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Cordially Invites You to 

A Complimentary In-Person Conference

 

19TH ANNUAL

LEADING Law Firms

Thursday, February 12, 2026

In-Person at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison Conference Center

1285 Avenue of the Americas, New York City

9:00 a.m.  – 1:30 p.m. ET including lunch buffet

What Leaders Want to Know in One Succinct Conference
For 19 years Sandpiper has been the number one educational conference looking at the legal industry from the view of top Chairs and MPs of highly regarded firms.

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Chairs, Managing Partners and Lawyer Leaders Share

Their Plans for Keeping 2026 Surging Ahead

Faculty

Mehdi Ansari, Partner, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, New York

Barclay Blair, Senior Managing Director, AI Innovation Lead, DLA Piper US, New York

Michael Bosworth, Partner, Deputy General Counsel, Goldman Sachs, New York  

Lauren Chung, Practice Group Lead, Strategy + Transformation, Harbor Global, LLC, New York

Deborah L. de Vries, Partner, Co-Leader – Law Firm Group, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, New York

Nicole D. Fanjul, Co-Deputy Office Managing Partner, New York office, Latham & Watkins, New York

Adam Hakki, Partner, Co-Chair Executive Committee/Board and U.S. Chair, A&O Shearman, New York

Ann M. Kappler, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Prudential Financial, Inc., Newark

Brad S. Karp, Chairman, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York

David M. Kleinhandler, Senior Vice President, CBRE, New York

Steven D. Lando, Partner, Co-Leader – Law Firm Group, Anchin, Block & Anchin LLP, New York

Peter Martelli, Partner, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, New York

Francesca L. Odell, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York

Yvette Ostolaza, Chair, Sidley Austin LLP, Dallas

Glenn G. Patton, Chief Administrative Partner, Alston & Bird, Atlanta, GA           

William Perlstein, Senior Managing Director, Vice-Chair, Client Services, FTI Consulting, Washington, D.C.

Mat Rosswood, Chief Operating Officer, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (US) LLP, New York

Mark D. Wasserman, Partner, CEO Emeritus, Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, Atlanta

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12 Key Observations Our Astute Panel Will Discuss

  1. While there is now booming demand for legal work, there is instability in the markets and the workforce and geo-political upheaval.

  2. Will today’s strong market dynamics precede a downturn? While we saw 1.9% demand growth, will we see this continue to be a strong year?

  3. Why does segmentation matter more than ever now?

  4. GC’s handle more work by shifting routine work, and they send some complex work to firms that charge less.

  5. Top tier firms do more private equity work than ever, and are foregoing some work assignments to other firms.

  6. More laterals are moving from top tier firms to other Am Law 100 and Am Law 200 firms

  7. Why are firms merging in record numbers? Why are firms in London and U.S. merging at a rapid pace?

  8. What are the strongest practice areas and why did practice areas across the board from M&A and corporate practice and litigation grow in 2025?

  9. Training and development is key to ensuring AI is adopted widely in firms .

  10. AI puts pressure on rates.  How do firms handle this?

  11. The talent movement has a ripple effect on firms and the entire legal leadership.  M&A is about talent and technology.  What are firms doing to make themselves attractive?

  12. What can disrupt firms’ plans this year?

Program Highlights:
9:00 a.m.  – 1:30 p.m. ET

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1. State of the Market:  Law Firm Leaders Outlook

  • Outlook for 2026, takeaways from 2025

  • Leadership strategies

  • Segmentation

    • Top tier firms

    • Continued strategic alignment of top laterals. “Lateral activity expected to surge in 2026”*

    • Top 200 law firms

  • Hot practice areas: P/E, M&A, real estate, corporate, litigation, labor and employment*

  • Rates, is there slowing demand?

 

2. Market Differentiation and Segmentation including Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Talent

  • Scale

  • Talent: Lateral Hiring, Recruitment

    • Investments in partners

    • Consolidation and growth

    • Targeting client relationships

  • Market share

  • Technology

  • International and U.S. expansion: London firms continue to emphasize growth in U.S.

  • Recent examples: McDermott Will & Schulte; HSF Kramer; Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader; Perkins Coie and Ashurst

  • Critical factors: cultural fit, client continuity, strategic rationale, career mobility, technology costs *

  • Transatlantic mergers

  • Training and development

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3. AI and Technology

  • Strategy

  • Working with clients

  • Optimizing partner interaction with AI

  • Firm uses for AI solutions

  • Training partners and associates

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4. Business Considerations

  • P/E investments

  • Rising expenses for talent and technology

  • Pricing models and client value

  • Collection realization

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5. What Clients Want

  • Client pressure on law firms to prove value

  • Use of external counsel and value and rates

  • Anticipated corporate spend; and shifting demand

  • Possible billing crises

  • Pricing AI

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* 2026 Report on the State of the US Legal Market, Thomson Reuters Institute, January 7, 2026

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© 2024 by Sandpiper Partners, LLC​

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