June 2024

Attorney General Garland Defends DOJ Independence Amid Republican Grilling in House Judiciary Committee Hearing

Pieter Gunst03 mins

In a recent appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Merrick Garland provided a detailed explanation of DOJ operations amidst a backdrop of aggressive questioning from Republican representatives. Ostensibly part of the Committee’s annual oversight hearing, much of the session was characterized by Republican posturing, focusing on Garland’s refusal to turn over an interview…

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Former Restoration Company Executives Avoid Contempt Charges by Citing Misunderstanding of Court Injunction

Pieter Gunst01 mins

The former presidents of a property restoration company have narrowly avoided civil contempt charges after successfully persuading a North Carolina Business Court judge that they misunderstood an injunction that restricted their business activities. The executives argued that their violation was not intentional but rather due to a misinterpretation of the judicial order. The case, which…

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Mayer Brown Reelects Jon Van Gorp as Chairman, Emphasizing Firm’s Strategic Growth and Expansion

Pieter Gunst01 mins

Mayer Brown’s Jon Van Gorp has been reelected for a second three-year term as chairman, signaling the firm’s continued focus on capitalizing in key areas of strength, including its robust global offerings, growth in Salt Lake City, and expansion in New York. Van Gorp emphasized the importance of maintaining and building upon these advantages to…

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Juror Raises Concerns Over Transparency in Archegos Trial After Attorney’s COVID Absence

Pieter Gunst01 mins

In an unusual twist during the government’s $36 billion market manipulation case against Archegos founder Bill Hwang, a juror raised concerns about potential undisclosed information after a key lawyer’s COVID-19 diagnosis sidelined him. The juror’s inquiry emerged on Tuesday, questioning whether “something we are not being told” might be affecting the trial proceedings. This situation…

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Mondelez and Bryan Cave Sued Over Data Breach Exposing 50,000 Employees’ Information

Pieter Gunst02 mins

Mondelez Global LLC and Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP are facing proposed class actions after a February 2023 data breach at the law firm. The breach exposed the personal information of over 50,000 Mondelez employees. Seven plaintiffs in separate lawsuits have alleged concrete injuries sufficient to establish their standing in federal court, a critical milestone…

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Former Warner Bros. General Counsel John Rogovin Joins TikTok Amid U.S. Regulatory Challenges

Pieter Gunst01 mins

Former Warner Bros. General Counsel John Rogovin is taking the legal reins of TikTok as its continued operation in the United States hangs in the balance. Rogovin is stepping into this critical role amid increasing scrutiny from U.S. regulators, reflecting the intense legal challenges the popular social media app is currently facing. This move underscores…

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Lawyers Urge Swift Settlement in 23andMe Data Breach Cases Amid Financial Instability

Pieter Gunst01 mins

U.S. District Judge Edward Chen heard arguments on Monday from over a dozen plaintiffs’ lawyers regarding the future direction of the numerous data breach lawsuits confronting South San Francisco-based genetic testing company 23andMe Inc. The hearing centered around whether the lawsuits should proceed directly to settlement negotiations given the company’s precarious financial condition. In the…

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GameStop Influencer Roaring Kitty Faces Potential E-Trade Ban Amid Market Manipulation Concerns

Pieter Gunst03 mins

Keith Gill, known in the social media sphere as ‘Roaring Kitty’ and ‘DeepF—-Value,’ may lose access to his E-Trade account soon, according to a recent report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). E-Trade, owned by Morgan Stanley, is caught between concerns that Gill’s trading activities could be seen as market manipulation and the potential backlash…

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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP Appoints J. Holt Foster III as Managing Partner of New Dallas Office

Pieter Gunst02 mins

Legal News Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP has announced the appointment of J. Holt Foster III as the managing partner of their recently opened Dallas office. Foster brings an extensive background in private equity, venture capital, and creative financings, alongside mergers and acquisitions, fund formation, and international transactions. His expertise extends across a variety of…

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Canadian Legal Tech Firms Merge to Launch AI-Powered Case Law Tool

