Wake Up Call: Oklahoma Faces Attorney Shortage in Rural Counties

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

• Oklahoma is facing a severe shortage of attorneys in rural areas, with about 20 counties classified as “legal deserts” due to having fewer than one lawyer per 1,000 residents. The scarcity has forced residents to travel long distances for legal help and has strained the criminal defense system. The state has seen increasingly high costs of legal education, an aging attorney population, and young lawyers opting to stay in urban centers as barriers to overcoming the shortage. (KOSU)
• Atlanta defense attorney Nicole Fegan was indicted on a dozen charges, including drug trafficking and obstruction of justice, related to her work representing clients in high-profile criminal cases. Prosecutors allege she smuggled methamphetamine, oxycodone, marijuana, and contraband to inmate Tenquarius Mender during the “Young Slime Life” gang trial involving rapper Young Thug. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Trial lawyer Thomas Durkin died Monday at 78 after a brief struggle with an aggressive form of lung cancer. Durkin was best known for taking on high-profile federal cases often related to accusations of terrorism and violations of civil rights, including several Guantanamo Bay detainees and at least one man accused of helping to orchestrate the 9/11 terror attacks. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Peter Palladino joined Holland & Knight as a partner in its financial services practice in Boston. He joins from Choate Hall & Stuart.
• Candice Wong joined Fried Frank as a partner in its white collar litigation practice in Washington.
• Marla Presley joined Cozen O’Connor as a shareholder in its labor and employment department in Pittsburgh. She joins from Jackson Lewis.
• Mel M.C. Cole joined Akerman as a partner in its labor and employment practice group in San Francisco. She joins from Seyfarth Shaw.
• Loren Lembo joined Katten as a partner in its transactional tax planning practice in New York.
• Kelly Siobhan Laffey joined Pryor Cashman as a partner in its corporate group in Los Angeles. She joins from Stubbs Alderton & Markiles.
• Bradford Newman joined Eversheds Sutherland to launch a Silicon Valley office. He joins from Baker McKenzie.
• Arina Lekhel and Megha Kalbag joined Dechert as partners in its financial services practice in New York. Lekel joins from Akin and Kalbag joins from Milbank.