News from February 2024
Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies Names Three New Managing Directors in Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia
Bipartisan public affairs firm, Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, promoted Rose Christ, C. Towner French, and Joseph Hill to managing director, effective January 1, 2024.
Cocktails & Connections at IFA 2024 on February 18
Join us for our annual cocktail reception! Take in stunning, 360-degree views of Phoenix in the company of fellow IFA attendees.
Attorney General Platkin Announces Settlement with TradeStation Crypto, Inc.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division of Consumer Affairs announced that the Bureau of Securities entered into a consent order with TradeStation Crypto, Inc. to resolve an investigation into the offer and sale of unregistered securities in connection with its crypto interest-earning program.
Attorney General Kaul Urges FDA to Protect Children from Toxic Metals in Baby Food
Attorney General Josh Kaul, along with a coalition of 20 attorneys general, is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take immediate action to safeguard babies and young children across the nation from lead and other toxic metals in baby food. The call for action comes in response to nearly 400 recent lead poisoning cases linked to recalled cinnamon applesauce pouches, underscoring the urgent need for stricter protections."We must have clear standards to protect babies and children from ingesting toxic heavy metals in their food," Attorney General Kaul...
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey on border actions against Biden Administration: ‘We’re reaching a point of constitutional crisis’
Amid the ongoing struggle in Texas against the influx of illegal immigrants, Missouri has emerged as a key player in the legal arena, spearheading lawsuits aimed at compelling the Biden administration to secure the border.
Trans, nonbinary teachers sue over Florida pronoun law
TALLAHASSEE — A lawsuit is suing the Florida Department of Education challenging a new law that prohibits public school employees and contractors from using their preferred personal titles or pronouns if they do not correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
Tanya A. Bovée Elected Co-President of Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association
Nationwide employment law firm Jackson Lewis P.C. is pleased to announce that Tanya A. Bovée has been elected as the co-president of the Connecticut Asian Pacific American Bar Association (CAPABA).
Quinn Emanuel team secures a victory in the Delaware Supreme Court for Special Litigation Committee
Quinn Emanuel is pleased to report the successful conclusion of its representation of a Special Litigation Committee (SLC) of the Baker Hughes Board after the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed last week a Court of Chancery order dismissing a derivative suit against GE and certain Baker Hughes Directors.
Attorney General Moody Secures 30-Year Prison Sentence for Real Estate Investment Fraudster
Attorney General Ashley Moody's Office of Statewide Prosecution has achieved a significant victory in the fight against fraudulent real estate investments. Miquel Angel Perez, the mastermind behind an elaborate scheme that defrauded more than 20 victims out of their retirement and life savings, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. The charges against Perez include racketeering, grand theft, exploitation, and mortgage fraud.According to the investigation, Perez lured victims into his scheme by holding free investment seminars, where he showcased his supposed success...
Operation Ceasefire Secures Prison Sentence for Illegal Gun Crime
Attorney General Jason Miyares has announced that a Richmond man, Jon Terry, has been sentenced to 77 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Terry was arrested on May 24, 2023, in the Six Points area of Richmond when police officers encountered him and two other individuals while on foot patrol. Upon observing a bulge in Terry's pocket resembling a firearm, an officer attempted to speak to him, but Terry fled. After a foot pursuit, Terry was detained, and a loaded SCCY 9mm handgun was recovered.Terry's prior convictions for distribution of...
The Buckeye Institute Urges SCOTUS to Compensate Property Owners for Regulatory Takings
The Buckeye Institute, a think tank based in Ohio, has filed an amicus brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to address the issue of compensating property owners for regulatory takings. Specifically, they are asking the Court to hear the case of El Papel v. Seattle and rule that the city of Seattle must compensate landlords for the temporary eviction ban imposed during the pandemic, even for non-paying renters.David C. Tryon, the director of litigation at The Buckeye Institute, emphasized the importance of the takings clause in the U.S. Constitution, which states that the...
America First Legal Sues Biden’s Department of Education for Illegally Concealing Documents
America First Legal (AFL) has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Education (DOE) for unlawfully withholding documents related to parental rights and race-based admissions in higher education. The lawsuit is aimed at enforcing three separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that the DOE has failed to provide to AFL.One of the FOIA requests sent by AFL to the DOE was for records and communications concerning a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). The PPRA is a law that grants parents the right to opt their...
AG Reyes Joins Letter Supporting Natural Gas Exports
Attorney General Sean D. Reyes joined a letter to President Joseph R. Biden and Commerce Secretary Jennifer Granholm over the administration’s recent “pause” of liquefied natural gas exports.
Attorney General Rosenblum: Pass these three bills to protect Oregon consumers and clean up our environment polluted with PCBs
Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum made special appearances before the Oregon Legislature to support three important pieces of legislation. One would create an impactful 100-year environmental clean-up fund using the proceeds of a best-in-the-nation settlement she obtained from Monsanto at the end of 2022.
AG Henry Joins Warning Letter to Company Impersonating President Biden Using A.I. to Spread Misinformation through Robocalls
Attorney General Michelle Henry has joined Attorneys General nationwide in sending a warning letter to a company allegedly responsible for using artificial intelligence (A.I.) to impersonate President Biden in robocalls to potential voters.
Attorney General Alan Wilson praises the anti-AI CSAM bills in General Assembly, urges quick passage
Attorney General Alan Wilson was joined by legislators and the Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children in celebrating the filing of two critical bills aimed at protecting children from MPIC (morphed pornography of identifiable children) and AI-generated CSAM (child sexual abuse material).
AG Moody, Commissioner Glass and Sheriff Woods Warn That One Pill Can Kill After Release of New Statewide Drug Death Data
Attorney General Ashley Moody, Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass, and Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods have issued a dire warning following the release of new statewide drug death data. The 2022 Florida Medical Examiners’ Drugs in Deceased Persons Annual Report reveals that more than 6,200 people died after using fentanyl in 2022. While there has been a 3% decrease in the total amount of drug-related deaths in Florida since 2018, the number of people dying from drug overdoses remains alarmingly high, with illicit fentanyl being a major factor....
Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Botnet Operation
The Justice Department announced today that it has successfully conducted a court-authorized operation to neutralize a botnet controlled by the Russian Federation's Main Intelligence Directorate of the General Staff (GRU). The operation targeted a network of small office/home office (SOHO) routers that were used by the GRU to carry out various cybercrimes, including spearphishing and credential harvesting campaigns against U.S. and foreign governments, military organizations, and corporate entities.The botnet, which was operated by GRU Military Unit 26165, also known as...
Anand Ramana Named Fellow of Leadership Council on Legal Diversity; Ariel Kelly and Amal Rafiq to Join Pathfinder Program
Vedder Price is pleased to announce that Shareholder Anand Ramana has been named to the 2024 class of Fellows of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD).
ABA Standing Committee Names McGuireWoods a 2023 Pro Bono Leader
The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Pro Bono and Public Service recently recognized McGuireWoods’ dedication to pro bono service through the firm’s participation in ABA Free Legal Answers, a virtual legal advice portal.