Wake Up Call: Recruiters Advise Lawyers to Get ‘Recession Proof’

In today’s column, Brown Rudnick is looking to expand in London; a UK court convicted a former attorney for pilfering a litigation finance fund he created; and California’s governor nominated an associate justice to take over from retiring Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye.

• Leading off, with the legal profession’s latest outlook looking grim, some recruiters and career coaches are saying that lawyers should take steps now to make themselves “recession-proof” before firms start making cuts. (Reuters)
• Attacks on the justice system made by Donald Trump and his allies after the FBI searched the former president’s home are renewing concerns about judicial security. (National Law Journal)
• Johnny Depp’s law firm Brown Rudnick plans to expand in London. (Financial News)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• The American Bar Association’s resolution renewing its opposition to letting nonlawyers own law firms gives lawyers opposed to such measures greater weight for now. But it won’t stop tech companies, the Big Four accounting companies, and management consultants from offering their services to law firm clients, observers said. (American Lawyer)
• The United Arab Emirates dropped a three-year prison sentence on money laundering and other charges for an American citizen who was an attorney for slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Washington Post)
• A UK court convicted a former lawyer of fraud and other charges for taking almost 20 million pounds ($24.4 million) from a Cayman Islands-based litigation fund he founded and used to pay for his luxurious lifestyle. (Financial Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• PwC Legal named Bratislava, Slovakia-based M&A of counsel Hugh Owen its head of legal for Central and Eastern Europe. Owen, who earlier spent over 23 years at Allen & Overy, replaces Karl Paadam who co-founded PwC Estonia and became managing partner for PwC’s Central and Eastern Europe unit. (Law.com International)
• Atlanta-based labor and employment law firm Constangy opened a new office in San Diego, bringing veteran employment attorney Cory King from FordHarrison where he was a partner; Troutman Pepper added employee benefits and executive compensation attorney Joshua Gelfand as a partner in New York. He arrives from Fried Frank; Kobre & Kim elected former federal prosecutor Daniel S. Lee to partner in its international private client practice, effective Aug. 1. He’s based in Seoul; Gordon & Rees picked up White & Williams insurance and commercial litigation attorney Joseph Bellew as partner in Wilmington, Delaware; Baker Donelson named Birmingham, Alabama-based shareholder Eric Pruitt chair of the firm’s corporate restructuring and bankruptcy group. (Baker Donelson)
• California Governor Gavin Newsom nominated associate Justice Patricia Guerrero to replace retiring Tani Cantil-Sakauye as chief justice. She would be the first Latina to have that role, this report says. (The Recorder) The Tennessee Supreme Court selected former Butler Snow litigation partner Jonathan Skrmetti, current chief legal counsel to Governor Bill Lee and former federal prosecutor, to serve as the state’s next attorney general and reporter. (Tennessee State Courts)
• Sonos Inc., a California-based maker of smart speakers facing economic headwinds, said its chief legal officer Eddie Lazarus will serve as interim chief financial officer as current CFO Brittany Bagley leaves Sept. 1 to join Taser company Axon; financial services company MissionSquare Retirement hired former Transamerica in-house leader Kate Schulze as senior vice president, chief legal and corporate affairs officer. (Yahoo! Finance)

Technology

• US and Brazilian-based immigration law firm AG Immigration Group says its new office in the metaverse lets partners simulate customs and immigration interviews for clients seeking green cards in the US; legal tech company Litera acquired BigSquare, which provides financial and business intelligence and analytics for law firms and corporate legal departments. (Above The Law) (LawSites.com)

Legal Education

• Penn State Dickinson Law received a $500,000 grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support a book series and workshops in its antiracist institute program. (Law.com)