Wake Up Call: Seattle Seahawks Tap Latham for Sale Process

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

• The Paul G. Allen Trust tapped Latham & Watkins to lead the sale process for Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks. Latham’s is also working on the trust’s pending sale of the Portland Trail Blazers and recently gained notable deal leadership after partner Matt Eisler moved from Hogan Lovells to the firm. (Sports Business Journal)
• Liz Magill is set to become dean of Georgetown University’s law school, marking her return to academia after resigning as president of University of Pennsylvania in 2023 following a controversial congressional hearing on antisemitism. Magill said she regrets how her congressional testimony affected Jewish students and hopes her experience will strengthen her leadership this time around. (Politico)
• Susan Grode, a former Katten Muchin Rosenman entertainment partner with clients including The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and SpongeBob SquarePants creator Stephen Hillenburg, died this week of natural causes in Los Angeles. She was 86. (Variety)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Exclusive: Ike Chidi joined Sidley Austin as a partner in its global finance practice in Los Angeles. He joins from O’Melveny & Myers.
• Patrick Bright and William Needham joined Sullivan & Cromwell as partners in London. They join from Paul Hastings.
• Joel Weinberger rejoined Latham & Watkins as a partner in its structured finance practice in Chicago. He joins from Kirkland & Ellis.
• Amy Hoff joined Steptoe as a partner in its energy group in Houston.
• Matthieu Grollemund, Hélène Parent, and Pierre-Marie Boya joined Proskauer Rose as partners in its private equity and mergers and acquisitions transactions group in Paris.
• Ashley Lane joined Stoel Rives as a partner in its construction and design practice. She joins from Perkins Coie.
• Lin Hymel joined Adams & Reese as a partner in its global intellectual property practice.
• Jennifer Nichols joined FisherBroyles as a partner in its corporate and real estate practices. She joins from Roetzel & Andress.
• J. Andrew Jackson joined Womble Bond Dickinson as a partner in its business litigation practice group.
• Stewart Milch joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its appellate practice in Dallas.
• Chris Fowlkes joined Carlton Fields as a shareholder in its mass tort and product liability practice in Minneapolis. He joins from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough.
• Alan Wolper, Heidi VonderHeide, and Nathan Lamb joined Thompson Hine as partners in its securities litigation and regulatory enforcement practice in Chicago.