Morning Briefing: Latham & Watkins bolsters global team with partner appointments

Latham & Watkins adds 19 new partners
Latham & Watkins will have 19 new partners in the New Year. Associates from across the firm have been elected into the partnership including Yiu Kwong (Stephen) Chang from the Hong Kong office; the majority are US based. In addition it has promoted 22 associates to counsel.
 
Canadian Law Society highlights challenges in diversity
The Law Society of Upper Canada has published a report on ethnic diversity in the profession and the challenges faced by those from ethnic minorities. The Society has found that despite an increase in the number of lawyers and paralegals from ethnic minorities over the last two decades discrimination is still a daily feature for many. It has launched a consultation process for further discussion.
 
Law firms warned to be vigilant after white powder letter
An Oklahoma City law firm has been evacuated after a letter was received containing an unidentified white powder. Emergency services were called to Michael Brooks-Jimenez Law after a worker opened the letter which has been quarantined during investigation. Terrorists have used mail to send hazardous substances although cases like this are usually hoaxes sent by individuals with grudges.  
 
Second law firm ditches lawsuit against US President
The group of Republican politicians that wants to file a lawsuit against President Obama over his implementation of the Affordable Healthcare Act has hit another snag. A second lawyer, William Burck of Quinn Emmanuel, has pulled out of representing the group; David Rifkin of BakerHostetler dropped the case last month. Both firms decided to ditch the case after pressure from Democrat-supporting clients who threatened to take their business elsewhere if the law firms continued with the lawsuit. Neither firm did enough work to warrant any billing and the politicians have now reportedly given up on using an external law firm.
 
Walker faces the naked truth as law is laid bare in European court
A former British marine has been warned that he will face repeated stays in prison if he continues to walk the streets naked. Stephen Gough a.k.a ‘The Naked Rambler’ has been told by the European Court of Human Rights that walking around in public wearing only boots is not ‘freedom of expression’. His lawyer, Mike Schwarz of Bindmans, says the ruling is a “massive disappointment.”