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17th Annual

LOS ANGELES LEGAL MARKET

Conference 2026

“The California Conundrum”

Economic Growth Continues; Inflation Cools Amid

Geo-Political Uncertainty

Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Conference Center

2000 Avenue of the Stars
Los Angeles

9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. PT

AI Boom; Competition; What to Watch!

“California, the epicenter of the artificial intelligence boom, continues to grow its economy faster than the nation.  However, cost of living remains high.  Worries about inflation have eased.”


“New economic indicators released this week show how the Golden State is grappling with the effects of the Iran war, as well as an AI explosion, which is driving huge investments as well as layoffs.”* Uncertainty is now the benchmark for economic well-being month to month.


Talent Update…Compensation…Top Practice Areas

Firms are hiring partner lateral talent as well as associates and AI trained engineers and lawyers. Real estate transactions, IP and AI, litigation, and corporate transactions are all top practice areas.  Compensation is rising.  Competitive pressures are real and push up rates and fees and comp.

​

New Office Openings

There is a spate of new office openings in the LA Market.  Davis Polk & Wardwell, Weil, Gotshal, Ropes & Gray, and other firms have opened offices and expanded their footprints in LA, especially on the West Side and Century City.  We will discuss the reasons for growth and expansion in the LA market.  What are the space needs and expectations for new space build outs?

​

Special Feature:  Why AI Is Transformative

Firms of all sizes can and are benefitting from AI initiatives.  Our panel will explain how AI is changing delivery of legal services through collaboration with clients on AI projects and in firm-centric projects like E-discovery.  Learn about Generative AI tools, how clients are using AI tools and third party applications.  How is technology project management helping firms use AI effectively in collaboration with clients and as a tool for internal use within the firm? Learn from the compelling use cases we will feature. 

All-Star Faculty of Law Firm Partners, Advisors

Angela C. Agrusa

Managing Partner, Los Angeles,   

DLA Piper LLP, Los Angeles, CA

 

Adam J. Bass

President and Chief Executive Officer,

Buchalter, Los Angeles

 

Philippa Bond

Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Los Angeles

 

Candice Choh

Co-Partner in Charge, Century City &

Los Angeles Offices,

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Thomas Chou

Managing Partner, Los Angeles,

Morrison Foerster, Los Angeles

           

Barbara Dunn

Principal, Gensler, Los Angeles

 

Jonathan Feldman

General Counsel,

Therabody, Los Angeles

 

Dominic Ferullo

Partner, Harvey,

Los Angeles

 

Dan Hatch

Partner, Hatch Henderson Fivel LLC,

Los Angeles

 

Ryan Landes

Partner,

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Amy Jane Longo

Managing Partner, Los Angeles,

Ropes & Gray LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Jennifer J. Levitt

Partner,

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, Los Angeles

 

​

​Peter B. Morrison

Partner in Charge, Los Angeles,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Marcela Robledo

Partner,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP,

San Francisco

 

Maria C. Rodriguez

Partner,

McDermott Will & Schulte LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Brittany Rogers

Managing Partner, Los Angeles,

O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Los Angeles

 

Jason Russell

Partner, Head of Los Angeles office,

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Tana M. Ryan

Managing Partner, Los Angeles,

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Kahn A. Scolnick

Co-Partner in Charge, Los Angeles and Century City, 

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP,

Los Angeles

​

Perrie Weiner

Partner in Charge, Los Angeles;

Chair, North America Securities Litigation Group,

Baker & McKenzie LLP,

Los Angeles

 

Jeffrey C. Welch

Executive Vice President, CBRE, Los Angeles

 

Peter M. Weil

Managing Partner,

Glaser Weil Fink Howard Jordan & Shapiro LLP,

Century City

—PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS—

9:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. PT

 

1.   State of the Market:  Law Firm Leaders Outlook

  • Outlook for 2027; Looking back on 2026; takeaways from nine months  

  • Impact of geopolitical, economic and transactional uncertainties and disruption on law firm economics and activity

  • Talent Wars and New Office Openings

    • Continued strategic alignment of top laterals and groups. New office openings, impact on the market

    • Top 200 law firms. Mergers?  Consolidation? P/E infusion?

  • Increased competition leads to increased rates and fees and compensation at higher and higher levels

  • Critical Challenges Facing Law Firm Leaders

    • Is the billable hour losing its grip on billing?  AFAs and value pricing

    • Non-equity Partner Tier: How to Retain this Talent?

    • How is the impact of AI affecting training, hiring and recruiting? Data scientists and engineers? AI Associates

    • How is senior management best utilizing nonlawyer senior professionals?

    • Costs and expenses are exploding.  Are collections running behind in 2026?

 

2.   What Clients Want

  • Client pressure on law firms to provide value

  • Value pricing/AFAs

  • Anticipated/budgeted corporate spend on legal department. Shifting demand.  Net spend anticipation. Discounting.

  • It’s All About AI for the clients

  • Best practices: what clients would like to see from their most valued providers.  Targeting client profiles.

  • What Industry sectors lead to Big Law Firms’ best engagements?

    • AI, IP, technology?  Real estate transactions, corporate transactions? Healthcare?

 

3.   AI: Adoption, Data Governance, Usage, Pricing

  • Strategy: How are different firms positioning themselves? New AI law firm

  • Working with clients: how to manage a “win-win” with clients?

  • Data Governance and policies; general counsels’ view

  • Optimizing partner interaction with AI: how to discuss AI with skeptics?

  • Firm uses for AI solutions

  • AI specific training for partners and associates

  • Pricing for AI; billable hour

 

4.   New Office Openings; Talent and Real Estate

  • War for Talent: Competition, New Office Openings

  • Talent:  Laterals, Groups, Mergers and Training

    • Market Differentiation and Segmentation including Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A); Compensation

    • Scale; market share.  What talent do you need in the future?  How are talent needs changing?  Fewer paralegals? Add Data scientists?

    • Talent: Lateral and group hiring, recruitment

      • Investment in groups

      • Compensation for partners and lateral partners; rising expenses for talent

      • Consolidation and growth

      • Targeting client relationships

    • Private equity ownership

    • Impact of mergers, laterals on real estate needs

    • Mergers and acquisitions recent examples: What is impact of mergers like McDermott Will & Schulte; HSF Kramer; Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader on competitors?

    • Training and development

      • Culture

      • Partners training

      • Lateral integration and training

  • Real Estate

    • State of the real estate market

    • Space planning

    • In-office vs remote working

    • Space layout for 2027 and beyond

 

* The Los Angeles Times, June 6, 2026

CLE Credit has been applied for.

Questions? E-mail: ginarivera@sandpiperpartners.com

Phone: 973.278.8800

 

ABOUT THE ORGANIZER

Sandpiper Partners is an educational firm run by highly successful entrepreneur, Lynn Glasser, who has decades of experience producing educational solutions for law firms, law departments, legal vendors and information providers serving the legal industry. Sandpiper Partners presents seven Legal Market annual conferences in major U.S. legal centers from New York to Chicago to California and London. At Sandpiper Partners, the Glassers designed and implemented the first ever Executive MBA for Law Firm Managers. They founded the “Legal Times” in D.C.

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© 2026 by Sandpiper Partners, LLC​

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