The deal between Citigroup and Wachovia fell through, allowing Wells Buffet Fargo to swoop in and pick up the ball Citigroup dropped.

Citigroup is considering whether to increase it's bid for Wachovia or sue Wachovia according to the Wall Street Journal. They might also consider crying themselves to sleep on their huge pillow.

But legal insiders are busy blaming people for the aborted merger between the two commercial banks. The Wall Street Journal Law Blog suggests that Sullivan and Cromwell --counsel for Wachovia on both mergers-- attorneys hit the snooze button one too many times:

We lobbed a call over to Wachovia's lawyer, S&C's Rodgin Cohen, to find out. Cohen declined to comment on the record. But in looking for clues this morning, we came across this National Law Journal story entitled, "Crisis mantra for sleep-deprived M&A attorneys: don't sweat the small stuff."

Discussing the feverish pace of three recent billion-dollar bank mergers, the NLJ quoted Cohen in explaining how to put such deals together so quickly: "We all understood, you can't sweat the small stuff."

The Law Blog claims that the "small stuff" might be an exclusivity agreement:

Citi claims the letter of intent it reached with Wachovia contained an exclusivity agreement prohibiting Wachovia from trying to lure other bidders. ... An M&A partner at a large New York firm who spoke with us this morning says no. "Quite often, letters of intent don't include exclusivity agreements."

Additional winners and losers after the jump.

Back in July, we were the first to wonder about the mysterious departure from Sullivan & Cromwell of Carlos Spinelli-Noseda, a rising star at the über-prestigious (and profitable) law firm. Some commenters viewed our interest in his departure as unseemly, prying, or reflecting bias against S&C.

We don't mean to gloat -- okay, maybe just a little -- but we've been vindicated by recent revelations. From a report by Anthony Lin in the New York Law Journal:

A former Sullivan & Cromwell partner has resigned from the bar for billing his clients and firm more than $500,000 in fraudulent travel and entertainment expenses.

Carlos J. Spinelli-Noseda, a banking and finance specialist who joined Sullivan & Cromwell straight out of Harvard Law School in 1994 and became a partner in 2003, was facing a disciplinary investigation over a pattern of improper billing dating from roughly July 1998 to February 2008.

In a June 3 affidavit of resignation he submitted to the disciplinary committee of the First Department, Mr. Spinelli-Noseda admitted he could not successfully defend himself against charges of professional misconduct. Such resignations are frequently tendered when further proceedings are almost certain to lead to disbarment.

Read more, after the jump.

Am Law Daily reports that H. Rodgin Cohen of S&C is making serious money as the markets collapse.

Cohen has been the man in demand by companies struggling to ride out the latest subprime-related rollercoaster roiling the capital markets. His work this past week alone includes advising Lehman Brothers on its limited options prior to filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday and counseling AIG in its $85 billion bailout by the Federal Reserve on Tuesday. The longtime S&C partner was on a roll even before these events unraveled last weekend--Cohen advised Fannie Mae on its seizure by the federal government on September 7.

Does that "H" stand for "hurricane?" We'll see if Cohen brings rain to associates come bonus time.

We've covered a lot of the law firms that are dancing in the ashes of Wall Street. But new winners are emerging everyday. Simpson Thacher advised the AIG board of directors. Millbank, Paul Hastings, Cravath, and Kelley Drye are just some of the firms that are in on the party known as "creditor actions." And Clifford Chance handled part of Barclay's acquisition along with Cleary.

Even government lawyers will get in on the fun, now that Andrew Cuomo doesn't know the difference between New York State and the power of God.

It looks like there is going to be a lot of work floating around this fourth quarter as people try to make their hours.

But it's not all candy and coke for big firms these days.

Read about the downside after the jump.

In case you hadn't heard, Wall Street is in meltdown mode right now. Our colleagues over at Dealbreaker have been working over the weekend and around the clock to cover all the latest developments.

Here are the two big stories from the financial world. First, the top-level parent company of Lehman Brothers, Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (But no sleeping in for Lehmanites; they have been informed that they're still expected to show up to work this morning.)

