Good morning! 

More on the class action suits against Blank Rome for a client data breach - which all started when a hacker pretending to be a member of the firm's IT department convinced an attorney to upload confidential files to an external file-sharing site.  In other news, Big Law is preparing its clients for a potential Democratic takeover of the House in November and the congressional probes that will likely follow. 

In lateral news: Finance and restructuring are active this week. White & Case bolstered its financial restructuring and insolvency practice with a Hong Kong hire from Akin Gump. Paul Hastings made two additions—a private credit partner in its New York finance group and an investment funds partner in Boston. Sidley Austin expanded its capital markets capabilities with a high-yield partner from Latham & Watkins, and Nixon Peabody added a securities and capital markets partner in New York.

Corporate, M&A, and tax moves featured several firms: Dechert added a corporate and securities/private equity M&A partner in San Francisco from Kirkland, while Kirkland in turn took a real estate partner from Ropes & Gray in New York. Simpson Thacher recruited an energy tax partner from Weil in New York. Latham & Watkins poached from Freshfields in Brussels.

In litigation and specialty practices, Manatt grew its national class action and consumer protection team with litigation partners in Los Angeles, Arnold & Porter added a tech litigator in San Francisco, and King & Spalding brought on a business litigation partner in Washington, D.C. BakerHostetler added ex-Ashurst securities talent in Seattle. Foley Hoag expanded its international trade and national security practice in Washington, D.C. On the departure side, Winston & Strawn lost a life sciences partner to Ropes & Gray, and WilmerHale lost a trade secrets expert.