“Dan has deep experience advising clients on the tax elements across their most transformative transactions,” said Scott Sontag, global co-head of the firm’s Tax Department. “His proficiency in complex investment fund structures and other private equity transactions, coupled with his commercial, solutions-oriented approach, make Dan a great addition to our tax team.”

“Dan’s arrival adds depth to our capabilities in Washington, D.C. and strengthens our ability to serve clients at the intersection of their tax and transactional matters,” said Scott Sher, co-head of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. “We are thrilled to have him on board at Paul, Weiss.”

Zygielbaum’s practice focuses on tax planning for investment funds. He regularly advises private equity, real estate and venture fund sponsors, as well as REITs, sovereign wealth funds, developers and other institutional investors on a range of tax planning matters, including fund formations, continuation fund transactions, GP-stakes deals, fund recapitalizations and fund secondary transactions. He also counsels clients on the tax dimensions of public and private M&A, joint ventures, capital markets transactions and cross-border real estate investments. In addition, Zygielbaum has represented clients in tax audits and Congressional investigations.

Zygielbaum’s recent representations, among many others, include advising Meridiam on the formation of its Meridiam Infrastructure North American Fund IV and various other infrastructure transactions and fund formations; Faropoint on its flagship Industrial Value Fund IV and numerous other infrastructure fund formations and joint ventures; and EQT Exeter on the formation of its EQT Exeter Industrial Value Fund VI, as well as other industrial, multifamily and office fund formations.

Zygielbaum earned a B.S., cum laude, from the University of Maryland, and a J.D. cum laude, from Harvard Law School.

Paul Weiss’s Tax Department advises clients on a broad range of complex transactions across industries and geographies. Working closely with the firm’s Corporate and Restructuring & Debt Capital Solutions departments, our tax lawyers help clients identify opportunities, mitigate risk and maximize value throughout the transaction lifecycle.  

Nickel counsels clients on the qualification of transactions for renewable energy tax credits, application of existing tax laws to new technologies, multistate product launches, and resolution of tax controversies. Before joining Aon in 2024, he was an associate at McGuireWoods focused on energy-related tax advisory work.

Nickel previously held senior legal roles at Sunrun and Pacific Gas and Electric Company, where he advised on renewable energy matters and managed tax transactions worth hundreds of millions of dollars, and practiced at multiple Am Law 100 firms.

“Marc's return to McGuireWoods is a testament to the strength of our energy and tax teams,” said Gerald V. Thomas II, deputy managing partner of the firm’s corporate practice. “His combination of law firm, in-house, and brokerage experience gives him a unique perspective on complex energy tax matters.”

Durham McCormick, a tax partner and co-leader of the firm’s Renewable Energy Practice Group, added: “Marc’s extensive work on federal energy tax credits, state and local tax incentives, and tax policy advocacy positions him to serve clients at the forefront of renewable energy transactions.”

McGuireWoods’ Renewable Energy Practice Group represents developers, independent power producers, sponsors, utilities, and infrastructure funds across energy sectors including biomass, geothermal, hydropower, nuclear, battery storage, solar and wind. The firm’s Tax Practice Group advises on sophisticated transactions including mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, restructurings, financings and international investments. The firm consistently earns top rankings for its energy industry capabilities in Chambers USA and the Legal 500 United States.

“I am excited to return to McGuireWoods, where the energy team is second to none,” Nickel said. “Leading Aon's West Coast tax insurance efforts immersed me in the commercial fundamentals that drive these transactions, and I look forward to putting that grounded perspective to work for our clients.”

Nickel's arrival continues McGuireWoods' West Coast expansion, including the recent addition in San Francisco of tax partner Andrew Chan. Earlier this year, the firm added transactional and litigation partners in Los Angeles and launched a new office in Seattle.

“Marc strengthens our West Coast presence and deepens our ability to serve renewable energy clients,” said Todd Dressel, managing partner of McGuireWoods’ San Francisco office. “His practical experience and industry relationships make him an outstanding addition to our team.”

They are the future of the law. And, in many respects, the now.

The world has accelerated, with everything bigger, faster and more intense. That – and one or two other factors – have pressurized the practice of law, which is now a big business whether you’re a plaintiff personal injury lawyer in Texas, an M&A dealmaker in New York or a civil rights litigator in Washington, D.C.

