Legal recruiter sues Davis Polk, seeks $1.4M for Clifford Chance hires
A legal recruiter sued Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York state court last week, contending that he was the “procuring cause” for the law firm’s hire of a practice leader and a group of 17 lawyers from Clifford Chance and seeking compensation.
Alan Metz says he was excluded from negotiations after he provided information to Davis Polk about Martin Rogers, who then served as chief of the Asia-Pacific litigation practice at Clifford Chance, and is seeking the $1.4 million he says he should have been paid in recruitment fees, Legal Week reports.
Metz did not name Rogers when he called partner William Barron, the chief of Davis Polk’s office in Hong Kong, in June of last year about Rogers. However, Metz says in the suit that Barron figured out it was Rogers that Metz was talking about and Davis Polk contacted Rogers directly. The firm’s hire of the Clifford Chance team was announced in December.
By using the information he provided, including Rogers’ billings, Davis Polk accepted his services and owes him compensation under this implied contract, Metz argues.
Davis Polk declined to comment when contacted by Legal Week.
Reuters also has a story.
