District of Columbia

UK Firm Set to Hire at Least 10 McKee Nelson Partners for US Presence

The British law firm Ashurst is in advanced talks to acquire at least 10 finance partners from McKee Nelson, giving the British law firm a presence in New York and Washington, D.C. Leading the McKee Nelson finance team is partner William Gray, Legal Week reports. Ashurst is also seeking to…

Feb 24, 2009 2:15 PM CST

Hotel Sues Akin Gump for Canceled Retreat

A San Diego hotel has sued Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld for canceling a planned April retreat. The suit by the Hotel Del Coronado seeks $386,000 for “877 sleeping room nights” secured by the firm for the partner retreat, the American Lawyer reports. The firm had chosen the San…

Feb 20, 2009 3:01 PM CST

Geronimo’s Heirs Sue Secret Yale Society for Return of Skull

The descendants of Geronimo have sued the secret Yale society known as Skull and Bones for the return of a skull believed to have been stolen from the grave of the Apache warrior. Rumors have long held that Prescott S. Bush, the grandfather of President George W. Bush, raided the…

Feb 20, 2009 2:35 PM CST

Judge to Hold Senior DOJ Lawyers in Contempt in Sen. Stevens Case

In the latest chapter of an ongoing saga of embarrassment for the U.S. Department of Justice, a federal judge angrily said he will hold four of its prosecutors in contempt for failing to comply with a post-trial court order to turn over documents in the case of former Sen. Ted…

Feb 13, 2009 8:40 PM CST

Friday Hearing Set on Claim of Prosecutor Wrongdoing in Senator’s Trial

The federal judge who oversaw the federal corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens has set a Friday hearing on a new trial request that is based on an FBI agent’s complaint of prosecutor wrongdoing. The “stunning formal complaint” by FBI agent Chad Joy claims prosecutors tried to conceal evidence in…

Feb 11, 2009 1:19 PM CST

Circus Accused of Elephant Cruelty in Trial Beginning Today

An elephant abuse lawsuit against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is a major test of protections for captive animals under the federal Endangered Species Act. The suit by animal welfare groups seeks an injunction to stop the circus from chaining the elephants, using sharp tools called bullhooks…

Feb 4, 2009 1:41 PM CST

Judge Rules for Juror Who Received a Pink Slip

A juror who received a pink slip from her employer after serving four months as a juror in a death penalty trial has gotten her job back. Juror Christine Madison will be reinstated and will receive back wages and attorney fees, according to a press release by the law firm…

Jan 30, 2009 7:31 PM CST

Antitrust Litigator Hausfeld Seeks Millions in Fees from Ex-Firm

The war of words between Michael Hausfeld and the law firm he once headed has now become a court battle. When Hausfeld left Cohen Milstein Hausfeld & Toll, he took 17 antitrust lawyers with him, and now he’s also seeking to take possibly millions of dollars in fees, Legal Times…

Jan 23, 2009 3:23 PM CST

Latham & Watkins a DOJ ‘Feeder Firm’

The Justice Department is once again poised to snag a lawyer from Latham & Watkins. Partner Kathryn Ruemmler has been tapped for the job of principal associate deputy attorney general, the Am Law Daily reports. Ruemmler joined Latham in 2007 after working as deputy director of the Justice Department’s Enron…

Jan 22, 2009 2:02 PM CST

Staff Sleepover at Sutherland Asbill Precedes Inauguration Party

Aided by an office fortuitously located along the Pennsylvania Avenue parade route, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan held a blockbuster office party today in honor of now-President Barack Obama’s inauguration. “Richard Murphy, Sutherland’s Washington partner in charge, says this year’s celebration is the biggest the firm has ever thrown,” reports the…

Jan 21, 2009 1:36 AM CST

Latest Layoffs: Skadden Staff Attorneys & 65 Akin Gump Staff, Among Others

The ax reportedly has fallen on attorneys and staff at four more well-known law firms, in addition to three that made layoffs news last week. According to Above the Law, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom gave pink slips on Friday to a significant number of its staff attorney workforce,…

Jan 20, 2009 10:17 PM CST

New Indictment Says Arent Fox Partner Conspired to Conceal Nature of Lawyer’s Death

A grand jury has returned a superseding indictment accusing Arent Fox partner Joseph Price and two other men of conspiring to conceal the “true circumstances” of the fatal stabbing of a lawyer at Price’s DuPont Circle home. The superseding indictment (PDF posted by Legal Times) charges Price, his domestic partner…

Jan 16, 2009 3:39 PM CST

Greenberg Traurig Adds 19 Seasoned NY Lawyers, Loses 2 to Pillsbury in D.C.

In one of the latest moves in an active lateral hiring market for seasoned attorneys in certain practice areas, Greenberg Traurig has added to its attorney roster three corporate and securities partners from K&L Gates. They are Stephan Mallenbaum, Conrad Everhard and Sean Hayes, the firm reports in a press…

Jan 15, 2009 12:54 AM CST

Associates at Alston & Bird, Hogan & Hartson Won’t Get Pay Raises

Alston & Bird and Hogan & Hartson are apparently the latest law firms to freeze associate salaries. The blog Above the Law has published law firm internal memos announcing the freezes. The Alston & Bird memo said the pay freeze was needed for “sound financial stewardship of the firm.” The…

Jan 14, 2009 2:38 PM CST

Whole Foods Lawyer: FTC Wants to ‘Put the Toothpaste Back in the Tube’

The Federal Trade Commission has asked a federal judge to stop further integration of Wild Oats Markets with Whole Foods, but an opposing lawyer says it’s already too late. The commission asked U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman of Washington, D.C., to order Wild Oats stores that became part of Whole…

Jan 13, 2009 6:20 PM CST