Wake Up Call: Hip Hop Star Says Former Lawyer Used AI In Trial

Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.

• Fugees hip hop star Pras Michel says his attorneys relied on artificial intelligence to craft their closing argument in Michel’s witness tampering trial that ended in April with a conviction. Michel’s new legal team with ArentFox Schiff, who are asking for a new trial, claim former attorney David Kenner used an experimental AI program that conflated his client’s alleged schemes. (Politico)
• Plaintiffs lawyers are asking for almost $1 billion in legal fees in a case against 3M Co. and DuPont de Nemours Inc. over claims of contaminated drinking water. The lawyers, from 28 different firms, called the overall $10.5 billion settlement value in the class action case “staggering,” “colossal” and “herculean.” (Law.com)
• London’s top 10 law firms saw their billable hours drop by 1.7% in a recent 12-month period, in part as a result of M&A deal revenues falling to a 10-year low. Yet the firms made up for this by charging clients 12.3% more than they did the year before. (Financial Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Stephen DeCosse has returned to Morrison & Foerster as a partner with the corporate group in Tokyo.
• Michael Caruso has joined Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney as a shareholder in the bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice group in New Jersey.
• Jayashree Mitra has joined Carlton Fields as a shareholder with the intellectual property practice in New York. She practiced as a partner at Fox Rothschild.
• Damian Petrovic has joined Schulte Roth & Zabel as a partner with the M&A and securities group in New York.
• Matthew Gruenberg has joined Dentons as a partner with the venture technology and emerging growth companies practice in New York.
• Angela Dunning has joined Cleary Gottlieb as a partner in the Bay Area offices in California.
• Chris Taufatofua has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner with the corporate and finance practices in London. He practiced at Milbank LLP.
• Karin Cogbill has joined Jackson Lewis PC as a principal in Silicon Valley, Calif.