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Jurisdiction

N.Y.

94 stories

N.Y.People moves

Morrison Foerster hires Paul Weiss litigators Joshua Hill and Ariane Rockoff-Kirk

Morrison Foerster has hired Joshua Hill and Ariane Rockoff-Kirk from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison as partners in New York. Hill, a former federal prosecutor returning to the firm, becomes head of business litigation and disputes, and Rockoff-Kirk joins the Complex Litigation Group. The pair are the firm's 19th and 20th litigation laterals this year as it builds out its complex litigation bench, the New York Law Journal reported.

Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Law360 Pulse
N.Y.Breaches and incidents

Weil confirms management committee recommends 'orderly wind-down'; partners to vote

Weil, Gotshal & Manges confirmed on Wednesday, October 28, that its management committee has recommended the partnership pursue an orderly wind-down after a review of strategic alternatives, with a partner vote expected in the coming days. The firm, which has about 1,200 lawyers and reportedly took in more than $2 billion in revenue in 2025, said it will keep serving clients during a wind-down lasting months.

Report (CNBC) → · Legal Business, Global Legal Post, LawFuel
N.Y.Breaches and incidents

Weil Gotshal tells partners it plans to wind down after 95 years

Weil Gotshal & Manges plans to wind down its operations, its leaders told partners on Wednesday, Bloomberg Law reported, citing a source briefed on the decision. The New York firm, founded in 1931, took in nearly $2.1 billion in revenue last year and ranked among the 30 largest U.S. firms. The decision follows a wave of partner exits, failed merger talks with Willkie Farr & Gallagher and a leadership succession that fell apart.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · The Lawyer, Above the Law
N.Y.People moves

Vinson & Elkins hires Simpson Thacher M&A partner Lisa Morales in New York

Vinson & Elkins has hired Lisa Morales as a corporate partner in New York. Morales, who joins from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, represents corporate and private equity clients on public and private M&A, divestitures, distressed deals and joint ventures across industries including healthcare, financial services, energy and technology, and advises boards on corporate governance.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Vinson & Elkins
N.Y.Regulation

Hochul signs New York law banning unsafe AI chatbot features for minors

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed S.9051-B/A.10379-C, which bars chatbot developers from offering minors features that pretend to be human, encourage self-harm or engage in sexual conversations. Providers must verify users' ages with multiple methods and delete age data afterward. The attorney general can seek civil penalties of up to $25,000 per violation. The law takes effect on January 1, 2027.

Text (Bloomberg Government) → · IAPP
N.Y.Regulation

New York S.9508 requires security features and warning labels on internet-connected baby monitors

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 9508 (Chapter 367 of 2026) on October 28, 2026, adding General Business Law section 399-iii for internet-connected baby monitors. The law bars manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale of a new monitor that broadcasts audio or video over the internet unless it includes security features preventing unauthorized hearing or viewing and a warning label. The act takes effect January 26, 2027, ninety days after signing.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Utica Phoenix
N.Y.People moves

Phillips Lytle opens first Southeast office through combination with South Carolina boutique TaberPatrick

Phillips Lytle, the New York-based midsize firm, has combined with TaberPatrick, a corporate boutique in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, giving it its first office in the Southeast. The Hilton Head office is the firm's 10th. Managing partner Douglas Dimitroff said expansion to the Southeast is key to sustaining growth across the Northeast and Midwest under the firm's new strategic plan.

Announcement (Law360 Pulse) → · Law.com
N.Y.People moves

Skadden hires Weil SEC veterans Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has hired Weil, Gotshal & Manges partners Andrew Dean and Christopher Mulligan, both former Securities and Exchange Commission officials. Dean, a former co-head of the SEC Enforcement Division's asset management unit, joins Skadden's white collar and investigations group in New York. Mulligan, a former senior adviser in the SEC's Division of Examinations, joins its investment management group in Washington.

Announcement (The American Lawyer) → · Bloomberg Law, Global Legal Post
N.Y.Breaches and incidents

Weil turns to Davis Polk restructuring lawyers as private equity co-head leaves for Paul Weiss

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is being advised by Davis Polk & Wardwell lawyers, including restructuring partner Brian Resnick and chair Neil Barr, as it assesses its future, Bloomberg Law reported on October 27, 2026, citing people familiar with the matter. The same day, Law.com reported that Weil's global private equity co-head Doug Warner is joining Paul, Weiss, and Skadden announced it had hired two Weil regulatory partners.

