Wake Up Call: Wisconsin Flips to Uniform Bar Exam to Lure Lawyers

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

• Wisconsin will start administering the Uniform Bar Exam in order to make it easier to admit lawyers from other states. The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s order to move to the National Conference of Bar Examiner’s UBE is aimed at “giving applicants greater flexibility to begin or continue their legal careers in the state.” (ABA Journal)
• Six news organizations are suing the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for refusing to release a K&L Gates report on its School of Civic Life and Leadership. The university paid $1.2 million to the law firm to review the program in 2025. UNC received the report in early 2026, but has refused repeated requests by reporters to release it, according to the lawsuit. (NC Newsline)
• Elliot Berke, general counsel for the Kennedy Center, last fall tried to book his own cover band the DePlorables to play at the center according to sources, but his requests were rejected. (Politico)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Sara Allawi joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in its private funds group in New York. She joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Alec Campbell joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in its tax department in New York. He joins from DLA Piper.
• Shira Selengut joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its executive compensation and benefits team in New York. She joins from Katten Muchin Rosenman.
• Amalia Sax-Bolder joined Reed Smith as a partner in its financial industry group in Denver. She joins from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck.
• Derek Pease joined Cooley as a partner in the firm’s fund formation practice in New York. He joins from Silver Lake.
• Josh Elefant joined DLA Piper as a partner in its corporate group in the Bay Area.
• Kristin Ornstein joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its healthcare transactions practice group in Dallas. She joins from Dykema.
• Suzanne Bell and William Bibby joined Orrick as partners in its structured finance practice in London. They join from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
• Vinita Kailasanath joined Covington as a partner in its life sciences transactions practice group in Palo Alto.
• Shanti Mulpuru Katona joined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in its bankruptcy and restructuring department. She joins from Polsinelli.
• Ed Moberly joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in its tax practice in London. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Rebecca Lutzko joined BakerHostetler as a partner in its litigation practice group in Cleveland. She joins from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio.
• Kathleen Lucchesi joined Littler as a shareholder in Charlotte. She joins from Jackson Lewis.
• Jamie Spataro joined Fisher Phillips as a partner in its workplace safety and catastrophe management practice in Pittsburgh.
• John Cahill joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in its finance, bankruptcy, and restructuring practice in New York. He joins from White & Case.
• Timothy Karcher joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in its transactional practice group in New York.