Wake Up Call: Simpson Thacher Expands Bet on Midtown Tower

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

• Simpson Thacher has finalized a massive new Manhattan lease. The firm signed for 916,000 square feet at Extell Development’s 570 Fifth Avenue, expanding its originally discussed footprint by more than 200,000 square feet. The deal, which would make Simpson Thacher the office tower’s anchor tenant, was the largest Manhattan office lease signed in May. (Commercial Observer)
• Alexandra Lozano’s clients are scrambling to retrieve their files. Current and former clients lined up outside the former immigration lawyer’s office after her permanent resignation from the Washington bar left many uncertain about the status of their cases. KING-TV, a Seattle television station affiliated with NBC, reports that the firm appears to be operating under the name Luz Legal as clients seek records and legal advice amid allegations in a civil suit that some immigrants were steered into abuse-based claims they may not have qualified to file. (KING-TV)
• Barnes & Thornburg has dropped its fee suit against Shilo Sanders. The firm voluntarily dismissed, without prejudice, its lawsuit seeking about $164,000 in unpaid legal bills tied to the former Colorado football player’s personal injury matters. The dismissal comes as Sanders’ Chapter 7 bankruptcy case continues over an $11.89 million default judgment won by a former school security guard who alleged Sanders assaulted him in 2015 and is now fighting Sanders’ effort to wipe out the debt. (USA Today)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Walter (Casey) Berger joined Latham & Watkins as a partner in its securities and M&A litigation practice in Houston.
• Peter Rosen joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in its alternative asset opportunities group in New York.
• Jacob Bergman joined Jones Day as a partner in its health care and life sciences practice in New York.
• Victoria Morton joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner in its securitisation practice in London.
• Ginger Faulk joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner in its regulation and investigations practice in Washington, DC.
• Charles Haag and Justin Reinus joined Paul Hastings as capital markets and public company advisory partners in Dallas and Orange County, respectively.
• Allison Borgatti joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its Philadelphia litigation practice group.
• Brian Sieben joined Sheppard as a partner in its tax practice group and leader of the private client services practice in New York.
• Jamie Evans joined Perkins Coie as a partner in its corporate practice in Seattle.
• Ania Farren joined BCLP as a partner in its international arbitration practice in London.
• Raphael Rosenzweig joined Cozen O’Connor as a member in its corporate practice group in Miami.
• Christopher Abbott joined Venable as a partner in its antitrust practice in Washington, DC.
• Alexandra Ueno-Park joined Haynes Boone as a partner in its London office.
• Nick Varney rejoined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its appellate practice in Hartford.
• Amy Haberman joined McCarter & English as a partner in the firm’s immigration practice in New York.
• Charles Weir, Megan Thibert-Ind, Andrew Beshai, Rebecca Finkel, and Colin McGrath joined Epstein Becker Green as partners in its litigation and business disputes practice. The team spans Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC.
• Ilan Weiser joined Pryor Cashman as a partner in its labor and employment group in New York.