Wake Up Call: Fraud Cases Devised by ‘Powerful Private Lawyers’

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

• Health care fraud cases brought by state attorneys general against insurer Centene were “conceived and executed” by a group of “powerful private lawyers” who used political connections to win millions in contingency fees. Cohen Milstein, a firm with “deep experience” in contingency work for state AGs, focused on Democratic states for the group. (New York Times)
• Stefanie Lambert, a pro-Trump lawyer from Michigan who promoted “dubious” election fraud claims, on Thursday turned herself in to try to resolve a bench warrant. Lambert faces four felony charges that stem from allegations that she conspired to improperly access voting machines used in the 2020 election. (Detroit News)
• The founder of an Illinois employment law firm is giving $100,000 to Instituto del Progreso Latino, a Chicago nonprofit that provides education, training and employment resources to Latino communities. David Fish, founder of Fish Potter Bolaños, donated the funds, which will support the nonprofit’s Asylum Migrant Outreach Response, known as Project AMOR. (Chicago Tribune)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Kalidou Gadio has joined DLA Piper as co-chair of the US-Africa practice in Washington, D.C.
• Thomas Laurer and Ryan Hansen have joined Katten in London as financial markets and funds partners, and Daniel Lewin has joined as a tax planning partner. They join from Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle.
• Sarah D. Macklin has joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in the litigation department in Seattle. She joins from Lewis Brisbois.
• Christopher Rizek has joined Holland & Knight as a partner in the the tax, executive compensation, and benefits practice in Washington, D.C. He joins from Caplin & Drysdale.
• Patrick Scully has joined Foley Hoag as a partner with the labor and employment group in Denver. He joins from Sherman & Howard.