Wake Up Call: Goodwin Poaches White & Case Life Sciences Team

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

• On the heels of its recent big life sciences hire from Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders in Philadelphia, Goodwin Procter said it grabbed a team of three prominent technology and life sciences veterans from White & Case in New York. The partners, Scott Weingaertner, Stefan Mentzer, and John Padro, have developed a cross-disciplinary practice that advises on matters that combine IP, contract, business tort, and antitrust law issues, Goodwin said. Among other things, Weingaertner led the team that served as litigation and trial counsel in Google Inc.’s successful defense against Oracle Corp.’s suit accusing the Alphabet Inc. unit’s Android mobile platform of infringing IP on the Java software platform. (GoodwinLaw.com)
• Global giant Dentons said it was granted a foreign law firm license in Saudi Arabia, the latest of a handful of international firms that have registered under the kingdom’s new rules for the legal profession. Other firms setting up under the rules include Latham & Watkins, Norton Rose Fulbright, Squire Patton Boggs, Greenberg Traurig, and UK-founded firms Clifford Chance and Herbert Smith Freehills. Dentons said it has offices in Riyadh and Jeddah in association with The Law Firm of Wael A. Alissa. (Dentons)
• Shell Global said its legal director of nine years, Donny Ching, will step down June 30. The company’s trading and supply general counsel, Philippa Bounds, will take over as legal director July 1. (Shell.com)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• Shearman & Sterling said its team led by M&A partners George Casey and Dan Litowitz advised Liberty Global plc on the announcement of its plan to launch a takeover bid for Belgium cable broadband carrier Telenet Group Holding NV. Liberty Global plans to offer 22 euros ($23.75) per outstanding share of Telnet, which is already majority owned by Liberty’s wholly owned subsidiary Liberty Global Belgium Holding BV. (Businesswire.com)
• US News said it will release a new, updated edition of its Best Graduate Programs on April 18. (Law.com) More than 40 law schools have recently withdrawn from the program, including 12 of the top 14 schools, citing flaws. (WSJ)
• ESG investing may bring more risks of litigation, says a report. (New Private Markets)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Fox Rothschild brought in environmental attorney Aaron Mapes as partner in Philadelphia. An Environmental Protection Agency law clerk early in his career, he arrives from Post & Schell, where he was principal. (FoxRothschild.com)
• Chicago-headquartered plaintiffs firm DiCello Levitt poached a five-partner team from Robbins Geller to launch a securities litigation practice and open its first office in California, in San Diego. (DiCelloLevitt.com)
• McCarter & English added former Bergen County, New Jersey, prosecutor Ryan Magee as a partner in Newark in its government investigations and white collar defense, cannabis, and business litigation practices. Arriving from Riker Danzig, Magee also advises on cybersecurity and data privacy. (McCarter.com)
• New York firm Warshaw Burstein Cohen recruited tax adviser Jason I. Diener as partner in its tax and corporate and securities groups and chair of the tax group. He was recently at Windels Marx as special counsel. (WBNY.com)
• Boston-based Casner & Edwards hired insurance counselor and trial lawyer Scott Spearing as partner in the firm’s litigation group. (Casner Edwards)
• Chicago-based renewable fuels company ClearFlame Engine Technologies recruited former Snap Inc. strategy manager and Big Law corporate attorney Kristen Killian as senior vice president of partnerships, and general counsel. (ClearFlame.com)
• Bubble tea brand Gong cha Global Limited hired KFC, Yum! Brands, Inc., Western Europe head of legal Pip McKenzie as group general counsel based in London. She’s previously been in-house at consumer goods multinational Unilever. (Businesswire)