Wake Up Call: NY Bar Applicant Denied for Refusing to Take Oath

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

• A New York appeals court ruled that a bar applicant who refused to take an oath to support the US and New York constitutions failed to demonstrate the necessary character and fitness to become an attorney. The court said that the 30-year-old Nevada resident “has made plain that she cannot unequivocally take and subscribe to an oath or affirmation that she will support” the state and federal constitution. (ABA Journal)
• Elderly and vulnerable individuals in southeast England are losing control of their finances and property in what they describe as being persuaded and sometimes pressured into granting lasting power of attorney to Ron Hiller, a partner at Craybeck Law based in Essex. The BBC investigated cases involving Hiller and his firm and found a pattern of clients losing access to their bank accounts and not knowing how much they were being charged in attorney fees, large amounts cash withdrawn without explanation from their accounts, and mishandling of property sales. (BBC)
• Rapper Sean “Jay-Z” Carter called Texas lawyer Tony Buzbee “deplorable” and accused him of attempting to extort him after the lawyer named him in a civil lawsuit in connection with Sean “Diddy” Combs. The lawsuit accuses Combs and Carter of drugging and raping a woman at an after-party following the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2000. (Austin American-Statesman)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Tamara Shepard joined Morgan Lewis & Bockius as a partner in its global tax practice in Boston. She joins from DLA Piper.
• Peter Bergan joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in its real estate practice in Chicago. He joins from Loeb & Loeb.
• Kenneth Dintzer joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in its antitrust and competition, government contracts, and litigation groups in Washington.
• Phil Lerch joined the Loeb & Loeb in its real estate investments and transactions departments in Los Angeles. He joins from Elkins Kalt.
• Ben Howe joined Foley Hoag as a partner in its emerging company and venture capital practice group in Boston.
• Daniel Shackle joined Frost Brown Todd as counsel in its municipal practice in Indianapolis.
• James Keyte and Enoch Liang joined Boies Schiller Flexner as partners in New York and San Francisco, respectively.
• Hector Chichoni joined Greenspoon Marder in its immigration and naturalization practice group in Miami.