PR Person/Journalist. Healthcare and sports. Sam Cooke enthusiast.
Articles by Brian Baxter
MSG Sports, Entertainment Giant Pays $11 Million to Four Lawyers Original
James Dolan’s sports and media empire saw four in-house lawyers earn almost $11.1 million in total compensation this year, one in which his NBA champion New York Knicks now stand apart from the billionaire’s other assets. Madison Square Garden Sports Corp., owner of the Knicks and NHL’s New York Rangers, officially separated Tuesday into two standalone public companies called MSG Knickerbockers Corp. and MSG Rangers Corp.
Toughest Legal Job in Tech: Triage for Anthropic’s IPO Risk Original
AI researchers are trying to cure cancer. Companies want to build data centers on the moon, or even turn AI into a trusted babysitter. But it’s Brian Israel and his team of attorneys who arguably have one of the hardest jobs in Silicon Valley. The staggering volume of legal risks that Anthropic PBC faces — detailed Oct. 26 when it registered to go public — dishes out an unheard-of challenge for Israel, who oversees the team of Anthropic attorneys charged with prioritizing and mitigating risk.
Anthropic Flipped the Script in Legal Team Build-Up Toward IPO Original
Artificial intelligence giant is on an unusual legal odyssey as it steers toward what could be the largest initial public offering in history. The company, whose name is a derivation of the Greek word for human, has hired an army of lawyers — nearly 100 within the past 18 months — as it prepares for a stock market debut at a valuation that could surpass $2 trillion.
Wilson Sonsini Eyes $2 Billion Anthropic Stake in Leading IPO Original
turned to a handful of Big Law firms ahead of its Monday filing of a prospectus detailing the terms of its upcoming initial public offering, including one firm poised to get a particularly lucrative stake in the artificial intelligence company. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is serving as lead counsel to Anthropic on the listing, which disclosed that an investment partnership affiliated with the Silicon Valley legal stalwart owns less than 0.01% of its outstanding stock.
Wilson Sonsini Poised to Get $200 Million Anthropic Stake (1)
turned to a handful of Big Law firms ahead of its Monday filing of a prospectus detailing the terms of its upcoming initial public offering, including one firm in line to get a particularly lucrative slice of the artificial intelligence company. Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is serving as lead counsel to Anthropic on the listing, which disclosed that an investment partnership affiliated with the Silicon Valley legal stalwart owns less than 0.01% of its outstanding stock.
Anthropic’s First Legal Deputy Tackles Governance at AI Startup Original
Fireworks.AI Inc., an artificial intelligence infrastructure startup valued at $17.5 billion that’s looking to potentially double that valuation, has brought on former attorney Janel Thamkul as its founding general counsel. Thamkul said she joined Fireworks as of Oct. 5 to oversee legal, government, and regulatory affairs for the company, which helps others build and operate their own AI models.
Dell Legal Chief Retires, Succeeded by Corporate Law Leader Original
disclosed late Wednesday that its longtime general counsel Richard Rothberg will retire next year with the information technology giant’s head of corporate legal Christopher Garcia replacing him as its top lawyer. Dell noted in a securities filing that Rothberg will step down as of Feb. 1, 2027, but provide “transitional assistance” for his duties through April 30.
Two Key Lawyers at Murdoch’s Fox Exit Ahead of Roku Merger Original
Two Fox Corp. executives — chief legal and policy officer Adam Ciongoli and senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance Clément Smadja — are both leaving the media giant as it aims to complete its $22 billion acquisition of Roku Inc. Ciongoli, who joined Fox three years ago after nearly nine years running legal for soup maker Campbell’s Co., won’t renew his employment agreement and will step down as of Dec. 1, the company said in a statement.
Spotify General Counsel Sets the Tempo After Rising to Top Role Original
High-level hobbies and a willingness to dive into difficult legal issues helped Kevan Choset become a top lawyer in the media and entertainment industry. Having once taught Mark Zuckerberg and had “The Catcher in the Rye” author J.D. Salinger as a client, Choset is mild-mannered and admittedly a bit nerdy with a passion for puzzles. He spent a dozen years at when he was named its interim general counsel in January 2025.
