Wake Up Call: Migrant Children’s Lawyers Ordered to Stop Work

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

• The Trump administration has ordered legal service groups to halt government-funded representation for migrant children facing deportation, affecting organizations that assist around 26,000 minors. The Acacia Center for Justice, which oversees the main federal contract for these services, received the stop work order, leaving nonprofits scrambling to fund ongoing legal representation. (CBS News)
• Judge Andy Miller of Franklin County, Ohio, threatened to force murder defendant Tyrone Gray to represent himself after repeated delays, including firing his attorney just days before trial. Citing “implied conduct,” Miller warned Gray that if he initiated further delays, he might find himself in trial without legal representation. A new attorney, Clyde Bennett II, has since taken Gray’s case, though Bennett has faced past disciplinary issues. (The Columbus Dispatch)
• The city of Denver hired Covington & Burling as it prepares for a congressional Republican inquiry into its immigration policies. Former White House counsel Dana Remus will lead the city’s defense ahead of Mayor Mike Johnston’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee next month. The city has allocated up to $2 million for the firm’s work. (Denverite)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Mark Castillo-Bernaus joined Baker Botts as a global projects partner and co-chair in its project finance group in London.
• Kate Dickerson joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its technology, media, and telecommunications practice. She joins from Wiley Rein.
• Paul Watford joined King & Spalding as a partner in its business litigation practice group. He joins from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
• Aalok Virmani joined Cooley as a tax partner in its fund formation practice group in Chicago. He joins from DLA Piper.
• Richard Baer joined Sirius XM Holdings as general counsel. He joins from Airbnb, where he was chief legal officer.
• Barbara Trachtenberg joined Polsinelli as a shareholder in its real estate practice in Boston. She joins from DLA Piper.
• David Herman joined Cleary Gottlieb as a partner in its US real estate group.
• Heather Egan and Hannah Levin joined Morgan, Lewis & Bockius as partners in its cybersecurity, incident response, privacy, and information management practice. They join from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe.
• Dylan Glazier joined White & Case as a partner in its global debt finance practice, investment funds practice, and global financial institutions industry group in New York.
• Matthew Nesburn, Jeff Quinn-Cane, and Charles Armbrust joined Orrick as partners in its energy platform. They join from A&O Shearman.
• Peter Lagonowicz joined McCarter & English as a partner and leader of its international tax practice in Miami. He joins from Shutts & Bowen.
• James Williams joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as a partner in its financial services practice in Los Angeles.
• David Paterson joined Vedder Price as a partner in its global transportation finance team in Singapore. He joins from Milbank.
• Stuart Chasanoff joined Vedder Price as a shareholder in its finance and transactions group in Dallas.
• Daniel Tarr rejoined Duane Morris as a partner in its intellectual property practice group in Philadelphia. He joins from Morgan Lewis.
• Mark Lerner joined Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky, and Popeo as a member and chair of its employment litigation practice in New York. He joins from Kasowitz Benson Torres.