The push to bring lawyers back to the office at least four days a week is spreading. Last week Vinston & Elkins became the latest firm to ask its lawyers to work at the office at least four days a week, starting Sept. 11. Earlier this summer, New York-founded law firms Davis Polk, Skadden and Weil each said that their lawyers would be expected in the office Monday through Thursday starting after Labor Day, and Boston-founded Ropes & Gray late last month adopted a similar policy. Still, most firms are holding off – at least for now – on requiring four days in-office, instead continuing to offer greater flexibility.
More from the legal industry …
A prominent 5th Circuit judge said the Federal Circuit circumvented the “usual process” in its probe of Judge Pauline Newman’s mental fitness … Attorney regulators in Michigan dropped disciplinary charges against attorneys Emily Newman and Stefanie Lambert Junttila, who tried to overturn Joe Biden's 2020 election victory in the state ... Hunter Biden’s top lawyer Christopher Clark is seeking to withdraw from representing the president’s son ... Fox Corp’s chief legal officer Viet Dinh will step down by the end of 2023, in another major exit following Dominion Voting Systems' settlement … Wigdor, which represented three women who claimed Apollo Global Management co-founder Leon Black raped them, has been sued by the billionaire again ... Gibson Dunn’s fee request was slashed in a securities case after a judge found the hourly rates of lawyers were “unreasonable” … The ABA may soon require law schools to adopt free speech policies … More than half of the aspiring lawyers registered for this month’s LSAT opted to complete it remotely, but hundreds of examinees faced significant delays while trying to take the test … And, long-serving 2nd Circuit Judge Rosemary Pooler passed away last week at the age of 85.
Moves: - In New York ...
Morgan Lewis brought on its sixth partner from Stroock.
Freshfields hired partner Gayle Klein from Schulte Roth & Zabel, where she co-led the litigation group. Alston & Bird added
three commercial litigation partners from Hogan Lovells. Laurian Cristea, who was previously chief legal officer at Cboe Digital, joined
Barnes & Thornburg’s New York and Raleigh offices as a partner in the corporate department.
In Washington, D.C. …
King & Spalding hired former FTC official Sean Royall from Sidley Austin, where he co-led the antitrust and consumer protection practice. Vinson & Elkins added Monique Watson, a former senior FERC official, as a partner in its energy regulatory practice. Tax attorney Don Lonczak joined Pillsbury’s global energy transition team as a partner from Bracewell. Fox Rothschild added trial lawyer Michelle West as counsel from a boutique government contracts and construction firm.
In Houston … Energy industry dealmaker Cody Carper joined Weil as a partner from Skadden.
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In Los Angeles …
ArentFox Schiff added a trio of partners to its labor and employment practice from Sheppard Mullin. Brian Schall joined Barnes & Thornburg as a partner in the firm's entertainment, media and sports practice group from Wolf, Rifkin, Shapiro, Schulman & Rabkin.
And finally …
One of Shearman & Sterling's C-suite leaders joined Sheppard Mullin as Shearman looks to cement a planned merger with London-founded Allen & Overy later this year.
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The crypto industry appears to be undeterred by a ruling last month that casts doubt on a sweeping theory that could squelch efforts by the SEC to police crypto issuers and exchanges. Alison Frankel looks at a spate of recent briefs in the SEC’s case against crypto exchange Coinbase that contend the SEC's crypto enforcement campaign runs afoul of the Supreme Court’s major questions doctrine – even though a Manhattan federal judge ruled otherwise last month. Read more.
Check out other recent pieces from all our columnists: Alison Frankel, Jenna Greene and Hassan Kanu
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Additional writing by Tanvi Shenoy, R Rohit, Maya Nandhini and Kuheli Biswas. |