Wake Up Call: Trump to Name Brewer NRA Lawyer to Diplomacy Role

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

• President Donald Trump is set to nominate Sarah Rogers, a lawyer at New York litigation boutique Brewer known for defending the National Rifle Association in a free speech case, as under secretary for public diplomacy. Rogers will push Trump’s effort to force social platforms to allow a wider range of speech. (Semafor)
• Accounting firm Aprio and Arizona-based Radix Law announced plans to merge into Aprio Legal, a full-service alternative business service law firm. Expected to finalize in late spring, both firms, already licensed under Arizona’s ABS program, will combine resources to offer support for corporate transactions, litigation, real estate, and business law. (Aprio)
• The general counsel at Emporia State University in Kansas unexpectedly proposed a state bill to redefine tenure, facing opposition from his own institution and state education leaders. While the bill would not abolish tenure, it would limit the practice by preventing it from being considered a property right, allowing institutions or the state to modify or revoke its benefits. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
• Louisiana State University’s deputy general counsel was banned from observing a case involving an LSU law professor and faces potential penalties after violating a judge’s sequestration order. Judge Tarvald Smith removed the deputy GC from the hearing after he admitted to discussing secret testimony with a witness. (WAFB)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Neal Katyal joined Milbank as a partner in its commercial litigation team in Washington. He joins from Hogan Lovells.
• Emanuel Grillo joined Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe as a restructuring partner in New York. He joins from A&O Shearman.
• Allison Scher Bernbach joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner and head of its US private equity fund regulatory practice in New York.
• Jared Gerber joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its litigation practice group in New York. He joins from Cleary Gottlieb.
• John Woodruff joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its tax practice in Houston. He joins from Polsinelli.
• Evan Gelacek joined Clark Hill as a member in its corporate practice in Pittsburgh.
• Benjamin Lajoie joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough as a partner in its litigation practice in Boston. He joins from McGlinchey Stafford.
• Andrew Garelick joined Munger, Tolles & Olson as a partner in its corporate practice in Los Angeles. He joins from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.
• Danielle Little joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its employment practice in San Diego and Ontario.
• Joseph Choi joined Venable as a partner in its corporate practice in New York.
• Matthew Pearson joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in its business litigation practice group in Irvine, Calif.