Second, Merrill Lynch, the investment bank that some feared might be next to go down the Bear Stearns / Lehman Brothers path, has reached a deal to sell itself to Bank of America, for $50 billion.

What do these deals mean for lawyers? Well, at least in the short term, they bring good news: more work. (Over the long term, of course, the news may be less good, as current and potential future clients vanish from the landscape on Wall Street.)

For its bankruptcy, Lehman is turning to Weil Gotshal & Manges, long known for its top-notch bankruptcy practice. From Dealbook:

Lehman has hired Weil, Gotshal & Manges, the law firm that handled Drexel [Burnham Lambert]'s bankruptcy filing [in 1990]. Harvey Miller, the head of Weil's restructuring practice, is known as one of the deans of the bankruptcy bar.

In addition, Lehman is trying to sell its more valuable assets, including its broker-dealer and asset-management operations. It appears to be represented in those efforts by Sullivan & Cromwell, according to TheDeal.com (subscription).

Meanwhile, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, a powerhouse in financial-institutions M&A, is getting a piece of the action on the Merrill deal. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Merrill / B of A deal was hammered out in "a marathon series of meetings at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, the law firm which has long represented Bank of America in its deals."

Wachtell isn't lending out their offices for free. As TheDeal.com reports, WLRK is indeed representing Bank of America in the transaction (for a fee that will be well into the eight figures -- Ed Herlihy doesn't come cheap). Merrill Lynch is being advised by Shearman & Sterling.

If you're aware of other winners and losers from these deals, please share what you know, in the comments.

Lehman Announces Bankruptcy Filing For Holding Company [Dealbreaker]
Bank of America Reaches Deal To Buy Merrill Lynch [Dealbreaker]
What a Lehman Bankruptcy Filing Might Look Like [DealBook]
Bank of America to Buy Merrill [Wall Street Journal]

When it comes to law firm swag -- and compensation, and prestige -- Sullivan & Cromwell has long been a market leader. Remember their famous bonsai trees?

Last year, S&C made an appearance at the Lavender Law conference, an annual gathering for LGBT lawyers and law students. To improve their standing in the gay community, which was damaged a bit by the Aaron Charney lawsuit, they came bearing gifts: Kiehl's products.

We were impressed: "S&C is shrewd: they know the way to our hearts is through our pores." But others were not. Sniffed one commenter:

I guess the memo didn't make it to the S&C gays. We don't use Kiehl's any longer... We've moved on to Malin & Goetz.

So guess what Sullivan & Cromwell gave away at this year's Lavendar Law conference? Yup, that's right: Malin + Goetz, in copious quantities. Even though S&C generally doesn't respond to our requests for comment on stories about them, it seems that they read ATL -- including the comments.

S&C made upgrades in other departments as well. Last year, a Lavender Law attendee described the Sullivan reps as "pallid and haggard." This year, the S&C conference crew was "hot hot hot."

S&C to 190K? Maybe not in 2008. But if you're looking for high-end cosmetics and gay male eye candy, they've got you covered.

Earlier: Sullivan & Cromwell and the Gays: Kiehling Them With Kindness

Wachtell may be the most prestigious firm out there (according to Vault), but it has the industry's worst Web site, as rated by Jonathan Thrope of the American Lawyer. We're not completely sure we trust his judgment though, since he was "sucked in" by Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice's animated dog. We waited for it to do something cool, but it just stretched and yawned.

According to Thrope, law firms are getting more serious about online marketing and using Web sites to create a distinctive brand. In general, law firm sites strike us as fairly dry. And boring. There are a few exceptions, like the Van Winkle Law Firm's split personality bio page. North Carolina-based Van Winkle adds a personal touch to its site with dual bios (and photos) for many of its attorneys: one with professional highlights, and another focused on hobbies and life outside of work.

Other firms experiment with offbeat advertising, but seem to be using it to recruit attorneys, not clients. Like Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle's creation of a Facebook page, and Stoel Rives' free-style running promo on YouTube.

Of the assortment of staid sites in the AmLaw 100, five made Thrope's cut for the worst. Check them out after the jump.

