Of course they are. A firm-wide email celebrating the "successful" conclusion of a litigation and naming specific associates who did important work is primaril

Of course they are. A firm-wide email celebrating the "successful" conclusion of a litigation and naming specific associates who did important work is primarily how associates gather the necessary recognition to make partner. The last thing an associate wants to have happen at the partnership vote is for 2/3 of the senior partners to say "who?" when their name comes up. The last thing a partner wants to have happen is to get a reputation of "nobody ever makes partner working for him/her".