Harvey’s $550M Bet, Big-Law Moves & Where Tech Finds Its Lawyers
Harvey AI is taking its legal tech to the pro bono world, launching a new program across the U.S., U.K. and Australia with Ashurst Perkins Coie, DLA Piper and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough. The initiative will provide free access to Harvey’s platform and develop AI-powered tools, templates and legal engineering support to help pro bono and legal aid organizations serve more people. The move comes as Harvey continues its rapid growth, recently raising $550 million at a $15.5 billion valuation, while the legal industry weighs AI’s potential to expand access to justice against questions about its real-world impact.
MARKET MOVEMENTS
Vinson & Elkins announced on Monday that the firm had added two New York-based structured finance partners Loren Finegold and Ed Comber from Latham & Watkins
Sidley Austin LLP announced Monday that it has brought on two attorneys from King & Spalding, Michael Resch and Smitha Stansbury
Quinn Emanuel has grown its Chicago office with the addition of a Winston Taylor trial and appellate attorney Sean Suber
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP announced Monday that it has added an experienced intellectual property attorney Christian Mammen, who co-founded Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP's artificial intelligence and machine learning practice
FIRM SPOTLIGHT - FROSS ZELNICK LEHRMAN & ZISSU LLP
Fross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu is a leading New York and Washington, DC-based IP boutique with nearly 50 attorneys focused exclusively on intellectual property and related disputes. Founded in 1969, the firm has built a global practice representing major brands including PepsiCo, the LEGO Group, CHANEL, Tiffany & Co., L'Oréal, and Gap Inc. , along with high-profile celebrities, athletes, and entertainers. Its notable work includes securing copyright protections for characters such as the Batmobile and Winnie-the-Pooh, protecting LEGO’s trademarks, and helping Tiffany & Co. secure rights to its iconic Tiffany Blue. Today, Fross Zelnick advises clients across industries including fashion, luxury, entertainment, toys, gaming, and consumer brands on complex trademark, copyright, licensing, and other IP matters.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
During the first seven months of 2026, law firm associate rates increased by 7.9% on average, while partner rates rose by 5.6% across the industry, according to CounselLink's 2026 mid-year trends report.
Nearly half of the roughly 1,150 attorneys queried this summer said their well-being had worsened since the start of 2025, a new Bloomberg Law survey report shows. Nearly 70% of survey respondents said they felt more isolated at work than they used to.
Harvey raised $550 million in its latest funding round, bringing its valuation to $15.5 billion, up roughly 41% from the $11 billion valuation it reached just six months earlier after raising $200 million.
Gibson Dunn Takes on White House Press Ban
CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO have turned to Gibson Dunn’s First Amendment team to challenge the Trump administration’s decision to bar their journalists from the White House. The outlets sued in D.C. federal court, arguing that the ban and revocation of press credentials violate constitutional protections for the press and due process. The Gibson Dunn team, led by Theodore Boutrous Jr., Katie Townsend and Connor Sullivan, has previously represented major media organizations in high-profile First Amendment cases involving the Trump administration. The outlets and three reporters have also sought a temporary restraining order that would halt the ban and restore their White House access and press credentials.
The Legal Talent Pipeline Behind Big Tech
A new Pirical study maps the legal talent pipelines connecting major law firms to six leading tech companies: Meta, Anthropic, NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI and SpaceX, dubbed “MANGOS.” Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati ranked first, with at least 39 former attorneys now working in-house across the companies, while Morrison Foerster placed second and Latham & Watkins and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates tied for third. The study also examined personal connections and client work, highlighting how alumni networks and long-standing relationships can shape legal talent and business pipelines in the tech industry. It identified 538 lawyers who moved from top-200 law firms into in-house roles at the six companies, offering a new look at where tech giants are sourcing their legal talent.
