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By Caitlin Tremblay

REUTERS/Nic Bothma/File Photo

Washington lawyer Terry Collingsworth is asking a judge to overturn a racketeering verdict that could reach $256 million, warning he may have to consider bankruptcy for his small human rights firm if it stands. A federal jury awarded Alabama-based coal producer Drummond $68 million in January for racketeering and $52 million for defamation tied to statements Collingsworth made to foreign officials and business partners. U.S. District Judge R. David Proctor later tripled the racketeering award but has not entered a final judgment.

Collingsworth, who has spent decades suing corporations over alleged overseas abuses, argues in post-trial motions that Drummond failed to prove racketeering or actual malice and that trial errors and judicial bias warrant a new trial. Drummond, which accused him of fabricating claims and paying witnesses in long-running litigation over its Colombian operations, says it will “vigorously pursue full collection” of the award. Its response to the motions is due Monday.

Read this week's Billable Hours.

In New York:

McDermott added restructuring partner Lindsay Barca from Ropes & Gray. McDermott also added energy and project finance partner Sebastian Chan from Kirkland … IP litigation partners Michael Elkin and Sean Anderson moved to Alston & Bird from Winston & Strawn … Corporate partner Oliver Olah left DLA Piper for Nixon Peabody … Shareholder activism and private funds litigation partner Minji Reem joined Quinn Emanuel from McDermott … Grunfeld Desiderio Lebowitz Silverman & Klestadt added former senior CBP litigator Valerie Sorensen-Clark who led the agency’s representation before the U.S. Court of International Trade. 

In D.C.:

Cooley added Norm Armstrong as chair of its global antitrust and competition practice from Kirkland … Banking, payments and fintech partner Jeanette Rovira moved to Seward & Kissel from Goldman Sachs where she was head of deposits and liquidity.

In Los Angeles:

Davis Polk opened a new office in the city with civil litigation partner Jason Russell from Skadden … IP litigation partner Robert Uriarte left Orrick for Pillsbury … Bryan Ikegami joined Reed Smith’s global corporate practice from Winston & Strawn … Proskauer hired Zeeshan Ahmedani to its private funds practice from A&O Shearman … Norton Rose Fulbright added Jayme Long, Stephanie Peatman and Alexander Girlaldo as partners in the product liability and consumer disputes practice from DLA Piper.

In San Francisco:

IP litigation partner Jennifer Golinveaux moved to Alston & Bird from Winston & Strawn … Wilson Sonsini added energy and climate solutions partner Ken Sanocki from Sunrun where he was VP of legal … Real estate partner