Wake Up Call: Big Law Backs Off From Challenging Trump Policies

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

• Big Law firms have sharply reduced their involvement in lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s executive orders during his second term, leaving smaller firms and nonprofits to shoulder most of the legal burden. Big Law represented plaintiffs in just 15% of such cases this year, down from 75% in Trump’s first term. Many appear deterred by new executive orders targeting prominent firms that opposed his policies. (The Washington Post)
• The country’s largest law firms have failed to defend the rule of law during Trump’s second term, argues Fabio Bertoni, general counsel of The New Yorker. Bertoni contends that Big Law firms surrendered to Trump’s unconstitutional executive orders targeting them and other perceived enemies instead of standing up to defend constitutional principles. By settling quickly and agreeing to provide millions in pro bono work aligned with the administration’s agenda, Bertoni writes, Big Law helped legitimize Trump’s efforts to politicize the Justice Department and punish dissenting lawyers. (The New Yorker)
• Cincinnati hired Frost Brown Todd to conduct an independent review of Police Chief Terri Theetge’s leadership following her placement on administrative leave. The city said the firm will serve as outside counsel to assess “the effectiveness of leadership within the Cincinnati Police Department.” Theetge retained her own attorney, Stephen Imm of the Finney Law Firm, who accused Mayor Aftab Pureval of obstructing the chief’s crime-reduction efforts. (WLWT)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Jared Fine joined Davis Polk as a partner in its emerging company and venture capital practice. He joins from Goodwin Procter.
• Ryan Blaine Bennett joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as chair of its restructuring group in Chicago. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Antonia Tzinova joined Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in its regulatory transactions group in Washington. She joins from Holland & Knight.
• Dan Jones joined Morrison Foerster as a partner in its financial services and fintech groups.
• Carl Hahn joined Steptoe as a partner in its investigations, white-collar, and compliance practice. He joins from Gentic Global Advisors.
• Sam Saunders joined Simpson Thacher & Bartlett as a partner in its banking and credit practice in New York. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Jack Frost joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its products liability and mass torts and pharmaceutical, medical device, and health-care litigation practices in New Jersey. He joins from Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath.
• Arthur Armstrong joined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in its insurance recovery group. He joins from Reed Smith.
• Paul Rinnan rejoined Ogletree Deakins as a shareholder in Houston. He joins from David Weekley Homes.