Welcome to today’s rundown of the top news for corporate and firm lawyers, and in-house counsel.
First off, a recent award of $55 million in legal fees from a settlement intended to compensate about 300,000 First Nations families in Canada has sparked concern. Originating from underfunding on-reserve child-welfare services, this compensation comes on the heels of a significant $23bn class action settlement following a protracted court battle with the Canadian government. Responders are expressing worry about the perceived “imbalance” between what lawyers and victims will receive. For full details, read more on CityNews.
In other news, Mark Ressler, a partner at Kasowitz Benson Torres, has announced his intention to file lawsuits against elite universities, including Stanford, Harvard, and Berkeley. The reason behind these lawsuits? Ressler argues that these institutions have violated the rights of Jewish students through the allowance of antisemitic harassment. You can find the full details on this situation at Fox News.
Furthermore, Kirkland & Ellis lawyer Aaron Nielson has been picked by Texas state attorney general Ken Paxton to become the new solicitor general. According to Nielson’s LinkedIn page, he maintains a connection with Kirkland & Ellis on a part-time basis, while also serving full-time as a law professor with Brigham Young University. For more insight, see the full report at Reuters.
Wrapping up with lateral moves, Jonathan Rash has joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in its global asset management practice. James Beers is the new partner with Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders’ environmental and natural resources practice. Elsewhere, Robert D. Gordon has joined Herrick Feinstein in the restructuring and finance litigation department, and Matthew Bernstein and John Merrigan have joined the public policy, regulatory, and government affairs practice at Mayer Brown. Finally, Brent Owen has moved to Haynes and Boone as an energy litigation partner and Alix Langrognat has joined Hugh James as a partner with the private client team.
The full rundown, including more details on these lateral moves, can be found by visiting Bloomberg Law.