Sullivan & Cromwell is reshaping its Supreme Court and appellate practice with the addition of three lawyers with deep experience in the US solicitor general’s office and the nation’s highest court.
Jonathan Ellis and Michael Huston have joined the firm as partners in Washington, D.C., and will jointly lead its Supreme Court and appellate practice. Nicholas Crown is also joining the team as a partner.
The appointments come after a significant leadership change within Sullivan & Cromwell’s appellate group. Ellis previously worked at McGuireWoods, where he led its appellate practice, while Huston was most recently at Ashurst Perkins Coie and likewise held a leadership role in appellate litigation.
Crown also brings government and Supreme Court experience to the firm. All three lawyers previously served as clerks at the US Supreme Court and have worked as assistants to the solicitor general.
The arrivals follow the departure of several prominent lawyers from Sullivan & Cromwell earlier this year. Jeffrey Wall, Morgan Ratner, Judson Littleton and Yaira Dubin moved to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in April. Wall, who previously served as acting US solicitor general, now helps lead Gibson Dunn’s appellate and constitutional law practice.
The moves reflect a broader reshuffling among elite law firms seeking to strengthen their Supreme Court capabilities.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison also underwent a major change after Supreme Court practice leader Kannon Shanmugam and Masha Hansford left in April to establish a new group at Davis Polk & Wardwell. Paul Weiss subsequently brought in William Jay from Goodwin Procter to head its Supreme Court practice.
Kirkland & Ellis has similarly bolstered its appellate bench, bringing Christopher Michel from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in June to lead its Supreme Court and appellate practice.
The heightened competition comes as major questions surrounding executive authority, administrative agencies and the scope of government power continue to reach the Supreme Court and lower federal courts.
Ellis said the current focus on the administrative state and the executive branch’s authority is having a broader impact across the legal system. He and Huston said their new role will include helping clients respond to a regulatory environment that is changing rapidly.
