Wake Up Call: Gibson Dunn the ‘NQ’ London Tops at 180,000 Pounds

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

• Gibson Dunn has boosted its base pay for newly qualified lawyers in London to 180,000 pounds, a “cash-grenade” that makes its salary “the highest in the land.” That amounts to an 11% hike from its previous so-called “NQ” London salary of 161,700 pounds. (RollOnFriday)
• Houston lawyer Ben Aderholt was terminated by the Coats Rose law firm after writing a letter to Erica Hughes, one of several Black female judicial candidates who have been sued by white male opponents seeking to disqualify them ahead of the primary. Aderholt referred to Hughes as a “political animal” for her role in connection with charges over petition signatures. (Houston Chronicle)
• Federal and state law enforcement agents were seen at the law firm Palacios, Garza & Thompson in Edinburg, Texas on Friday “as part of a criminal investigation.” Agents from the US Department of Homeland Security, FBI, IRS, and the Texas Department of Public Safety are taking part in the probe, though “no further details have been released.” (Fox News South Texas)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Douglas E. Arpert has joined Walsh Pizzi O’Reilly Falanga LLP as counsel in the mediation, arbitration, and special master appointments practice. He served as US Magistrate Judge for the District of New Jersey.
• Stephen Forster has joined Morgan Lewis as a partner in the Washington, D.C., office. He has also served as an attorney with the US Drug Enforcement Administration and as assistant attorney general in the Virginia Attorney General’s Office.
• Elizabeth Harding has joined Greenberg Traurig’s data privacy and cybersecurity practice as a shareholder in Denver. She was previously a shareholder at Polsinelli.
• Jon Borderud has joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in the employment law practice group in the San Diego office.
• Mark G. Giannotti has joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner with the healthcare, professional liability, and insurance practice groups in Philadelphia.