Wake Up Call: 2024 on Pace to Set Law Firm Data Breach Record

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

• At least 21 law firms have reported data breaches in 2024 so far—"the biggest year” in the history of law firm data breach reports—with Taft Stettinius & Hollister the largest firm to report a breach this year. Three other AmLaw 200 firms also reported breaches in 2024: Robinson & Cole, Butler Snow, and Burr & Forman. (Law.com)
• A federal judge turned down the request of David Johnston, the Jan. 6 US Capitol rioter whose law license has since been suspended, to lift his probation so that he could quickly get his license back. The Charleston, South Carolina man, formerly with the personal injury firm George Sink before he was fired after his 2022 arrest, said in an apology that, “The disrespect I showed that day deeply troubles me.” (The State)
• Legal recruiters say “continued upward pressure” has spurred large law firms in Boston to pay associates with “relatively little experience” up to $275,000 per year. Said one: “Those firms that don’t stay current with appropriate associate packages simply won’t win the highly competitive battle for lateral recruits.” (Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly)
• Milbank has confirmed that its head of complex securitization, Michael Urschel, is leaving the firm after one year to join Kirkland & Ellis. Urschel is expected to play a “leadership role” in Kirkland’s expansion of its securitization practice. (Law.com)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Ryan Dykal, Jordan Bergsten, and Mark Schafer have joined Boies Schiller Flexner’s intellectual property practice as partners affiliated with the firm’s Washington office.
• Emmanuel Sala has joined Baker McKenzie’s North American tax practice as a partner in its Toronto office.
• John Hutar has joined DLA Piper as a corporate practice partner in the firm’s Palo Alto, California office.
• Melissa Peters has joined Nixon Peabody as a partner in the firm’s Labor & Employment practice in San Francisco, along with counsel Eric Compere of the Los Angeles office.
• Louis Froelich has joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in the firm’s capital markets group in New York.