Report (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com

Rulings this week

All court orders

N.Y.Regulation

New York courts issue AI guide telling lawyers to verify filings, without a disclosure requirement

New York's court system has issued a seven-page guide for attorneys using generative AI to prepare court papers. Lawyers may use AI without disclosing it, but must understand its limits and independently verify citations and other content, because signing a filing certifies its accuracy under existing sanction rules. A New York Law School associate dean called the lack of a disclosure requirement concerning.

Text (New York Law Journal) → · amNewYork
N.Y.Court order

New York's top court removes Canandaigua town justice over racial slur and biased remarks

The New York Court of Appeals on October 27, 2026, removed Canandaigua Town Justice Walter W. Jones from office, accepting the Commission on Judicial Conduct's recommended sanction. The court found Jones used a racial slur while recounting a story to a court staff member and a public defender in May 2024, then days later said from the bench that a Black defendant had played the race card.

Order (WXXI News) → · Bloomberg Law, ABA Journal
N.Y.People moves

Cleary Gottlieb hires Simpson Thacher private equity partner Mark Pflug

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has hired Mark Pflug, a private equity partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, for its Americas M&A and private equity transactions groups in New York. Pflug advises private equity sponsors across the life cycle of their portfolio company investments, Cleary said. He is Cleary's fourth private equity partner hire this year as the firm builds out its transactional bench.

Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Bloomberg Law
N.Y.Regulation

New York S.5041 extends Address Confidentiality Program to victims of intimate-image dissemination

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 5041 (A.6338) on October 27, 2026, her office said. The act amends Executive Law section 108(1)(i) to add victims of unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate image, Penal Law section 245.15, to the definition of a victim of a sexual offense eligible for the Address Confidentiality Program, which provides a substitute mailing address through the Secretary of State. The act took effect immediately.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · Office of the Governor of New York
N.Y.Regulation

New York S.9341A sets civil penalties for lodging facilities that omit trafficking-victim information

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed A.8939A, the same as S.9341A, on October 27, 2026, as Chapter 365 of the Laws of 2026. The act adds subdivision 3 to General Business Law section 206-f: a lodging facility that fails to provide the required information on services for human trafficking victims is liable for a civil penalty of $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for each later offense, after notice and a 30-day cure period. It takes effect November 26.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) →
S.D.N.Y.Court order

Judge rules Justice Department unlawfully fired prosecutor Maurene Comey

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman ruled on October 26, 2026, that the Justice Department illegally fired Maurene Comey, a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and the daughter of former FBI Director James Comey, because the firing violated civil service protections and her due process rights. He rejected the government's argument that presidential removal power covered the firing and said Comey is entitled to reinstatement and back pay. The department said it would appeal.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · NPR
N.Y.People moves

Sterlington hires nine-member patent team from Holland & Hart

Sterlington has hired a nine-member patent team led by former Holland & Hart partners J. Scott Karren and Thomas Anderson, the New York firm announced on October 26, 2026. The group includes four counsel, two patent agents and an IP specialist, and focuses on patent portfolios for technology companies in wireless communications, cellular standards, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Karren said more colleagues are expected to join.

Announcement (Sterlington) → · Law360
N.Y.People moves

Weil leader-in-waiting Ramona Nee turns down top job amid partner exits

Ramona Nee, the Weil, Gotshal & Manges co-managing partner slated to succeed longtime leader Barry Wolf, has told the firm's leadership she will not take the top job, according to reports on October 25, 2026. Semafor reported that Nee has held talks to join Simpson Thacher & Bartlett. The decision follows a run of partner departures and the end of Weil's merger talks with Willkie Farr & Gallagher.

Announcement (Semafor) → · The American Lawyer, Bloomberg Law
N.Y.Litigation

New York archdiocese agrees to $800 million settlement with about 1,300 abuse survivors

The Archdiocese of New York and lawyers for about 1,300 people who say they were sexually abused by clergy and other church personnel have agreed to an $800 million settlement, the second-largest by a U.S. Catholic archdiocese. Archbishop Ronald Hicks confirmed the deal to priests on October 24, 2026, saying it is not final until signed in early November. The claims followed New York's 2019 Child Victims Act.

Filing (The Guardian) → · Gothamist, NBC News
N.Y.Breaches and incidents

Manhattan law firm Tarter Krinsky & Drogin reports breach affecting 196,645 patients of healthcare clients

New York law firm Tarter Krinsky & Drogin has reported a breach of protected health information belonging to 196,645 patients of its healthcare clients. The firm found suspicious activity on September 10, 2025, and an investigation showed unauthorized access to some of its servers between July 9 and September 9, 2025. Exposed data varies by person and may include Social Security, driver's license and passport numbers and medical details.

Report (The HIPAA Journal) → · California Attorney General (Tarter Krinsky & Drogin notice of data event), Law360 Pulse
N.Y. APP. DIV. 3D DEP'TCourt order

New York appeals court orders grievance committee to release Sarcone admonition

A New York Appellate Division panel on October 22, 2026, ordered the Attorney Grievance Committee to release the admonition it issued in April to John A. Sarcone III, the former interim U.S. attorney for the Northern District of New York, whom the Justice Department now lists as first assistant U.S. attorney. The court granted in part a petition by the watchdog Campaign for Accountability but refused to open the committee's investigative files.

Order (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com, Above the Law
N.Y.Funding

EstateMin raises €1 million pre-seed for AI platform serving US trust and estate firms

Irish-founded legal tech startup EstateMin, now headquartered in Brooklyn, has raised €1 million in pre-seed funding for its AI platform for US trust and estate law firms. NDRC, First Port Syndicate and Enterprise Ireland's High Potential Start-Up program took part alongside angel investors. The platform digitizes client intake, extracts data from documents and supports form preparation.

Announcement (EU-Startups) → · The Irish Times
N.Y.Regulation

New York Chapter 315 enacts Francesco's Law on firearm safe storage

New York Assembly Bill 1962-B, known as Francesco's Law, was signed on October 21, 2026, as Chapter 315 of the Laws of 2026. The act amends Penal Law section 265.45 so an owner or custodian stores a rifle, shotgun or firearm in a safe storage depository or with a locking device whenever it is out of the person's immediate possession or control, without regard to who resides in the home.

Enrolled text (New York State Assembly) → · Sun Community News
N.Y.Regulation

New York Chapter 316 bars ammunition sales to persons prohibited from possessing rifles or shotguns

New York Senate Bill 7236 was signed on October 21, 2026, as Chapter 316 of the Laws of 2026, amending Penal Law section 400.03. A new subdivision 9 provides that an ammunition background check is denied if the purchaser is prohibited from possessing a shotgun or rifle, is barred under 18 U.S.C. 922(g), or is subject to a temporary or final extreme risk protection order.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · New York State Assembly
N.Y.Regulation

New York City proposes rule requiring human option and disclosure for automated customer service

New York City's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection on October 20, 2026, proposed a rule targeting chatbot and voice-response customer service "doom loops." Businesses serving New Yorkers would have to disclose automated systems, provide timely and reasonable help, and offer an easy way to reach a human representative. A public hearing is set for November 19, 2026, which is also the comment deadline.

Text (NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection) → · Gothamist, Bloomberg Law, New York Law Journal
U.S. FEDFunding

Weil Gotshal is negotiating a merger with an unnamed firm, Bloomberg Law and Law.com report

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is in talks to merge with another law firm and is negotiating a memorandum of understanding, Bloomberg Law reported on October 19, 2026, citing two people familiar with the matter. An announcement could come as early as this week, though the talks could still fail. Law.com, citing several sources, also reported that the firm plans to merge. Weil did not immediately comment.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com (The American Lawyer)
N.Y.Regulation

New York raises volunteer firefighter and ambulance worker tax credit to $800, $1,600 for joint filers

New York enacted A.6790-A/S.6233-A on October 17, 2026, amending Tax Law section 606 to raise the personal income tax credit for active volunteer firefighters and volunteer ambulance workers from $200 to $800, and from $400 to $1,600 for spouses filing jointly who both qualify. The bill text applies the higher credit to taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, and the act takes effect April 1, 2027.

Enrolled text (New York State Senate) → · EIN Presswire, Orleans Hub, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
MASS.People moves

Womble Bond Dickinson adds five-lawyer K&L Gates financial services litigation team

Womble Bond Dickinson on October 15, 2026 added a five-lawyer financial services litigation team from K&L Gates, Bloomberg Law and Law.com reported. Partners Jeffrey Patterson, Ryan Tosi and Phoebe Winder joined the Boston office, with associates Keith McCarthy in Boston and Reymond Yammine in New York. The firm said the hire accelerates its firmwide financial services platform in New England.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law.com, Womble Bond Dickinson
N.Y.Funding

Mass claims startup Chariot Claims raises $10 million Series A led by Silverton Partners

New York-based Chariot Claims, formerly ClaimClam, raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Silverton Partners, Crunchbase News and Legaltech News reported October 15, 2026. The startup works with law firms to find consumer cases over privacy violations, hidden fees and hard-to-cancel subscriptions, sign up affected consumers and gather evidence for mass arbitration and similar claims. Total funding is now $15.7 million.

Announcement (Crunchbase News) → · Legaltech News
N.Y.People moves

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader hires Macquarie fund finance legal head Christopher Thalhammer in New York

Hogan Lovells Cadwalader hired Christopher Thalhammer, who led legal work for Macquarie's global fund finance business, as a banking and loan finance partner in New York, the firm announced October 14, 2026. Law.com said the combined firm has added 12 partners since Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft merged at the start of July.

Announcement (Law.com) → · The Lawyer, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, Bloomberg Law
D.C.People moves

Mayer Brown hires Sheppard Mullin's Joseph Jay as white collar co-chair

Mayer Brown hired A. Joseph Jay III, who co-led Sheppard Mullin's governmental practice, as co-chair of its global investigations and white collar defense practice, Bloomberg Law reported October 13, 2026. Jay said he moved to work again with practice chair Ken Wainstein, a former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush; Bloomberg Law reported the pair wrote the University of North Carolina academic fraud report.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Mayer Brown
N.Y.People moves

WilmerHale hires Latham's Hugh Murtagh to lead and grow its restructuring group

WilmerHale has recruited Latham & Watkins partner Hugh Murtagh to lead its restructuring department and grow its headcount. The New York-based lawyer, who has represented Mallinckrodt in bankruptcy and Sam Bankman-Fried's business partners in FTX-related fraudulent transfer litigation, replaces Andrew Goldman, who left to lead Goodwin's financial restructuring practice. He will manage seven lawyers, compared with Latham's restructuring practice of more than 200.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Law360 Pulse
S.D.N.Y.Litigation

New York City sues personal injury firm Asher & Associates under RICO over alleged fabricated claims

New York City sued Manhattan personal injury firm Asher & Associates and principals Ryan Asher and Roberta Asher in federal court in Manhattan, alleging the firm falsely blamed clients' injuries on defective city roadways. The complaint, filed on Sunday, October 4, 2026, seeks treble damages under the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and penalties under city and state false claims laws.

Filing (Bloomberg Law) → · ABA Journal
N.Y.Regulation

New York declares measles disaster emergency, expands who can vaccinate

Governor Kathy Hochul issued Executive Order No. 65 on October 5, declaring a statewide disaster emergency over a measles outbreak after New York recorded 108 cases through October 3, including 92 since mid-July in rural communities across 18 counties. The order authorizes paramedics, advanced EMS providers, pharmacists and midwives to administer MMR vaccine and allows nurses to order measles testing. The emergency runs through November 4.

Text (Governor Kathy Hochul) → · WIXX (Reuters)
N.Y.People moves

Dechert hires former CFTC official Carl Kennedy to lead commodities and derivatives

Dechert said on October 5, 2026, that Carl Kennedy has joined as a partner and head of commodities and derivatives in its financial services group in New York. Kennedy, who joins from Katten Muchin Rosenman, represents swap dealers, futures commission merchants, and market infrastructure clients, advises prediction market platforms, and previously served as senior counsel and policy advisor at the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Announcement (PR Newswire) → · Bloomberg Law
N.Y.People moves

RPC opens first U.S. office in New York with insurance partner Scott Schechter

London-headquartered RPC said on October 5, 2026, that it has opened a New York office, its first in the United States, with the hire of insurance coverage partner Scott Schechter from Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan. Schechter will build a dedicated New York insurance team focused on claims with U.S. exposure, particularly in financial lines and cyber, working with RPC's insurance lawyers in the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

Announcement (PR Newswire) → · The Lawyer, Legal Business, Nonbillable
N.Y.People moves

Kelley Drye names Michael Lynch chair and adds co-managing partners Jackson and Zalman

Kelley Drye & Warren said on October 5, 2026, that Michael Lynch will become chair on January 1, 2027, succeeding Paul Rosenthal, and that Bill Jackson and David Zalman will serve as co-managing partners. Current managing partner Dana Rosenfeld will become senior advisor to the leadership team as the New York-based firm moves to a co-managing partner structure it says reflects its growth and the increasing complexity of running the firm.

Announcement (GlobeNewswire) → · Law.com, Law360 Pulse
CAL.Roundup

State and local law roundup, week ending October 2, 2026: 23 developments

Twenty-three state and local measures dated September 25 to 29, 2026. California enacted laws on prescribed fire, children's meals, added-sugar menu warnings, diaper ingredients, disposable vapes, supplement sales to minors and disability-form fees. North Dakota, Texas, Arkansas and Georgia issued fuel emergency orders. New Jersey and New York signed school, reentry, Rutgers and climate bills, Massachusetts set emergency adult foster care rates, and San Jose paused detention-facility applications.

