A newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

By Sara Merken

What's going on today?

REUTERS/Nathan Howard

The DOJ under President Trump has repeatedly targeted his perceived enemies, such as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, in ways that have eroded longstanding barriers between politics and policing.

Though Trump in March called himself the nation's "top law enforcement officer," it has not always been clear whether he ordered particular investigations or if officials simply acceded to his wishes. Trump told NBC News he was not involved in the decision to investigate Powell, who he had criticized repeatedly for moving too slowly to lower interest rates. The probe centers on Powell's statements to Congress about the Fed's building renovation project.

No law prohibits Trump from involving himself in law enforcement so directly. But for decades, officials from both parties have sought to keep presidents from directing who should face criminal investigations and to apply the law evenhandedly.

Read more from Andrew Goudsward, Jana Winter and Brad Heath.

In New York: Vinson & Ekins hired tax partner Vinay Prabhakar from Global Infrastructure Partners … Ellenoff Grossman & Schole added eight lawyers through a combination with Kaplan Rice and seven attorneys through a tie-up with Leichtman Law … Paul Hastings brought on John Buretta, who was chair of Cravath’s investigations and regulatory enforcement practice, and hired funds partner Serge Todorovich from Shenkman Capital Management … Clifford Chance picked up private equity partner Michal Netanyahu from Freshfields … Barnes & Thornburg tapped corporate finance partner Neil Begley from McDermott Will & Schulte … King & Spalding hired leveraged finance partner Mae Rogers from Mayer Brown … Fried Frank added real estate partners Adam Endick and Christy Mazzola from Vinson & Elkins … DLA Piper brought on tax partner Reza Nader from Baker McKenzie … McDermott Will & Schulte added litigation partner Emily Chen from Kirkland … Skadden hired structured finance partner Harlyn Bohensky from Morgan Lewis.

In D.C.: WilmerHale picked up Ryan Danks, former director of civil enforcement for the DOJ’s antitrust division … Gibson Dunn hired Marian Fowler, who was general counsel and chief compliance officer at Thrive Capital … Hughes Hubbard acquired 7-lawyer firm Schulman Bhattacharya … Orrick added Farheena Rasheed from the USPTO … Dechert brought on David Marcinkus from the SEC, where he was counsel to the chairman … DLA Piper tapped Meaghan Colligan Hembree as an environmental lead from Holland & Knight … Morgan Lewis hired IP litigation partner Matthew Rizzolo from Ropes & Gray … Spencer Fane picked up healthcare partner Amanda Wilwert from Foulston Siefkin … Husch Blackwell added financial services and capital markets partner Sarah Razaq Sallis from Eversheds Sutherland.

In London: WilmerHale tapped former UnitedHealth Group executive Rupert Bondy as co-chair of its crisis management and strategic response group … Katten brought on restructuring partner James Davison from DLA Piper … Akin hired tax partner Sam Riesenberg from Mayer Brown … Morrison Foerster added tax partner Freddie Schwier from Davis Polk.

In Boston: Haynes Boone opened an office with partners Richard Kerr and Donela Qirjazi from K&L Gates and Dan Rosenfeld from Sullivan & Worcester … Seyfarth Shaw