Wake Up Call: Nevada Follows California, Rejects New Bar Exam

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

• Nevada, following a similar move by California, will not use the new national bar exam set to debut in 2026 for lawyer licensing. The state’s Supreme Court has agreed to proceed with an alternative licensing process that includes traditional bar exam test components as well as a supervised practice requirement. (Reuters)
• Alberto Gonzales, attorney general and white house counsel for George W. Bush, has thrown his support behind fellow attorney Kamala Harris for the presidency, saying that former president Donald Trump poses a threat to “the rule of law.” (Politico)
• Lawyers from A&O Shearman are slamming the firm’s decision to close its Johannesburg office, with one senior lawyer calling the move “incredibly distasteful.” The office was gearing up to celebrate its 10th anniversary in South Africa and had just signed a lease for new space when the closure was announced. (Law.com)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Simon Skinner joined Latham & Watkins as a tax partner in London. He joins from Travers Smith.
• Stephen Huffaker joined DLA Piper as a partner in its product liability, mass torts, and class actions practice in Austin.
• Dirk Horcher joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its global mergers and acquisitions practice in Munich. He joins from Linklaters.
• John Kleinjan joined King & Spalding as an executive compensation and employee benefits partner in Atlanta. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Louis-François Guéret joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in the corporate and financial services department in Paris.
• Heryka Knoespel joined Troutman Pepper as a partner in its consumer financial services practice in Charlotte. She joins from McGuireWoods.
• Alexandre de Gramont joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in the business litigation practice group. He joins from Dechert.