Davis Polk is set to open an office in Los Angeles with a litigation partner hired from Skadden.
The office – the New York firm’s first in Southern California – will be led by Jason Russell, who has joined the firm’s civil litigation practice after 24 years as a partner at Skadden.
Partner Rob Morrison, who joined Davis Polk in 2025 from White & Case to extend the firm’s finance practice to California, will also be resident in the Los Angeles office.
The office will complement the firm’s longstanding Northern California office in Menlo Park and boost its network to 11.
Davis Polk said it would build out the Los Angeles team over the coming months to offer clients a full-service platform in the region. The firm’s permanent office space in Century City will officially open in 2027.
“As a major hub for sponsors and for the entertainment, sports and technology sectors, the Los Angeles market presents a number of attractive opportunities for us to better serve clients and to augment our team with the exceptional talent in the region,” said Neil Barr, Davis Polk’s chair and managing partner.
“While we have had LA on our radar for some time, we wanted to ensure that we had the right team in place to help lead our presence in the region. We found that in Jason, and I am excited to partner with him as we embark on this new chapter for our firm.”
Russell was previously head of Skadden’s Los Angeles office and served on the firm’s policy committee. He represents clients in commercial litigation disputes in federal and state courts throughout the US, as well as in international forums, and has particular experience in sports and entertainment disputes and class actions. In the past, he has acted for clients including the NBA, Red Bull North America and Christie’s, according to his LinkedIn profile.
“Jason has a reputation for excellence, an impressive track record of success litigating high-stakes cases for a broad range of clients, and deep knowledge of the local landscape,” said Paul Spagnoletti, co-head of Davis Polk’s civil litigation practice.
He added: “On-the-ground capabilities in LA will strengthen our team’s ability to deliver high-impact results for our clients navigating disputes in the region. We are delighted to welcome Jason to the team.”
Alongside its two West Coast offices, New York-based Davis Polk also has a base in Washington DC. Its international network comprises London, Brussels, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing, São Paulo and Tokyo.
Several major law firms have expanded into Southern California in recent years, driven by high-stakes litigation, technology and corporate growth. Last year, Brown Rudnick opened in LA with a four-partner team covering entertainment, disputes and corporate law, hired from California firm Stubbs Alderton & Markiles, while in March, Goodwin Procter secured a trio of litigation partners from Jones Day to launch in Orange County.
Also in March, Chinese firm King & Wood launched an affiliated office in LA targeting cross-border investment and trade work, just before it formally split from Australia’s Mallesons.
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