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Latham & Watkins, a renowned law firm, has announced the addition of Andrew Elken, a former partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, to their New York office. Elken’s expertise lies in advising public companies and boards of directors on various corporate matters, including mergers and acquisitions, securities law, shareholder activism defense, and corporate governance.
Elken played a significant role as a member of the Cravath team that provided counsel to Amazon.com Inc. during its notable $8.45 billion acquisition of Hollywood studio MGM, a transaction that concluded in 2022. His impressive track record also includes representing CyrusOne Inc., a prominent U.S. data center operator, in its substantial $15 billion acquisition by KKR & Co Inc and Global Infrastructure Partners in 2022. Elken’s clientele spans across notable entities such as Deutsche Telekom, PG&E, and Atlas Air Worldwide, as detailed in his online biography on Latham’s website.
Commenting on this strategic addition, Charles Ruck, the global chair of Latham‘s corporate department, highlighted that Elken’s arrival strengthens the firm’s M&A practice, enabling them to better serve their expanding base of public company clients.
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Andrew Elken began his legal journey at Cravath and reached the status of partner in 2018, a milestone documented on his LinkedIn profile. The transition to Latham marks a significant step in his career, reflecting his expertise and experience in corporate law.
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In response to Elken’s move, Cravath expressed their well wishes for his new endeavor. Traditionally known for its limited partner departures, Cravath has witnessed a few lawyers leaving for other firms in recent years, including David Portilla, a bank regulatory lawyer who shifted to Davis, Polk & Wardwell, and Katherine Forrest, a former federal judge and senior government antitrust lawyer, who joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison.
In December 2021, Cravath, along with other firms, made adjustments to its compensation model, moving away from a purely seniority-based system for partner remuneration. The firm introduced a modified lockstep system that factors in partners’ contributions and tenure, aimed at enhancing mid-career partner retention and recruitment by providing greater compensation flexibility.
Despite its tradition of promoting from within, Cravath has also been proactive in external partner appointments since 2021. Notably, Jeffrey Rosen, former acting U.S. attorney general under President Donald Trump, joined the firm’s newly established Washington, D.C. office in July. The firm’s expansion into the capital city has also seen the recruitment of other former government officials.
In the dynamic landscape of legal services, this move signals the shifting strategies of top-tier law firms to attract, retain, and reward legal talent. The departure of a seasoned partner from one prestigious firm to another underscores the competitive nature of the industry and the importance of cultivating a diverse and experienced team to effectively cater to the needs of a broad client base.
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