In-House Lawyers Strategize on AI Use as Rules Change Every Day
Fast-moving changes in artificial intelligence have in-house attorneys scrambling to find the best ways to maximize opportunities and miminize the risk of the transformation in how they do business. That tension was center stage this week at the Association of Corporate Counsel's annual meeting in Boston, which turned into an "AI best practices" brainstorming.
In-House Lawyers Strategize on AI Use as Rules Change Every Day
Fast-moving changes in artificial intelligence have in-house attorneys scrambling to find the best ways to maximize opportunities and miminize the risk of the transformation in how they do business.
In-House Lawyers Strategize on AI Use as Rules Change Every Day
Fast-moving changes in artificial intelligence have in-house attorneys scrambling to find the best ways to maximize opportunities and miminize the risk of the transformation in how they do business. That tension was center stage this week at the Association of Corporate Counsel’s annual meeting in Boston, which turned into an “AI best practices” brainstorming.
Corporate Counsel Leader Taps Into AI as Path to Growing Ranks
Agentic artificial intelligence has been the star of the show at the largest annual gathering of in-house counsel in Boston this week, headlining nearly two-dozen sessions covering everything from career development to corporate governance. AI could also be key for the growth of the Association of Corporate Counsel itself and its members, said Jason Brown, who took over less than a year ago as the Washington-based group’s president and CEO.
Corporate Counsel Leader Taps Into AI as Path to Growing Ranks
News from ACC Oct. 7, 2026, 3:46 PM UTC Agentic artificial intelligence has been the star of the show at the largest annual gathering of in-house counsel in Boston this week, headlining nearly two-dozen sessions covering everything from career development to corporate governance. AI could also be key for the growth of the Association of Corporate Counsel itself and its members, said Jason Brown, who took over less than a year ago as the Washington-based group’s president and CEO.
Corporate Counsel Leader Taps Into AI as Path to Growing Ranks
Agentic artificial intelligence has been the star of the show at the largest annual gathering of in-house counsel in Boston this week, headlining nearly two-dozen sessions covering everything from career development to corporate governance. AI could also be key for the growth of the Association of Corporate Counsel itself and its members, said Jason Brown, who took over less than a year ago as the Washington-based group’s president and CEO.
Corporate Counsel Leader Taps Into AI as Path to Growing Ranks
Agentic artificial intelligence has been the star of the show at the largest annual gathering of in-house counsel in Boston this week, headlining nearly two-dozen sessions covering everything from career development to corporate governance.
LIV Golf’s In-House Lawyers Remain as Gibson Dunn Discounts Fees
LIV Golf Inc. paid more than $7.1 million to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in discounted legal fees as the once Saudi Arabian-backed professional golf circuit was shedding much of its workforce, according to bankruptcy court records. LIV began laying off most of its employees in August, but almost all its in-house legal staff, including chief legal officer John Ruzich, have agreed to remain with the business through October, said three sources familiar with LIV’s operations.
LIV Golf's In-House Lawyers Remain as Gibson Dunn Discounts Fees
LIV Golf Inc. paid more than $7.1 million to Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in discounted legal fees as the once Saudi Arabian-backed professional golf circuit was shedding much of its workforce, according to bankruptcy court records.
Live Nation Replaces Legal Chief After Ticketmaster Litigation
‘s longtime top lawyer Michael Rowles will step down in November and transition to a senior legal advisory role, the live events and ticketing giant disclosed late Friday. Da-Wai Hu, who spent a decade in-house at and currently serves as general counsel for pet products retailer , is set to replace Rowles on Nov. 2, according to a securities filing by Live Nation. Hu previously served as the top lawyer for payments processor Checkout.com Ltd.
Murdoch’s Media Empire Awards $16 Million to Two Top Lawyers
Two legal chiefs from Fox Corp. and collectively earned about $16.5 million this year as both Murdoch-family controlled companies grappled with legal challenges tied to artificial intelligence.