But amidst all the hullabaloo, take a step back with me for a moment. Think about your own dreams and hopes of a better future, a good profession, doing something that mattered to you.

That’s who we’re here to celebrate today. The remarkable lawyers featured here chose a path to the law, sacrificed the long hours and investment required to get through law school and the bar and start a career. The sleepless nights, the terror of getting on your feet in court, in a boardroom, putting yourself on the line. When it matters.

There are thousands of lawyers like these in every firm and type of practice in the world. And we applaud this year’s Lawdragon 500 X crew for their own accomplishments and as representatives of the dream of becoming a lawyer. A good lawyer. A great lawyer.

They chose to believe in themselves and the law.

Daniela Mondragón is an appellate associate at Wright Close Barger & Guzman in Houston. She became a bilingual elementary education teacher through Teach for America in the Gateway to the Rio Grand Valley, Raymondville, Texas, after law school. She enrolled in St. Mary’s University School of Law in San Antonio, interning at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Harlingen, Texas, and at the Executive Office for Immigration Review. She was Editor in Chief of the St. Mary’s Law Review – publishing on non-citizen rights and procedural due process – and graduated in 2018. She then served as a judicial law clerk for Hon. Marvin Isgur of the United States Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Texas, organizing a conference to inspire law students and attorneys of color to apply for federal judgeships. She then pursued the law firm path, building experience and winning recognition for her pro bono work. She joined Wright Close in 2024, and has handled business restructuring and insolvency matters with a focus on complex chapter 11 filings, as well as international arbitration matters involving cross-border disputes involving Latin America. She is also a founding member of Houston Women in Business for Good.

Christina Lee is a partner at Keker Van Nest in San Francisco. At Harvard Law School, she was involved in the Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, and was Co-Chair of the 21st Annual National Asian Pacific American Conference on Law and Public Policy. After graduating in 2016, Lee served as a law clerk to Judge Milan D. Smith, Jr. of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and to Judge Gonzalo P. Curiel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California. She then joined Keker, where she has represented major technology clients in cutting-edge privacy class action cases, and leading firms in high-profile patent litigation matters involving artificial intelligence, video streaming and medical devices. She also represented the former shareholders of FerroKin BioSciences against Shire Pharmaceuticals in a Delaware Court of Chancery bench trial in which the judge awarded the firm’s clients more than $80M. She, too, has remained dedicated to the public interest. Working in collaboration with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and the American Civil Liberties Union, she represented three immigrant families who were separated at the United States-Mexico border in 2018 in a federal lawsuit seeking damages in the Northern District of California.

Ernesto Alvarez is a trial lawyer at Zehl & Associates in Houston. He grew up in Port Arthur, Texas, and attended Lamar University, a public university in Beaumont. He attended the University of Texas School of Law, where he was Article and Notes Editor at the Texas International Law Journal, and active in the Chicano & Hispanic Law Student Association. After graduation in 2015, he worked in law firms for 10 years, handling commercial and energy litigation, often defending global companies against the workers to whom he related. In 2025, he moved across the aisle, joining the plaintiff practice at Zehl & Associates. As a first-generation Mexican immigrant and a native Spanish speaker, he deeply connects with his clients’ struggles, having lived the pursuit of the American dream. He is dedicated to championing families, workers and the Hispanic community, ensuring their voices prevail against powerful corporations and insurers.

Alvarez recently interviewed a student of a similar background. He posted on LinkedIn, “I remember what it felt like to need someone to take a chance on me, no questions asked. I am grateful I was given that shot, and even more grateful to now be in a position to pay it forward. Let's go.”

This is our fourth edition of the LDX guide, whose honorees inspire us. These lawyers have made their mark in fewer than 15 years in practice, with entire careers ahead of them to be the change they want to see in the world. We received a huge number of outstanding submissions for this guide, which we researched through our journalistic process. We also talked to lawyers and peers familiar with the candidates’ work and contributions.

The law belongs to us all. Let’s take a moment to appreciate those who will carry it forward.

Let’s go.

“Trent is a talented M&A lawyer with notable experience across energy and infrastructure transactions,” said Angelo Bonvino, global head of the Corporate Department at Paul, Weiss. “We are excited to welcome him to the firm.”