Jingoistic competition is fun, but why should handing out medals be the sole province of the IOC? Athletes and David Rivkin should not be the only ones getting a taste of Olympic glory.

Here at ATL, we've put law firms on the (imaginary) field of competition and are now ready to reveal the gold medal winners in a number of sports.

After the jump, see the winners, and weigh in on which firms would be champions in sports we did not pick for prime time.

As reported last week, the Vault 2009 law firm rankings are out. You can find Vault's ranking of the top 100 most prestigious firms here.

As observed by one astute commenter, "the prestige rankings will tell you nothing about the quality of your work experience." In order to address this, we are relaunching a popular feature from last year: a series of open threads on the Vault 100 firms, organized in batches of five, to allow for comparative discussion (and gossip) about perks, hours, recruiting standards, firm life, etc.

We're starting with the top five firms -- and experiencing a bit of déjà vu, since the list is identical to last year's (although the prestige scores, indicated parenthetically, have changed a little):

1. Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz (8.777)
2. Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP (8.732)
3. Sullivan & Cromwell LLP (8.257)
4. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (8.135)
5. Davis Polk & Wardwell (8.070)

Cravath is closer than last year to passing Wachtell in the rankings. Perhaps the bedbugs prevented CSM from retaking the top position, which it held back in the 2003 rankings. We're amused that Vault lists this as a Cravath "notable perk": "Grinds associates into a fine, self-important powder."

Please discuss and compare the top five. More threads to come.

The Top 100 Most Prestigious Law Firms [Vault]

Earlier: Rejoice: The 2009 Vault Rankings Are Out!, Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 1-5 (2008 edition) and Fall Recruiting Open Thread: Vault 96-100 (2008 edition -- with links to all of last year's posts).

Back in February 2007, shortly after young gay lawyer Aaron Charney sued his former firm of Sullivan & Cromwell, alleging anti-gay discrimination and retaliation, the WSJ Law Blog asked: "Are Aaron Charney's Big Law-Firm Days Over?"

Based on the experts it spoke to, the WSJ concluded that "it'll be tough for Charney, though not impossible, to find work at another big firm." In the comments to the WSJ post, readers were less optimistic. One described Charney as "toast" -- a sentiment apparently shared by many ATL readers we heard from, who found laughable the notion that Aaron Charney might someday return to Biglaw.

If you were one of those who doubted that Aaron Charney could return to a large law firm, it's time for you to eat one of these. Next month, Charney will be joining Clifford Chance, in the Magic Circle firm's New York office.

We reached out to both Aaron Charney and Clifford Chance for confirmation and comment. Charney did not get back to us, but the firm did. From firm spokesperson Mike Kachel:

I can confirm that Aaron Charney, a talented lawyer, will join our New York office in early September from Sullivan & Cromwell as a fifth-year associate. Aaron's presence will further strengthen our M&A practice and we're delighted he's joining us.

The firm is clearly pleased to have Charney on the team. But does everyone at Clifford Chance feel the same way? The CC source who tipped us off to the news alluded to some grumbling among the rank-and-file about Charney's hiring (but didn't specify why people wouldn't want to have Charney as a colleague). As for why the firm wanted to hire Charney, this tipster suggested that Clifford Chance may want to improve its standing in the gay community, after settling a sexual orientation lawsuit brought by a gay partner in London last year.

Regardless of the naysayers' views, this does seem like a felicitous pairing. Aaron Charney gets to return to the world of corporate law and deal work, which he clearly loves. Clifford Chance gets to beef up its New York M&A practice -- and enhance its diversity record, too. Congratulations to both Charney and Clifford Chance!

P.S. Clifford Chance wasn't the only firm that flirted with Charney. As we mentioned back in May, he also interviewed with Kramer Levin.

P.P.S. Whatever happened to Charney pal Gera Grinberg? Might Clifford Chance have room for him too?

Are Aaron Charney's Big Law-Firm Days Over? [WSJ Law Blog]

Earlier: A Brokeback Lawfirm for the Other Side of the Pond

WOW. We'll update this with more info later, but we wanted to post this ASAP, so we can be FIRST.