Corporate Attorneys Navigate AI Risks as Doomsday Talk Grows
The growing national angst over unchecked and fast-developing AI models is accelerating the urgency for companies using artificial intelligence to put their houses in order. Warnings from leaders of the top AI labs about existential risks posed by the most advanced models mark an inflection point for companies juggling competitive pressures to accelerate AI use while aggressively reexamining their safety guardrails.
Corporate Attorneys Navigate AI Risks as Doomsday Talk Grows
The growing national angst over unchecked and fast-developing AI models is accelerating the urgency for companies using artificial intelligence to put their houses in order. Warnings from leaders of the top AI labs about existential risks posed by the most advanced models mark an inflection point for companies juggling competitive pressures to accelerate AI use while aggressively reexamining their safety guardrails.
Advent International Adds Charlesbank’s Top Lawyer (Correct)
Advent International Corp., a private equity investor that works with a number of large law firms, has hired financial services and private funds veteran Michael Treisman as its new legal leader. Treisman was most recently general counsel and chief compliance officer for Boston-based Charlesbank Capital Partners LLC, a middle-market private equity firm that hired him in March 2025.
Clippers Lawyer Slams '$50 Million’ Wachtell-NBA ‘Witch Hunt’
Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer rang up “nearly $50 million” in costs related to the investigation that prompted his suspension from the National Basketball Association, according to his attorney. The NBA hit Ballmer with one of the harshest punishments in its history when it removed five first-round draft picks from the Clippers and suspended Ballmer for a year. The discipline, which also includes a $30 million fine, followed a report by Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz published on Sept.
Malone’s Media Giant Taps Cravath Partner as Next Legal Chief
media conglomerate is hiring Cravath, Swaine & Moore partner Philip Boeckman as its chief legal officer, making him the fourth partner to leave the Wall Street law firm this year for a C-suite job. Boeckman, who starts Oct. 1 at three of Malone’s publicly traded companies, is co-head of Cravath’s capital markets practice for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and has spent almost three decades working out of the New York-based firm’s London office.
Moritz de Hadeln obituary
Running a high-profile arts festival – especially one affected by political and budgetary concerns – is inevitably onerous. Moritz de Hadeln, who has died aged 85, managed it with varying degrees of success not once but five times, with events in Nyon and Locarno in Switzerland, Berlin, Venice and Montreal. The first of these he founded as Visions du Réel, and it was for many years one of the premier documentary festivals in the world.
LA Lakers Name New GC as Big Law Firms Handle Team’s Record Sale
The Los Angeles Lakers have a new general counsel as the team navigates a lawsuit that threatens to complicate completing its second record-breaking sale within a year.
Anthropic Names New General Counsel Ahead of Expected IPO (1)
has promoted associate general counsel Elena Leichty to general counsel of the artificial intelligence giant as it moves toward going public later this year. Leichty succeeds Jeffrey Bleich, a former US ambassador hired by Anthropic a year ago. He is transitioning to the new role of international special envoy, Bleich said in a Monday post to his LinkedIn profile.
Anthropic Names New General Counsel Ahead of Long-Awaited IPO
has promoted associate general counsel Elena Leichty to general counsel of the artificial intelligence giant, which is planning to go public later this year. Leichty succeeds Jeffrey Bleich, a former US ambassador hired by Anthropic a year ago. He is now transitioning to the new role of international special envoy, Bleich said in a Monday post to his LinkedIn profile. Bleich works alongside Anthropic’s chief legal officer Brian Israel.
Anthropic Names New General Counsel Ahead of Expected IPO (3)
Aug. 25, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC; Updated: Aug. 26, 2026, 2:01 AM UTC Anthropic PBC has promoted associate general counsel Elena Leichty to general counsel of the artificial intelligence giant as it moves toward going public later this year. Leichty succeeds Jeffrey Bleich, a former US ambassador hired by Anthropic a year ago. He is transitioning to the new role of international special envoy, Bleich said in a Monday post to his LinkedIn profile.
New Coinbase General Counsel Charts AI-Engineered Legal Path
’s new general counsel Molly Abraham is re-engineering the legal group she now leads to maximize the impact of artificial intelligence. Abraham, who began her career two decades ago as a product development engineer at — she earned a patent for a toilet training product while at the Pampers maker — is hiring a forward-deployed founding engineer for Coinbase’s law department.
