After 24 years at Boies Schiller & Flexner, Jonathan Sherman has left to build a litigation practice at Sterlington that can compete with his prior firm. Sherman was attracted by the opportunity to build a trial practice at a young firm still run by its founders and that has an “idiosyncratic” way of operating. Sterlington lawyers work remotely, and the firm provides flexibility in billing rates and doesn’t require partners to make capital contributions.
Sherman said in an interview that Sterlington gave him the chance to build a commercial litigation practice that could compete with firms that have sprung up in the shadow of Boies Schiller & Flexner. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity, saying, “They gave me something I never imagined I’d be able to do.”
Sherman’s departure comes during a leadership change at Boies Schiller, where founder David Boies will pass the chair role to Matthew Schwartz in January. The transition caused Sherman to reassess plans for the “third act” of his career, he said.
Sherman said his new firm isn’t yet a competitor to his previous firm but that he “has every intention” to put it on equal footing with Boies Schiller and any elite litigation department. He said he will focus on building out Sterlington’s white collar and international arbitration benches.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Boies Schiller thanked Jonathan for his contributions to the firm over the years and wished him well in his new role.
Sherman started at Sterlington as a partner and vice chairman of strategic litigation at the beginning of this month. Sterlington was founded in 2016 by former Schulte Roth & Zabel M&A partner Christopher Harrison, who leads the firm as CEO.
Sherman was the co-leader of the media and first amendment practice at Boies Schiller. Until earlier this year, he also served as a co-leader of the firm’s securities litigation team. Sherman represented high-profile clients including National Enquirer publisher AMI and Apple Inc.
Sherman said some of his client engagements are following him to Sterlington, where he expects fewer conflicts of interest to prevent his representation of clients.