Wake Up Call: Jack Smith’s Attorneys Push Back Against Probe

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

• Former Special Counsel Jack Smith’s lawyers sharply rejected a watchdog probe into his prosecutions of Donald Trump, calling it “imaginary and unfounded.” The Office of Special Counsel, acting on a request from Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), is investigating whether Smith’s actions violated the Hatch Act by improperly influencing the 2024 election. (Associated Press)
• Gibson Dunn is looking to increase its contract with the city of Los Angeles by $5 million. The firm has been defending the city since mid-May in a lawsuit filed by the nonprofit Alliance for LA Human Rights, and was originally contracted for $900,000. (Los Angeles Times)
• Marzulla Law, which represents offshore wind opponents, is pressuring Brown University to retract research linking the fossil fuel industry to anti-wind groups, calling the work “false and injurious.” The demand targets studies by Brown’s Climate and Development Lab, which documented how groups like Green Oceans spread climate misinformation and align with fossil fuel–backed networks. (The New York Times)
• New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson was called for jury duty and “vlogged” about it. He was voir dire’d for a Manhattan criminal case but didn’t make the panel. “Maybe when I’m retired, I might be able to sneak by,” he remarked. (YouTube)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• David Hoskins joined King & Spalding as a partner in its health-care team in Washington. He joins from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
• Louisa Lynch joined Greenberg Traurig as co-chair of its Middle East and European hospitality group in Dubai. She joins from Pinsent Masons.
• Rob Morrison joined Davis Polk as a partner in its finance practice in Northern California. He joins from White & Case.
• Lisa Atkins and Christina Gonzaga joined Clark Hill as members in its immigration practice in San Francisco.
• Mitchell Kim joined Thompson Hine as a partner in its litigation group in Los Angeles. He joins from Buchalter.
• Evan Winet joined Fox Rothschild as a partner in its taxation and wealth planning department in San Francisco. He joins from Weintraub Tobin.
• Jessica Lange joined Bodman PLC as a member in its business practice group in Detroit. She joins from Darden.
• David Rudolph joined Howard & Howard as a partner in its real estate practice in Chicago.