Biglaw

What In The Wachtell Is Going On? Elite Firm Makes A Splashy Lateral Hire

Selwyn Goldberg has left Wilson Sonsini.

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Selwyn Goldberg

Some Biglaw firms are major players in the lateral market — increasing headcount like it ain’t no thang. But others are more choosy, generally preferring homegrown talent to trying to lure big names away from other firms.

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz usually falls into the latter category. The hyper-elite firm tends to stay above the lateral fray, but there must be something in this spring air that brings out the adventurous. Now comes word Wachtell has added a lateral to its roster of legal talent — former Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati senior partner Selwyn Goldberg.

Goldberg comes to Wachtell in an of counsel role, having left WSGR in March for personal reasons. And as Law.com reports he is happy in the role of counsel:

Goldberg said he left on good terms with Wilson Sonsini and attributed his move as “very much a personal decision,” one grounded in the need to have a more permanent presence closer to his family and an eagerness to embark on a new—and likely final—chapter in his career. Asked about whether he has any aspirations to join Wachtell’s exclusive partnership, Goldberg laughed and said he is content in his current role.

Goldberg’s background — as an advisor to transactions in the technology sector notably on the legal teams that counseled Toshiba’s proposed sale of its chip business and Microsoft’s 2016 purchase of LinkedIn — was what appealed to the powers that be at Wachtell:

“I think [Wachtell] wanted someone for IP and tech transactions,” said Goldberg, when asked how he came to be hired by the firm. “The M&A expertise is obviously already here.”

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Best of luck to both Goldberg and Wachtell, here’s hoping they’re happy together.

headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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