The talent carousel in New York’s elite legal circle spun again this week, with Davis Polk & Wardwell securing yet another partner from rival Cravath, Swaine & Moore—a move that underscores the shifting gravity among the city’s most storied firms.
Amanda Hines Gold has crossed over to Davis Polk’s New York office, strengthening its executive compensation bench. Her arrival marks at least the sixth partner departure from Cravath this year, a striking development for a firm long known for its insular partnership model and resistance to lateral hiring.
The migration pattern isn’t isolated. In recent months, Cravath partners have resurfaced at Paul Hastings and Willkie Farr & Gallagher, while Jelena McWilliams—who once helped establish Cravath’s Washington presence—opted for the corporate route, joining fintech company Plaid in a senior leadership role.
Another high-profile shift looms. George Schoen, who co-leads Cravath’s global M&A practice, is set to become general counsel at Martin Marietta Materials, signaling that the pull of in-house leadership roles remains strong.
Cravath’s aura has long rested on its profitability and its tightly controlled partner ranks. For decades, departures were rare and lateral hires even rarer. That equilibrium has been tested in recent years as competitive compensation structures evolve across Big Law. The firm has reportedly adopted a salaried, nonequity partner tier—a structural shift reflecting broader industry recalibration.
Davis Polk, for its part, has been methodical in fortifying its ranks. Earlier, it added Benjamin Joseloff, a former U.S. Treasury Department official who previously worked in national security matters at Cravath.
Gold’s résumé includes work on major corporate transactions. She was part of the team advising Frontier Communications during its $20 billion sale to Verizon, a deal that closed following regulatory approval in California.
Meanwhile, Cravath is not standing still. Since early last year, it has brought in several partners from other firms and from government roles, including Nicole Argentieri, formerly of the Justice Department’s criminal division. The firm also elevated a fresh class of internal lawyers to partnership at the start of this year—an effort to replenish from within even as lateral exits make headlines.
For New York’s legal elite, the message is clear: legacy alone is no longer insulation. The competition for top-tier talent has become a full-contact sport.
