Snowden prosecutor, top US Treasury lawyer under Biden returns to Davis Polk
Jan 27 (Reuters) - White-collar lawyer and former U.S. attorney Neil MacBride has rejoined Davis, Polk & Wardwell following a two-year stint as general counsel to the U.S. Treasury Department, the firm said Monday.
MacBride will again co-lead the New York-founded firm's white-collar defense and investigations practice, Davis Polk said. Before Democratic former President Joe Biden appointed him and he was confirmed as Treasury's general counsel in 2022, MacBride led the firm's Washington office.
MacBride served as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 2009 to 2014, overseeing several high-profile cases involving national security.
He brought the criminal case against Edward Snowden, who leaked classified documents from the National Security Agency and later fled to Russia. He also secured a guilty plea from Farooque Ahmed, who received a 23-year sentence in 2011 for joining what he thought was an al Qaeda plot to bomb the Washington-area subway system.
MacBride's experience "is unmatched," Davis Polk managing partner Neil Barr said in a statement.
MacBride disclosed $11.7 million in partnership compensation from Davis Polk as part of his nomination to the Treasury post in 2021. His clients included Wells Fargo, Facebook, JP Morgan Chase Bank, ExxonMobil, Cisco Systems and AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.
Top law firms have moved quickly to hire senior lawyers leaving the government, opens new tab after Biden lost the November presidential election to Republican Donald Trump.
London-founded law firm Freshfields said Friday it hired Erik Gerding, who served as director of the corporation finance division at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission until the end of 2024.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economist
40 minutes ago
- Economist
Sending the National Guard to LA is not about stopping rioting
DONALD TRUMP is making good on his threats. During his presidential campaign and first few months in office the president and his advisers suggested that they would retaliate against cities that resist the mass deportation of illegal immigrants. On June 7th Mr Trump ordered at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell protests that had taken place across the region for two days following several immigration raids, and the disorder that followed. The move is ostensibly meant to restore peace. But it is also a thinly-veiled message to Democratic-run places that retribution awaits those who would stand between immigrants and the administration's deportation machine.
Daily Mail
44 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
It looks like a wasteland but elaborate plan aims to turn it into a skyscraper casino in heart of big city
A dusty, underused lot could soon become the site of Manhattan's flashiest new attraction - a gleaming 785-foot-tall casino tower called The Avenir, complete with a luxury hotel. Unveiled by Silverstein Properties in partnership with Rush Street Gaming and Greenwood Gaming and Entertainment, the project aims to transform the Far West Side of the city with a sculptural skyscraper designed by CetraRuddy Architecture and Steelman Partners. The design features 'gentle harmonious waves' rising from a nine-story base to a 45-story tower - marking a major revision from the two connected towers originally proposed in 2023. 'This is a neighborhood we've invested in for over 40 years,' said Lisa Silverstein, Chief Executive Officer of Silverstein Properties. 'We care deeply about the fabric of this community.' 'We worked hard to create a design that brings a vibrant and dynamic ethos and contextually that fits within this special part of the city,' she continued. 'We hope to bring many components to this project and balance the right amount of activity to serve the community in a thoughtful way that will elevate the neighborhood. We designed The Avenir as though the neighborhood is a campus, architecturally tying all the elements so they work seamlessly together.' The ambitious 1.8 million square foot project includes a 1,000-room hotel, more than a dozen bars and restaurants, a boutique entertainment venue, meeting spaces, a spa, and an outdoor pool overlooking Manhattan's skyline. There will also be an affordable housing element. The casino itself will take up less than 12 percent of the overall development, but will feature VVIP and VIP rooms, a poker area, sportsbook, and a dramatic four-story window bar with skyline views. On the ground level, the building will feature multiple pedestrian entrances and a porte-cochère to ease congestion. A community gallery along 11th Avenue will span an entire block, offering a glass-enclosed space with 45-foot ceilings for local artists, cultural events, and educational programming. 'The Avenir site is located at the crossroads of diverse neighborhoods and activity districts that currently are not connected,' said Nancy Ruddy, Founding Principal of CetraRuddy, in a statement. 'The development of the site will knit together the fabric of this part of the Far West Side by creating an exciting cultural hub that reinforces New York's character as a pedestrian-friendly and walkable city.' Tim Drehkoff, CEO of Rush Street Gaming, added: 'We are delighted that the design of The Avenir blends seamlessly and harmoniously into the Far West Side neighborhood. Our goal with all of our facilities is to fit in, support and benefit the communities in which we operate.' The development also includes a major affordability initiative: more than 100 permanently affordable off-site apartments offered through the city's housing lottery system - responding to a recent call from Manhattan Community Board 4 for more housing options in the neighborhood. Silverstein Properties has developed nearby residential buildings like River Place and Silver Towers and the company has a long history of building affordable housing in the area. 