Wake Up Call: Pete Hegseth’s Lawyer Is at Center of Media Limits

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

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s sweeping new restrictions on Pentagon reporters were heavily shaped by his longtime personal lawyer, Tim Parlatore. Parlatore, who previously represented Hegseth when he was accused of sexual assault, helped craft a 21-page policy requiring journalists to agree that requesting unapproved information could be considered soliciting illegal leaks, along with other restrictions to their reporting on the Defense Department. (The Washington Post)
• Army Lt. Gen. Joe Berger, the service’s top uniformed lawyer, was fired by Hegseth in February after repeatedly questioning the legality of several administration policies—a move that defense officials say marked the start of an assault on the independence of military lawyers. Hegseth has since demoted top JAG posts, proposed shifting hundreds of military lawyers to the Justice Department, and empowered Parlatore to revamp the military justice system. (CNN)
• Immigration lawyer Andrew Lattarulo, whose cell phone was seized by federal agents at Boston Logan International Airport last month, knew the Department of Homeland Security was investigating hiring practices at his law firm when agents asked for his phone, according to prosecutors. Federal agents had “reasonable suspicion” when they seized Lattarulo’s phone that the law firm where Lattarulo is a founding partner had employed “aliens” unauthorized to work in the country, prosecutors said in court records. (The Boston Globe)
• Quinn Emanuel is being sued by crypto entrepreneur, Eric Adams donor, and “Mighty Ducks” actor Brock Pierce, who says the firm is charging a “criminally usurious” 72% annual interest rate on his unpaid legal fees. (New York Law Journal)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Pilar Ramos joined Starbucks as chief legal officer. She joins from TelevisaUnivision.