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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

MIDTERM MACHINATIONS - Presidential elections often mean major changes for lawyers and law firms in D.C. But, as Law.com's Bruce Love reports, midterm elections can also cause their fair share of whiplash. And that's particularly true this year, as law firms prepare themselves for potential changes of leadership in the Senate and significant movement in the House of Representatives. Against this backdrop, law firms with offices in the Beltway are busy preparing for pretty much every eventuality, because what happens in the halls of power directly impacts the bottom line of law firms whose business revolves around the nation's capital. Lateral hiring has been front and center in how many firms are preparing. As lawyers in government move into—or return to—private practice, the lateral market has been a hive of activity. Top of mind are lawyers in the practice areas that will be most impacted by legislative decisions, no matter the political persuasion of congressional leadership—antitrust, securities litigation and regulation, and congressional investigations to name but a few. "Law firms may see the midterms in an opportunistic way of gaining talent in policy, public affairs, or government relations spaces—good talent that could freshen our relationships on the Hill or provide us with key insights to some of what is happening on the Hill and could be additive to their practices," said Kay Nash, chief talent officer at storied D.C. firm Wiley Rein.

CHARACTER COUNTS - For lawyers, surviving a brush with Elon Musk is similar to surviving a war—or maybe an alien abduction. You've seen things most people only have nightmares about. It's for this reason that legal experts say Twitter Chief Legal Officer Vijaya Gadde and General Counsel Sean Edgett will carry no stain from being ousted by Musk. On the contrary, as Law.com's Trudy Knockless reports, they're likely to have an abundance of career options, from leading other corporate legal departments or serving as advisers to becoming Silicon Valley investors, legal experts say. Mark Khan, head of consumer, tech and media practice for the recruiting firm Protégé Search, said that when companies endure what Twitter has gone through, it's challenging on morale and on leadership, including the legal team. "But if you take a step back and think about what those lawyers have been navigating as legal advisers to the company, this is not something that you're going to forget anytime soon," Khan said. "To help a company like Twitter navigate all the ins and outs that have gone on since Elon first got involved, that's career-defining stuff," he added.

WHO GOT THE WORK?℠ - Kroger has agreed to acquire supermarket chain Albertsons for an enterprise value of approximately $25 billion, including the assumption of approximately $4.7 billion of net debt. The transaction, announced Oct. 14, is expected to close in early 2024. Cincinnati-based Kroger is advised by Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer. Albertsons, which is based in Boise, Idaho, is represented by Debevoise & Plimpton; Jenner & Block; and White & Case. The Debevoise & Plimpton team is led by antitrust partner Ted Hassi.  >> Read the filing on Law.com Radar and check out the most recent edition of Law.com's Who Got the Work?℠ column to find out which law firms and lawyers are being brought in to handle key cases and close major deals for their clients.