Wake Up Call: LA Pays $1.8M in Legal Fees to Homeless Advocates

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

• Los Angeles was ordered to pay $1.8 million in attorneys’ fees to homeless advocacy groups after finding the city repeatedly failed to comply with a 2022 settlement requiring it to create nearly 13,000 new housing and shelter spaces. Judge David Carter cited ongoing delays, missed milestones, inaccurate reporting, and a lack of clear plans as reasons for the award. (Courthouse News Service)
• Adele Brockmeyer, a partner at Turnbull Brockmeyer Law Group, sparked upheaval in a Maryland county’s public schools after posting a 911 call she said was from Superintendent Sean Bulson, alleging he was robbed in a New Orleans hotel room. The post quickly went viral, prompting calls for Bulson’s removal, his placement on leave, and the resignation of the school board chair. The firm has built a reputation as a rapid-fire source of local news, commentary, and rumors, often operating more like a media outlet than a traditional legal practice. (The Baltimore Banner)
• Gibson Dunn renewed its 361,569-square-foot lease in Manhattan’s MetLife Building at 200 Park Avenue. The firm has been in the building since the establishment of its New York office in 1982. Winston & Strawn renewed its 237,815-square-foot lease in the building in December 2024. (Commercial Observer)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Ryan Danks joined WilmerHale as a partner in its antitrust and competition group in Washington. He joins from the Justice Department.
• Sarah Razaq Sallis joined Husch Blackwell as a partner in its financial services and capital markets team in Washington. She joins from Eversheds Sutherland.
• Paul Parisi joined Armstrong Teasdale as a partner in its employment and labor practice in Denver. He joins from Jackson Lewis.