A $243M verdict. An A-list legal lineup.

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By Caitlin Tremblay

REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

Tesla's appeal of a $243 million Autopilot verdict has become a showcase for some of the country's top U.S. Supreme Court advocates. Former U.S. solicitors general Paul Clement and Theodore Boutrous are leading Tesla's challenge, while the plaintiffs are represented by former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar.

The case has also drawn support from heavyweight amici, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, represented by former Solicitor General Gregory Garre, underscoring business concerns that the verdict could expand Florida product liability law and expose companies developing new technologies to greater punitive damages risk.

Read more in this week's Billable Hours.

In New York:

Simpson Thacher added a three-partner insurance transactional and regulatory team from Clifford Chance: Dennis Manfredi, Joseph Cosentino and Benjamin Kralstein. Manfredi and Cosentino will co-head the practice. Simpson Thacher also added hybrid capital partner Joshua Morry from Akin Gump … Capital markets partners Byron Rooney and Dan Gibbons joined Latham from Davis Polk … Sidley added global finance partner Marissa Gluck from Latham … Privacy and cybersecurity partner Michael La Marca joined Cooley from Hunton Andrews Kurth … Greenberg Traurig added capital markets partner Andi Hasaj from O’Melveny.

In D.C.:

Former Baltimore Ravens GC Brandon Etheridge moved to Paul Hastings to launch a global sports practice at the firm … Former chief Senate oversight counsel Arya Hariharan moved to Holland & Knight’s congressional investigations team as partner … Tax partner Lindsay Clayton moved to Baker McKenzie from the DOJ where she was assistant director of the tax litigation branch … Holland & Hart added environmental and natural resources partner David Chung from Crowell & Moring.

In Los Angeles:

Real estate partner Brad Markoff moved to Husch Blackwell from Buchalter … Mayer Brown added real estate partner Daniel Rothberg from Orrick … Debt finance partner Christopher Raidy moved to BakerHostetler from Reed Smith.

In Chicago: 

M&A and employee benefits partner Adria Crowe joined McDermott from Akerman … Faegre Drinker added trust and estate planning partner Alex Edmondson from Raines Feldman Littrell … White-collar litigation and healthcare partner Heidi Manschreck moved to Morgan Lewis from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois where she was chief of the healthcare fraud section … DLA Piper added investment funds partner Mitchell Weiss from K&L Gates.

In Dallas:

Ryan Cox joined Simpson Thacher as partner in the firm’s hybrid capital team and co-leader of the new Dallas office from Akin Gump … Holland & Knight added M&A partner Jessica Berkowitz from Kirkland.

In Miami:

Corporate partner Jennifer Llano joined Cole Schotz from Holland & Knight … Adam von Poblitz, former global head of family office wealth advisory at Citi Private Bank, moved to Akerman to chair the firm’s family office practice.

In London:

Katten added structured products and derivatives partner Charles Wakiwaka from Crowell & Moring … European funds partner Emma Rachmaninov moved to Simpson Thacher from Freshfields to co-lead the firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory team.

Across other cities:

Simpson Thacher added hybrid capital partner Payson Lyman in Boston from Akin Gump … Kenneth Racowski, former co-leader of Holland & Knight’s antitrust team, moved to BakerHostetler in Philadelphia … Employment partner Derek Bishop left Littler for Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle … Employment partner Michael Freimann joined Taft Stettinius in Denver from Frost Brown Todd Gibbons … Energy transactional partner Mac Marshall joined Troutman Pepper Locke in Houston from Norton Rose Fulbright … Energy regulatory partner Andrea Stover returned to Baker Botts in Austin from Pedernales Electric Cooperative where she was general counsel … Buchalter added litigation partner John Cha in Orange County, California, from Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell … M&A partner Jamie McLaren joined Paul Weiss in Hong Kong from Clifford Chance … Reed Smith added private equity partner Bernd Dreier in Munich from Norton Rose Fulbright.

Meta's platforms have become fertile ground for fraudsters looking for victims — but efforts to hold the Facebook and Instagram parent liable for investment-related scam ads are running into a peculiar legal obstacle. The closer the alleged fraud is tied to a stock purchase, the harder it may be to pursue a consumer class action against the company. The issue took center stage at a hearing last week in San Francisco federal court. Jenna Greene has more in On the Case. 

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com