Wake Up Call: Edward Blum Group Gets UNC’s Help With Legal Fees

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

• Edward Blum’s group got $4.8 million for legal fees and expenses from the University of North Carolina to recover expenses from its successful US Supreme Court challenge, Reuters learned through a public records request. Plaintiffs who prevail in certain civil rights cases can collect funds under the Civil Rights Attorney’s Fees Award Act of 1976. (Reuters)
• ArentFox Schiff faces an employment discrimination lawsuit from two Schiff Hardin IT workers who were not rehired when Washington-based Arent Fox and Chicago’s Schiff Hardin merged in March 2022. The lawsuit shows the risk firms face when cutting staff after a merger. (Law.com)
• An Allegheny County, Pennsylvania judge said he’s immune from a federal civil rights lawsuit filed by a Black lawyer who spent 20 days in jail after not complying with a court order to produce financial documents in a landlord-tenant dispute. Judge Philip A. Ignelzi said he’s seeking immunity from Walter Bernard’s suit because he was acting in his official capacity as a judge. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Rakesh Gopalan and David Wolpa have joined Troutman Pepper as partners in the corporate practice group in Charlotte, N.C. They join from McGuireWoods.
• Jay Hughes has rejoined McGuireWoods as a partner in Houston. He joins from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
• Stephen Jones has joined Freeths as a partner in Birmingham, England. He joins from DLA Piper.
• Theresa Conduah has joined Alston & Bird as a partner in the intellectual property practice in Los Angeles. She joins from Haynes & Boone.
• Barry O’Connell has joined Davis Wright Tremaine as a partner in New York.
• Fennemore has combined with the San Diego-based firm, Sullivan Hill.
• Amna Arshad has rejoined Crowell & Moring as a partner in the aviation and transportation practices in Washington, D.C..