Entries (California Legislative Information) → · North Dakota Office of the Governor, City of San Jose, Office of the City Clerk (Legistar), Office of the Texas Governor +6
1ST CIR.Litigation

Twenty-one states, DC and five cities ask First Circuit to review NHTSA fuel-economy rollback

Twenty-one states, the District of Columbia and five cities, including California and New York, petitioned the First Circuit on October 2, 2026, to review NHTSA's SAFE Vehicles Rule III, which sets a fleetwide average of 34.9 miles per gallon by 2031, down from 50.4 under the Biden-era rule. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the rule violates the requirement that standards be set at the maximum feasible level, Reuters reported.

Filing (California Department of Justice) → · Reuters, Courthouse News Service, Spectrum News +1
JAPANPeople moves

Mori Hamada plans Dallas, Houston, and Kyoto offices for 2027 expansion

Law.com and Global Legal Post reported on October 2, 2026, that Japanese Big Four firm Mori Hamada & Matsumoto plans to open offices in Dallas and Houston in the first half of 2027, plus a Kyoto office that would be its ninth in Japan. The Texas launches would give the firm five U.S. offices after New York and the San Francisco Bay Area, targeting finance, manufacturing, logistics, energy, and Japan-related M&A work.

Announcement (Law.com International) → · Global Legal Post
N.Y.People moves

Simpson Thacher hires six Weil partners for sponsor and asset-manager deals

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett said Brian Parness, Simon Saitowitz, Andrew Nichol, Corey Dietrich, and Alexander Miachika joined as partners and Charles Cooper-Isow will join, expanding asset-management M&A, GP-stakes, and secondaries work across New York and London. Nonbillable reported the six-partner Weil move on October 2, 2026, with Parness leading a Sponsor Transactions and Advisory Practice.

Announcement (Simpson Thacher) → · Nonbillable
N.Y.People moves

Wachtell moves rare lateral Joon Kim from Cleary into New York litigation

Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz hired former Manhattan federal prosecutor Joon Kim from Cleary Gottlieb as a New York litigation partner, Bloomberg Law, Legal Business, and Law360 Pulse reported on October 1, 2026. Kim's work includes investigations and white-collar matters. The hire follows the departure of Wachtell co-chair William Savitt and other partners to Gibson Dunn.

Announcement (Legal Business) → · Bloomberg Law, Law360 Pulse
N.Y.People moves

Whiteford adds six Lazare Potter partners to expand New York office

Whiteford, Taylor & Preston said on October 1, 2026, that six partners from Lazare Potter Glazer & Moyle joined its New York office, taking it past two dozen lawyers, as Business Wire and Law360 Pulse reported. The firm said the group handles commercial and securities litigation, employment, cross-border and corporate work, and that the office will move to 535 Madison Avenue in early 2027.

Announcement (Business Wire) → · Law360 Pulse
S.D.N.Y.Litigation

SEC sues Meyer Global Management and its CEO, alleging fraud on retail investors in pre-IPO SpaceX funds

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil enforcement action in Manhattan federal court against private fund adviser Meyer Global Management LLC and its chief executive Owen Meyer. The complaint alleges defendants raised $18.5 million from retail investors seeking pre-IPO exposure to SpaceX and OpenAI, while misappropriating $1.27 million for personal expenses and causing a managed fund to forfeit a nearly $3 million SpaceX investment after failing to meet capital calls.

Filing (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York) → · U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Reuters, Fortune
S.D.N.Y.Court order

Manhattan federal judge enjoins New York ban on algorithmic rent-setting software on First Amendment grounds

U.S. District Judge Valerie Caproni preliminarily enjoined New York from enforcing Section 3 of General Business Law 340-B, the state's ban on algorithmic rent-setting tools, and denied Attorney General Letitia James's motion to dismiss RealPage's suit. In a 27-page opinion filed September 29, she called it a close call but found RealPage marginally likely to show the law restricts speech protected by the First Amendment.

Opinion (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York) → · Reuters, Law360, MLex
S.D.N.Y.Litigation

SEC files twin Manhattan fraud lawsuits over alleged $15M WhatsApp AI trading schemes

The Securities and Exchange Commission filed two civil fraud actions in Manhattan federal court against Cryptoaiml and TSAI Pro entities, alleging they took more than $15 million from retail investors. The SEC alleges the defendants lured investors through WhatsApp and other platforms with fake AI trading programs, displayed fictitious profits, froze withdrawals to demand further payments, and filed Form D notices listing fictitious officers with forged notarizations.

Filing (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission) → · Bloomberg, The Defiant, FX News Group
N.Y.People moves

Pierson Ferdinand surpasses 300 partners in AI-enabled partner-only model

Pierson Ferdinand said on September 29, 2026, that it has passed 300 partners globally less than three years after its January 2024 launch, a milestone Artificial Lawyer also reported. The distributed firm has no associates and said it embeds AI tools including Harvey in place of junior leverage; it named five partners who joined in September in Columbus, London, Chicago and Atlanta.

Announcement (Pierson Ferdinand) → · Artificial Lawyer
N.Y.People moves

Gibson Dunn hires Raymond Azar as New York power and renewables co-chair

Dr. Raymond Azar joined Gibson Dunn as a partner in its energy and infrastructure practice in New York and as co-chair of the power and renewables practice group, the firm and Bloomberg Law reported on September 29, 2026. Azar advises developers, borrowers, and lenders across renewable energy, energy transition, conventional power, oil and gas, petrochemicals, and infrastructure financings. He previously practiced at White & Case.

Announcement (Gibson Dunn) → · Bloomberg Law
2D CIR.Litigation

Fifteen states and Harris County petition Second Circuit to vacate FAA environmental review for commercial drone deliveries

A coalition of 15 states and Harris County, Texas, petitioned the Second Circuit to review and set aside the Federal Aviation Administration's nationwide environmental review for commercial drone package deliveries. The petitioners contend the agency violated the National Environmental Policy Act by approving nationwide operations without adequately analyzing safety risks and environmental impacts, including noise from delivery hubs. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the assessment falls far short of proper analysis.

Filing (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit) → · Reuters, Bloomberg Law, Law Commentary +1
N.Y.People moves

Weil rehires Willkie restructuring co-chair Debra Sinclair as partner

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is bringing back Debra M. Sinclair as a partner in its U.S. restructuring practice, the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg Law reported on September 24, 2026. Sinclair, co-chair of Willkie Farr & Gallagher’s strategic capital and restructuring department, began her career at Weil in 2013 and is expected to return in the coming weeks. At Willkie she led matters including the Saks Global chapter 11 restructuring, WSJ said, amid leadership changes at both firms.

Announcement (The Wall Street Journal) → · Bloomberg Law
N.Y.People moves

O'Melveny hires Linklaters restructuring partner Penelope Jensen in New York

O'Melveny & Myers hired Penelope Jensen as a New York bankruptcy and restructuring partner from Linklaters, Bloomberg Law and the New York Law Journal reported on September 24, 2026. Jensen advises creditors and lenders in chapter 11, chapter 15 and out-of-court restructurings. She is O'Melveny’s second New York restructuring partner addition in September after David Botter joined from Cleary Gottlieb.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · New York Law Journal
CAL.Funding

Massumi + Consoli launches Trive-backed ElevenHundred+ MSO, hires Glusky

Los Angeles private equity boutique Massumi + Consoli on September 24, 2026 announced ElevenHundred+, a management services organization backed by Dallas private equity firm Trive Capital, Law.com and a firm Business Wire release reported. The MSO will build technology and operational infrastructure and offer equity incentives aimed at lateral recruiting. Former Sheppard Mullin executive-committee member and firmwide lateral recruitment lead Shon Glusky joined as a New York partner and chief strategy officer.

Announcement (Business Wire) → · Law.com / The American Lawyer
N.Y. SUP. CT.Litigation

New York sues Polymarket alleging unlicensed gambling while company countersues in federal court

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul filed an enforcement petition in Manhattan state court on Thursday against QCX LLC, operating as Polymarket US, alleging the prediction market ran an unlicensed gambling business that offered sports event wagers to individuals under twenty-one. Polymarket countersued James and state gaming officials in Manhattan federal court several hours later, asserting that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission holds exclusive regulatory jurisdiction over federally registered event contracts and derivatives exchanges.

Filing (Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York) → · Office of the New York State Attorney General, Reuters, CNBC
N.Y.Ethics opinion

NYC Bar ethics committee says lawyers should not use AI to record calls with non-clients by default

The New York City Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics issued Formal Opinion 2026-2 on August 5, 2026, on AI tools that record, transcribe and summarize lawyers' conversations with people who are not clients. It concludes the default should be not to use them absent a good reason, that lawyers must disclose an intended recording and obtain every participant's permission, and that surreptitious recording is barred.

Opinion (New York City Bar Association) →
N.Y.People moves

Mayer Brown hires White & Case leveraged finance partner Kerrick Seay in New York

Kerrick Seay joined Mayer Brown as a partner in its global leveraged finance and private capital group in New York from White & Case, Bloomberg Law reported on September 23, 2026. His practice covers syndicated lending, private credit, restructuring-related financings, and liability-management exercises for financial institutions and direct lenders.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · New York Law Journal
N.Y.People moves

K&L Gates adds state and local tax partner Jeffrey Reed in New York from Kilpatrick

Jeffrey Reed joined K&L Gates as a New York corporate partner focusing on state and local tax controversies and planning, Bloomberg Tax and the firm reported on September 22, 2026. A former Massachusetts Department of Revenue litigator, he joins from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton and advises on multistate controversies, unclaimed property, and M&A state-tax consequences.

