Wake Up Call: Tax Haven Report Skewers Baker McKenzie

In today’s column, Baker McKenzie rejected an investigative journalism nonprofit’s allegations that it abets tax evasion by the world’s rich and powerful; a former Defense Department general counsel took a job as top lawyer at a struggling space company; Davis Wright Tremaine said it held its first “tech equity hub virtual accelerator” program for Black and Latina women startup founders.

• Leading off, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists accused Baker McKenzie of being a “pioneer in corporate tax dodging,” helping authoritarian regimes, arms makers, and giant companies including Apple Inc. to hide money offshore. The U.S.-based nonprofit makes the allegations as part of its recent “Pandora Papers” report. (ICIJ.org)
• In an emailed statement, a Baker McKenzie spokesman rejected the ICIJ’s allegations against the firm. “We advise clients around the world on matters of law, and strictly comply with the law in every jurisdiction in which we operate,” he said. (Baker McKenzie)
• Jury consultants and litigators across the country discussed who is getting onto juries as the pandemic rolls on. They also discussed how jurors are voting. (The Recorder) Big Law firms are starting well-being programs and hiring “burnout advisers” as they try to keep junior lawyers from leaving in the face of a flood of work generated by the Covid-19 crisis. (Financial Times)

Lawyers, Law Firms

• The National Women’s Soccer League said it hired Covington & Burling to probe allegations of abuse and sexual misconduct that have hit the league recently. (WSJ) A disbarred New Jersey lawyer pleaded guilty to stealing close to $2 million in a fraud scheme related to Philadelphia Eagles season-tickets. (Philadelphia Inquirer) Some Britney Spears fans are calling her new lawyer, Greenberg Traurig celebrity law partner Matthew Rosengart, “Rosengod” after he convinced a court to suspend the pop star’s father as conservator of her finances. (Los Angeles Magazine)
• Former Duane Morris partner and cannabis industry group co-leader David Feldman launched a New York law firm focused on marijuana. (Green Market Report)
• Sidley Austin appointed new leaders for two offices effective Oct. 1, as its outgoing Dallas office managing partner, Yvette Ostolaza, is preparing to become Sidley’s first female firmwide leader in April 2022. The Dallas office’s new co-managing partners are Angela Zambrano, who’s also global co-leader of the firm’s complex commercial litigation practice and co-chair of its committee on the retention and promotion of women, and S. Scott Parel, who’s also co-leader of firm’s global private equity practice and head of its Dallas corporate department. In Washington, Sidley’s new office managing partner is white collar lawyer Kristin Graham Koehler; Perkins Coie named Chicago partner Caryn Trombino to lead its white collar practice. Taking over from former chair Marcus Funk, Trombino’s the first woman to have that role. (PerkinsCoie.com)

Laterals, Moves, In-house

• Willkie Farr & Gallagher said it poached a three-partner antitrust litigation team, Boris Bronfentrinker, Elaine Whiteford, and Nicola Chesaites, from Quinn Emanuel in London. Bronfentrinker co-led Quinn’s UK competition litigation practice; Skadden, Arps said former White House National Security Council and State Department attorney Brian Egan is joining the firm in Washington in its CFIUS, national security and international trade group. He arrives recently from Steptoe & Johnson LLP. (Skadden.com)
• Goodwin Procter said private investment funds lawyer David Wagner rejoined as a partner in New York from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett; Goodwin recruited two data, privacy & cybersecurity partners. Boston-based Omer Tene was vice president and chief knowledge officer at the International Association of Privacy Professionals. Lore Leitner joins in London from Wilson Sonsini, where she was counsel; Paul Hastings hired Keker & Van Nest intellectual property litigator Matthias Kamber as a partner based in San Francisco. (PaulHastings.com)
• Former Defense Department General Counsel Paul Ney took a job as chief legal officer and corporate secretary at Momentus, a space company whose recent SPAC merger drew an SEC fine and an investor lawsuit. (Businesswire)

Technology

• Davis Wright Tremaine announced the completion of its first “Project W” tech equity hub virtual accelerator program in New York, which had support from a Microsoft venture capital fund, U.S. Bank, and Stripe. The 12-week program aimed to provide 10 Black and Latina female startup founders tools, resources, and connections they need to build successful companies, DWT said. (Businesswire)