Greenberg Traurig is set to launch a London office with the addition of former Mayer Brown partner Paul Maher. Mr. Maher is joining the Miami firm with two other Mayer Brown partners: corporate partner Fiona Adams and former European environment head Cate Sharp. He joins the firm as chairman of a separate U.K. limited liability practice to be called Greenberg Traurig Maher, and will also co-chair the firm’s global M&A practice. Ms. Sharp and Ms. Adams will serve as co-managing partners of the London practice. Mr. Maher told Legal Week, a Law Journal affiliate, that the focus in Europe will predominantly be transactional, with an emphasis on industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, life sciences and energy, with the office also set to work across Greenberg Traurig’s entertainment and leisure strongholds. He added that the firm’s “business model has a can-do attitude. They are very ambitious and enthusiastic and open to the growth and style that I think is going to be needed moving forward. They have a good growth story.” The launch marks the third independent office in Europe for Greenberg Traurig after Zurich and Amsterdam. The London opening comes after a string of lateral hires by Greenberg Traurig, with the firm adding 40 partners since January. The New York arm recently picked up restructuring partners Bruce Zirinsky and John Bae from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft. — Emma Sadowski
Military Lawyers May Represent Detainee at Bombing Trial
Two military lawyers will be allowed to represent a man who will go on trial for the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in East Africa, as long as their superiors approve. Southern District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan approved the request of defendant Ahmed Ghailani to have Marine Colonel Jeffrey Colwell and Air Force Major Richard Reiter as his attorneys when he is tried for the conspiracy to bomb embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed 224 people. Four men were convicted in the case in New York in 2001. Mr. Ghailani is accused of buying the truck used in the Tanzania attack and loading it with TNT and other materials. Mr. Ghailani, caught in Pakistan, has been held at the U.S. detention facility in Guantánamo Bay since 2006. He is set to be the first detainee from the facility to face trial in civilian courts (NYLJ, May 22, 2009.) Should they obtain clearance to proceed, the two lawyers will represent Mr. Ghailani because of their familiarity with him and his case from the military tribunal system. Judge Kaplan also appointed civilian lawyer Gregory Cooper to represent Mr. Ghailani. He denied the request of attorney Scott Fenstermaker to be appointed to the case after Mr. Fenstermaker said he could not work with the military lawyers. Judge Kaplan told the parties he did not want delays in pretrial proceedings, telling the lawyers “this case gets tried in 2010.” — Mark Hamblett and Associated Press
Personal Notes on Lawyers
