Goodwin Procter strengthens its Philadelphia presence with addition of 14-partner team

Goodwin Procter strengthens its Philadelphia presence with addition of 14-partner team

Goodwin Procter, a top 20 US law firm, has recently expanded its presence by officially launching in Philadelphia. This has been done by securing a group of 14 partners from another law firm, Troutman Pepper.

This move could bring new capabilities, clients, and resources to the firm and help it to better serve its clients in the Philadelphia region. It also signifies the firm's commitment to growing its presence in the region and expanding its services. This is a major development for both Goodwin Procter and the legal industry in Philadelphia.

The team that has joined Goodwin Procter from Troutman Pepper includes rainmakers and former practice heads and is split between several key practice areas, including the life sciences, healthcare transactions, and white-collar defence teams.

The firm has specifically targeted and recruited experienced attorneys with a track record of success in these specific practice areas, which aligns with the firm's strategic goals and priorities. This group of attorneys is expected to bring a wealth of experience and expertise to Goodwin Procter.

The hiring of 14 partners for the official launch of Goodwin Procter in Philadelphia is significant as 10 of the new arrivals will be based in the city. This move builds on Goodwin Procter's existing presence in Philadelphia, which began in early 2022, when private equity partner Barbara Shander joined the firm from a pharmaceutical company, WCG, along with a team of associates.

The loss of this group of partners from Troutman Pepper, which is considered a significant one, comes two-and-a-half years after the merger that created the firm. The merger was intended to create a larger and more competitive platform that would be better able to protect the firm from its core teams being picked off by more profitable rivals, like Goodwin Procter. The fact that a significant group of partners from the firm has now joined Goodwin Procter, despite the merger, highlights the competitive nature of the legal industry and the challenges that firms face in retaining top talent.

According to Goodwin chair Rob Insolia, their strategy is to be the firm of choice for clients doing business within the healthcare, life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology, and financial services sectors, and where they converge."

"The (Troutman) team joining us aligns with our long-term strategy and will scale the firm's global capital-meets-innovation platform for the benefit of our clients," Insolia said.

Six partners are joining Goodwin Procter's life sciences team from Troutman Pepper, including team lead Rachael Bushey.

Bushey was previously the chair of the health sciences department at Troutman and has been appointed as co-managing partner of Goodwin's Philadelphia office. She brings a wealth of experience and expertise in representing public and private life sciences companies in connection with capital markets transactions, Securities Exchange Act work, mergers and acquisitions, complex divestitures and carve-out transactions, as well as corporate governance.

A five-strong team led by John Jones has joined Goodwin Procter's healthcare transactions and regulatory practice. Two of the team members, including Jones, will be based in Philadelphia, two in Washington DC, and one in New York.

Jones had previously chaired the healthcare transactions and regulatory practices at Troutman Pepper. He brings a wealth of experience and expertise in representing financial sponsors and strategies on a wide range of corporate, mergers and acquisitions, regulatory, structure, governance, and compliance matters.

The trio of partners headed by Thomas Gallagher complete the new team of 14. The team led by Gallagher has joined Goodwin Procter's government enforcement, investigations, and white-collar defence group.

Of the trio, Gallagher and Allison DeLaurentis will be based in Philadelphia, while Miranda Hooker will work out of Boston.

Gallagher, previously the vice chair of Troutman Pepper, represents clients facing government investigations and qui tam litigation, particularly in life sciences and healthcare. With a background as a former Assistant US Attorney, Gallagher brings extensive experience handling False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and Antikickback Statute matters.