Skadden Hires Former SEC Partners Dean and Mulligan
The law firm added two new partners to its white collar and investment management practices.
Updated on Oct. 27, 2026 in People
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom announced the addition of Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan as partners. Both attorneys previously worked at Weil Gotshal and Manges and the SEC.
Why it matters
Law firms frequently recruit talent from regulatory agencies to bolster their specialized practice groups. These strategic hires allow Skadden to leverage the government experience of Dean and Mulligan in high-stakes investigations and investment matters.
Skadden added two partners to its roster in this recruitment cycle. Andrew Dean operates out of the firm's New York office, while Christopher Mulligan resides in the Washington D.C. branch.
The players
Andrew Dean
He is an attorney joining the white collar and investigations group at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom.
Christopher Mulligan
He is an attorney joining the investment management group at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom.
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher and Flom
This is a prominent international law firm known for its extensive work in litigation, corporate, and regulatory legal matters.
The details
Andrew Dean has joined the firm's white collar and investigations group to focus on complex legal matters. Christopher Mulligan joins the investment management group, bringing expertise from his prior tenure at Weil Gotshal and Manges and the SEC.
Timeline
Skadden announced the hiring of both partners on October 27, 2026.
Market Landscape
The addition of two partners with government backgrounds fits the broader legal industry trend of hiring lateral talent with government enforcement agency experience. This maneuver positions Skadden to maintain its competitive edge against rival firms during complex regulatory enforcement actions.
These personnel shifts typically signal that the firm is prioritizing its regulatory defense capabilities. Clients in the investment management and white collar sectors may see increased resources devoted to their specific legal matters.
The takeaway
Large law firms rely on high-level lateral hiring to integrate specialized knowledge into their established practice groups. Investors and corporate clients often monitor these moves to understand which regulatory areas firms are currently prioritizing.
Further reading
For more information on legal staffing, visit the People section.
