Khamenei Orders Investigation: In a stunning reversal, Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ordered an investigation into allegations of election fraud, The Associated Press reports. The move comes after reform candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi appealed to the Guardian Council, high-level clerical panel, and met Sunday with Khamenei to protest the results of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. Since the election, thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets in protest and met with harsh opposition from security forces.
Reeling It In: President Barack Obama has been arguing behind closed doors that reducing malpractice lawsuits can help drive down health care costs, and should be considered as part of any health care overhaul. That position could hurt Obama with far left Democrats and trial lawyers who contribute big money to Democratic campaigns, The New York Times reports.
Let the Sanctions Stand: A federal appeals court has upheld a $372,000 sanction against Crowell & Moring partner Peter Ginsberg and affirmed his five-year suspension from practice in bankruptcy court in Florida, The National Law Journal reports. Ginsberg, who is based in the firm's New York office, lost his appeal of the sanctions on Thursday in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which determined that Ginsberg's attempts to have a bankruptcy judge recuse himself from a Chapter 11 case were in bad faith.
Hired and Fired: Weeks after President Obama took office, the CIA extended its contract with Mitchell, Jessen & Associates, a firm run by two psychologists who helped introduce waterboarding and other harsh methods to the agency's interrogation techniques, The Washington Post reports. Two months later, CIA Director Leon Panetta fired the firm and all other contractors that aided the CIA in its interrogations of alleged terrorists.
Retooling Chrysler: The New York Times has a fascinating look at the work done by a team of 70 Jones Day lawyers on Chrysler's restructuring prior to its management being taken over by Italian auto maker Fiat. Corinne Ball, who led the team from Jones Day, says she and other lawyers faced strict timelines and budgets dictated by President Obama’s automotive task force in what has become one of the quickest and most important restructurings on record..
Comments