Wake Up Call: Clifford Chance Cuts London Staff to Embrace AI

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

• Clifford Chance is cutting about 10% of its London business services staff—around 50 roles in finance, HR, and IT—while reshaping about 35 more. The firm cited increased use of AI, shifting demand, and more work moving to lower-cost global offices as reasons for the cuts and said the changes may create new roles and alter team structures. (The Guardian)
• Harvard Law School’s Election Law Clinic joined a group of law firms challenging Wisconsin’s congressional map, arguing that Democrats and Republicans cooperated to create “anti-competitive gerrymandering” that protects incumbents and limits voter choice. Building on a recent court win that struck down the state’s legislative maps, the clinic and its partners claim both parties have maintained noncompetitive districts despite Wisconsin’s closely divided electorate. (The Harvard Crimson)
• Missouri Judge Matthew E.P. Thornhill, the longest-serving jurist in St. Charles County, agreed to resign after a judicial conduct commission found he repeatedly disrupted courtroom decorum by indulging his passion for Elvis Presley — including wearing an Elvis wig on the bench, playing Presley’s music, and quoting lyrics during proceedings. Thornhill, who said he intended only to lighten the mood for litigants, acknowledged the misconduct and accepted a disciplinary plan calling for suspension and eventual resignation, pending approval by the Missouri Supreme Court. (The New York Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Tom Hughes joined Venable as a partner in its corporate practice group in Chicago. He joins from Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff.