Wake Up Call: Weinstein’s Criminal Trial for Rape Starts in New York

In today’s column, several big firms announced their 2020 partner and counsel promotion classes, while Cooley said it has a new chairman and it’s celebrating a century of existence this year.

• Leading off, Harvey Weinstein’s criminal trial for predatory sexual assault and rape, and other charges, starts today in a New York state court in Manhattan. (Bloomberg News) A lawyer for the fallen movie mogul says the large number of women who have publicly accused him of assault, but haven’t joined the criminal case, could actually help him. (TheWrap.com)

• A top lawyer in Japan for former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn said he plans to resign, since his client has skipped the country. (BN) Another Japanese lawyer for Ghosn said he felt betrayed by his client’s escape to Lebanon, but he could also comprehend Ghosn’s belief that he wasn’t going to get a fair trial on Japanese charges of financial misconduct. (AP via NYT)

• With Cooley celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, the San Francisco firm has a new chairman as of Dec. 31, as CEO Joe Conroy added the title to his existing responsibilities. Conroy took over from Chair Emeritus Steve Neal, who has retired from the partnership but plans to continue his litigation/white collar litigation practice full time at the firm. (Cooley.com)

• The founder and former chair of Irell & Manella’s appellate practice, Gregory R. Smith, joined L.A.-based patent litigation boutique Lowenstein & Weatherwax as of counsel. Smith was at Irell for five decades, most recently as partner emeritus. (LowensteinWeatherwax.com)

• Apple Inc. general counsel Katherine Adams earned more than $25.2 million in total compensation last year, a little less than in 2018. (BLAW via BLB)

• Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner doubled its Paris office size, adding 21 attorneys from several firms, including seven partners, from French firm Franklin. (BLAW via BLB)

• Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel added Colin Bumby, formerly of McGuireWoods, as a partner in New York in its mergers and acquisitions and private equity practices. Bumby previously spent 11 years at Latham & Watkins. (BLAW via BLB)

• Hogan Lovells partners late last month voted to confirm its chief executive for the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions, Miguel Zaldivar, to take over as the firm’s global CEO on July 1. (HoganLovells.com) Zaldivar is not well known in the U.K., where Hogan Lovells has a major presence. (Legal Business)

Lawyers, Law Firms, Legal Market, Pro Bono

• Legaltech News took a look at “forces” pushing for changes in U.S. rules on who can own a law firm. (LegaltechNews.com)

• Willkie Farr & Gallagher, with two other firms, is serving as co-counsel to plaintiffs in two lawsuits accusing eight multinational corporations and the Islamic Republic of Iran of financing terrorist attacks that killed and injured Americans. (Afghanistan.terrorismcase.com)

• Two Singapore firms announced a merger. (Finance.Yahoo.com)

• Above The Law’s Elie Mystal announced recently that he’s leaving his job as the blog’s executive editor. (Above The Law)

Deals

• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius advised Psomagen, the U.S. subsidiary of South Korean biotech company Macrogen, on its recent $7.05 million acquisition of the patent portfolio of bankrupt San Francisco company uBiome. (GenomeWeb.com)

• Cole Schotz represented New York-based footwear licensee Togast LLC on its agreement to be acquired by specialty retailer Genesco Inc. Genesco, based in Nashville, was advised by Bass, Berry & Sims. The sale price was $33.7 million, plus a possible $34 million if Togast meets its financial targets in the next four years. (PR Newswire)

Laterals, Moves, In-house,

• Seattle-based Perkins Coie appointed new managing partners for its offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, San Diego, and Portland. (PerkinsCoie.com)

Promotions

• Baker Botts promoted Christopher Patrick to special counsel in intellectual property, in New York. Plus more news from prominent intellectual property law firms and other IP-related organizations. (BLAW)

• Perkins Coie promoted 29 lawyers (11 women) to partner. (PerkinsCoie.com)

• McDermott Will & Emery promoted 39 lawyers, including 10 women, to partner and four, including three women, to counsel. (MWE.com)

• Cole Schotz promoted 9 attorneys, including six women, to member. (ColeSchotz.com)

• Arnold & Porter promoted 12 lawyers (five women) to partner and two (one woman) to counsel. The firm also promoted a lawyer to managing director in its legislative and public policy practice. (ArnoldPorter.com)

• Blank Rome said 10 associates (three women) and two of counsel (one woman) were elected to partner. Five associates were elevated to of counsel. (BlankRome.com)

• Troutman Sanders promoted 16 lawyers (six women) to partner. (Troutman.com)

• Haynes and Boone announced the largest partnership class in its history, with 14 lawyers (five women) promoted across six of its offices. (HaynesBoone.com)

• Seward & Kissel promoted lawyer Kevin Neubauer to partner and Brian Maloney to counsel. (Sewkis.com)

Legal Actions, Bankruptcies, Decisions

• President Trump’s lawyers last week asked a New York judge to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by an advice columnist who sued Trump after he said her rape accusation against him was a lie. (The Guardian)

• HP won a $439 million judgment in a price-fixing case. (BLAW)