Announcement (Bloomberg Tax) → · K&L Gates
N.Y.People moves

Paul Weiss adds Weil PE co-head Christopher Machera and five-lawyer transactional team in New York

Paul, Weiss expanded its private equity practice with a six-lawyer transactional team led by Christopher Machera, who joined as a New York partner in the Private Equity M&A Group from Weil Gotshal & Manges, where he co-headed private equity, Pulse2 and Law360 Pulse reported on September 22, 2026. Timothy Burns, Noah Beck, Amanda Rotkel, Andrew Lawson, and Dylan Hans are expected to join in the coming weeks across PE M&A, tax, and executive compensation.

Announcement (Pulse2) → · Law360 Pulse, Paul, Weiss
U.S. FEDLitigation

Eight states sue Trump administration and Bluepoint Wind over $765 million offshore wind lease buyout

New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of eight states sued the Department of the Interior, federal officials, and Bluepoint Wind in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday. The eighty-one-page complaint challenges a $765 million Judgment Fund settlement that canceled Bluepoint's 2.4-gigawatt New York Bight offshore wind lease. The states allege the agreement illegally diverts taxpayer funds to a liquefied natural gas project, violating federal energy and environmental statutes.

Filing (U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York) → · Associated Press, The Morning Call, Office of the New York State Attorney General
N.Y.People moves

Milbank adds former O’Melveny tax chair Alex Anderson as New York partner

Milbank LLP announced on September 22, 2026 that Alex Anderson joined its New York Tax Group as a partner from O’Melveny & Myers, where he had chaired the tax practice, International Tax Review and Pulse2 reported. Anderson’s practice covers U.S. federal income tax in restructurings, financings, securitizations, M&A, fund formation, and entertainment and media transactions.

Announcement (International Tax Review) → · Milbank, Pulse2
N.Y.People moves

Willkie adds Kirkland private funds partner Shreyas Jhaveri in New York asset management

Shreyas Jhaveri joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher as a New York partner in its Asset Management Department from Kirkland & Ellis, Bloomberg Law reported on September 22, 2026 and Global Legal Insights followed on September 23. His practice focuses on private fund formation and operations with an emphasis on private credit, managed accounts, and secondaries; Willkie private funds chair Phil Isom highlighted his credit-fund experience.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Global Legal Insights, Willkie Farr & Gallagher
N.Y.People moves

Fiserv CLO Adam Rosman joins Nvidia-backed Nscale as chief legal officer ahead of IPO

Adam Rosman, chief legal and administrative officer of Fiserv, will become chief legal officer of Nvidia-backed AI infrastructure company Nscale as it pursues a New York IPO, Law.com Corporate Counsel reported on 22–September 23, 2026. A company release said he starts October 1, 2026 and will oversee legal, regulatory, and governance functions alongside Frank Slootman’s board appointment.

Announcement (Law.com Corporate Counsel) → · PR Newswire
ISRAELFunding

Chamelio raises $26M Series A led by Entrée Capital for AI-native in-house CLM

Chamelio, an AI-native contract and in-house legal operations platform founded in 2024, raised a $26 million Series A led by Entrée Capital with Work-Bench, Emerge Ventures, and Bright Pixel Capital, CTech, Artificial Lawyer, and Law.com Legaltech News reported on September 22, 2026. The company said ARR has grown fourfold since its seed round and will use proceeds for its legal action model, legal engineering and product hiring, and onboarding technology.

Announcement (CTech) → · PR Newswire, Artificial Lawyer, Law.com Legaltech News
N.Y.People moves

Debevoise adds Abigail Lane as New York executive compensation and benefits partner

Debevoise & Plimpton hired Abigail Lane as a partner in its New York Executive Compensation & Benefits Group, the firm said on September 22, 2026, with Bloomberg Law confirming the move. Lane advises private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and public companies on executive compensation, governance, and disclosure, including management equity programs and executive transitions.

Announcement (Debevoise & Plimpton) → · PR Newswire, Bloomberg Law
N.D. CAL.Litigation

Twelve states file proposed consent decree settling antitrust challenge to Paramount-Warner Bros merger

A twelve-state coalition led by California submitted a proposed consent decree in California federal court on Monday, settling antitrust litigation against Paramount Skydance's planned acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery. Under the thirty-two-page agreement, Paramount agreed to divest cable networks including Comedy Central and BET, maintain theatrical film quotas for five years, increase domestic production spending by $300 million annually, and establish independent editorial oversight boards for CBS News and CNN.

