Wake Up Call: How UK Law Firms Are Surviving the US Invasion

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

• The expansion of Paul Weiss in London is raising questions about the future of traditional referral partnerships used by UK firms like Slaughter and May, Macfarlanes, and Travers Smith, which rely on ties with US firms rather than global expansion. While these relationships largely remain intact and continue to support cross-border work, growing competition from well-funded US rivals, shifting client demands, and pressure to invest in talent and technology are shrinking the space for London-focused independents. (FN London)
• Civil rights attorney Joseph McMullen is using AI to handle complex litigation involving alleged abuses by law enforcement and federal agencies. In one case, he represented two US citizen siblings who were held by border officials after authorities falsely accused the younger child of being an undocumented immigrant; after years of litigation supported by AI-assisted evidence review, a judge ruled in favor of the siblings. (Scientific American)
• Seattle City Attorney Erika Evans is ending a policy introduced by her predecessor that effectively barred Judge Pooja Vaddadi from hearing most criminal cases in Seattle Municipal Court. Ann Davison had directed prosecutors to routinely seek affidavits of prejudice against Vaddadi, citing concerns about her rulings in cases involving probable cause, DUI, and domestic violence. Evans called the practice unfair and inefficient, ordering that prosecutors may only seek to disqualify judges in rare cases with prior approval. (The Seattle Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Nicole Daley joined White & Case as a partner in its global mergers and acquisitions practice and global life sciences and healthcare industry group in Boston. He joins from A&O Shearman.
• Paul Feinstein joined Haynes Boone as a partner in its mergers and acquisitions practice group in Washington. He joins from Venable.
• Alicia Osei joined Paul Hastings as a partner in its tax team in London. She joins from Macfarlanes.
• Myles Culhane joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its energy transition and carbon capture practices in Sacramento. He joins from Occidental Petroleum Corp.
• Shrutih Tewarie and Luciano Racco joined Greenberg Traurig as shareholders in its international trade practice and national security group. They join from Foley & Hoag.
• Nicole Aiken-Shaban joined Goodwin as a partner in its healthcare practice in Philadelphia. She joins from Reed Smith.
• Brandon Brown joined Fisher Phillips as a partner in New Orleans.
• Jeffrey Lehtman joined Barnes & Thornburg as a partner in its white collar, compliance, and investigations practice in Washington.
• Jeremy Duffy and Lisa Seifman joined Cahill Gordon & Reindel as finance partners in London.
• Zachary Shub-Essig joined McGuireWoods as a partner in its private equity practice in Los Angeles. He joins from Sidley Austin.