They\u2019re making a calculated bet that clients increasingly want something Biglaw often struggles to provide, that is senior-level attention without the junior associate pyramid scheme.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn terms of the work we do, investigations and complex litigation work, I don\u2019t think that there is one model that is right for every client and every matter,\u201d Kravis said. \u201cThere are matters and roles where a smaller firm can make a lot of sense. I expect that we will be able to provide lower leverage, to provide more direct engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n
That means fewer layers, more partner time, and, at least theoretically, fewer eye-watering bills padded by armies of associates billing in six-minute increments.<\/p>\n
Kravis also emphasized the firm\u2019s sweet spot, parachuting into high-stakes matters where a lean, specialized team can complement existing counsel. \u201cThere are a lot of investigations matters and litigation matters, particularly in [a] co-counsel type arrangement, where that kind of model can make a lot of sense for the client in terms of what they want to achieve and what their needs are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
And yes, they plan to grow, but don\u2019t expect them to recreate Biglaw. \u201cA big part of why we\u2019re doing this is we want the opportunity to build a small team of excellent lawyers, starting with the three of us, and then sort of moving on from there,\u201d Kravis added, noting that the specifics are still very much a work in progress.<\/p>\n
D.C. has been absolutely lousy with boutique launches lately. Since the start of 2025, more than half a dozen firms have hung out shingles, including Dunn Isaacson Rhee, Civil Service Law Center, Washington Litigation Group, Klubes Law Group, Lowell & Associates, and D.C. Law Collective. The common thread? Litigation and investigations i.e., the kind of work that doesn\u2019t require a sprawling corporate apparatus or a conflicts committee that says \u201cno\u201d more often than a toddler.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s the real appeal here. Litigation boutiques offer rate flexibility, fewer client conflicts, and freedom from the awkward reality that your firm\u2019s mega-deal client might need regulatory approval from the same government your litigation team is squaring off against. In other words, fewer internal headaches and more room to just\u2026 law.<\/p>\n
\n
The post D.C.\u2019s Boutique Bar Just Got More Crowded<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n Washington, D.C. continues to prove that when it comes to elite litigators, the urge to flee Biglaw motherships and strike out on their own is a full blown trend.<\/p>\n The latest entrants? Liu Shur Kravis, a new litigation boutique founded by three former federal prosecutors who have collectively logged time at some of the most pedigreed firms in the country: Jessie Liu (most recently at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom), Justin Shur (from MoloLamken), and Jonathan Kravis (from Munger, Tolles & Olson). The trio have been circling each other professionally for years, sometimes on the same side, sometimes not.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve worked together, sometimes in government, sometimes in private practice as counsel for different clients on the same matter. And so we\u2019ve really known each other for a long time,\u201d Liu told Law.com<\/a>. \u201cWe all felt like it was a time in our careers when we wanted to build something new that was our own project.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re making a calculated bet that clients increasingly want something Biglaw often struggles to provide, that is senior-level attention without the junior associate pyramid scheme.<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of the work we do, investigations and complex litigation work, I don\u2019t think that there is one model that is right for every client and every matter,\u201d Kravis said. \u201cThere are matters and roles where a smaller firm can make a lot of sense. I expect that we will be able to provide lower leverage, to provide more direct engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n That means fewer layers, more partner time, and, at least theoretically, fewer eye-watering bills padded by armies of associates billing in six-minute increments.<\/p>\n Kravis also emphasized the firm\u2019s sweet spot, parachuting into high-stakes matters where a lean, specialized team can complement existing counsel. \u201cThere are a lot of investigations matters and litigation matters, particularly in [a] co-counsel type arrangement, where that kind of model can make a lot of sense for the client in terms of what they want to achieve and what their needs are,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n And yes, they plan to grow, but don\u2019t expect them to recreate Biglaw. \u201cA big part of why we\u2019re doing this is we want the opportunity to build a small team of excellent lawyers, starting with the three of us, and then sort of moving on from there,\u201d Kravis added, noting that the specifics are still very much a work in progress.<\/p>\n D.C. has been absolutely lousy with boutique launches lately. Since the start of 2025, more than half a dozen firms have hung out shingles, including Dunn Isaacson Rhee, Civil Service Law Center, Washington Litigation Group, Klubes Law Group, Lowell & Associates, and D.C. Law Collective. The common thread? Litigation and investigations i.e., the kind of work that doesn\u2019t require a sprawling corporate apparatus or a conflicts committee that says \u201cno\u201d more often than a toddler.<\/p>\n And that\u2019s the real appeal here. Litigation boutiques offer rate flexibility, fewer client conflicts, and freedom from the awkward reality that your firm\u2019s mega-deal client might need regulatory approval from the same government your litigation team is squaring off against. In other words, fewer internal headaches and more room to just\u2026 law.<\/p>\n Washington, D.C. continues to prove that when it comes to elite litigators, the urge to flee Biglaw motherships and strike out on their own is a full blown trend. The latest entrants? Liu Shur Kravis, a new litigation boutique founded by three former federal prosecutors who have collectively logged time at some of the most […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":148755,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-148754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_5243-1-scaled-e1623338814705-620x568-Ibh1Cu.jpg?fit=620%2C568&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=148754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/148754\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/148755"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=148754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=148754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=148754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2021\/06\/IMG_5243-1-scaled-e1623338814705-620x568.jpg?resize=174%2C160&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast<\/a>, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her<\/a> with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1<\/a>\u00a0or Mastodon @Kathryn1@mastodon.social.<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/abovethelaw.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/02\/washington-monument-1628558_640-300x154.jpg?resize=300%2C154&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n
\nKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, host of The Jabot podcast<\/a>, and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer<\/a>. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her<\/a> with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter @Kathryn1<\/a>\u00a0or Mastodon @[email\u00a0protected].<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"