A nice write-up from my former employer, The American Lawyer. Thanks for interviewing me!
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I have no idea whether or not Ted Cruz will be a credible Presidential candidate. Who knows anymore? Especially with this Republican Party.
All I know is that he’ll be entertaining to watch. He’s the first GOP candidate in recent memory that, when it comes to substantive issues, is essentially gaffe-proof. While other candidates might try and avoid taking extreme positions or saying controversial things that could be damaging in a general election, or be forced into doing all kinds of verbal jiu-jitsu to explain their voting records to Tea Partiers that don’t care about what it takes to get stuff done in Washington, Cruz (assuming he remains true to form) doesn’t care about any of that.
Even Rick Santorum, by virtue of the fact he was part of the GOP Senate leadership while in Washington, had some votes on his record that he struggled to explain to conservative voters (like his vote in favor of “No Child Left Behind”). Cruz won’t have to worry about that since he’s actively trying to be the ultra-conservative culture warrior who won’t be outflanked on the right by anyone. Talking Points Memo has argued that he will push the entire GOP field to the right – and maybe that’s his #1 goal. Whether it’s a winning strategy in the general election is another question.
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One of my big features at The American Lawyer was a look at how Toronto was using public-private partnerships to prepare for the 2015 Pan Am Games. The biggest selling point was that P3s would ensure that projects came in on-budget and on-time.
With five months left before the start of the games, it looks like the on-budget part isn’t going to happen. Unless spending 80% of the budget with five months left and construction yet to be completed was part of the plan. When I initially reported the story, I was more concerned about whether or not P3s could really keep the Pan Am preparations under-budget and under-deadline (the article ended up becoming more about the lawyers and law firms doing the work). I guess now we know that massive sporting events (a notorious sink-hole of sunken costs) are their own forces of nature.
After nine years in New York (including the last three-and-a-half years with ALM Media), I will no longer be a resident of the Big Apple. As of December 9, I’ll be based in Chicago as a legal affairs writer with the ABA Journal. I’m also excited to be embarking on this new adventure with my lovely wife.
In the meantime, I’d like to thank everyone at Law Technology News and American Lawyer Magazine for three-and-a-half wonderful years.
“It’s time to move on, time to get going. What lies ahead, I have no way of knowing. But under my feet, baby, grass is growing. It’s time to move on, it’s time to get going.” — Tom Petty
NY Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and mayor-to-be Bill de Blasio renewed their effort to pressure smartphone manufacturers to include a kill switch on their phones. The October press conference was the latest stage in Schneiderman’s ongoing campaign to convince manufacturers to improve the security features of their smartphones.
By the way, when did this Seagal movie come out? I know he’s made like 30 direct-to-DVD movies in the last few years, but I don’t remember hearing anything about this “masterpiece.” I can only imagine what the dialogue was like. “I brought my own kill switch,” said Seagal while pointing his gun at the camera. Then again, nothing is ever topping this one-liner.
U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge David Waxse rejected the federal government’s application for search warrants against Yahoo, Google and three other Internet giants. (subscription required)
Or, you can read about it from Business Insider, which cited me.
In light of Ted Cruz’s threat to shut down the government if Obamacare isn’t repealed, I figured I’d post the article I wrote in 2011 about his Senate campaign. Even then, he told me that he wasn’t planning on compromising when he got to Washington.
As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Makes Move Onto National Stage, Michael Best & Friedrich Toils in the Wings.
Good Samaritan, and Kirkland & Ellis employee, saves a man from an oncoming subway car in New York City. This one was fun to write and was a nice change of pace from my usual stuff.
Canada has a lot to prove as it prepares for the 2015 Pan Am Games to be held in Toronto.
My Canadian feature for the November issue of “The American Lawyer” and the January edition of “Corporate Counsel”:
If You Build It, They Will Come. A look at how Ontario used public-private partnerships (P3) to build the necessary facilities and infrastructure for the 2015 Pan American Games, and the law firms advising the province and companies involved.
It Takes a Village. The Pan Am Athletes’ Village, which holds the key to the long-planned revitalization of the Toronto waterfront, wasn’t a typical P3 project.
Preparing for the Pan Am Games is Keeping Canadian Lawyers Busy. Q&A with Infrastructure Ontario’s Eric Tilley, one of the in-house attorneys involved in the Pan Am P3 process. (subscription required)
My first attempt at a “man on the scene” type of story. I wasn’t crazy about this piece when it first came out, but it’s grown on me over time.
U.S. district judge Kimba Wood trimmed a lawsuit brought by mixed martial artists in New York arguing that the state ban on MMA events is unconstitutional.
See also: Battleground State: The Battle to Legalize Mixed Martial Arts in New York.
Is Morgan, Lewis & Bockius a hotbed of liberal activism? Yes, according to Texas lieutenant governor and U.S. Senate candidate David Dewhurst, who is making that claim as part of a his Republican primary campaign against Morgan Lewis partner Ted Cruz.
Unfortunately, the video of the ad is no longer available.
Weil Gotshal partner and ex-Watergate prosecutor Richard Davis reflects on his experience questioning former President Richard Nixon before a grand jury.
I saw other media outlets write something similar… several days after I had already written it. (subscription required)
About Me:
- Former Lawyer.
- Current Journalist/Writer/Editor.
- Author of "Nixon in New York: How Wall Street Helped Richard Nixon Win the White House," published in 2018.
- Husband, father and dog-lover.
- Pittsburgh Steelers fan. Manchester United supporter.
- Chicago via Pittsburgh, New York City and several others.