“Trent has advised on some of the highest-profile deals and projects in the midstream space, further bolstering our energy-focused transactional capabilities in Houston,” said Sean T. Wheeler, global co-chair of M&A and head of the firm’s Houston office. “His significant experience with asset-level M&A, joint ventures and other commercial arrangements will be invaluable to our clients as demand for energy and infrastructure, particularly data centers, continues to soar.”

Bridges has represented clients on numerous energy-related transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, greenfield projects and commercial agreements across the oil and gas sector. He has also advised on power facility development projects to support data center operations; energy transition projects, including those involving renewable fuels; and crude oil and natural gas pipeline projects. Bridges previously served as a vice president and assistant general counsel for Magellan Midstream Partners, where he worked with the firm’s board of directors and management team on midstream M&A, joint ventures and projects.

Bridges’ recent representations include advising Energy Transfer LP on multiple transactions, including its formation of a strategic joint venture with Enbridge, Inc. to construct, own and operate the Southern Illinois Connector project and its formation of a joint venture with Sunoco LP to combine their respective crude oil and produced water gathering assets in the Permian Basin. He also has represented Devon Energy Corporation in long-term agreements with LandBridge Company LLC for produced water surface use and pore space reservation rights and related transactions; and Enbridge Inc. in an infrastructure development agreement with Divert Inc. to develop wasted-food-to-renewable natural gas projects across the U.S.

Bridges was recognized by Legal 500 for US, Energy Transactions: Oil & Gas in 2025. He earned a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and a J.D., with highest honors, from the University of Tulsa College of Law.

The Paul, Weiss Mergers & Acquisitions Practice works with leading private equity firms and many of the world’s largest, most prominent publicly traded and privately held companies, as well as financial advisors and other financial institutions and investors, on the full range of business-critical transactions.

Macie Franklin, senior partner at top legal search firm CenterPeak, has been busy. In the past nine years, she has placed more than 125 law firm partners in new roles and helped a dozen firms open new offices. 

Those moves have been headline-worthy. Recently, Franklin helped Sidley Austin grow its West Coast capabilities: this past February, she facilitated the recruitment of Michelle Doolin – now Global Co-Leader of Sidley's Consumer Class Action Practice – from Cooley. Just a month later, she helped Sidley attract Steven Przesmicki, a corporate life sciences leader. She also counseled Kelann Stirling on moving her practice to Paul, Weiss, where Stirling now serves as Head of Project Finance and Development, and made several placements at Willkie Farr and Latham. 

Franklin joined CenterPeak in 2017 as managing director. Specializing in working with partners, the Lawdragon 100 Global Leaders in Strategy & Consulting honoree has placed elite partners in a wide range of practice areas, including energy, technology, real estate, private equity, mergers & acquisitions, finance capital markets and litigation.  

Her success stems from her ability to bring together the strategic mind of a lawyer with the thousand-foot view of a consultant: “My role sits at the intersection of talent, strategy and long-term platform building, allowing me to advise both law firms and individual partners on some of the most consequential decisions of their careers,” she says. 

Franklin lives in Dallas with her husband and two daughters. 

Lawdragon: What is the role of a top legal recruiter? 

Macie Franklin: I partner with AmLaw 50 firms to consult on their strategic practice needs and on how best to position themselves to attract top talent from elite peer firms. I also have the privilege of building relationships with some of the most sought-after partners in the legal profession, keeping them informed of strategic opportunities and providing insight into legal and market trends across the industry. 

LD: What do you like about what you do?

MF: I enjoy working alongside some of the most accomplished lawyers in the country. I find it incredibly rewarding to serve as their trusted strategic advisor during one of the most important professional decisions of their lives. 

LD: What is it you enjoy about working with lawyers specifically? 

MF: I find it rewarding to help exceptionally talented people navigate pivotal moments in their careers. Lateral moves are often among the most significant professional decisions a partner will make, and there is a great deal of trust involved in that process. I serve as both a strategic advisor and a sounding board, helping lawyers think through not only compensation and economics, but also culture, platform fit, client opportunities and long-term professional goals. 

LD: Are there any trends you see that are creating demand for lawyers with particular expertise? 

