Ballard Spahr is set to merge with Lane Powell in a significant move within the legal industry. According to Bloomberg Law, the merger will officially take place on January 1st. The combined firm will boast more than 750 lawyers spread across 18 U.S. offices. Currently, Ballard Spahr operates with over 600 lawyers across 15 offices…
Kramer Levin has recently announced the addition of Richard Sauber, former special counsel to the president, as a partner. Sauber will be joining the firm’s congressional investigations, white-collar defense, and government investigations practices in Washington, D.C. This strategic move aims to enhance the firm’s capabilities in advising clients facing investigations from Congress and other federal…
Holland & Knight, a prominent law firm, has augmented its financial services team with the addition of Jose Tadeo Martinez as a partner in its Washington office. Martinez, who transitioned from his role as lead counsel at IDB Invest, brings an extensive portfolio comprising structured and corporate finance, financial products design, and private equity, among…
King & Spalding has announced the addition of Will Stute as a partner in its product liability and mass torts practice group, based in the firm’s Miami office. Stute brings considerable expertise in representing clients across multiple sectors, including sports, technology, consumer products, financial services, and life sciences. His practice areas encompass mass tort, personal…
Each weekday, Ellena Erskine of SCOTUSblog curates a shortlist of news articles, commentary, and other noteworthy links related to the activities and decisions of the Supreme Court. On Monday, September 9, 2024, the morning read includes notable discussions and recent updates involving the Court’s key figures and their impacts. Among the featured articles are in-depth…
Philadelphia-founded Ballard Spahr LLP and Seattle-based Lane Powell PC have announced plans to merge and form a new combined firm. The merger will result in a firm boasting more than 750 lawyers operating under the Ballard Spahr name. This strategic move is expected to enhance their geographical reach and breadth of legal expertise, positioning the…
The “Morning Docket” for September 9, 2024, from Above the Law touches on several essential updates in the legal world that professionals should be aware of. Starting with Biglaw, there’s increasing speculation about the firms’ reluctance to match Milbank’s bonuses. This decision might reflect their dominance in the lateral market, or it could be a…
A retired Ohio judge accused of misappropriating more than $65,000 from an association for which he served as treasurer has resigned his law license with disciplinary action pending, the state Supreme Court announced. Michael T. Brandt, who served on the Franklin County Municipal Court, applied last month to give up his license; the court accepted…
Renowned short seller Hindenburg Research, known for its critical reports targeting financial malfeasance, has shifted its focus from scrutinizing companies in India to shining a light on organizations allegedly involved in the robotics and artificial intelligence industry. The company recently announced that its new investigative priorities would include firms they believe may be exaggerating their…
In the wake of Google’s recent antitrust trial, significant discussions have emerged regarding the potential remedies aimed at addressing the company’s dominant position in the online search market. One noteworthy voice in this conversation is Dave Lee, who argues that Google’s ad business is particularly vulnerable to being partitioned in ways that could mitigate its…
The New York City Bar Association has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Task Force aimed at addressing the evolving role of AI in legal services and the administration of justice. The initiative comes in response to the transformative potential and risks associated with AI in the legal sector, as highlighted by Muhammad Faridi, the association’s…
News Article Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has announced the appointment of Kevin Yingling, a seasoned antitrust lawyer from Google, to its Washington, D.C. office. Yingling, who served as Google’s director of competition for approximately 15 years, expressed his readiness for a “new challenge” after his extended tenure at the tech giant. This move is part of…
Regulators on the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) are increasing their scrutiny on e-commerce platforms concerning their role in distributing hazardous products. Recently, two of the commissioners released a joint statement asking staff to evaluate Shein and Temu, following reports of these platforms listing dangerous baby products for sale. Commissioners Peter A. Feldman and…
The University of California Berkeley School of Law has announced a novel initiative: launching an artificial intelligence-focused master of laws degree program. This program, expected to commence in summer 2025, has already garnered attention for its forward-thinking approach, aimed at preparing legal professionals for the evolving landscape of AI and law. As part of its…
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has announced the hiring of J. Christian Nahr, the former head of Fried Frank’s global finance practice, as the firm seeks to bolster its banking practice. Nahr will join Skadden as a partner in its banking group based in New York, adding significant expertise in complex cross-border and domestic…
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP has strategically recruited Dan Amato, previously the head of sponsor finance practice at Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, to join its burgeoning private credit team in New York. This move underscores Cahill’s fervent commitment to scaling its private credit capabilities in response to the shifting dynamics within the leveraged finance…
Weil, Gotshal & Manges has taken a significant step in expanding its U.K. finance practice by bringing on Nicola Noel, a senior director in legal from Canadian pension investor PSP Investments. Law firms are looking to build their private credit teams as the market continues to grow at an impressive rate. Noel’s previous experience includes…
In a strategic move to bolster its mergers and acquisitions (M&A) capability, Paul Hastings has welcomed Timothy Fesenmyer to its New York office as a new partner. Fesenmyer, who previously practiced at King & Spalding, brings extensive experience in high-profile domestic and cross-border M&A work. His portfolio includes advising companies, boards of directors, legal teams,…
Politan Capital Management LP’s proxy battle with health-care technology giant Masimo Corp. escalates this week as the case goes to trial in the Delaware Chancery Court. This trial is part of a broader legal conflict involving a parallel lawsuit currently pending in a California federal court. For more detail, see the original article on Bloomberg…
In the wake of Brexit, U.K. lawyers lost their ability to register and practice in Greece, which had significant implications for advising on sectors like shipping, insurance, and finance. However, recent legislative changes in Greece have reopened the door for U.K. legal professionals to reestablish their presence. This shift is anticipated to realign the legal…
A narrow labor exemption to federal antitrust laws is currently under the microscope as a federal judge in Oregon considers the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) lawsuit aimed at blocking Kroger Co.’s acquisition of Albertsons Cos. The FTC, along with several states, is seeking to halt the $24.6 billion transaction on the grounds that it could…
As President Joe Biden’s term progresses, the window for confirming federal judicial nominees is rapidly closing, particularly in the face of an election year and a narrowly divided Senate. With only eight weeks remaining in the session, Senate Democrats need to act swiftly to confirm over 30 pending judicial nominees, which include six appellate court…
Despite the widespread excitement and significant investments in generative artificial intelligence (AI) over the past year, legal departments are not reaping the expected returns. Many leaders are starting to question the transformative potential of generative AI. However, the issue may not lie with the technology itself but rather with a critical oversight: the lack of…
The recent civil antitrust suit filed by the Department of Justice, along with eight state attorneys general, against property management technology company RealPage Inc. and several landlords highlights a critical issue: the need for thorough vetting of artificial intelligence (AI) tools. The lawsuit claims that RealPage’s revenue management software facilitated collusion among landlords to fix…
Trust plays a critical role in the sustained success of firms, yet it often eludes the quantifiable metrics commonly tracked by corporate departments. Legal departments, being the crossroads where numerous issues are adjudicated, have unique opportunities to either cultivate or undermine that trust. Columnist Rob Chesnut, drawing on his extensive background in legal and ethical…