Wake Up Call: Judge Refuses to Step Away From Fake Elector Case

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

• A Wisconsin judge rejected former Trump campaign attorney Jim Troupis’s bid to have him removed from a felony forgery case tied to the 2020 fake-electors scheme. Dane County Circuit Judge John Hyland dismissed Troupis’s claims of judicial misconduct, calling them unfounded. Hyland also denied Troupis’s request to delay an upcoming hearing, keeping the case on schedule as Troupis and two co-defendants face 11 forgery-related charges over their alleged efforts to advance false electoral paperwork for Donald Trump. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• The North Carolina Board of Massage and Bodywork Therapy operates in an unusually entangled relationship with the Raleigh law firm that represents it—an arrangement that critics say creates conflicts of interest and undermines oversight. For 25 years, Broughton Wilkins Sugg & Thompson has not only served as the board’s attorney but also runs nearly all of its administrative functions from its own office and equipment, collecting 65% of most licensing-fee revenue—about $2.2 million since 2020. (The Assembly)
• A Cook County judge sanctioned attorney Larry Mason and his firm, Goldberg Segalla, for submitting a post-trial motion that relied on a fictitious case generated by ChatGPT, imposing fines of $10,000 on Mason and $49,500 on the firm. The attorney who actually used ChatGPT, Danielle Malaty, was fired earlier and received only a nominal sanction in a separate matter, while the court faulted Goldberg Segalla for misrepresentations, inadequate oversight, and failing to promptly acknowledge the error. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Nathaniel Ward joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in its litigation department in Washington. He joins from Jones Day.
• Jason Sloan joined Pryor Cashman as a partner in its litigation group in New York. He joins from the US Copyright Office.
• Christopher Pinto joined Akerman as a partner in its health-care practice group in Washington. He joins from the Justice Department.
• Julia Zhu-Morelli joined ArentFox Schiff as a partner in its corporate & securities practice in Los Angeles. She joins from Reed Smith.
• Todd Gibson joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough as a partner in its investment management and private funds practice. He joins from K&L Gates.