MF: Beyond the consistent interest we see in private equity and corporate M&A, I am also seeing meaningful momentum for funds attorneys. They are in high demand across regulatory, registered and private funds, as well as fund finance and secondaries.  

Data center development is another area of real focus right now, with firms looking to build out dedicated expertise across their real estate, finance and corporate practices simultaneously. 

I have also seen a sharp uptick in interest in partners with corporate life sciences practices, particularly in California, New York and Boston, where firms are moving with real urgency to strengthen those teams. 

Lateral moves are often among the most significant professional decisions a partner will make, and there is a great deal of trust involved in that process.

LD: What are some of the more noteworthy projects in which you’ve been involved? 

MF: I have been fortunate to work on several significant lateral matters across both coasts in the last six months. In New York, I recently counseled Kelann Stirling on moving her practice to Paul, Weiss, where she now serves as Head of Project Finance and Development, and facilitated the simultaneous recruitment of her colleague, Jamie Franklin. 

Additionally, I helped Sidley expand its San Diego office with the addition of Michelle Doolin, the new Global Co-Leader of Sidley’s Consumer Class Action Practice, as well as Steve Przesmicki, a leading Corporate Life Sciences partner. 

LD: Are there some situations that present challenges when helping lawyers chart their career? 

MF: I frequently work with “lifers,” or partners who have spent their entire careers at one firm and have never seriously considered the lateral market. In many cases, they are already highly successful, well-regarded and genuinely happy at their firms. The challenge is not convincing someone to leave an unhappy situation; it is helping them recognize where their current platform may no longer fully support the next stage of growth for their practice. 

That requires a significant amount of trust-building, careful listening and strategic issue-spotting. I spend a great deal of time understanding a partner’s practice, clients, internal dynamics and long-term ambitions so that when the right opportunity arises, I can articulate in a credible and thoughtful way how a different platform could elevate their practice even further. 

The challenge is not convincing someone to leave an unhappy situation; it is helping them recognize where their current platform may no longer fully support the next stage of growth for their practice.  

LD: How do you get into this line of work?  

MF: I began my career as a practicing lawyer in Chicago. This gave me a firsthand understanding of how attorneys think and what they value, which adds to the credibility I bring to my strategic partnerships with both individual attorneys and firm clients. 

Before moving into my current role, I worked at Boston Consulting Group, where I collaborated with senior leaders on strategic initiatives. That honed my ability to think strategically at scale and navigate institutional complexity – two essential skills for being a legal recruiting strategist. 

LD: If you weren’t in your current job, what would you be doing now?

MF: I would be a music critic. I have a deep passion for music and would love to have Bob Boilen’s (former) job. NPR, call me if you need a new host for Tiny Desk concerts. 

For more than 20 years, Wolf has represented private equity sponsors, their portfolio companies, and other strategic buyers and sellers in public and private M&A transactions, including domestic and cross-border stock and asset acquisitions and divestitures, tender and exchange offers, minority investments, joint ventures, and other partnering arrangements. Wolf also advises portfolio companies on corporate governance matters. His work spans a range of industries that align with O’Melveny’s strengths, including the technology and software sectors.

Wolf, who began his career as a corporate associate in O’Melveny’s San Francisco office, is returning to the firm from Paul Hastings, where he was a partner in that firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Private Equity Practices. His return accelerates O’Melveny’s continued strategic growth. With his arrival, 51 lateral partners have joined the firm since 2023, including 32 corporate partners based in the firm’s San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Century City, Newport Beach, New York, Dallas, Houston, Singapore, and London offices.

“We are delighted to welcome Jeff back home to O’Melveny,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin. “He is a seasoned dealmaker and trusted corporate adviser with deep experience in the private equity arena. Jeff’s extensive skillset, particularly with technology-focused transactions, will be an immediate asset to our clients in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and beyond. It is a pleasure to welcome him to our firm once again.”

“This is a homecoming for me in every sense of the word. I launched my career at O’Melveny, and I have always admired the firm’s steadfast commitment to client service and collaborative culture,” said Wolf. “I’m excited to reunite with my friends and former colleagues and to play a role in the continued expansion of O’Melveny’s superb corporate M&A team.”

