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Clinton
Beat Obama . . . in Raising By Daniel Wise Through May 31, Ms. Clinton had raised $3.8 million from the New York legal community compared with Mr. Obama's $2.5 million, according to an analysis of filings prepared for the Law Journal by the Center for Responsive Politics in Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, the GOP's presumptive nominee, Senator John McCain, lags far behind in local fundraising, with just $793,000. Nationwide, through the end of May, Mr. Obama had raised $287.4 million, Ms. Clinton, $229.4 million and Mr. McCain, $119.6 million. Ms. Clinton bowed out of the race on June 7, with her campaign facing $22.5 million in debt. Mr. Obama had $304,000 in debt, and Mr. McCain, $1.3 million. Mr. Obama has asked his supporters to help Ms. Clinton pay off the $10.3 million her campaign owes vendors and consultants. The remainder of her debt consists of loans from the Clintons themselves.
Obama Passes Clinton in Netting BigLaw Cash By Amanda Bronstad For the first time since the start of the 2008 presidential race, Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., has surpassed rival Democratic candidate Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., in political contributions from lawyers and law firms. By the end of April, Obama had raised more than $17.3 million from lawyers and law firms. Clinton had raised more than $16.7 million. For much of the race, Clinton had maintained a significant lead in contributions from the legal industry. But a few months ago, lawyers began to line up more readily behind Obama. Many of them were supporters of former Senator John Edwards, D-N.C., who dropped out of the race. For the month of April, lawyers and law firms increased their giving to Obama by 15%. Most of those donations continue to come from lawyers at Sidley Austin; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; Jones Day; Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr; and Latham & Watkins. Clinton, on the other hand, saw lawyers boost donations to her campaign by 8.4%. Her largest donors still come from DLA Piper, Skadden Arps, Greenberg Traurig, Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins. Lawyers and law firms make up the largest contributors, as a group, to both Democratic candidates. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., while raising much less from the legal industry, saw contributions to his campaign jump 19% to $5 million. His largest contributors come from Blank Rome and Greenberg Traurig. BigLaw Firms Pony Up More Donations to Obama, McCain By Amanda Bronstad Lawyers and law firms increased their political donations by 40% to Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill, and Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., during the first two months of this year, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a Washington organization that tracks federal elections. Despite more modest gains, Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., continues to lead in donations from the legal industry. The figures are based on data released March 20 by the Federal Election Commission. Since the start of campaigning, lawyers and law firms have given more than $31 million to the three presidential candidates, with 88% allocated between the two Democratic contenders. Obama has amassed more than $13.3 million from that same group, an increase of more than 40% from his total at the end of last year. His top lawyer contributors continue to come from Sidley Austin and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. McCain has raised more than $3.5 million from lawyers and law firms, a 41% increase from the end of last year. His top lawyer contributors continue to hail from Philadelphia's Blank Rome and Greenberg Traurig. Clinton continues to lead the pack in donations from lawyers and law firms, although her gains diminished in January and February. She has raised $14.5 million from the legal industry, a 24% increase from the end of last year. Lawyers from DLA Piper continue to surpass all of her other donors by giving a collective $500,000 to her campaign. With Edwards Out, Many Trial Lawyers Look to Obama By Cheryl Miller There's no time to mourn when California's primary is just four days away, and the surviving candidates are eager for your endorsement and campaign donations. "My heart will always be with John," said plaintiff attorney Joseph Cotchett, who helped raise thousands of dollars for Edwards. Now, Cotchett said, he'll probably do the same for Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama. "The time now has come to realize we've got to move on, and when I say move on, I mean with fresh faces," the Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy partner said. And even though Edwards hasn't endorsed either Obama or Sen. Hillary Clinton, Cotchett predicted that a lot of his colleagues in the plaintiff bar will be making the Edwards-to-Obama switch with him. Eric Casher, Northern California coordinator for Young Lawyers for Obama, said he's already "extending the olive branch" to Edwards' backers in the legal ranks. "Sen. Obama's position and policies and general vision for the presidency is more in line with what John Edwards had envisioned," said Casher, an associate with Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner in San Francisco. Around the state Capitol, some Edwards supporters are already on the move. Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, of counsel at Hanson, Bridgett, Marcus, Vlahos & Rudy, switched from Edwards to Obama's camp last month. San Francisco Democrat Sen. Leland Yee announced Thursday that he's now backing Obama. And Assemblyman Dave Jones, D-Sacramento, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, may announce as soon as today whom he will be supporting now that his first choice, Edwards, is out. The GCs' Choice: Obama Amy Miller The nation's best-paid general counsel have a clear favorite in the presidential race: Barack Obama. In the run-up to the primary season, the Illinois senator received more money from the in-house legal elite than any other candidate. The Democratic contenders for the White House are doing well as a group, outraising Republican candidates by almost a 2-to-1 margin in the contest for GC cash. These are just some of the findings from a Corporate Counsel review of Federal Election Commission data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan research group. At press time the CRP's Web site listed contributions made through Oct. 29. We looked at donations made by the 100 best-paid GCs in the country, as ranked on Corporate Counsel's most recent compensation survey. (Since we compiled that ranking for our August 2007 issue, 13 general counsel have either retired or changed jobs.) A total of 29 GCs in the top 100 have contributed to a presidential candidate so far (five gave to more than one campaign). Eight legal chiefs gave Obama a total of $20,600; Hillary Clinton raised $14,500 from six; and Christopher Dodd netted $13,000 from eight. Republican candidates have lagged far behind. John McCain received $10,900 from six general counsel; Rudy Giuliani got $6,900 from three; and Mitt Romney pulled $6,900 from four. GCs showed no love for Democrat John Edwards (a former trial lawyer who routinely bashes corporate America) or Republican Mike Huckabee (who's been vigorously attacked by the Club for Growth, a conservative pro-business group). Democratic candidates have outpaced Republicans in overall fund-raising, not just among GCs. At press time Clinton had raised the most money for her campaign, with a total haul of $91 million, though Obama was only about $10 million behind her. Romney led the Republican candidates with $63 million, followed by Giuliani with $47 million. Obama received his biggest GC contributions from David Drummond of Google Inc. and Michael Fricklas of Viacom Inc. (Drummond gave the maximum donations permitted under federal law -- $2,300 for the primary campaign and $2,300 for the general election.) None of the legal chiefs who contributed to Obama returned calls for comment. But Gregory Craig, a Williams & Connolly partner who's backing Obama, maintains that corporate lawyers like the rookie senator because he's a moderate and not wedded to a particular ideology. Shortly after Obama won his seat in 2004, for example, he was one of only 17 Democratic senators to vote for the business-backed Class Action Fairness Act. Obama "identifies situations that need to be corrected and goes in open-minded and evenhanded," Craig argues. Einer Elhauge, a Harvard University law professor who is advising Obama on legal policy, also points to the candidate's stance on antitrust issues. "He has a more careful, nuanced policy," says Elhauge, who adds, "There's a hard-nosed idealism about him." In a recent statement posted on the American Antitrust Institute's Web site, Obama said that he would ensure that antitrust enforcement doesn't undermine businesses. Ironically, Obama's fund-raising success in corporate America may also be attributable to his very public declaration that he won't take money from lobbyists. Thomas Quinn, a partner and lobbyist at D.C.-based Venable, speculates that more executives may be giving directly to Obama's campaign since they can't make contributions through a third party. Two of the candidates doing well with GC donations haven't been so strong in overall fund-raising. McCain, the top pick of legal chiefs from the Republican field, did so poorly last year that at one point he considered taking public funding for his primary campaign. Even more striking, Dodd's third-place showing in GC contributions stands in contrast to his fifth-place ranking in overall fund-raising among Democrats. Dodd's success with legal chiefs is partly due to his chairmanship of the Senate banking committee. Of the eight GCs who have contributed to his campaign, five are from companies in the financial services industry, including Thomas Russo of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. and Louise Parent of American Express Co. While the presidential contenders have already raised considerable funds, the haul will soar even higher as the general election approaches. