Davis Polk Chair and Managing Partner Neil Barr, partner and NorCal office head Michael Diz and partner and Los Angeles office head Jason Russell discussed the firm’s growing California platform with the American Lawyer. 

Last month, the firm announced the launch of an office in Los Angeles. The office is Davis Polk’s first in Southern California and will be led by Jason Russell, who has joined the firm as a partner in the Civil Litigation practice. 

Jason noted that the new office “will bolster litigation” given that Los Angeles has traditionally been a strong market for dispute work. “It is also strong in the entertainment space, life sciences and tech. So, we will be looking for talent that fits the market,” he said, noting that M&A and private equity would also be a focus.

Neil added that the LA office will allow the firm to recruit additional top talent. “You’ll see our corporate transactional footprint expand there as well as the sectors that Jason alluded to,” he said.  “We are going to be opportunistic with private equity and (venture capital) work.”

Neil went on to explain, “We will do what we do everywhere: Hire the best lawyers in the geography we are in.” 

Davis Polk will further 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.

“We will get as big in Los Angeles as there is talent to justify it,” Michael said. “The ability to hire Jason (Russell) is absolutely core to the thesis to opening in LA. We didn’t come here to chase some vague prospect.”

Partner Rob Morrison, who joined Davis Polk in 2025 to extend the reach of the firm’s global finance practice to California, will also be in the Los Angeles office. 

“We have a very strong finance practice anchored in New York, but we have client demand all over the country, and we were really fortunate to find a Davis Polk-quality partner to add to a really strong practice,” Michael said regarding Rob’s finance practice in LA. “We are willing to hire where the talent is.”

Neil went on to note that “our desires here are not to be everywhere” and that no matter where Davis Polk hires, the firm’s partner standards won’t change. “Every partner we hire and promote needs to meet Davis Polk cultural standards and be an exceptional lawyer,” he said. “We look to recruit the best and brightest whenever we want to practice.”

“Davis Polk Eyes Full-Service Office in LA, Recruiting More Talent,” American Lawyer (May 14, 2026) (subscription required) 

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