Wolf earned his J.D. cum laude from UC Law, San Francisco (formerly the University of California, Hastings) and his B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley. 

“Mike is exactly the kind of lawyer we look for as we continue to grow our Corporate Department,” said Angelo Bonvino, global head of the Paul, Weiss Corporate Department. “He is a sophisticated public company advisor with the judgment, experience and Delaware law fluency that our clients increasingly demand.”

“Mike brings a strong track record of executing significant, complex deals on behalf of public companies and special committees across a wide spectrum of industries, and his arrival will further bolster our public company M&A capabilities,” said Krishna Veeraraghavan, global co-head of M&A at Paul, Weiss. “We are thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”

Darby’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and a range of other significant corporate matters, including matters pertaining to securities laws, corporate governance, activism defense and Delaware law. He has represented clients across the life sciences, industrials, financial services, consumer and retail, technology and energy industries, among others. His recent representations include advising Select Medical in its take-private transaction; the special committee of Enfusion’s board of directors in its acquisition by Clearwater Analytics; Energy Harbor in its acquisition by Vistra; Chiesi Farmaceutici in its acquisition of Amryt Pharma; and Quest Diagnostics in numerous transactions, including its acquisition of select assets from Fresenius Medical Care and the sale of its ownership interest in Q2 Solutions to IQVIA.

“The opportunity to join Paul, Weiss and work alongside the firm’s exceptional team and clients is incredibly energizing,” Darby said. “I’m excited to be part of this elite firm and the Corporate Department’s top-notch M&A practice.”

Darby earned a B.S. in engineering from the University of Delaware and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

The Paul, Weiss Mergers & Acquisitions Practice works with leading private equity firms and many of the world’s largest, most prominent publicly traded and privately held companies, as well as financial advisors and other financial institutions and investors, on the full range of business-critical transactions.

This is the inaugural edition of our guide honoring the lawyers whose expertise ranges from piracy to international disputes, offshore energy and superyachts, cruise ship injuries to ship finance. They advise those who navigate the 71 percent of the Earth covered in water from Monaco and Galveston, London and Athens’ port area of Piraeus, Seattle and Dubai, and New Orleans and Hong Kong.

Our research for this maiden voyage inspired us with the range of backgrounds and knowledge embodied in this remarkable group of lawyers.

Sally Yuanyuan Qin is a partner in BakerHostetler’s Washington, D.C., office. A litigator, she specialized in antitrust, civil and criminal investigations and international asset tracing. Among her specialties is representing ocean shipping companies – she has defended all antitrust investigations involving ocean shipping companies in the past 15 years. She obtained the lowest criminal fines and fewest carve-outs in defending the largest roll-on, roll-off car carrier shipping service in a Justice Department investigation, and defended a Jones Act carrier and senior executives in the investigations into the October 2015 El Faro casualty.

Luke Reid is a partner in Blank Rome’s Boston office. A longtime Coast Guard officer, he attained the rank of Commander and served as a military prosecutor, defense counsel and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. He also led numerous missions in more than 20 European, African and Asian nations in furtherance of U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives, combating transnational crime, counter-piracy operations, drug and human smuggling interdiction, the legal aspects of counterterrorism, human rights, and war crimes. In private practice, he has represented numerous maritime corporations and individuals in civil and criminal matters, including the owner and operator of the SS EL FARO, a container vessel that sank in 2015 in Hurricane Joaquin in the Caribbean, resulting in a complete loss of the vessel, cargo and 33 persons on board. He was lead counsel in the U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Board of Investigation and held co-counsel roles with the National Transportation Safety Board investigation and the liability lawsuit in federal court. He also represented the owner and operator of the STRETCH DUCK 7 passenger vessel that sank on Table Rock Lake in Branson Missouri in 2018, resulting in the loss of 17 lives.

Eric Daniel is a partner at Thompson Hine in Cleveland. He specializes in Maritime litigation, including personal injury cases alleging negligence under the Jones Act and unseaworthiness under general maritime law. Daniel also has extensive experience defending clients in maritime and land-based asbestos litigation. Daniel has defended personal injury claims involving the deaths of seamen, longshoremen and harbor workers (slips, falls, back, shoulder and neck injuries, post-traumatic stress disorder claims, and alleged toxic exposures to asbestos). He also has represented shipowners in matters involving property damage (collision, allision, propeller wash, dock damage).

