At Mayer Brown, a High-Profile Lateral Associate?

It’s not too often you see a law firm announce a lateral associate, but that’s what happened earlier this month when Mayer Brown hired Gretel Echarte Morales, a Cuban native who firm leaders hope will help its U.S. clients improve relations with the island nation.

The firm is so excited about the hire that Toby Moffett, a firm leader in D.C. and former U.S. Congressman, called Morales’ island connections “hot property.”

“Between her roots and her skill set, we think this is a very big commodity and obviously we’d be crazy if we didn’t try to have it benefit our clients,” said Moffett, ...