have spent much of 2025 in triage mode, trying to steady itself after months of partner departures and growing internal unease. Just last week, the firm announced that finance partner Wes Misson would become co-managing partner alongside long-time leader Pat Quinn — a move widely interpreted as an effort to project calm amid the chaos. The firm’s leadership shuffle was meant to show that management was paying attention, but today’s news makes that attempt at reassurance feel almost quaint.
When nearly 40 lawyers pack up from one of Wall Street’s most venerable firms and move together, they send a message about where they believe opportunity lies — and where it no longer does. Orrick didn’t just make a group lateral hire; it made a huge statement. Cadwalader’s leaders insist that the firm remains strong, profitable, and focused, but the optics here are simply brutal. In a talent-driven economy, stability is currency, and this move suggests that Cadwalader’s reserves may be running low.
37-Lawyer Cadwalader Team Arrives at Orrick [American Lawyer]
Earlier: Wall Street’s Oldest Biglaw Firm Appoints Co-Managing Partner Amid Mass Exits And Merger Rumors
Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.
The post Cadwalader’s Mass Exodus Continues: Nearly 40 Lawyers Jump To Top 50 Biglaw Firm In Practice Group Raid appeared first on Above the Law.