'It will bring more security, enterprise, and entertainment on a level that doesn't exist in one establishment and become a sophisticated addition to the New York skyline,' Silverstein said. Designed by CetraRuddy Architecture and Steelman Partners, the sculptural tower would include a 1,000-room hotel, restaurants, a boutique venue, a rooftop pool, and a casino taking up less than 12 percent of the total space The Avenir is one of several big-money contenders vying for one of three downstate casino licenses. Other bids include an $8 billion 'Metropolitan Park' proposal from Mets owner Steve Cohen, a Jay-Z-backed Caesars Palace in Times Square, and a futuristic Freedom Plaza casino designed by Bjarke Ingels. Meanwhile, other plans - including Related's Hudson Yards casino and proposals from Saks Fifth Avenue and Las Vegas Sands - have already been scrapped. With its fully controlled, shovel-ready site and no need for land use approvals or displacements, Silverstein's project is positioned as a strong contender. Final casino bids are due June 27, with decisions expected by the end of the year.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Elon Musk has PTSD & made a MISTAKE by helping Trump, his dad claims as he reveals verdict on what caused explosive feud
ELON Musk has "White House PTSD" and thinks he made a mistake by helping Trump get reelected, his dad has claimed. Errol Musk, 79, made the explosive remarks in Moscow, where he's set to appear at a Kremlin-backed forum organised by Putin's inner circle. Advertisement 9 Errol Musk claims his son Elon has 'PTSD from the White House' Credit: East2West 9 Musk Snr also believes the Tesla boss regrets helping Trump get reelected Credit: Reuters 9 Errol is currently in Moscow to appear at a Kremlin-backed forum Credit: East2West 9 Elon reportedly donated $288 million to Trump's 2024 campaign Credit: AFP It comes just days after his billionaire son's high-profile alliance with the US President imploded in a fierce online feud. The world's richest man — who reportedly donated $288 million to Trump's 2024 campaign and briefly served as a White House aide — has now turned on the president over his sweeping tax and spending bill. Elon even claimed on X that Trump was tied to disgraced paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, though the post was later deleted and the White House dismissed the allegation outright. Their bromance is now beyond repair. Advertisement On Sunday, Trump confirmed to NBC that he has no interest in making amends: 'I would assume so, yeah,' he said when asked if their relationship was over. 'I have no intention of speaking to him.' Now, the Tesla and SpaceX boss is said to be grappling with regret and fatigue from his turbulent stint in Washington. Musk Snr told Putin-controlled media: 'So at the moment, Elon is inclined to say that he's made a mistake.' 'Trump will prevail. He's the president, he was elected as the president. Advertisement 'Elon made a mistake, I think, but he's tired, he's stressed. He added: 'Five months of continuous stress, continuous, continuous stress, stress, stress. Trump crushes 'peace talk' hopes with Musk as he insists Elon has 'lost his mind' and 'vows to get rid of his Tesla' 'And then in the end, it's just him and Trump left… They still don't know what to do, so they fight with each other until they can come to normal conditions.' The South African businessman likened the split to a "marriage going wrong" and suggested his son was out of depth in the brutal political arena. Advertisement He told Russian outlet Izvestia: 'It happens in marriages, it happens in partnerships, it happens a lot . 'And people have to understand that at the moment, Elon is having second thoughts... 'He's not a great politician, he is still learning, he's a great tech innovator and so forth. 'But his politics is, as I've said before, is a swimming pool with no bottom, it's a swimming pool with no sides. Advertisement 'When you're in a swimming pool of politics, you've got to really know where to go. 'And he [Elon] doesn't realise that.' 9 Errol made the explosive claims on Putin-controlled media in Russia Credit: East2West 9 He said his son had a very stressful five months Credit: East2West Advertisement Errol added that Elon had been trying to "get everything right" with a recent bill, but clashed with Trump over what he saw as excessive Democratic spending concessions. 'But unfortunately, he doesn't realise that in order to get their votes in the Senate and the Congress, Trump has to do that,' he said. 'They are the only two people left in the arena… and they took to each other, which is understandable.' Errol's comments were made to Tsargrad TV — owned by Konstantin Malofeev, a businessman with alleged links to Russian military intelligence. Advertisement He praised Moscow, saying: 'Whoever designed this city is a true genius. These majestic buildings remind me of Ancient Rome.' He also dismissed Western portrayals of the Russian capital as 'nonsense.' 9 Trump and Musk's bromance fell through in a spectacular public feud online Credit: AFP 9 The feud erupted over Trump's 'big, beautiful bill,' which proposed stripping billions in government subsidies from Tesla Credit: AP Advertisement Errol will speak at the Future Forum 2050, organised by Malofeev and Putin ideologist and 'philosopher' Alexander Dugin. Meanwhile, Russia appears eager to capitalize on Musk's estrangement from the US political elite. Putin crony Dmitry Medvedev cheekily offered to mediate peace talks between 'D and E' — Trump and Elon— 'for a reasonable fee and to accept Starlink shares as payment.' Another Kremlin loyalist, ex-space chief Dmitry Rogozin, publicly offered Musk asylum. Advertisement 'You are respected in Russia. If you encounter insurmountable problems in the US, come to us and become one of us,' Rogozin wrote. Russia would offer him 'reliable comrades and complete freedom of technical creativity'.