Firms and In-House Teams Race to Capture AI Legal Knowledge
Law firms and their corporate clients are in a head-to-head race to capture profitable legal knowledge in their own systems, using AI to make expertise much more accessible. Corporate teams like Salesforce and Palo Alto Networks are capitalizing on advanced tech to move more work in-house, while law firms such as Kirkland and Willkie try to leverage their specialized legal know-how to hold on to their clients.
Toyota’s Woven Capital Turns to Google for First Legal Chief
’s $1.6 billion venture capital arm Woven Capital LP welcomed its first in-house lawyer and head of legal this month in Inga Goldbard, most recently general counsel for Google Ventures. Goldbard, 40, joins Woven Capital as the enterprise deploys its second $800 million fund to invest in growth-stage companies, such as those in the latter part of the startup lifecycle like reusable rocket maker Stoke Space Technologies Inc.
Reddit, Facing AI Threat, Goes Big to Replace $51 Million Lawyer
Benjamin Lee will exit as the top lawyer at Reddit Inc. next month with more than just a legacy of legal clashes with artificial intelligence companies like and Perplexity AI Inc. He’s cashed out almost $51 million in company shares through 10 sell-offs since taking Reddit public two years ago.
Okta’s New Legal Chief Joins Company at AI Inflection Point
Okta Inc., a secure identity management maker, is hiring Silicon Valley legal veteran Scott Morgan as its chief legal officer. Morgan, most recently the top lawyer and senior vice president of global affairs at , will join Okta Aug. 17 as the leader of its legal, governance, government affairs, and regulatory functions, the company said.
Franklin County Coroner's Office takes tour of the new MMH Hospital
Photo Provided Brian Baxter Picture left to right are Franklin County Deputy Coroner Devin Shoemaker, Franklin County Coroner Brian Baxter, Hospital Representative Vickie Raible RN, Franklin County Deputy Coroner McKenzie Seale, Franklin County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Adam Henson, Chief Deputy Coroner Monica Boger, Deputy Coroner Wanda Lee. Not pictured are officer Major Greg Mehlbauer, Deputy Coroners Rick Gill and Aaron Leffingwell.
Tampa Bay Rays Bolster Legal Team to Further Off-Field Goals
The Tampa Bay Rays are busy adding key players on and off the field as the first-place team assembles a legal and lobbying squad focused on ending a nearly two decade-long quest for a new ballpark. The club’s recently released renderings for a $2.3 billion domed stadium come from new Rays management — the Major League Baseball franchise was sold for $2 billion late last year to construction mogul Patrick Zalupski.
ConocoPhillips Brings Back Ex-Compliance Chief as New Top Lawyer
is bringing back corporate attorney Shannon Kinney as its new law department leader as the oil and gas conglomerate prepares to usher in a new top executive in September. Kinney is currently the chief administrative officer, general counsel, and corporate secretary for Chord Energy Corp., which disclosed she will step down Aug. 31 to “pursue an opportunity as the general counsel of ConocoPhillips,” according to a securities filing.
SpaceXAI, AI Unicorn Cognition Recruit Former Coinbase Lawyers Original
Cognition AI Inc. and ’s artificial intelligence arm have added two former . in-house lawyers to key legal roles as they prepare for potential federal regulatory oversight of AI models. Paul Grewal, who recently stepped down as the top lawyer at Coinbase, has joined Cognition as its chief legal and global affairs officer.
Gen Digital Legal Chief’s Pay Package Soars After COO Promotion Original
Gen Digital Inc.’s top lawyer Bryan Ko saw his total compensation more than triple to almost $22 million in fiscal 2026 after he was promoted to chief operating officer for the cybersecurity and software company. Gen Digital disclosed in a proxy filing Tuesday that Ko’s pay package was more than $21.9 million this year, a sizable increase over the roughly $6.6 million and $4.4 million he made in fiscal 2025 and 2024, respectively.
