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Former Tyco GC Joins Dechert
The American Lawyer
July 24, 2008
The former general counsel of Tyco International Ltd., who guided the company through a corporate accounting fraud scandal six years ago, has joined Dechert LLP, The American Lawyer announced on the front page of its July 23 web edition. William Lytton, who retired from Tyco last summer, will serve the firm as senior counsel. Lytton previously served as deputy special counselor to President Reagan during the Iran-Contra investigation and as general counsel for International Paper. Unlike other former general counsel, who generally return to firms where they once worked, Lytton has no prior connection to Dechert. Lytton says he's been familiar with Dechert for years, having previously practiced in Philadelphia as an assistant U.S. attorney as well as in private practice.
Lytton retired as general counsel in 2007 as Tyco prepared to spin off two subsidiaries into publicly traded companies. When news of his retirement hit, Lytton says he got a call from David Howard, who interned for Lytton when he was in the U.S. attorney's office in Philadelphia, and had also worked with him at the White House during Iran-Contra. Howard, now a litigation partner at Dechert, asked if his former boss would be interested in "forming some sort of alliance" with the firm. After months of talks, Dechert and Lytton came to an agreement. "We are thrilled that Bill will be joining the firm," said Dechert chairman Barton Winokur. "His experience in navigating the most challenging legal issues is extraordinary, and will be of invaluable assistance to our clients."
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