Wake Up Call: Sullivan & Cromwell Preps for Colorado River Fight

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

• Arizona hired Sullivan & Cromwell as it gears up for a potential legal fight over Colorado River water in possible litigation against other basin states and the federal government. The firm is being funded through Arizona’s dedicated legal defense budget as the state works on negotiations over a new water-sharing agreement. (Arizona Mirror)
• McGuireWoods was hired by Fairfax County Public Schools to investigate claims that an adult student inappropriately touched several schoolmates at Fairfax High School in Northern Virginia. Superintendent Michelle Reid said the goal of the investigation will be “to establish a clear understanding of what occurred, when it occurred, and confirm that all policies, procedures, and regulations were properly followed.” (WTOP)
• A proposed California bill would provide state-funded legal representation to immigrants facing deportation. The legislation would prioritize detained individuals and fund public defenders, nonprofits, and private lawyers, building on a prior law that expanded access for immigrant youth. (RichmondSide)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Archis Parasharami, Daniel Jones, and Kevin Ranlett joined Skadden as litigation partners in Washington. They join from Mayer Brown.
• Robert Leung, Mike Huang, and Daniel Grossman joined Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer as partners in its corporate mergers and acquisitions practice in New York. They join from Paul Hastings.
• Jeris Brunette, Mark Dendinger, Rebecca Keep and William Ebert joined Ashurst as finance and restructuring partners in New York. They join from Bracewell.
• Allison Liff joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in its leveraged finance practice in New York. She joins from Freshfields.
• Vincent Schmeltz joined Steptoe as a partner in its investigations, white-collar defense and compliance and financial innovation and regulation groups in Chicago. He joins from Barnes & Thornburg.