Major law firms such as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, Hogan Lovells, and Sidley Austin have ramped up their recruitment of energy practice partners, according to a recent report by Bloomberg. The changes come as there is a notable shift in federal policy towards clean energy, leading to increased demand for related legal expertise. Notably, Akin Gump announced this past Wednesday that it has brought onboard DC partner Vanessa Richelle Wilson from DLA Piper (Reuters) .
On another note, a US Department of Veterans Affairs lawyer, Shekeba Morrad, was reported to be under scrutiny for a controversial social media post that appeared to be in poor taste. Shortly after the incident, the offending message was taken down (Fox News) .
In uplifting news, the American Bar Association (ABA) has announced a milestone in naming Jennifer Rosato Perea – current dean of DePaul University College of Law – as its new managing director of accreditation and legal education. Ms. Perea, who is scheduled to assume her role on June 1 next year, will be the first Latina to lead the ABA’s legal education department (ABA) .
Personnel Moves & New Hires
- Vanessa Richelle Wilson joins Akin as a partner in the projects and energy transition practice in Washington, D.C. (Bloomberg Law) .
- Peter Farrell has joined Brown Rudnick as a partner in the tax group in Washington, D.C., moving from Baker Botts (Bloomberg Tax).
- Robert P. Demchak is now a partner at McCarter & English’s real estate practice group, working from both Indianapolis, Ind., and New York offices (Bloomberg Law).