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, candidates are on track to raise an unprecedented $1 billion for the 2008 race, up from $853 million in 2004. CRP researcher Douglas Weber says that's because candidates began their campaigns earlier this time; plus neither party has an incumbent or a clear front-runner. And for the first time since 1972, all of the leading presidential candidates in both parties have announced that they will not participate in the public financing system for the general election. Not only will they be able to solicit private contributions, they won't face any spending limits, either. Once the parties choose their nominees, many GCs who backed a losing candidate in the primaries will have to pick another horse for the general election. That doesn't bother William Barr, the legal chief at Verizon Communications Inc. Barr, an attorney general under the first President George Bush, was the only GC in our survey to contribute to Fred Thompson. "I like a number of the [Republican] candidates," Barr says. "I'd be glad to support whoever the [GOP] nominee is." BigLaw Firms Fill Up Campaign Coffers at Record Pace By Amanda Bronstad The spirit of giving is alive and well among lawyers at several of the nation's firms — at least when it comes to supporting their favorite candidates in the 2008 presidential election. As a group, lawyers and law firms are among the largest industries that contribute to federal elections, according to the Center for Responsive Politics (CRP), a Washington organization that tracks federal elections. In the first three quarters of 2007, lawyers and law firms stepped up their individual donations to federal election campaigns by 52%, compared with the same period in 2004, which involved the last presidential race. While some law firms have donated through their political action committees, individual lawyers collectively have generated substantially more financial support to candidates. Kirkland & Ellis, Skadden Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and several other firms have given broadly to candidates on both sides of the fence, although most favor Democrats. Others, such as Philadelphia's Blank Rome, DLA Piper and Los Angeles-based Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, have hosted fundraising events for certain candidates or have lawyers working for their campaigns. A few firms have geographical connections, such as Boston-based Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, where lawyers have contributed significantly to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's campaign. In general, the wide field of candidates and several hot-button issues, such as concerns about government infringements on civil rights and the war in Iraq, have spurred lawyers and law firms to shell out record levels of money, said Jim Blanchard, former governor of Michigan and co-chairman of the government affairs practice group at DLA Piper. Record numbers Of the $76 million that lawyers and law firms have donated toward next year's federal elections, $38.9 million has gone to presidential candidates, according to CRP. More than half of that amount supports the top three Democratic candidates: Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., and former Senator John Edwards, D-N.C. Former Senator Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who have gained popularity in recent polls, have yet to attract noticeable support from the legal industry. As of Oct. 29, Thompson had received less than $1 million, and Huckabee reported less than $100,000, from lawyers and law firms, according to CRP. Among Democrats, most of the nation's largest firms have steered clear of donating to Edwards, whose support comes almost entirely from personal injury and other plaintiffs' boutique firms. About 27% of the lawyers who donated to Edwards described themselves as self-employed; fewer than 20% reported that designation among those who gave to Obama, Clinton, Romney, Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. For each of those candidates, individual law firm partners, associates and, in some cases, staff members, have amassed tremendous support. Several of the largest firms didn't stick to one candidate. Kirkland & Ellis, whose lawyers collectively rank among the top five law firm contributors to Obama and Clinton, also gave nearly $90,000 to Romney's campaign — more than any other law firm. Donations to both parties Lawyers at Skadden Arps doled out more than $150,000 each to Obama and Clinton and nearly $55,000 to Edwards, plus smaller amounts to the top three Republican candidates. Lawyers at Greenberg Traurig, which represented President Bush in the litigation following the 2000 election, ranked among the top five law firm contributors to McCain and Giuliani, but gave the most as a group — about $150,000 — to Clinton. "Although the firm does not endorse presidential nominees, we are not surprised that many of our attorneys are supportive of different candidates," said Lourdes Brezo-Martinez, regional marketing manager of Greenberg Traurig, in an e-mailed statement. Lawyers at Jones Day gave about $158,000 to Obama but were among the largest contributors to Giuliani's campaign. Even lawyers at Giuliani's law firm, Bracewell & Giuliani, didn't consistently give to their fellow partner. The firm's lawyers gave more than $100,000 to Giuliani, making them the second-largest law firm donor to his campaign, but also gave tens of thousands of dollars to Clinton, Obama, Edwards and Romney. Lawyers at DLA Piper, whose political action committee historically has not supported presidential candidates, have donated this year to several candidates, including Clinton, Romney, Thompson and Senator Joseph Biden, D-Del., Blanchard said. He said the committee responds to requests from individual lawyers, many of whom are friends with the candidates. Blank Rome, whose chairman, David F. Girard-diCarlo, served on Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns, heads the finance committee in Pennsylvania for McCain's campaign. Earlier this year, the firm hosted a fundraising event for