Wake Up Call: Insurance Fueled Big Law Russia Exit, Report Says

In today’s column, Greenberg Traurig added a team of four shareholders for a new Asia energy & infrastructure practice and plans a Singapore office; Reed Smith is moving to new office in London; Akerman’s new “re-imagined” and “rebranded” consumer financial services group adds data and technology to the mix.

• Leading off, some Big Law firms that pulled out of Russia may have been motivated by insurance reasons as much or more than by ethical concerns. Insurance providers, worried about international Russia sanctions, put exclusion clauses into indemnity policies for law firms or just denied coverage for Russia work outright. Those ...