Star Laterals of the Year

Who Moved: Michael Garcia, 47 (December 2008)

Leaving: U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York

Arriving: The New York office of Kirkland & Ellis

Why It Matters: The former U.S. attorney lived in the eye of the corporate and political storm, tackling corruption from Wall Street to the governor's mansion. Garcia's team helped bring indictments against former New York City police commissioner Bernard Kerik, who has pleaded not guilty, and Democratic party fund-raiser Norman Hsu, who is awaiting trial on public corruption charges (and has pleaded not guilty). Garcia, who had previously served as assistant secretary and acting commissioner for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, was tapped by Kirkland for its white-collar and defense practice, helping clients weather the tempest in criminal, regulatory, and internal investigations.

Who Moved: James Sprayregen, 49 (December 2008)

Leaving: The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Arriving: The Chicago and New York offices of Kirkland & Ellis

Why It Matters: In a time of financial chaos, there was no place like home for Sprayregen, who first made a name for himself handling the United Air Lines, Inc., NRG Energy, Inc., and TWA Airlines LLC bankruptcies at Kirkland. He will return to the restructuring practice he helped form after two-and-a-half years as cohead of Goldman Sachs's restructuring group. At Goldman, he advised large troubled companies like Calpine Corporation, Solutia Inc., and Dura Automotive Systems, Inc. Now back on home turf, he'll use his knowledge of capital markets, underwriting, syndication, secondary markets, and debt capacity analysis to handle an anticipated barrage of Chapter 11 filings.

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