For now -- WOW. Check out Kasowitz Benson's barn burner of a complaint -- filed against former partner Jeremy Pitcock (pictured), who sued the firm for defamation last month -- by clicking here (PDF). See especially the following paragraphs:

In today's National Law Journal, Leigh Jones has a most interesting article about the impact of legal gossip blogs (ahem) on law firms. It begins:

Many of the nation's most renowned law firms have felt the public relations wallop delivered by law gossip blogs, those online tabloids that can turn an interoffice memo into a virtual billboard of bad news for partners or associates.

Whether the topic is layoffs or love affairs, it seems that no subject is too edgy for sites such as Above the Law, Greedy Associates, AutoAdmit and a few others that dig up the legal profession's dirt. The immediacy -- and, at times, the brutality -- of the media form is presenting a challenge for firms that are wary of their private matters entering the public domain.

True enough. But blogs can also be a medium for getting positive news out -- e.g., associate pay raises, record partner profits, pro bono work, and charitable contributions -- which firms are only now realizing.

Here's an interesting comment from a firm leader one might expect to be less than enthusiastic about blogging:

Gossip blogs have created an immediacy of information and a quick way to share comments, compared with newspapers and magazines, said Rodgin Cohen, chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell. But the rule for law firms to follow has remained the same over time: "With any widely disseminated message, you have to ask if you're prepared to see it in a publication," he said.

New York-based Sullivan & Cromwell was highlighted for months on law blogs after former associate Aaron Charney filed a lawsuit in January 2007 alleging that he was subjected to sexual orientation harassment and retaliation by the firm. The case settled last year.

"I accept that publicity is a good disinfectant," Cohen said.

Indeed (as Justice Louis Brandeis famously observed). Speaking of S&C gossip, does anyone have updates on Carlos Spinelli-Noseda?

More discussion, after the jump.

The nation's newspapers have been full of "doom and gloom" about the economy lately -- and perhaps it's infectious. A pessimistic business outlook has seeped into ATL, with lots of posts devoted to lawyer and staff layoffs, attorney pay cuts, downsized summer associate programs, and the like.

Some readers have accused us of being alarmist. We plead guilty, at least in part; this is "a legal tabloid," after all. As we previously wrote: "In these pages, we alternate between sensationalistically fanning the flames of greed (NY to 190) and despair (Nationwide Layoff Watch)."

But there is good news to be had. From a tipster at Sullivan & Cromwell, reporting on remarks that chairman H. Rodgin Cohen recently delivered to the summer class:

Rodge Cohen promised the S&C summer associates that we'd all have jobs at the end of the summer and that the partners would take any [financial] hit [necessary]. He said that the firm would not be altering its summer hiring policy.

The events are insane, and they're still spending a fortune on food, etc. They also gave us Blackberries (not sure they normally do this). They claim to be fairly busy.

Earlier this month, the American Lawyer reported on a similarly sizzling summer over at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, S&C's uptown rival:

At a time when several firms are cutting back their summer programs, Cravath, Swaine & Moore is taking the opposite approach, boosting its program's size by more than 75 percent. Cravath is bringing in 161 summer associates, up from 91 last year. The additional recruits are part of an expansion plan, says managing partner Evan Chesler....

Cravath doesn't look to be cutting back on perks either. Among the events anticipated by incoming summers are a party at the Central Park Zoo and several Broadway shows, including "Jersey Boys," "Young Frankenstein," and "Spring Awakening."

Another firm often mentioned in the same breath as Cravath and Sullivan, Wachtell Lipton, is also hosting one of its largest summer classes ever.

A question: Could the grim economic times be a recruiting boon for firms like Wachtell, Cravath, and S&C? These firms are known for being "hard core" and intense; they're not the easiest Biglaw shops to work for. They're all known for punishing hours, especially Wachtell; Cravath has those bedbugs; and S&C has those lawsuits, filed by allegedly abused associates.

But these firms are unbelievably profitable, extremely stable financially, and so invested in their institutional prestige that they'd rather take a hit to their sky-high profits per partner than to their reputations. This makes it highly unlikely that they'd ever lay off associates or cut salaries (or, in Wachtell's case, dole out bonuses below 50 percent of base salary).

