Wake Up Call: ‘Secretive’ Elias Media Group Backs New Web Sites

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

• The law firm led by Marc Elias, “perhaps the Democratic Party’s best known elections litigator,” is backing a “secretive” local media network called Star Spangled Media, which operates a number of left-leaning websites. The group aims to convince Arizona regulators that despite its “political tilt,” it is not a political entity and should not be subject to campaign finance disclosures. (Semafor)
• The rising number of foreign law firms fleeing Hong Kong will be “sorry” and “regret their decision” to leave, said former Hong Kong justice secretary Teresa Cheng. Statistics from the Law Society of Hong Kong show that 73 foreign law firms were registered in Hong Kong in April—down from 92 in 2020. (South China Morning Post)
• O’Melveny & Myers has announced several leadership changes, including the ascension of Pamela Miller and Steven Olson as new co-chairs of its litigation department, set to join the third co-chair, Richard Goetz. Miller and Olson “epitomize the unwavering client-centric mindset that is so crucial to our firm’s long-term success,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley Butwin. (O’Melveny & Myers)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Michael Neumeister has joined Cooley as a partner in the firm’s business restructuring practice and global litigation department in Los Angeles. He joins from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.
• Joanna Rosen Forster has joined Crowell & Moring as a litigation group partner in the firm’s San Francisco office.
• Lore Leitner has joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher as a partner with its privacy, cybersecurity and data innovation practice group in London.
• Josh Sterling has joined Milbank as a partner in Washington, where he is a member of the firm’s derivatives group and its litigation and arbitration practice.
• Thomas Olson is joining Loeb & Loeb as a trusts and estates partner in its Chicago office. He joins from McDermott Will & Emery.
• Crystal Kaldjob has joined Goodwin Procter as a financial services partner, resident in the Washington office.
• Michelle Boudreaux has joined Bracewell as a partner in the energy regulatory group in Houston. She joins from Baker Botts.
• Keith Blackman joins Akerman as a partner in the firm’s litigation practice group in New York.
• David Garraux joins Cozen O’Connor as a labor and employment practice shareholder. He joins from K&L Gates.
• Tina Wallis has joined Frost Brown Todd as a land use partner with the firm’s real estate practice group in San Francisco.
• Anil Arora has joined Mishcon de Reya’s London office as corporate tax partner.
• Michele Wightman has joined Weightmans as part of the firm’s strategy to grow the individuals segment and strengthen its national private wealth offering.