Wake Up Call: Former ABA Exec Director to Lead Rocket Lawyer

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

• Affordable legal services provider Rocket Lawyer announced that Jack Rives will be its first president. Rives will also spearhead the company’s Alternative Business Structure initiatives in the UK and Arizona, as well as the Utah Regulatory Sandbox and play a key role in executing Rocket Lawyer’s AI strategy. Rives served as a judge advocate (JAG) for 33 years, and became the first military attorney to attain the three-star rank of lieutenant general. He then oversaw the American Bar Association as Executive Director from 2010 to 2023. (Yahoo Finance)
• The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service appointed the first-ever solicitor as its next director of public prosecutions. Former Kingsley Napley senior partner Stephen Parkinson will be replacing former head of Red Lion Chambers Max Hill KC in the role. Parkinson said: “Both as a prosecutor and defender I have always strongly believed in the importance of the CPS in bringing to justice and prosecuting fairly those accused of crime.” All previous incumbents have been barristers. (Global Legal Post)
• Greenberg Traurig is being sued by a tribal company in Montana federal court alleging its former legal counsel attempted to influence the company’s operations and shift its assets out of state when that influence was challenged. The firm said it believes the complaint includes inaccuracies and intends to vigorously defend the suit. (The Hill)
• Marvel Comics impresario Stan Lee’s estate lost a long-running elder-abuse lawsuit against attorney Uri Litvak on a technicality. An arbitrator found that claims against Lee’s former attorney were brought five days past the statute of limitations. (The Hollywood Reporter)
• Cleveland’s legal services workforce is running leaner than years past. (Crain’s)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Eric S. Aronson has joined Crowell & Moring as a partner with the litigation group in New York. He joins from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan.
• Terry R. Weiss and Stefanie M. Wayco have joined Duane Morris as partners in the trial practice group in Atlanta, Ga. They join from Maynard Nexsen.
• Leon Johnson has joined Goodwin Procter as a partner with the private equity practice in San Francisco.
• Meredith Osborn has joined Arnold & Porter as a partner with the white collar defense and investigations practice as a partner in San Francisco, Calif.
• David Yang has joined Nelson Mullins LLP as a partner in the Washington office.
• Jason McElroy has joined Saul Ewing as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office.