Wake Up Call: Wilkinson Lawyers Among DC Flight Crash Deaths

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

• Sarah Lee Best and Elizabeth Keys, associates at Wilkinson Stekloff, died Wednesday when an American Airlines jet collided with a military helicopter near Washington. The litigators, who were among the flight’s 64 passengers, were returning home from a deposition. (Original Jurisdiction)
• Terrance DeAngelo, a former associate at Kline & Specter, has voluntarily dismissed his lawsuit against his former firm. This action comes two weeks after Kline & Specter resolved its legal dispute with another former associate, Thomas Bosworth. DeAngelo had previously accused the firm of threatening attorneys who attempted to leave and interfering with their client relationships. (Law.com)
• Sarah Cherry, a former attorney for Ohio House Democrats, claimed in a federal lawsuit that she was forced out of her job after raising concerns about gender pay and disciplinary disparities. She alleged House Minority Leader Allison Russo pressured her to resign after repeated complaints about unequal treatment of female staffers and contends she was unfairly disciplined and paid less than a male counterpart. (Cleveland.com)
• Gabriel Macht, who played Harvey Specter on “Suits,” said he often apologizes to fans who tell him the show inspired them to pursue law, warning them that reality is far less glamorous. While “Suits” portrayed a fast-paced legal world full of romance and drama, Macht said real law work involves extensive reading and long hours that the show doesn’t portray. (Entertainment Weekly)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Catherine Hill joined White & Case as a partner in its global tax practice and global private equity industry group in London. She joins from Latham & Watkins.
• Kevin Spencer joined White & Case as a partner in its global commercial litigation practice and global tax practice in Washington.
• Simon Weppner joined Norton Rose Fulbright as a partner in its tax practice in Düsseldorf, Germany. He joins from Eversheds Sutherland Germany.
• Eric Hochstadt joined Orrick as the head of its global antitrust litigation practice in New York.
• Michelle Hernandez and Spirit Gaines joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as partners in Albuquerque, N.M.
• Amy Todd joined Jackson Lewis as office managing principal in San Diego. She joins from Littler Mendelson.
• David Cole joined Hinshaw & Culbertson as a partner in its commercial litigation practice group in Chicago.
• Gregory Lawrence joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in its business litigation group in Baltimore.