Dewey Loses Eight More Partners as Departures Accelerate Eight more lawyers announced Tuesday that they were leaving Dewey & LeBoeuf, adding to the wave of departures from the embattled New York law firm. At least 66 of Dewey's 300 partners have left the firm since the beginning of the year. Dewey missed its financial targets last year and cut its partners" salaries, many of which were guaranteed. Hunton & Williams, a law firm based in Richmond, Va., said Tuesday that it had hired six partners from Dewey's energy and infrastructure practice. The group is led by Bud Ellis, formerly co-head of Dewey's utilities, power and pipelines group. Mr. Ellis will lead Hunton's energy practice in New York, where he will be joined by Kevin C. Felz, Michael F. Fitzpatrick Jr., Steven C. Friend, Steve R. Loeshelle, and Peter K. O'Brien. The law firm Pillsbury added two Dewey corporate partners. Catherine C. Hood and J. Anthony Terrell joined the firm's New York office this week. In a statement on Tuesday, Dewey played down the impact of the moves. "Current departures aside, Dewey & LeBoeuf retains one of the world's leading energy practices spanning virtually every aspect of the sector across the globe," said the firm. It has been an important component of the firm's practice for decades and remains as such. Dewey's statement also addressed more broadly the increasing number of departures. "As we have said in the past, although the new direction that the firm is taking was approved and is supported by the overwhelming majority of the firm's partners - as might be expected at a firm with 300 partners - some didn't like the change," the statement said. The firm said it expected that more lawyers might leave. We recognized from the outset that, in addition to the staff changes and reductions that were part of the original plan, this would result in the departure of some of the firm's partners and professionals. The number who have left to date, including firm initiated reductions, is consistent with the reduced headcount contemplated by our plan, which contemplates limited further headcount reduction over the next several months," Dewey said.