In the Public Interest WilmerHale

In this episode of In the Public Interest, host Felicia Ellsworth interviews Brendan McGuire, who recently rejoined WilmerHale after serving as chief counsel to New York City Mayor Eric Adams and City Hall. McGuire discusses his experience in the Adams Administration, including the challenges emerging from COVID, the New York City Legal Fellows Program and the asylum seeker crisis. He also reflects on his prior experience as chief of the Public Corruption Unit at the US Attorney’s Office for the SDNY and how it influenced his decision to join the Adams Administration. McGuire discusses his return to WilmerHale and how his experience in the mayor’s office will contribute to his private practice.

Senior International Counsel Ambassador Robert Kimmitt joins In the Public Interest host Felicia Ellsworth to talk about his storied career in public service. Through his service as the first General Counsel of the National Security Council, the first American Ambassador to a united Germany in over 50 years, General Counsel and Deputy Secretary of the Department of the Treasury, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and more, Ambassador Kimmitt has played a leading role in some of the most high-profile international events in recent history, and he shares that perspective with listeners.
Ellsworth and Kimmitt also discuss his private practice at WilmerHale, including how he and the firm have become go-to resources for journalists and others who have been taken hostage in difficult countries around the world. He shares the role he played in bringing home The Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, among others.

In this episode of In the Public Interest, podcast co-host Felicia Ellsworth sits down with WilmerHale Partner Lisa Pirozzolo to discuss a pro bono matter in which the City of Boston agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle a longstanding federal discrimination lawsuit. The lawsuit, which was initially filed nearly 20 years ago, alleged that a hair test used by the city to identify drug use on its police force was discriminatory, unreliable and scientifically flawed.
Ellsworth and Pirozzolo are joined by two of the plaintiffs in the case, Keri Hogan and William Bridgeforth (“Bridgy”), as well as Oren Sellstrom, Litigation Director at Lawyers for Civil Rights, who, alongside WilmerHale, represented the plaintiffs in this matter.
Keri and Bridgy share their experience with the hair test, the very real impact it had on their careers and lives, how they got involved with the lawsuit, and what the settlement means to them. Sellstrom and Pirozzolo discuss the background of the test and why it is flawed, and what this settlement means for others.

In this episode of In the Public Interest, podcast co-host Michael Dawson sits down with WilmerHale Partner Ariel Soiffer to discuss the current artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Ariel shares his perspective after working for over 20 years in AI-related fields and advising clients on technology-related transactions.
Together, Ariel and Michael break down the history of AI, the progression of its capabilities and the impact these enhancements are having on transactional law. They discuss key legal developments and corporate governance challenges surrounding AI, and how lawyers, regulators and businesses can navigate them strategically. Ariel also shares the benefits and potential risks of AI, and what in-house counsel needs to know when considering or implementing new AI technology.

In the Public Interest is excited to present its second annual miniseries examining notable decisions recently issued by the US Supreme Court. In this episode, co-host Michael Dawson is joined by WilmerHale Senior Counsel Julie Williams, former Chief Counsel and First Senior Deputy Comptroller at Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, to discuss the recent decision in Cantero v. Bank of America, which involves the preemption of state consumer protection laws by the National Banking Act. Dawson and Williams discuss the factual and legal background of the case, the different standards of preemption applied by the lower courts and the Supreme Court, the implications of the decision for the banking industry and consumers, and the possible next steps in the litigation.

In the Public Interest is excited to continue its second annual miniseries examining notable decisions recently issued by the US Supreme Court. In this episode, co-host Felicia Ellsworth is joined by Deputy Director for the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project and former WilmerHale Litigation Counsel Adriel Cepeda Derieux to discuss the recent decision in Alexander v. South Carolina State Conference of the NAACP. This decision concerns the constitutionality of South Carolina’s new congressional map and analyzes whether race was the predominant factor that motivated the state legislature’s decision to move voters within or without a particular district.

Ellsworth and Cepeda Derieux share background on the case and how South Carolina specifically demonstrated hallmarks of racial gerrymandering. They also discuss how the Supreme Court’s decision could make it difficult going forward to successfully prosecute cases of gerrymandering in regions with high rates of racial polarization. Cepeda Derieux also gives his thoughts on the current state of voting rights and what other developments we could expect to see on the topic of redistricting from the Supreme Court.