Wake Up Call: Trump Taps CNN Defamation Lawyer to Vet Museums

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

• The lawyer who represented President Donald Trump in his defamation suit against CNN was appointed to help oversee an executive order to remove “divisive, race-centered ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution’s museums and other sites. Lindsey Halligan, a former Florida property lawyer, rose to prominence in Trump’s orbit after witnessing the FBI’s 2022 raid on Mar-a-Lago. (artnet)
• Another associate at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom joined Rachel Cohen in resigning in protest after her firm agreed to provide $100 million in pro bono legal services to the Trump administration. In a LinkedIn post, Benna Trout Frey criticized the firm for capitulating to Trump’s demands and accused it of engaging in “illegal DEI discrimination” while ignoring “politically disenfranchised groups.” (Independent)
• More than 90 Harvard Law School professors signed a letter condemning the Trump administration’s attacks on the rule of law and legal profession. Addressed to their students, the letter expressed concern over executive orders that target law firms representing Trump’s opponents, barring them from government work and revoking security clearances. (Axios)

Laterals, Moves, In-House

• Former Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema joined Hogan Lovells in its global regulatory and intellectual property practice group in Washington.
• Ken Wainstein joined Mayer Brown to lead its global investigations and white collar defense practice. He joins from the Department of Homeland Security.
• Ian McGinley joined Sidley Austin as a partner in its regulatory and enforcement practice group in New York. He joins from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
• Ryan McNaughton joined Davis Polk as a partner in its finance practice in New York. He joins from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
• Jordan Sagalowsky joined King & Spalding as a partner in its product liability and mass torts practice group in New York. He joins from Mayer Brown.
• Delphine Guillotte joined King & Spalding as a partner in its finance and restructuring practice in Paris. She joins from Bredin Prat.
• Brian Whaley joined Dechert as a partner in its global finance group in New York.
• Darshak Dholakia joined McDermott Will & Emery as a partner in its regulatory practice group in Washington. He joins from Dechert.
• Robert Cipolla joined Hunton Andrews Kurth as a partner in Richmond, Va. He joins from Calfee Halter & Griswold.
• Stanislav Kalminsky joined Winston & Strawn as a partner in its transactions department in Los Angeles.
• Bonnie Lau and Brian Smith joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati as partners in its regulatory and compliance department. Lau joins from Morrison & Foerster. Smith joins from K&L Gates.
• Paul Jones joined Jones Day as a partner in its energy practice in London.
• Mike Pestana joined Paul Hastings as a partner in its emerging companies and venture capital practice in San Francisco. He joins from Wilson Sonsini.
• Karen Sullivan joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its environmental and toxic tort practice in San Diego.
• Finis Tatum IV joined Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani as a partner in its commercial litigation and white collar defense practices in Indianapolis.
• Juan Delgado joined Day Pitney as a partner and co-chair of its sports, media, and entertainment practice in Miami. He joins from Paramount Global.
• Michael Posavetz rejoined Eckert Seamans as a member in its commercial litigation practice group in Princeton, N.J. He joins from Foley Mansfield.