We selected the lawyers included through a robust nomination process. A special salute to all of you who nominated lawyers for this edition! We also conduct independent research and vetting through clients and peers.

This is our 5^th edition of this guide, which has witnessed the ascendance of global disputes as a more civilized battlefield.

We established this guide anchored in the rarefied international arbitration practice whose advocates parse jurisdictions and legal frameworks for matters concerning sovereigns, construction, energy and more. As our world has compressed, business and many activities touch global interests. As a result, many of the most difficult, substantial and hard-fought disputes take place in courts, arbitral settings and agencies worldwide. And even those that remain within one country or another feature parties whose interests span the globe.

The Global Litigators featured here dazzle with their fluency in law, language and global business alongside their commitment to the rule of law as a framework for addressing differences.

Ace Anan Ankomah is the senior partner of Bentsi-Enchill Letsa & Ankomah. Based in Accra, Ghana, he heads the Disputes practice and oversees all contentious matters, including trials and international and domestic arbitrations. He was the lead attorney for NML Capital in the case against Argentina that led to the attachment of an Argentine war vessel, proceedings before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) and the Supreme Court in Ghana. The case ultimately settled for more than $2.4B. In arbitration, he has represented clients including Volta Aluminium Company/Kaiser, Western Telesystems, Deloitte, Fortiz and Balkan Energy.

Monica Carss-Frisk is a King’s Counsel at Blackstone Chambers, of which she served as co-head from 2012-2022. She specializes in public and regulatory law, civil liberties and human rights, and EU and competition law, among others. She has represented students of the University of Sussex suing to protect academic freedom and represented the Director of Immigration in the Hong Kong Court of Appeal in a case involving the exclusion of same sex couples from a policy of granting dependent visas to the spouses of employment visa holders. She also represented the claimants challenging a decision by the London Metal Exchange to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in trades.

David Pinsky is a partner in Covington’s international arbitration and litigation practices. Based in New York, he recently won a $5B award for Naftogaz, Ukraine’s state-owned oil and gas company, in an investment arbitration against Russia, in response to Russia’s expropriation of Naftogaz’s assets when it annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014. He has also represented Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in an investment dispute against Russia. Before joining Covington in 2005, he lived in Moscow as a U.S. State Department-sponsored fellow studying the challenges of a Russian free press. He carries through this focus in his pro bono practice, representing journalists and other media professionals who seek asylum in the United States. An émigré himself, Pinsky has won asylum and other forms of immigration relief for clients from Russia, Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan, among other countries.

We selected the lawyers included through a robust nomination process. We also conduct independent research and vetting through clients and peers. Those denoted with an asterisk are members of our esteemed Hall of Fame. 

Thank you to Androvett Legal Media & Marketing for their ongoing support of this guide. 

The multibillion-dollar fight over OpenAI's for-profit conversion was one of the most-watched tech trials in recent memory. But inside the Oakland courtroom, a quieter contest was also on display.

Sitting at the defendants' benches: platoons of lawyers from Wachtell Lipton, Morrison Foerster, and Dechert. On the plaintiffs' bench: seven lawyers from an elite litigation boutique founded 17 years ago.

That firm, MoloLamken, was built precisely for cases like this.

Small Teams, Big Roles

Steve Molo and Jeff Lamken are no strangers to Big Law. Before they launched their own firm in 2009, they had practiced at Shearman & Sterling (Molo) and Baker Botts (Lamken).

The two envisioned a new way of practicing. They believed that high-stakes litigation doesn't require size. It requires smart, highly experienced lawyers focused on results rather than process.

The Musk trial team offered a vivid example. Just four senior partners formed the leadership team: Steve Molo, the lead trial lawyer; Robert Kry, as appellate specialist and quantitative anchor; Jennifer Schubert, a former federal prosecutor, as a trial strategist; and Eric Nitz, a skilled trial attorney, who also leads the firm’s recruiting efforts, which take into account candidates’ ability to work well on teams in high-leveraged situations including trials.