Buffett Banker’s Firm Gets New Top Lawyer From Griffin’s Citadel Original
BDT & MSD Partners LLC, a merchant bank serving some of the business world’s biggest names, has hired David Thomas as a partner and chief legal officer. Thomas was previously global head of trading, markets, and investments legal and compliance at Citadel LLC, the hedge fund of billionaire investor Ken Griffin, and joined BDT & MSD earlier this month as leader of the privately held investment platform’s legal and compliance functions.
Kalshi Leads Push in Prediction Markets to Bolster Legal Talent Original
Regulatory pressures swirling around the predictions market are driving key players to shore up their legal firepower. is the latest to react, bolstering its small but growing in-house legal team this month by hiring Jovalin “Jovy” Dedaj, most recently an associate general counsel at Interactive Brokers LLC, as head of litigation.
Nike Top Lawyer Leinwand’s Pay Doubles Amid Turnaround Efforts Original
’s chief legal officer saw his total compensation nearly double to more than $12 million this year, according to a proxy statement filed late Wednesday. Robert Leinwand, a former Littler Mendelson partner who has spent more than two decades in a variety of roles at Nike, took on its top legal job in late 2024 as the sneaker and apparel giant looks to bounce back from slipping sales.
General Dynamics Names New Legal Chief, Maintaining Jenner Ties Original
Jenner & Block’s longstanding ties to aerospace and defense giant . will continue, undeterred by the Big Law firm’s ongoing litigation fight with the Trump administration. The Reston, Va.-based company announced late Monday the promotion of deputy general counsel Nicholas Barnaby to its top legal position as of Jan. 1, 2027. Barnaby, a former Jenner partner, has worked at General Dynamics since 2018.
Coinbase Unveils New Law Team as Legal Chief Grewal Exits (1)
. disclosed in a securities filing Thursday that its chief legal officer Paul Grewal will step down as of July 31 and transition to an advisory role. Molly Abraham, the cryptocurrency exchange’s vice president of legal, will be promoted to general counsel and secretary. The San Francisco-based company said Grewal will work with Coinbase and Abraham as an adviser from Aug. 1 through Oct. 31, upon which he will receive a lump sum payment of $182,500.
Coinbase Unveils New Legal Leaders as Legal Chief Grewal Leaves
Coinbase Global Inc. disclosed in a securities filing Thursday that its chief legal officer Paul Grewal will step down as of July 31 and transition to an advisory role. Molly Abraham, the cryptocurrency exchange’s vice president of legal, will be promoted to general counsel.
AI Firm Whose CEO Pled to Insider Trading Hires New Top Attorney Original
Applied AI Corp. Ltd., an artificial intelligence company led by ex- . banker Arya Bolurfrushan, hired a general counsel from Big Law just as Bolurfrushan’s role in an insider trading case came to light. Basir “Baz” Banai spent the past three years at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, most recently as a private equity and mergers and acquisitions counsel, and joined Applied AI this month as the company’s new top lawyer.
College Sports Legal Scene Becomes Magnet for Top Lawyers Original
Big Law firms are capitalizing on a growing demand for legal expertise in college sports, resulting in large legal bills and choice in-house roles. A ruling last month in a California federal court in favor of the College Sports Commission LLC, a for-profit enterprise formed last year to enforce new student-athlete pay protocols, lists lawyers from more than a dozen large firms representing various parties in the fast-changing collegiate sporting space.
NCAA’s Legal Bills Rise Slightly to Almost $63.5 Million Original
The National Collegiate Athletic Association saw its legal expenses increase 2% to almost $63.5 million for fiscal 2025, according to the nonprofit organization’s most recent tax filing Friday. Wilkinson Stekloff, a prominent Washington-based litigation boutique that has taken the lead for the NCAA on many key cases affecting the future of who can play US college sports, was the highest-paid law firm at more than $19.6 million.
Ex-Big Law Partner Makes World Cup a Capstone to 60-Year Career Original
Bruce Jay Colan bet his legal future on Miami a half-century ago, but the chance to bring World Cup games to his adopted hometown is giving him a late-career jolt after most of his colleagues stopped working. Colan, 84, who retired from Holland & Knight during the pandemic, is general counsel for Miami’s World Cup host committee, tapping into experience and contacts from a career bringing Super Bowls, college football bowl games, and other major events to South Florida.
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