Banking Law

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.27.19

* "You know what we used to do in the old days when we were smart with spies and treason, right?" According to President Donald Trump, the person or people who gave information to the Ukraine whistleblower is "close to a spy," and should be handled “a little differently than we do now.” Alrighty then! [New York Times] * Not to worry, because Trump says, “There should be a way of stopping [the impeachment inquiry], maybe legally through the courts.” That’s not how this works. That’s not how any of this works. The Supreme Court cannot rescue you. [Reuters] * In other news, according to sources, the whistleblower is reportedly a CIA officer who at one point was detailed to work at the White House and learned of Trump’s conduct “in the course of official interagency business.” [New York Times] * Baker McKenzie recently elected Milton Cheng, its Hong Kong managing partner, as the firm’s next global chair. He will be the firm’s first Asian chair. Congratulations! [American Lawyer] * Biglaw has been intently focused on diversity efforts among its associate and partner ranks, and now law firm professional staff are getting a chance to shine. To that end, Cooley plans to hire a manager dedicated to diversity and inclusion efforts just for staff. [Big Law Business] * "Wendi Adelson had a problem, and that problem was Dan Markel. The solution to that problem was Magbanua, Rivera, and Garcia." Opening statements in the Dan Markel murder trial got off to an interesting start, with the late law professor's former in-laws playing a starring role. [Law.com] * In case you missed it, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would allow banks to work with cannabis companies in states where it is legal. This is exciting news, so we should probably be prepared for it to die in the Senate. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky