Biglaw

Prosecutors Say Pipe Bomb Suspect Addressed An IED Package To A Biglaw Firm

The incident raises serious security concerns for all Biglaw firms.

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Eric Holder (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

The list of people that suspected pipe bomber Cesar Altieri Sayoc is accused of targeting with his improvised explosive devices is quite long and includes a number of notable Democratic figures like Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton, Cory Booker, Maxine Waters, and Eric Holder. But what takes this story from a general news story about the f**ked up state of the world, to one about Biglaw suitable for the pages of Above the Law is the IED sent to former Attorney General Eric Holder.

As reported by Law.com, law enforcement’s complaint against Sayoc revealed the bomb intended for Holder was addressed to him at his job, as a partner at Covington & Burling:

The complaint identifies Holder as a partner of a “certain law firm” without mentioning Covington & Burling by name, and notes that the IED was addressed to Holder’s office at his firm in Washington, D.C., described as “Holder Office-1.” Holder returned to Covington & Burling in D.C. in 2015 after leaving the Department of Justice.

The package sent to the firm was returned to the address listed as the sender, which, according to law enforcement, belongs to Democratic Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Covington & Burling has declined to comment on the matter.

This incident, which, fortunately, did not result in any injuries, has raised concerns at other Biglaw firms with prominent figures about their own security procedures. Not that anyone is really willing to talk about it on the record:

Law firms across Washington, many of which are home to former government officials, demurred this week when asked whether the mailed explosives had prompted them to review security measures. Firms appeared to be concerned that commenting on the issue could make them potential targets for would-be attackers.

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Let’s hope that despite not being willing to talk about it, Biglaw firms are conscious of the necessary security they need to have in these difficult times.

headshotKathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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