Only one day after Cadwalader's firings, Akin Gump
has announced a "substantial reshaping and enhancement of several practices." They are also "changing" their "geographical footprint." Translated, that means they are closing down some offices and opening others. 
What Akin Gump is doing, among others things, is bolting from Taiwan and Silicon Valley, as they are closing their offices in both locales. But the lawyers in those offices are not being fired — they are instead being transferred to Alston & Bird, an Atlanta-based firm. And that's what's so odd — it's not often you see one large law firm just giving away an office to a competitor.
And Alston is the only recipient of new resources. Akin Gump is also giving Greenberg and Traurig many of the attorneys in their Austin, Texas, office.
What's more, Akin Gump is not just closing offices. They have secured a law license in Dubai and are opening offices there to join in the growing feeding frenzy in Dubai by large law firms.
So, indeed, they are shifting things around. It's unusual, though, to just up and move attorneys and offices to another firm as part of a corporate strategy. Usually that kind of move is done by the attorneys on their own.
Still, the lawyers in Taipei, Silicon Valley, and Austin have to be grateful because at least they're still employed, unlike many others. If you have to leave a firm, this is just about the best way it can happen.
