With its illustrious history and posh name, Shearman & Sterling strikes many as the epitome of the patrician, white-shoe New York law firm. But the past few years have seen the 1,013-lawyer firm's image tarnished by associate layoffs, partner departures and signs of internal dissent, all capped by a profitability gap between Shearman and its erstwhile peers. Now the firm may be enjoying a fresh start, due partly to firm leader Rohan Weerasinghe and a 22 percent jump in profits per partner.
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