McCain. The firm's lawyers also have donated more than $140,000 to McCain, constituting his largest law firm contributor. They have donated to other candidates, most notably Clinton, who has received more than $100,000 from Blank Rome lawyers. Another firm whose lawyers have contributed considerably to a campaign in which senior partners are involved is Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. The firm's lawyers make up the single largest donor from a law firm to Giuliani, who has received more than $100,000 from them. Home field advantage Some candidates received noticeable support from law firms in their hometowns. Lawyers at Sidley Austin, where Obama once worked in the Chicago office and met his wife, have given more than $200,000 to his campaign, more than any other group at a law firm. In addition to Kirkland & Ellis, whose lawyers doled out more than $110,000 to Obama, lawyers at another Chicago firm, Jenner & Block, have given upward of $120,000 to the local senator. Among McCain's largest contributors is Southwest firm Snell & Wilmer. And two Boston firms, Ropes & Gray and Mintz Levin, are among the top law firm contributors to Romney's campaign. Edwards Leads Pack in Locking Up Lawyers' Contribution By Amanda Bronstad Lawyers and law firms
dropped another $13 million into the coffers of the 2008
presidential campaigns during the second quarter, according to the
Center for Responsive Politics. Lawyers
Lead in Campaign Contributions, Lynne Marek Lawyers were the biggest contributors, among industry groups, to the 2008 presidential campaign in the first quarter of this year, putting $14.6 million into candidate coffers, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Former Senator John Edwards, a Democrat and trial lawyer from North Carolina, was the biggest recipient of that money, taking in $4.4 million, based on an analysis of Federal Election Commission (FEC) data by the center. Edwards, who served one term in the Senate and was a 2004 presidential candidate, got his biggest attorney contribution, $90,000, from lawyers at San Diego-based Lerach Coughlin Stoia Geller Rudman & Robbins. "A lot of us have spoken with John Edwards and we were duly impressed," said Darren Robbins, a Lerach partner in the San Diego office who gave the federal law maximum of $2,300 to Edwards. "He's the most electable candidate and I think that's what will ultimately yield his victory in the primary," Robbins said. Attorney contributions — the majority of which came from individuals, not political action committees — accounted for about 11% of all itemized candidate collections. Senator Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., received the second-highest amount from lawyers, taking in $2.9 million, and Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., received the third-highest at $2.6 million. Overall, Clinton and Obama collected the most money for the period, posting $26 million apiece. The quarterly report from the commission this month was the first significant disclosure of the candidates' fundraising for the 2008 election. Lawyers at Sidley Austin gave the most money to candidates in the quarter, contributing $190,000, followed by those at New York's Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, who gave $181,000, and at DLA Piper, who gave $170,000, said the center, which attempts to include donations from lawyers' family members in its tally. When it came to large law firms, Obama outpaced Edwards. Attorneys at the 10 biggest U.S. firms gave Obama more money than they did any of the other six frontrunners. The Illinois Democrat raked in $332,540 from the firms, with a hefty $102,270 lift from his former employer, Sidley Austin, according to the FEC data. Obama, who worked as a Sidley summer associate in the Chicago office and met his wife Michelle there, courted 520 lawyers at a Chicago lawyers' fundraising lunch earlier this month. Sidley attorney Newton Minow said that Obama is reminiscent of former President John F. Kennedy and that he possesses a rare combination of a "first-class intellect and first-class temperament" that would make a good president. Minow said he and former federal Judge Abner Mikva encouraged Obama to run. Contributions from the 10 firms, ranked by attorney headcount, were based on employer names listed by the contributors. The firms included Sidley Austin; Baker & McKenzie; DLA Piper; Jones Day; Latham & Watkins; Skadden; White & Case; Greenberg Traurig; Chicago's Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw; and Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.
Manhattan federal judge Kimba Wood has refused to step aside in a plagiarism suit she's hearing against best-selling author James Patterson —— even though they've been neighbors in the same co-op and Wood allegedly has financial ties to his publisher. Instead of recusing herself, Wood has sent the matter to an ethics panel. Songwriter Patsy Maharam is suing Patterson, alleging that he swiped her work for his hit Christmas book, "santaKid." Maharam wants Wood to recuse herself after failing to disclose that she once lived on the same floor as Patterson in a ritzy co-op on Central Park West. She's also tainted because of her multimillion-dollar stake in Wal-Mart and her husband's position as director of the Soros Fund, which are connected to Time Warner, Maharam claims.
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A Feast
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