WilmerHale has been named a Massachusetts Powerhouse for 2021 by Law360. This series recognizes firms that are handling some of the biggest deals and most high-profile courtroom battles, all while making a lasting impact on the law at the state and local level.

The profile in Law360 highlights the launch of the firm’s Racial Justice Reform Initiative in summer 2020. Boston-based Partner Mark Fleming, who co-leads the initiative, noted that attorneys at the firm have logged more than 1,600 hours of work on racial justice matters so far in 2021 and more than 4,000 hours from Boston attorneys alone since the start of the initiative. 

Other matters highlighted include a victory for a client in a Zoom bench trial that took place in a conference room in the firm’s Boston office, and a pro bono suit on behalf of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees who feared for their lives due to unsafe and crowded conditions inside the Bristol County House of Correction at the start of the pandemic.

The firm also led a number of major mergers and acquisitions, including guiding Eaton Vance in its $7 billion acquisition by Morgan Stanley. Corporate Co-Chair Mick Bain noted the number of initial public offerings the firm handled in the life sciences space. “We just continue to work with a large number of biotech companies, particularly in the Boston market, which is the world's headquarters of life sciences," Bain said.

Law360 also noted some of the firm’s alumni and current partners who have a history of public service. "We have a long history with the city, in particular with people coming in and out of public and private service and doing significant pro bono work," said Daniel Halston, partner-in-charge of WilmerHale’s Boston office. "I'd like to think that's one of the reasons I came to the firm."