Brown Rudnick LLP

The BR & Proud and DEI teams hosted the inaugural Inter-Office Strike with Pride Bowling Challenge in honor of Pride Month. This lively and inclusive event, sponsored by the BR & Proud affinity group, united employees from various offices to celebrate diversity, foster camaraderie, and support LGBTQ+ pride.

When the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978 sparked the 1980s "junk bond" craze, legacy firm Berlack Israels & Liberman became a leading law firm for bond and equity investors. We represented key committees in notable bankruptcy cases such as A.H. Robins, Continental Airlines, Macy’s and Zales Jewelers. Learn more about our legacy of legal excellence here: https://lnkd.in/eZaPkWRG

Partner Benjamin Chew appeared on Law & Crime’s “Crime Fix” to discuss Alec Baldwin's criminal trial for involuntary manslaughter in the on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Yesterday, both the prosecution and defense completed their opening statements. Chew advises Baldwin, who has missed all pre-trial hearings, to adopt a serious demeanor in court. “I would advise him first and foremost to assume that at any given moment in the courtroom there is at least one juror looking at him,” Chew said. “His demeanor, even when not speaking, is absolutely crucial.” 

On Wednesday, July 24, partners Hailey Lennon, Esq., CAMS and Robert Stark will be featured speakers at The Bitcoin Conference’s CLE event in Nashville, Tenn. Participants will delve into Bitcoin's regulatory landscape and emerging legal issues. Additionally, Stark and Lennon will speak at the general conference on July 26-27. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ggEzzsP2

Partner Wayne Dennison sits down on the Law & Crime Network to discuss the Alec Baldwin manslaughter trial. Jury selection began today, nearly three years after the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a Western movie set in New Mexico. Baldwin has pleaded not guilty and maintained that he’s not criminally responsible for unwittingly discharging a live bullet in the prop revolver he was using on set in 2021. Baldwin’s defense argues that he was in fact not in charge of the employees on set or specifically delegating any responsibility. Dennison says that they could potentially shift the blame to the armorer who is already convicted. “Her entire defense when she was tried was that this isn’t her responsibility; there were other people who were supervising her, who set the time in which she could do training,” he said. “She had a very lengthy defense where she pointed the finger in multiple different directions, but the jury never bought that. They ultimately determined that she was responsible because she gave a loaded gun to Mr. Baldwin. And I think a lot of the blame is going to be pointed right back in her direction.”

In a Law360 analysis of the top general liability rulings from the first half of 2024, partner Daniel Healy provided insight regarding the Ninth Circuit's decision that AIG and Chubb units had no duty to defend McKesson Corp. over claims of intentionally oversupplying opioids. The court found the underlying bellwether suits described "purely deliberate conduct." In an unpublished opinion from January, the appellate court noted the suits also claimed McKesson acted negligently and "should have known" about the public health consequences, establishing a "foreseeable risk of harm." Healy agreed that the decision appeared to be a leap by the court in determining that the bellwether suits' claims could only be alleged in intentional conduct. Looking ahead, he expects attorneys to continue to cite this decision despite it being an unpublished opinion. Click image to read the full article.

Partner Paul Feldberg is quoted by Global Investigations Review regarding the European Union’s amendment to its Russia sanctions regulations that prohibits participation in activities aimed at circumventing sanctions, even if the outcome is only a “possibility.” Feldberg noted that the amendment bridges a gap in the recent EU directive, which only required member states to criminalize breaches where prosecutors could show the defendant intended to commit a breach. Previously, there was no requirement for countries to criminalize breaches where a person or company had reasonable grounds to suspect they were breaching sanctions but continued regardless. “I see the amendment as a possible way for the EU to deal with the fact that the harmonizing directive didn’t criminalize companies having reasonable grounds to suspect sanctions would be breached, and acting anyway,” said Feldberg, a former prosecutor at the Serious Fraud Office and the UK’s tax agency. Click image to read the full article.

In an appearance on "Weekend Today" in Australia, partner Benjamin Chew discusses Alec Baldwin’s upcoming trial for the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the New Mexico film set of “Rust.” Baldwin is charged with involuntary manslaughter for his role in the incident that also injured the film’s director, Joel Souza. Jury selection for Baldwin’s criminal trial begins tomorrow, and it’s unclear if the actor will testify.   “I think his lawyers, who are very skilled, will conceal that until the last minute to keep the prosecution guessing,” Chew said. “If I were representing him, I would definitely have him testify, which is usually not the case in a criminal case. But in this instance, Mr. Baldwin has made conflicting statements to the police and publicly. In one instance he said he pulled the trigger; in another, he didn’t. I think he’s going to have to get on the stand and explain that.”

The murder case of Massachusetts woman Karen Read ended in a mistrial last week after jurors could not reach a verdict on whether she killed her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O'Keefe. Partner Wayne Dennison stopped by Court TV's "Closing Arguments with Vinnie Politan” to discuss the prosecution’s next steps. “They’re going to make every effort, including following the various individuals, to determine is there additional evidence that will help push this over to a guilty verdict,” he said.

Partner Wayne Dennison, who was a key member of the Brown Rudnick team that successfully represented Johnny Depp in his defamation trial two years ago, compares that case to the murder trial of Karen Read in his latest appearance on Court TV's "Closing Arguments with Vinnie Politan." Read's trial over accusations that she killed her Boston police officer boyfriend ended in a mistrial on Monday. Asked to compare the public scenes outside the courthouse in the two trials, Dennison noted that they were similar in some ways. “The principal difference here is that the trial I was involved in, and the trial you were at Vinnie, was a trial between two people who were major celebrities,” Dennison said. “Including one of them who was probably the best actor of his generation. This has grown organically through social media, but the organic growth of the number of people who care about this trial who actually are in attendance at this trial I think is incredible.”