Governor Kathy Hochul has retained Boyd Johnson of WilmerHale to defend her administration in lawsuits related to the suspension of Manhattan’s congestion pricing program. Johnson is notably known for his role in representing New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a campaign finance investigation. The need for outside counsel arose after New York Attorney General Letitia James recused her office due to unspecified conflicts of interest. Johnson’s involvement adds another layer of complexity to the legal battles surrounding the controversial congestion pricing initiative, aimed at reducing traffic congestion and environmental impact in New York City.
In other legal news, Seven Peaks Ventures has initiated legal action against Fenwick & West. The venture firm claims that Fenwick & West provided misleading information that led to an investment in a failed cryptocurrency startup. The misrepresentation allegedly caused the investor to lose its equity in the firm, which it argues it would not have supported had it been fully informed. This case underscores the legal risks associated with emerging technologies and the responsibilities of legal advisors in such high-stake investments. For further details, refer to Bloomberg Law.
Meanwhile, Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, head of the FDA’s medical device division for over a decade, announced his retirement. This move comes amidst allegations from consumer advocates regarding the approval of harmful medical devices. The critics also pointed out the close ties Shuren had with the medical device industry, including his wife Allison Shuren’s position at Arnold & Porter, which represents device manufacturers. This development highlights the ongoing debate and scrutiny regarding regulatory approvals and conflicts of interest within the medical device sector.
Moreover, recent lateral moves in the legal industry include Raghav Bajaj joining Latham & Watkins in Austin as a partner in the intellectual property litigation practice from Haynes and Boone. In Riyadh, Leen Zaza moved to Latham & Watkins’ mergers and acquisitions practice from Khoshaim & Associates. James Budinetz and Peter Zarella have become partners in McCarter & English’s business litigation group in Hartford, previously being part of McElroy Deutsch. Ted Remaklus has joined Thompson Hine’s intellectual property practice in Cincinnati from Wood Herron & Evans. Brian Bloom and Brant Kuehn are now partners at Greenspoon Marder’s litigation and intellectual property groups in New York. Finally, Eva Mak has transitioned to Freshfields as a private capital partner in Silicon Valley, coming from Kirkland & Ellis.
For more updates on these stories and other significant legal developments, visit Bloomberg Law.