Ensuring a Future for LGBTQ+ Lawyers: New Programs, Stronger Support, Greater Opportunity
The National LGBTQ+ Bar Association is expanding its support for LGBTQ+ law students and early-career attorneys in response to increasing legal and political challenges facing the community. While acknowledging that some organizations have reduced their public DEI commitments, the association says many employers continue to prioritize inclusive hiring and workplace support. Its 2026 initiatives include enhanced mentorship, leadership development, judicial pipeline programs, law student academies, and expanded outreach, all aimed at fostering belonging, strengthening the legal profession, and ensuring LGBTQ+ attorneys know they have a future in the profession despite current challenges.
MARKET MOVEMENTS
King & Spalding adds Proskauer Funds Co-Head, Ron Franklin
Latham litigator Andrew Gray joins Greenberg Traurig, LLP in California
Debevoise & Plimpton hires Ropes & Gray finance partner Andrea Hwang in New York City
Squire Patton Boggs names two new Global Managing Partners: Peter Gould and Traci Martinez
FIRM SPOTLIGHT - PATTERSON BELKNAP WEBB & TYLER LLP
Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP is a full-service New York law firm with approximately 200 attorneys, recognized for its sophisticated litigation and corporate practice across industries including financial services, private equity, life sciences, media, and nonprofit organizations. Founded in 1919, the firm has built a strong reputation in complex commercial litigation, structured finance, white-collar defense, art law, and law firm defense while maintaining a singular focus on its New York office. Patterson Belknap is also widely recognized for its commitment to pro bono service, with every attorney participating in pro bono work annually since 2004, and the firm consistently earning national recognition for its public interest efforts.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Alston & Bird will increase its office space by more than a third to accommodate future growth in an iconic Midtown Manhattan skyscraper after signing a lease to relocate its New York office to the landmark CBS Building within the next two years. The new location will be 36% larger than the 125,000-square-foot space it has occupied since entering the New York market through a merger with the historic white-shoe firm Walter, Conston, Alexander & Green in 2001.
According to Law360's latest survey of lawyer satisfaction, 63% of lawyers said they were satisfied or very satisfied at work. That was up from 61% in 2025 but down from 70% in 2021. The 2026 survey found that nonequity partners were the least satisfied with their jobs overall, a trend seen in previous years. Fifty-two percent reported being satisfied, compared with 54% of associates and 80% of equity partners.
Law.com Compass data shows that between FY 2024 and FY 2025, Proskauer Rose LLP's gross revenue increased 13.8% year over year to $1.58 billion, while profits per equity partner rose 12.6% to surpass $5 million for the first time. Meanwhile, the firm's overall headcount increased by 7.5%.
Kirkland Strengthens Antitrust Practice
Kirkland & Ellis has strengthened its antitrust practice by hiring partners John Harkrider and Craig Minerva from Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP, reflecting the intense competition among top law firms for elite antitrust talent. Harkrider, a founding partner of the antitrust law firm Axinn, and Minerva, a former trial attorney in the United States Department of Justice's, bring extensive experience in merger review, investigation, regulatory compliance, and complex antitrust litigation. The hires follow a broader wave of lateral partner moves across the antitrust legal market as firms continue to invest in the practice.
Making the Most of a Salary Increase
Financial experts are encouraging associates receiving the latest round of Big Law salary increases to use the additional income to build long-term financial security rather than increase discretionary spending. Recommended strategies include paying down high-interest debt, building an emergency fund, maximizing retirement contributions, automating savings, and avoiding "lifestyle creep" by resisting costly upgrades to housing or vehicles. Advisors also suggest adopting a balanced financial plan that allocates money toward saving, investing, debt reduction, charitable giving, and personal spending while considering disability or life insurance to protect future earning potential.