Pieter Gunst03 mins

Last September, two litigation-focused Canadian legal technology companies, CiteRight and Jurisage, announced their merger with the aim of combining CiteRight’s litigation drafting program with Jurisage’s AI technology. Now, the first fruit of that merger has been unveiled: CiteRight’s AI-powered tool, AI Insights by Jurisage. AI Insights is integrated into CiteRight’s existing platform and is designed…

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LexisNexis Acquires Henchman to Enhance Contract Drafting with AI Integration

Pieter Gunst02 mins

In a notable strategic move, LexisNexis has acquired Henchman, a contract drafting tool provider co-based in Belgium and New York. This acquisition is anticipated to enhance LexisNexis’ existing suite of products by integrating Henchman’s capabilities into platforms such as Lexis+ AI and Microsoft 365 add-in solutions. The core functionality of Henchman, which involves indexing a…

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Amir Ghaffari Joins Alston & Bird as Partner, Strengthening London’s International Arbitration Team

Pieter Gunst01 mins

Amir Ghaffari has been appointed as a partner at Alston & Bird, joining the firm’s international arbitration and dispute resolution team in London. As announced on Monday, Ghaffari will bring his extensive experience in counseling multinational corporations, state-owned entities, financial institutions, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals on complex international commercial and construction arbitration matters. Ghaffari’s client portfolio…

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Federal Judge Blocks Sysco Corp.’s Attempt to Transfer Pork and Beef Price-Fixing Claims to Burford Capital Ltd.

Pieter Gunst03 mins

Sysco Corp. cannot transfer its claims in a pork and beef price-fixing lawsuit to litigation funder Burford Capital Ltd., a federal judge ruled on Monday. Sysco sought to substitute Burford as the plaintiff in multiple meat and poultry antitrust suits, after receiving $140 million from Burford to pursue these claims. This move followed internal disagreements…

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Techiya Appeals Court Ruling Dismissing Samsung Patent Suit Over Allegations of Attorney Misconduct

Pieter Gunst02 mins

Staton Techiya LLC has formally requested the Federal Circuit to review a Texas federal judge’s decision to dismiss its three-year patent-infringement lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. The case was thrown out last month due to allegations of attorney misconduct. The appeal notice seeks examination of Judge Rodney Gilstrap’s dismissal order, dated May 9, 2024,…

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Seyfarth Shaw Expands Real Estate Practice with New Partner in Charlotte

Pieter Gunst01 mins

John Domby, a seasoned expert in real estate finance, has been recruited by Seyfarth Shaw to join its real estate practice as a partner in Charlotte, North Carolina, the firm announced Tuesday. Domby’s portfolio includes advising banks and funds on structured commercial real estate financings, specifically focusing on the closure of new originations for floating-rate…

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21 State Attorneys General Urge ABA to Eliminate Race-Based Accreditation Criteria for Law Schools

Pieter Gunst01 mins

In a recent development, 21 State Attorneys General have formally urged the American Bar Association (ABA) to remove race-based criteria from its law school accreditation standards. The focal point of their concern is Standard 206, which the AGs claim compels law schools to contravene existing legal guidelines as per the Court’s directive. They emphasized in…

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“Scott Jablonski Joins Husch Blackwell, Enhancing Expertise in Capital Markets and Emerging Technologies”

Pieter Gunst01 mins

Scott Jablonski has joined Husch Blackwell as a partner within the firm’s financial services and capital markets practice, operating through their virtual office known as The Link Tuesday. Jablonski brings extensive experience in both domestic and international transactions, particularly middle market mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, and private securities offerings. His addition to…

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Senate Judiciary Chairman Durbin Concerns Unshaken Amid GOP Threat to Block Biden’s Judicial Nominees

Pieter Gunst02 mins

Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin remains unconcerned following a declaration by 11 Republican senators who have promised not to support any of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominees just five months before the November elections. The GOP coalition’s stance could hinder the appointment of district judges in key states such as Florida, Ohio, and Wisconsin….

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