Will such super-elite firms become the "hot" firms in the next recruiting cycle, as law students with their pick of offers opt for their relative safety? Sure, there may be firms out there that are "cooler," "kinder and gentler," or more "lifestyle-oriented" than Cravath, S&C, and Wachtell. But are they worth the downside risk?

We'll see what law students think, when they "vote with their feet" come recruiting time. If you have examples of other firms that are flourishing despite the terrible economy, feel free to give them a shout-out in the comments.

Cravath to Expand Through Bulked-Up Summer Associate Program [American Lawyer]

We inquired into this topic previously, and one of you even put up a Community post. What's up with those special bonuses for senior associates over at Sullivan & Cromwell?

This gossip has been circulating:

Rumor has it that S&C put out a memo about the senior bonuses [last week]. Apparently, the $2.5 million they "put aside" [mostly] went to cover the Cravath special bonus. The actual amount of the bonus was unknown as of last night as far I could tell.

The memo, which I don't have, seemed to suggest that the money was spent, but that they were going to give a small amount because they had promised. If S&C senior associates are lucky, maybe they'll get a gift certificate to Chili's.

And it's true. We couldn't get our hands on the memo, but we have confirmed with sources at the firm that S&C paid out its special "senior associate bonuses" last week. We don't know the numbers for all years, but word on the street is that current fifth-years received around $2,500.

Three grand is small compared to the whopping year-end bonuses that Sullivan already paid to its senior associates. But contrary to our tipster, it buys you more than a few meals at Chili's. Maybe the Cheesecake Factory?

In related news, the Sunday Styles section of the New York Times has an interesting article entitled "Not-So-Personal Finance." It's all about how among young people -- say, folks in their twenties and thirties -- open discussion of salaries and compensation isn't as taboo / tacky as it is among older folks. Lawyers get a shout-out:

Several workers under 35 said that greater salary transparency among friends only makes sense in an age when there is so much information freely available online. Young professionals, in fact, have all sorts of ways to find out how much their friends make, even without asking. Associates at law firms anonymously report their own salaries to Web sites like www.greedyassociates.com.

Greedy Associates? That's a bit "five years ago." If you check out their front page now, you'll see it's overrun with spam and postings about lawyer salaries in Kiev (no offense to our Ukrainian brethren).

We realize that the readership of Above the Law isn't exactly a random sample, but please take our poll:

Not-So-Personal Finance [New York Times]

Earlier: Associate Bonus Watch: Sullivan & Cromwell Matches (and More)

We received 1,036 responses to last week's ATL / Lateral Link survey on where you'd most want to work, which, in turn, was based on your nominations last month.

Here's how it turned out:

Survey Results: Which Firm Would You Most Want To Work For?

Overall, Latham & Watkins dominated the field, pulling in almost one fifth of all votes. Latham was the most popular choice among voters in L.A., the Bay Area, and Washington, DC, and was particularly favored by tax lawyers and litigators.

Runner-up Wachtell was actually the top choice of respondents in New York, narrowly besting Davis Polk and Latham. It was also, by far, the most popular pick among M&A lawyers, with roughly 30% of their vote.

Kirkland placed third overall, but was the top choice of Chicago respondents and patent lawyers, with almost twice as many votes as the next most popular firm in Chicago (Latham) and almost as many patent votes as the next two firms combined (Latham and Quinn).

Williams & Connolly, Ropes & Gray, and Davis Polk tied for fourth, with Ropes & Gray dominating the Boston vote, Williams & Connolly pwning DC (and gaining the second highest vote from litigators after Latham), and Davis Polk rocking the investment management scene (with Ropes & Gray running second best in that field).

Paul Hastings was the clear winner among labor & employment attorneys, winning almost 70% of the vote, and was also the most popular choice among real estate attorneys and lawyers in Atlanta.

On the Magic Circle front, Linklaters proved more popular than Allen & Overy, and was actually the most popular choice among securities lawyers. Allen & Overy was the most popular choice among structured finance attorneys.

The Brokeback Lawfirm scandal folded its pup tent months ago. But there's still stuff to cover at one of ATL's favorite firms, the venerable Sullivan & Cromwell.

