Morning Docket 04.17.09
* Starwood Hotels sued Hilton Hotels yesterday, accusing its rival of using “stolen confidential Starwood documents” to develop a new chain of lux hotels. Interestingly, the Wall Street Journal reports that Hilton’s in-house legal team unknowingly came across the boxes of stolen documents while preparing for a different case. Since the documents were unrelated to the case, the lawyers sent them back to Starwood in an “abundance of caution,” not realizing they were part of a devious corporate espionage plot. Whoops. [Wall Street Journal (subscription) and USA Today]
* Nationwide Same Sex Marriage Watch: New York Governor David Paterson wants New York to join the list of states with wedding bell rights for all. [New York Times]
* The Pirate Bay crew were found guilty in Sweden of violating copyright law for the file-sharing services their site provides. [New York Times]
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
* WilmerHale sends yet another attorney from its ranks over into the open arms of Obama. Partner Stephen Preston, who spent the Clinton years at the Pentagon and the DOJ, will be nominated to be the CIA’s general counsel. [BLT/Legal Times]
* Nationwide Bankruptcy Deal Watch: Billionaire investor Carl Icahn is pressuring the MGM Mirage to fold its hand and file for bankruptcy. Earlier reports suggested Dewey & LeBoeuf would be the firm to help reshuffle those cards. [Wall Street Journal (subscription) and Associated Press]
* In other bankruptcy news, Weil and Kirkland are teaming up to help General Growth become General Restructuring. [Bankruptcy Beat/Wall Street Journal]