Davis Polk Builds Out DC with Appellate Star Shanmugam
A recent Bloomberg Law article by Meghan Tribe examines Davis Polk's growing ambition in Washington, DC - and what the arrival of prominent appellate litigator Kannon Shanmugam signals for the firm's broader strategy in the nation's capital.
Shanmugam, who makes his 40th Supreme Court argument this week, joins Davis Polk from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison, where he had previously built that firm's Supreme Court practice from scratch. His move - along with colleague Masha Hansford - is framed in the article not simply as a lateral hire, but as a statement of intent about Davis Polk's DC future.
Macrae Partner Justine Donahue is quoted in the piece, offering context on both the significance of the hire and the wider movement reshaping the appellate bar: "They are going to stand here in their own right and integrate cross-disciplinary and cross-office in a way that's competitive."
Donahue also speaks to the broader trend driving this activity, noting that the Supreme Court appellate bar - historically stable and concentrated at a small number of firms - is experiencing a notable period of flux: "It is having a moment right now."
On the combination of Shanmugam's profile and Davis Polk's platform, she adds: "When you marry up that high of a level of a Supreme Court advocate with that high of a level of a firm - both from a profitability, a name brand and a platform perspective - you really have it all come together."