At Dewey & LeBoeuf, what's left of it, perhaps it's time to stick a fork in the firm to see if it's done.  In any case, devastation reigned supreme at Dewey & LeBoeuf on Thursday when it learned that one of its highest ranking partners left to join NYC rival, White & Case.  High level departures have become the norm during this exodus of partners, but losing a Vice Chairman has to hurt - even as firm leadership repeatedly denies that it plans to close. Morton Pierce, Dewey vice chairman, came into the office on Thursday, tended to some final matters, submitted his resignation, then left for a 7-block stroll down Avenue of the Americas to his new firm, White & Case.  Even worse, Mr. Pierce plans to take 7 other partners with him.  A leading M&A lawyer, Mr. Pierce was chairman of Dewey Ballantine when that firm merged with LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae in 2007, to form Dewey & LeBoeuf.

"I am sorry about what happened." -- Mr. Pierce, 63, who declined to comment on the reasons for Dewey’s woes.

Nearly a Third of Partners. By now, the mass exodus of partners has cost the firm nearly 100 or its 300 partners.  All of this has happened since January, when it was announced that a disappointing performance had prompted the firm to cut compensation. Peter Sharp, From Across the Pond. Overseas, Dewey’s London office showed signs of deterioration on Thursday when Peter Sharp, the managing partner of the London office, left for Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, along with two others. Merger Search. After 2 months of searching, Dewey’s leadership has been unable to work out a deal with a viable merger partner.  Dewey most recently met with Greenberg Traurig and SNR Denton.  [Dealbook, 5/3/12]