The rest of the team was filled out by three associates: Alex Eynon, Walter Hawes IV (who became a partner during the case) and Sara Tofighbakhsh. Associate Harry Larson, a team member from the outset, was on board until his first child was born – right before jury selection. Additionally, partner Josh Bloom brought his financial litigation expertise and investment banking background to the remedies piece of the case. The team’s size ensured no small roles. Every lawyer, including associates, would be required to take depositions, handle witnesses at trial and argue motions.

MoloLamken only hires associates with federal clerkships, ensuring a high level of talent from the start. Because they’re trained as generalists, teams can form organically. So when Walter volunteered for the case, Molo welcomed him instantly.

“The firm takes a lot of pride knowing that we can build an excellent team across offices and seniority levels, and that everyone, firm-wide, will step up into the role that needs to be filled on any given team,” said Hawes.

The Palm Springs Summit

The cohesion of MoloLamken’s trial strategy was forged long before opening statements began in late April. Before arriving in the Bay Area, the team gathered in Palm Springs for a four-day summit following a key pretrial hearing.

In many massive litigations, teams become siloed, with one group handling financial experts and another handling fact witnesses, often leading to a disjointed narrative. The Palm Springs summit was designed to dismantle those silos through "whiteboarding" – physically mapping out every claim, element and witness narrative on a shared surface.

This process allowed the team to find a unifying theory. The MoloLamken team included members from the Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. offices. By gathering in the same room to discuss their part of the case, they spotted gaps early, ensuring the testimony would align perfectly with the technical evidence.

Trial summits are standard practice for big cases at MoloLamken. The day begins with an early morning hike. The team is working by 9 a.m., and a chef prepares meals, so no time is wasted.

There’s team swag that usually sports the firm’s logo along with a memorable quote. For this trial, everyone got a black lightweight puffer jacket with a red ML logo on one sleeve, an American flag on the other and a quote from the opening statement across the right breast.

The Daily Pace

Trials can be grueling affairs. But the courtroom schedule under Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers created an unusual pressure cooker. Unlike the standard 9-to-5 workday, Judge Rogers runs trials from 8:30 a.m. until 1:40 p.m., with only two 20-minute breaks. For the MoloLamken team, each day started at 6:00 a.m. for last-minute printouts needed for trial, followed by a 7:00 a.m. team van ride to the courthouse.

The early finish was a mirage. By 3:30 p.m., the team was back to work, often on tight deadlines. Mid-afternoon on a recent Sunday, the opposition filed an unexpected motion to limit the case. Under the judge’s expedited rules, the team had until 10:00 p.m. to respond.

During the trial, the MoloLamken team took over a wing at the Claremont Berkeley, with a deliberate floor plan. The series of seven rooms included a dedicated "witness prep" room and a small office dubbed the "Movie Night" room, where the team grinded through hours of deposition footage to be played the next day. Even the menu of the team dinners was intentional – Mediterranean food – lean proteins, vegetables, nothing heavy— to maintain their energy.

Resilience as Strategy

At trial, Steve Molo’s colleagues were reminded of his reputation for masterful cross-examinations. During one of the most discussed moments of the trial, Molo forced Altman to defend his trustworthiness after confronting him with a litany of examples in which others had questioned it.

But Molo’s colleagues also observed a masterclass in his adaptability. As evidence shifted and witnesses of varying temperaments took the stand, Molo modulated his tone – moving from a sharp, aggressive cadence to a softer, more measured approach for witnesses who would react poorly to a "take-no-prisoners" style.

Witness examinations, arguments and graphics were mapped out before arriving in California. But everything was subject to revision based on court rulings and how the evidence and strategy developed during trial. Alex Eynon, a veteran of several trial teams in significant cases, notes, “Everyone must take ownership of the case and understand the strategy. That allows us to adapt and try the case that unfolds in court, not just the one we planned on paper.”

Molo also earned praise from his colleagues for his resilience. It prevents a bad day in court from infecting the team's morale.

"He is an incredibly resilient leader," Schubert observed. "Anytime there's a negative ruling, a change in evidence coming in or out... he just adapts and re-strategizes and just does not miss a beat. There’s a lot to appreciate about that."

The jury did not address whether Musk's claims of "breach of charitable trust" were valid, but instead found, as a legal technicality, that they fell outside of a three-year statute of limitations. Undaunted, the team is poised to appeal.