Wake Up Call: Massachusetts’ Justice System Nears Breaking Point

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

• A work stoppage by Massachusetts court-appointed attorneys is pushing the state’s justice system into crisis, leaving dozens of defendants jailed without representation and hundreds more facing charges without counsel. Bar advocates, who handle about 80% of indigent defense cases, are demanding higher pay as Massachusetts lags behind neighboring states in compensation. (The Boston Globe)
  
• ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio is at the center of the legal fight against a wave of anti-transgender policies coming out of President Donald Trump’s second term. As co-director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ+ and HIV rights project, Strangio has been the face of organized legal challenges to anti-LGBTQ+ policies across the nation, making his Supreme Court debut last year. (The Washington Post)
  
• Denise Rubin, former general counsel at Napoli Bern Ripka Shkolnik, was awarded $6.2 million after a jury found she was retaliated against for raising complaints about being paid less than male colleagues. The jury said Rubin acted in good faith when she raised discrimination concerns, though her actual discrimination claims were dismissed before trial. The case, which spanned a decade, also saw Rubin ordered to pay $15,000 for sharing confidential firm documents. (Law.com)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Rod Rosenstein joined Baker McKenzie as a partner and chair of its national security practice in Washington. He joins from King & Spalding.
• Barnabas Reynolds joined Sullivan & Cromwell as a partner in its financial institutions practice in London.
• Debra Franzese joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a partner in its asset management department in New York. She joins from Seward & Kissel.
• Shontae Gray rejoined Lowenstein Sandler as a partner in its white collar defense and corporate investigations and integrity practices in Roseland, N.J. She joins from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
• Rob DeConti joined King & Spalding as a partner in its government matters and regulation practice group in Washington. He joins from the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
• Anya Hodes joined Proskauer Rose as a partner in its mergers and acquisitions practice in New York.
• Benjamin Hittman joined Greenberg Traurig as a shareholder in its real estate practice in Boston. He joins from Goodwin Procter.
• Yulia Makarova joined Winston & Strawn as a partner in its financial innovation and regulation practice in London.
• Joshua Kurland joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in its international trade and investment practice in Washington. He joins from the Justice Department.
• Cynthia Weiss joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its private credit and direct lending practice group in Washington. She joins from Polsinelli.
• Tanvi Mehta Krensel joined Squire Patton Boggs as a partner in its data privacy, cybersecurity, and digital assets practice group in Sydney. She joins from TikTok.
• Allen Chiu was appointed as chief legal officer and executive vice president at Genesys.
• Carrie DiCanio joined Haynes Boone as an insurance recovery partner in Denver and New York. She joins from Anderson Kill.
• Derek Young joined Bracewell as a partner in its tax department in New York. He joins from Baker Botts.
• Kelsey Leigh Anne Maxwell joined Cozen O’Connor as a member in its global insurance department in Los Angeles. She joins from Murchison & Cumming.
• David Clem joined Blank Rome as a partner in its business litigation group and financial services industry team in Dallas.