Wake Up Call: Akin, Brownstein Lobbyists Drop Chinese Client

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

• Akin Gump and Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck are among the K Street law and lobby firms that have dropped Chinese clients connected to the Chinese military. Both law firms dumped Chinese lidar maker Hesai Group in the last week after Akin had earned $300,000 for its lobbying assistance, with Brownstein bagging $220,000. (Politico)
• McDermott Will & Emery’s revenues climbed 5.8% to $1.92 billion in 2023, which the firm attributed to a “string” of health care mergers and acquisitions and litigation matters. The firm’s profits per equity partner likewise jumped by 13% to $3.76 million—double what equity partners there earned in 2018. (Law.com)
• Tully Rinckey founding partners Matthew Tully and Gregory Rinckey should be suspended for 90 days because of how their firm’s separation practices restricted departing lawyers’ abilities to practice, a DC Court of Appeals committee recommended. The offending terms included damages imposed when departing lawyers left “without good reason.” (ABA Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Jennifer M. Trulock has joined Bradley as a partner with the labor and employment practice group in Dallas. She joins from Baker Botts.
• Ashok Mukhey and Jennifer Terry have been promoted to office managing partners of Reed Smith in Century City, Calif., and Los Angeles, respectively.
• Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor has announced the opening of a new office in Charlotte, N.C.
• Adam R. Seligman has joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder with the global real estate practice in West Palm Beach, Fla. He joins from Ward Damon.
• Peter Fritz has joined Alston & Bird as a partner in Charlotte, N.C. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Paul M. Williams joins Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in the real estate practice in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. He joins from Morgan Lewis.
• Ivet Bell has joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as a partner and as a member of the private funds and secondaries group in New York.
• Jack D. Yamin, an insurance M&A and reinsurance attorney, has joined Kirkland & Ellis as a partner. He joins from Sidley Austin.
• Matthew D. Jacobson has joined Reed Smith as a partner in its product liability practice in the life sciences health industry group. He rejoins from Holland & Knight.
• John Goldfinch has joined Allen & Overy as a partner ahead of the firm’s merger with Shearman & Sterling. He joins from Milbank.
• David Hengstler has joined Haynes and Boone as a partner in the real estate practice group in the Orange County, Calif., office. He joins from Sheppard Mullin.
• Brian Paulson will join Skadden as a capital markets partner in its Palo Alto, Calif., office.
• Bruno Soares has joined DLA Piper as a partner in the cross-border project finance practice.
• Paul Sandler has joined Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in the debt finance group. He joins from Paul Weiss.