Here are two items. First, from a tipster:

If I recall correctly, Sullivan & Cromwell sent out a memo in December or January saying that even though they paid the "special bonuses" in December, they still intended to pay additional profit-sharing bonuses in February. [February is over] and as far as I know, not a word from S&C. Can you guys please make a big deal over this?

The tipster's memory is slightly off. From chairman H. Rodgin Cohen's earlier bonus memo:

[T]he Firm will pay senior associates compensation in addition to salary and bonus through our new Senior Associate Supplemental Bonus Plan ("the Plan"). We have decided to accelerate payments under this new Plan to result in the following [market-matching bonuses] being paid on December 14 to our senior associates, with final supplemental payments to be made in the Spring of '08.

We are now officially into spring 2008. So ATL hereby "make[s] a big deal over this." Has S&C paid the supplemental bonuses to its senior associates? If so, can someone please give us the skinny?

Second, here's an interesting rumor of a partner departure from S&C, from a different tipster:

Carlos Spinelli-Noseda is a partner at S&C (do a Google search and check the cached website). At this point, however, you can't find him on the firm's external or internal website anymore. No idea what's up with him, but apparently he [was] involved in a firm event about 10 days ago...

We're intrigued. Partner departures are more common farther down the Am Law 100, but they're rare at a place like Sullivan & Cromwell.

We did some preliminary poking around, but didn't learn anything. A firm spokesperson didn't respond to multiple telephone and email messages. The usual news sources have no stories about his defection to another firm. On LinkedIn, he's still listed as an S&C partner (although it's true, as noted by the tipster, that his bio is gone from the S&C website).

We tried contacting Mr. Spinelli-Noseda directly. Our email didn't bounce back, but we didn't get a response either. When we dialed his direct extension, a receptionist answered the telephone with the firm name, not his name. When we asked to speak with him, the secretary asked us -- in a vaguely hostile tone -- who we were and why we were calling. She took down our contact info, but did not offer to put us into voice-mail, and we never received a return call.

If you know what's going on, please email us. Thanks.

Update: The mystery of Spinelli-Noseda's departure has been solved. See here for details.

Spring! Cherry blossoms, opening day, and pedigreed lawyers uniting in marriage. We're pleased to be back with another installment of Legal Eagle Wedding Watch, featuring these three impressive couples:

1.) Susannah Foster and Kenyon Weaver

2.) Kathleen DeLaney and Courtney Thomas

3.) Heath Kern and Joseph Gibson

More on our finalists, after the jump.

This month's ATL / Lateral Link survey, focused on which firm you would choose if you could go anywhere, was dominated by Latham & Watkins and Wachtell Lipton. But several firms were close behind.

  * Respondents had several reasons to applaud Latham: "Prestige", "Friends there are happy", "Awesome firm, awesome people", "They rock", "Prestige, substantive work, great litigation practice", and "Top notch clients and matters; kick ass bonuses; selective hiring in a good way (need good grades plus a good; personality); Vault top 10 without the stuffiness of originating on the east coast; good growth but no risk of Brobecking (great management + tons of funds).....should I go on?" Or, as one respondent summed it up: "ass kickers."

  * At Wachtell, with 2007 profits per partner of $4.48 million, money played a key factor in respondents' enthusiasm for the firm: "100% bonus", "money", "it's all about the cash", "I want the compensation!", "money honey" and, of course, "CASH."

  * "Money" was also a big plus for Cravath (even though their profits per partner were a mere $3.3 million). Voters also noted "Prestige, training, can go anywhere else afterwards."

  * "Prestige" and "Exit opportunities" also won several votes for Skadden, who also had more than $2 billion in revenues last year. (Their SideBar program is pretty cool, too.)

  * "Bonuses and work" were praised at Kirkland & Ellis, as was stability: "They're well positioned for the credit crunch and M&A downturn. And the pay's better, of course."

  * Sullivan & Cromwell was also coveted for "good work, and $$$$" as well as "reputation." With profits per partner of $3.13 million, that "$$$$" is appealing at multiple levels.

