Wake Up Call: In-House Lawyers Say Compliance Eats Up More Time

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

• The role of the in-house lawyer is evolving, with compliance and risk management soaking up more time, along with red tape and external oversight. According to a survey from Summize, 77% of respondents said their role has changed in the last two years, with about a third saying it’s transformed significantly. (Artificial Lawyer)
• The general counsel of the Deutsche Bank UK and Ireland arm is leaving to take a senior role as head of the UK Treasury’s legal team. Simon Man, who has been a GC for the bank since 2020, will join the Goverment Legal Department as director of Treasury legal advisers. (Law.com)
• Private equity-backed Lawfront made its fifth major acquisition by acquiring UK firm Brachers. The deal takes Lawfront’s revenue above £100 million and its ambition is to build a group, owned by private equity house Blixt, that will top £150 million. (Legal Futures)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• John Sobolewski joined Latham & Watkins in its restructuring practice. He joins from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz.
• Thomas Mastoras rejoined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in the banking & finance practice in New York. He joins from A&O Shearman.
• Katie Townsend rejoined Gibson Dunn as a partner in the litigation and media, entertainment, and technology practice groups in Los Angeles and Washington. She joins from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
• John Fitzgerald joined Schulte Roth & Zabel as a partner in the investment management group in New York. He joins from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
• Sanjay Wadhwa joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in the securities litigation and white collar defense, regulatory, and investigations practices in New York. He joins from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
• Stewart Jordan joined Burges Salmon as a director in the firm’s UK-wide tax and private wealth team in London. He joins from TLT.
• Melissa Wiley joined Kostelanetz as a partner focusing on civil tax controversy in Washington.
• Phillip Coover joined McGuireWoods as a partner in the real estate & land use department in Chicago. He joins from Ice Miller.
• Leslie Poirier King joined Cozen O’Connor as a member in the construction law group in Boston. She joins from Carlton Fields, P.A.
• Eric Lee joined BakerHostetler as partner in the intellectual property practice group in Washington.
• Deirdre Johnson, Paul Kalish, Marc Haas, and Elaine Panagakos joined Stradley Ronon in the insurance litigation practice in Washington and New York offices. The team joined from Mintz.
• David Huthmacher joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a private equity partner in Munich.
• Karyn Schmidt joined Squire Patton Boggs as a principal in the public policy practice in Washington. She joins from the American Chemistry Council.
• Jerry Fujii and Naoki Ueyama joined Morgan Lewis as partners in the real estate practice Tokyo. They join from Withers.
• Sherry Haus joined Buchalter as a shareholder in the white collar practice group in Sacramento, Calif.
• Christina Manfredi McKinley joined Blank Rome as a partner in the business litigation group and member of the energy industry team in Pittsburgh. She joins from Babst, Calland, Clements and Zomnir.
• Peter Shea joined Seward & Kissel as a partner in the investment management group in New York. He joins from K&L Gates.
• Eric Wise and Matt Kelsey joined King & Spalding as partners in the finance and restructuring practice group in New York. They join from Alston & Bird.
• Erin Hines joined Akerman as a tax partner in the Atlanta office. She joins from Chamberlain Hrdlicka.
• Ben Griffith rejoined Katten as a partner in the health-care practice in Chicago. He joins from from GI Alliance.
• Dan Meade rejoined Cadwalader as a partner in the financial services practice in Washington.
• Adam Howard joined Winston & Strawn as a partner and co-chair of the UK capital markets and public company transactions practice in London.
• Paris Theofanidis joined Sidley as a partner in the energy, transportation and infrastructure practice in Houston. He joins from Paul Hastings.
• Jon Cowley rejoined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the North America international commercial & trade practice group in Chicago.
• Mark Leeds joined Pillsbury as a partner in the tax practice in New York. He joins from Mayer Brown.
• Matthew Chapman rejoined Morgan Lewis as partner resident in Pittsburgh, focusing on employee benefits. He joins from K&L Gates.
• Van Hilderbrand joined Honigman as a partner in the real estate services practice group in Washington. joins from Miles & Stockbridge.