Welcome to Bloomberg Law’s Wake Up Call, a daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel.
- Personal injury law firms are increasingly expanding into data-breach litigation as cyberattacks surge, fueled by AI-powered phishing. US companies reported more than 1,700 breaches in the first half of 2025—double the total for all of 2024—and lawyers are quickly recruiting plaintiffs as the number of class-action suits have soared. (Wall Street Journal)
- Mexican lawyer Alma Barraza has spent 15 years fighting for displaced villagers whose land was seized for a dam project, enduring assassinations of clients, the disappearance of her brother, and attempts on her own life. Frustrated by Mexico’s inaction, she turned to Chicago attorney John Lee, who petitioned an international tribunal for justice. But their work faces new hurdles after the Trump administration slashed funding for Justice Defenders, an American Bar Association program that supported human rights cases abroad. (Chicago Tribune)
- Lawyers across Canada are pushing back against the Supreme Court’s rule that forces interveners to argue by Zoom rather than in person, a policy introduced during the pandemic and kept in place despite strong opposition. Attorneys across the country have argued the Zoom-only rule diminishes the impact of their submissions, cuts down on questions from justices, and deprives younger advocates of courtroom experience. (The Globe and Mail)
Laterals, Moves, In-House
- Ted Dowd joined Perkins Coie as a partner in Washington. He joins from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, where he was chief counsel.
- Alice Ahn joined WilmerHale as a partner in its intellectual property litigation practice in San Francisco. She joins from Covington & Burling.
- Matt Galvin joined Steptoe as a partner in its investigations, white-collar, and compliance practice in Washington. He joins from the Justice Department.
- Michael Mineiro joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its space and satellite group in Washington. He joins from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld.
- Dave Dorey joined Fisher Phillips as a partner in its labor and employment practice in Washington. He joins from Liff, Walsh & Simmons.
- Brian Adams was appointed chief legal officer at Kymera Therapeutics.
- Erin Spritzer joined Smith, Gambrell & Russell as a partner in its litigation and white collar, government & investigations practices in Atlanta. She joins from the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
- Alexandra Buckingham joined Sterlington as a partner in its private wealth practice in Philadelphia. She joins from Morgan Lewis.
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