Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel. Mark Robinson, the Republican gubernatorial candidate in North Carolina, has retained the services of Binnall Law Group to investigate allegations he deems to be “false smears” reported by CNN. CNN’s report claimed that Robinson…
OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to provide its Chief Executive Officer, Sam Altman, with a 7% equity stake in the company. This potential move marks a significant shift as the artificial intelligence startup considers restructuring to become a for-profit entity. The proposed transition, which involves transforming into a public benefit corporation, aims to balance the…
The United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union, and several other nations, including France, Germany, and Japan, released a joint statement on Wednesday, urging an end to the conflict between Israel and Lebanon. The coalition of states called for a “diplomatic settlement” to avoid further escalation of the conflict in the region. This diplomatic settlement…
President of the European Council, Charles Michel, has called for significant reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to enhance its inclusivity, legitimacy, and effectiveness. Delivering a speech at the UNSC, Michel highlighted the urgent need for reforms, pointing to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Sudan as evidence of the UNSC’s…
“`html Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, one of the world’s leading law firms, has rebranded by dropping “Bruckhaus Deringer” from its name, a move that has sparked commentary on the firm’s commitment to Germany. This change has led some commentators to suggest that the firm is de-emphasizing its German roots to focus more on growth in the…
Clifford Chance has bolstered its restructuring practice in Germany by hiring a leading partner. This move sees the new partner reuniting with former Sidley partners Patrick Schulz and Andreas Steiger, who had also transitioned to Clifford Chance earlier this year. For more details, you can read the full article here.
Jenner & Block has announced that Ishan Bhabha will be the firm’s new co-managing partner starting next year. He will succeed Katya Jestin, who will continue her work within the firm, specifically in the investigations practice. Jestin has shared the managing partner role with Randy Mehrberg since 2019, and Mehrberg will continue in his role…
A recent lawsuit filed by ABM Industry Groups LLC, a janitorial and cleaning services contractor, has cast a spotlight on the legality of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs’ (OFCCP) use of administrative law judges. The company argues that this mechanism violates its Seventh Amendment right to a jury trial, a claim that draws…
California’s recent legal action against ExxonMobil introduces a new dynamic in the ongoing battle against plastic pollution. The state has chosen a distinctly upstream strategy, aiming directly at the source by filing a lawsuit on September 23 in San Francisco County Superior Court. The lawsuit claims that ExxonMobil’s promotion of all plastics as recyclable has…
The Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank known for its close ties to Democratic administrations, recently released a new report outlining its ambitious proposals for voting rights, campaign finance, and democracy reform. This report serves as a counter-narrative to the conservative Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and is aimed at influencing policies in…
A seemingly novel lawsuit has emerged challenging a company’s health plan surcharge for employees who have refused the Covid-19 vaccine. Two security guards have initiated a proposed class action against GardaWorld Cash Services Inc. in a North Carolina federal court. Filed on September 16, the plaintiffs argue that GardaWorld’s surcharge violates the Employee Retirement Income…
John Quinn, Quinn Emanuel’s illustrious founding partner, has added another title to his already impressive repertoire: podcast host. In the series “Law, Disrupted,” launched in 2022, Quinn interviews key figures from the world’s largest law firms. Notable guests have included Marc Kasowitz, Brad Karp, and Jon Ballis, leaders of Kasowitz Benson Torres, Paul Weiss, and…
A key U.S. financial regulator, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), is planning to bring enhanced scrutiny to a growing trend: credit unions acquiring community banks. In the wake of a record-high number of such mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in 2024, the FDIC has signaled that it may require credit unions to provide more extensive…
In the aftermath of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, law professors across the nation are recalibrating their teaching strategies to address the ramifications of this pivotal ruling. The verdict dismantled the four-decade-old Chevron doctrine, which established judicial deference to reasonable agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes. This shift is particularly…
Canada’s federal government has launched an extensive action plan to combat the rise in hate incidents, as announced by the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion, and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera. The latest strategy brings together 20 federal programs under a comprehensive framework aimed at addressing the increasing number of hate-related incidents across the country. Central…
Companies targeted by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are increasingly challenging the agency’s constitutionality, raising substantive arguments about its independence and operational framework. This pushback has been seen from corporate giants such as Kroger Co., Meta Platforms Inc., and Cigna Group’s Express Scripts. These lawsuits are emerging as the Supreme Court has recently issued opinions…
The surge in lawsuits seeking nationwide relief from government regulation has brought the issue of nationwide injunctions to the forefront, especially in politically charged cases like those challenging vaccine mandates. During President Barack Obama’s tenure, there were 12 such lawsuits, but this number escalated to an unprecedented 64 during President Donald Trump’s administration. As of…
Your first legal job—whether a summer-associate position or legal internship—can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Transitioning from studying cases to working alongside practicing attorneys can certainly be intimidating. Drawing from their own experiences as former summer associates, Hogan Lovells’ Sean Marotta and Dana Raphael offer practical advice for aspiring legal professionals in an article on…
Students returning to law school this fall face a challenging political environment. To navigate this, it is essential to keep key factors in mind. Firstly, students should prioritize their main goal: completing their coursework and earning a law degree. The investments made in legal education are substantial and should not be taken lightly. However, engaging…
A former Dentons partner has stated that revealing an email from Dentons Australia chief executive Doug Stipanicev, which contained anti-vaxxer and anti-Semitic material, was in the public interest. The partner believes that making this information public was necessary despite the potential repercussions. For more details, visit the full article on Law.com International.
Eswatini’s primary opposition leader, President Mlungisi Makhanya, was poisoned in an assassination attempt, according to his party, the People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO). This revelation casts a stark light on the political climate in Eswatini, one of the last remaining absolute monarchies, where the government has consistently moved to suppress pro-democracy protests. PUDEMO alleged that…
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Texas legislature to impose stricter oversight and deny additional funds to the Texas Military Department (TMD), which oversees Texas’s National Guard (TNG) forces. This appeal follows incidents where TNG troops allegedly fired pepper-spray projectiles, known as “pepper-balls,” against migrants at the US-Mexico border under Operation Lone Star….
The Toronto housing market continues to grapple with a significant imbalance between demand and housing starts, as highlighted by a recent report from the Building and Land Development Association (BILD). According to the report, the Greater Toronto Area has observed a drastic decline in housing start applications, dropping from 2,428 in 2021 to just 1,225…
Venture capital firms anticipate that in-house counsel at AI companies will assume a more significant role in their businesses as regulatory uncertainties surrounding artificial intelligence intensify. This perspective emerged at the seventh-annual Berkeley Law AI Institute held on Wednesday. During the event, a professor who played a key role in pioneering AI technology underscored the…
In a recent development, the Chapter 11 examiner assigned to the bankruptcy proceedings of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX Trading has concluded that the debtor law firm Sullivan & Cromwell did not overlook any “red flags” related to allegations of misconduct by FTX. This evaluation centers around the $500 million acquisition of stock in Robinhood Markets…