+ The latest lawyer moves.
 

The Afternoon Docket

The Afternoon Docket

A weekly newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

 

By Caitlin Tremblay

What's going on in the legal industry this week?

The Trump administration hired 42 new immigration judges, many from enforcement backgrounds ... U.S. legal jobs are growing despite the economy shedding jobs ... Women law profs dominated a new list of most-cited faculty ... and the federal judiciary is fast-tracking a court records system upgrade.

Plus, all the latest lawyer moves in this week's Career Tracker.

Lawyers flood tech expo wondering: Is AI about to devalue their time?

 

REUTERS/Aly Song

The future of the billable hour was a top theme at the LegalWeek conference in New York this week, where AI dominated the annual gathering focused on legal technology.

Will an explosion of efficiency unleashed by AI leave clients unwilling to pay lawyers hundreds or thousands of dollars an hour? Will law firms charge the same or more, just for different services? How will firms absorb the costs of running AI tools that clients are now demanding? Find out more here.

 

Industry updates

  • Democratic lawmakers seek review of DOJ cases involving Pam Bondi's brother
  • Ford loses again in lawsuit claiming plaintiffs’ lawyers ran overbilling scheme
  • U.S. legal jobs grow as economy sheds jobs
  • U.S. solar firm's lawyer sentenced to 11-year prison term for Ponzi scheme role
  • U.S. judiciary to fast-track court records system upgrade after hacking
  • U.S. judiciary approves new public defender office focused on US Supreme Court advocacy
  • DOJ official Ed Martin faces legal ethics charges over 'DEI' letter
  • Legal AI startup Legora raises $550 million to speed up U.S. expansion
  • Trump DOJ improperly installed New Jersey prosecutors, judge rules 
  • Ex-minority student dean sues Rutgers law school over firing
  • Trump administration seeks to revive executive orders targeting law firms
 
 

Career Tracker

In New York:

Andrew Nichol left Kirkland to join Weil’s private equity and private funds group … Matthew Galeotti, former acting assistant AG of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, joined Kirkland … DLA Piper hired leveraged finance partner Michael Makhotin from Cahill Gordon & Reindel … Sidley added Jeffrey Ross as partner in its finance group from Debevoise & Plimpton where he was chair of the finance group. Sidley also hired tax partner Greg Featherman from Weil … Robert Friedman joined Alston & Bird as partner in its federal and international tax group from Proskauer … Howard Adler joined Nelson Mullins’ executive compensation and employee benefits practice from Clifford Chance.

In D.C.:

H. Boyd Greene IV moved to Sidley as a litigation partner from Kirkland … Mayer Brown added a six-partner litigation team from McGuireWoods: Yasser Madriz, Meghaan Madriz, Gregory Krock, Miles Indest, Jason Huebinger and Wolfgang McGavran … John Claud moved to Nelson Mullins’ FDA litigation practice from the DOJ where he was a prosecutor and assistant director.

In Chicago: 

Akin added tax partner Christopher Odell from Kirkland … Valerie Johnston joined Morgan Lewis’ real estate team from Perkins Coie … Jenner & Block added former assistant U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Sarah Streicker, as partner in its investigations, compliance and defense practice … Emerging companies partner Galen Mason moved to Nelson Mullins from Michael Best & Friedrich … Smith, Gambrell & Russell added litigation partner Sam Mitchell from Husch Blackwell.

In Los Angeles: 

McGuireWoods added two financial regulatory partners: Gary Leung, former regional director of the SEC’s LA office and Jodie Lopez from Sidley … Commercial and business litigator Jonathan Moss returned to Sheppard from Point Break Capital where he was general counsel. 

In San Francisco:

Paul Hastings added securities litigation partners Daniel Laguardia and Patrick Hein from A&O Shearman. Laguardia will also co-chair the practice … J.J. Jones, former assistant general counsel for cybersecurity at Microsoft, joined Dechert as a partner in its cyber, privacy and AI practice … Litigation partner Dannielle Campbell moved to Vedder from Putterman Yu Wang.

In Palo Alto:

Baker Botts added Joseph Halloum as its West Coast M&A chair from King & Spalding … Orrick hired Gina Marek from Gunderson Dettmer, where she served as co-chair of the strategic licensing and transactions group.

In Seattle:

Nathan Fahrer joined Morgan Lewis’ real estate team from Perkins Coie … Rhys Hefta moved to Arnold & Porter from K&L Gates.

In Miami:

Niket Rele returned to Reed Smith’s global corporate group in Miami from Arnold & Porter … Greenberg Traurig added corporate partner William Halaby III from Morrison Foerster.

Across other cities:

Insurance recovery partner Steven Wright moved to Foley Hoag in Boston as chair of the practice from K&L Gates … Corporate and securities partner Steven Przesmicki moved to Sidley in San Diego from Cooley … Bracewell launched a real estate special situations practice with partners Alex Dimock and Sam Murphy in Dallas, who join from Holland & Knight … Patent litigator Robert Hollingshead joined Pillsbury in Tokyo from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton … DLA Piper