Filing (Office of the New York State Attorney General) → · Reuters, Deadline, ABC7 Chicago
N.Y.People moves

Weil Gotshal weighs strategic options including a possible merger after partner exits

Weil, Gotshal & Manges is considering options for its future, including a potential combination with a rival, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, as the firm absorbs a wave of senior departures. Firm leaders have held informal discussions to gauge interest and have been canvassing partners while also studying lateral hires and promotions; a spokesperson said Weil is not engaged in merger discussions with any firm and could remain independent.

Announcement (Bloomberg) → · Bloomberg Law, Reuters
CAL.People moves

Gibson Dunn hires Paul Weiss products-liability lead Kimberly Branscome and two partners

Gibson Dunn hired a three-partner mass-torts and product-liability trial team from Paul Weiss on September 18, 2026. Kimberly Branscome joins as co-chair of the practice; Yahonnes Cleary and Jonathan Tam join as partners. Branscome and Tam are based in Los Angeles and Cleary in New York, adding first-chair trial depth in pharmaceutical, medical-device, consumer, and industrial matters.

Announcement (Bloomberg Law) → · Gibson Dunn
N.Y.Funding

Michael Best combines with Kane Kessler to open New York office

Am Law 200 firm Michael Best & Friedrich completed a strategic combination with New York midsize firm Kane Kessler, establishing Michael Best’s New York presence. Kane Kessler brings roughly 40 attorneys and practices including corporate, securities, capital markets, M&A, litigation, IP, and real estate. Kane Kessler managing partner Rob Lawrence will lead the New York office; Michael Best now reports nearly 400 attorneys across 19 U.S. offices.

Announcement (New York Law Journal) → · Above the Law, Law360
N.Y.Funding

FairPlay Law launches AI-native employment firm with investor-backed MSO

Burford Capital vice chair David Perla and former Pangea3 co-founder Sanjay Kamlani publicly launched FairPlay Law, an AI-native New York employment firm for employees and executives, on September 16, 2026. The firm is affiliated with FairPlay Global, a technology and managed-services organization backed by unnamed investor capital, and offers flat-fee analysis of offers, equity, noncompetes, and severance against proprietary benchmarks before optional human counsel.

Announcement (Reuters) → · Law360 Pulse, EIN Presswire
S.D.N.Y.Litigation

Seattle Times and Newsday sue OpenAI and Microsoft over AI copying and trademark dilution

The Seattle Times Company and Newsday LLC sued OpenAI entities and Microsoft in Manhattan federal court on September 4, alleging unauthorized copying of their journalism to train and operate AI products. The complaint asserted direct and vicarious copyright infringement, removal of copyright-management information, distribution of works stripped of that information, and federal and state trademark dilution. The publishers sought damages, an injunction and destruction of models and datasets incorporating their works.

Filing (U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York) → · Reuters, GeekWire
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York State Bar says virtual office may serve as lawyer's address for communications

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said on 3 September 2026 that a New York lawyer may list a virtual law office as the office address on websites, advertisements, letterhead and business cards. The committee said listing is not false if the arrangement ensures receipt of mail and service and availability for in-person meetings on reasonable notice.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York bar says public defender's personal conflict not imputed within government office

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said in Opinion 1300, dated 31 August 2026, that a public defender office that is a government office is governed by Rule 1.11, not Rule 1.10. The committee said a conflict under Rule 1.7(a)(2) based on a lawyer's personal interest in a relative heading a county agency would not be imputed to other lawyers in the office.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →
N.Y.Ethics opinion

New York bar says lawyer may bill for time explaining invoices after notice

The New York State Bar Association's Committee on Professional Ethics said on 31 August 2026 that a lawyer may charge a client for time spent explaining a sufficiently detailed bill. The committee said the time is billable as counseling under Rule 1.4 when the lawyer gives advance notice, but time spent addressing a good-faith billing dispute is overhead and not billable.

Opinion (New York State Bar Association) →
BANKR. S.D.N.Y.Litigation

Google's $10 million bid for Spirit Airlines' de-identified data draws union objections, a privacy ombudsman's report and a rival micro1 bid; hearing moved to September 16

Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy sale of de-identified internal data to Google for $10 million, won at an August 14 auction over Mercor's $7.5 million, faces limited objections from the flight attendants', pilots' and machinists' unions, a consumer privacy ombudsman's report, and micro1's notice of a competing bid. Judge Sean Lane's approval hearing in the Southern District of New York, adjourned twice, is now set for September 16, with replies due September 14.

Filing (U.S. Bankruptcy Court, S.D.N.Y. (via Epiq)) → · Epiq (claims agent docket), Reuters, Bloomberg Law +2