Trial lawyer David Bernick exits Boies Schiller after one year for Dechert
A little over a year after he resigned as general counsel of Philip Morris and joined Boies Schller & Flexner, high-profile partner David M. Bernick is exiting for Dechert.
He told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he expects to start Monday at the New York office of the 950-attorney Philadelphia-based law firm, which he described as “the right fit.”
Now 59, the former Kirkland & Elllis partner is known for his trial work on behalf of tobacco companies, breast implant makers and companies facing asbestos liability.
“David is simply one of the best lawyers out there,” said chairman Andrew J. Levander of Dechert in a press release. “He is one of a handful of elite lead trial lawyers operating on the national stage.”
A spokeswoman for Boies Schiller explained that Bernick left largely because of conflicts that prevented him from representing certain clients and said his now-former firm wishes him well, reports the DealBook page of the New York Times (reg. req.).
His departure is the third exit of a well-known partner from the powerhouse Boies litigation boutique in recent months. Former Department of Justice acting criminal division chief Matthew Friedrich left for Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and David W. Shapiro, who previously served as an interim U.S. attorney in San Francisco, has opened his own law firm
Also see:
ABAJournal.com: “Former Philip Morris GC Misses Courtroom, Joins Boies Schiller”
