Simpson Thacher Fulfills Boston Promises with New Space, Hires

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is delivering on its investment in Boston by securing a larger office space and bringing in new talent across a spectrum of practice areas.

“We’ll have scaled up in the course of a year from zero to 40 lawyers and have signed a lease to take on a 40,000 sq ft commitment,” said office co-managing partner Joshua Ford Bonnie, who leads the Boston outpost with David Blass and Joe Conahan. Conahan, who focuses on M&A, divestitures, joint ventures, and other strategic transactions, was elevated to co-managing partner in October.

“Securing this new space ensures that we will be able to maintain the rapid and well-considered growth trajectory that we achieved during our first year in Boston,” he said.

The new office is in the Winthrop Center, a mixed-use skyscraper in the financial district. The firm signed a 10-year lease with options to expand square footage. Moving time is scheduled for the second quarter of 2027.

Simpson’s Boston office launched in 2024 with the hire of registered funds partner Kenneth Burdon, who joined from Skadden. The firm has since hired lawyers across different practice areas, said Blass. “it’s not meant to be a specialist office.”

Recent hires include Zachary Hafer, who joined the firm’s government and internal investigations practice from Cooley LLP; Yonatan Levy, who joined the private funds practice from Ropes & Gray; William N. Lay, who joined as a mergers and acquisitions partner from Kirkland & Ellis; and Elizabeth Kates, who joined the banking and credit practice from Goodwin Procter.

Boston is an attractive destination for Big Law firms thanks to its rich life sciences, health-care and tech industries; and large base of sponsors. Paul Hastings and Blank Rome were also among the firms that announced offices there last year. Covington & Burling, Arnold & Porter, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld are among firms that opened shop in the city in 2023.

In addition to tapping into regional clients, a big part of the Boston play is to take advantage of the rich talent pool in the area, Simpson’s office leaders said.

“There’s great law schools that are producing new lawyers all the time, and it is the kind of place where people who have lived here, like to stay,” said Bonnie. “One of the benefits we see from this is the ability to attract and retain talent that we couldn’t simply by offering them a seat in New York, or some other city.”