  * Paul Hastings surged in popularity as respondents complemented their labor & employment practice and their compensation structures in Atlanta and Chicago.

  * In an incendiary match-up, Davis Polk was heralded as "da bomb", while Boston heavyweight Ropes & Gray was declared "the bomb."

  * Among the Magic Circle firms, Allen & Overy supporters declared "Great offices, european attitude" while Linklaters was called "the best globally, both in equity and debt."

  * Debevoise won several votes for its combination of "prestige and culture".

  * Litigators were torn between Quinn Emanuel, where "hard core litigators with a great reputation" create an atmosphere where "[p]ersonality, quirkiness, and fun seem prevalent," and Williams & Connolly, as "the best litigatio[n] shop. Period."

So of these fourteen juggernauts of practice, prestige, and sweet, sweet profits, who would you most like to work for?

Cast your vote in today's ATL / Lateral Link survey, after the jump.

From a blast email we received yesterday from Sullivan & Cromwell (yes, we're on the S&C distribution list):

Please note Sullivan & Cromwell LLP's representation of Microsoft (U.S.) in its proposed US$ 44.6 billion acquisition of Yahoo! (U.S.), announced February 1, 2008. The S&C team on the transaction includes corporate/M&A partners James Morphy, Duncan McCurrach and Alexandra Korry in New York and Eric Krautheimer in Los Angeles.

If you followed the Aaron Charney saga as obsessively as we did, you'll recall that Krautheimer and Korry were the tale's two main villains -- partners who, even if not harboring antigay bias, weren't exactly the most fun people to work for. From an associate's perspective, working on a high-profile deal for this dynamic duo must be super-exciting, but not without its challenges.

In last month's ATL / Lateral Link survey we asked you which holidays you worked on, or expected to work on, during 2007. About half of you reported that you had worked on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Last week, we asked you how you fared this year. Did you take the day off to honor a champion of civil rights, or did you make it a "day on"?

We received just under 1,300 responses, and 44% of you reported that you took the day off. Associates in New York, Los Angeles and Boston were most likely to celebrate the holiday, while associates in Chicago, Atlanta, the Bay Area, and Texas were most likely to be working. (Respondents in the Bay Area were also most likely to work over Christmas and New Year's. Is it time for them to get New York bonuses?)

How did it break down on a firm by firm basis? DLA Piper, Milbank, Sidley & Austin, Dechert, Hunton & Williams, Jones Day, Latham, Mayer Brown, McDermott, Hughes Hubbard, McGuire Woods, Morgan Lewis, Nixon Peabody, Paul Hastings, and Sullivan & Cromwell each had multiple happy associates who reported that they had taken the day off. Kirkland & Ellis, Baker Botts, Dewey & LeBoeuf, O'Melveny & Myers, Weil, and Winston & Strawn each had mixed responses. Associates at Skadden, however, uniformly reported that they had worked the holiday, as Martin Luther King Jr. day is a "floating" holiday for the firm.

Of those who spent the day at the office, about 54% reported that they weren't actually asked to work the holiday, but had things they needed to get done. About a quarter reported that their offices were open. Another quarter said that partners told them to work on the holiday. About 8% were asked to work by clients. A surprising number of respondents wrote in that other associates had told them to work on the holiday.

A little over a third of respondents who worked on the holiday thought that the work did not justify the sacrifice.

In our column for this week's New York Observer, we help you plan an imaginary dinner party. A dinner party, of course, is only as good as the guest list. So we review which colorful characters of the legal world, who made headlines in 2007, should be invited to your festivities.

Think of it as a "year in review" piece, aimed primarily at people who don't read ATL (since most of the names mentioned in the article will be familiar to regular visitors to this site). The potential guests under consideration: Charlene Morisseau, the sassy ex-associate who sued DLA Piper; Aaron Charney, who made S&C "bend over"; and internet celebrity Loyola 2L.

ATL bonus content: Due to space considerations, our write-up of Elana Glatt (née Elana Elbogen) wound up on the cutting room floor. But if you'd like to read it, we've reprinted it after the jump.

Culture of Complaint Spreads Through Law Firms [New York Observer]