Jenner & Block Japan Newsletter

Crain's Chicago Business recognized Jenner & Block Partners Annie Kastanek, Wade Thomson, and Andrew Vail among its 2026 Notable Leaders in Accounting, Consulting & Law. The list spotlights firm leaders and practice heads whose work shapes business, civic life, and the courts throughout the region.

Partner Neil Barofsky has been named a finalist for Attorney of the Year by The American Lawyer as part of its 2026 Industry Awards. The award recognizes lawyers whose work over the past year has had significant impact on their clients, the profession, or the public interest. Winners will be announced at the annual gala on November 12 in New York. 

On July 31, 2026, the US Department of State and the FBI, joined by counterpart agencies in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom, issued a joint alert on North Korean IT workers who use false identities to infiltrate companies and fund North Korea's weapons programs. It’s the latest in a now-familiar cadence of warnings issued roughly once a year since 2022. Since then, sanctions actions, DOJ indictments, “laptop farm

A Jenner & Block team secured a precedential ruling from the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit on behalf of pro bono client Brandon Timmons, an incarcerated person in a Pennsylvania state prison who alleged that a prison official retaliated against him for filing complaints against staff.

Partner Lauren Hartz was recognized in Bloomberg Law's They've Got Next: 40 Under 40 list for 2026. The annual report recognizes “next-generation lawyers” excelling in a profession being reshaped by AI and new avenues for leadership, service, and success. Lauren, who co-leads Jenner & Block's Education Practice, was recognized in the Education category.

Jenner & Block has ranked #3 in The American Lawyer's 2026 A-List — the firm’s highest placement yet among the top 20 elite firms recognized as "the best of the best."

Partner Jan Larson, Co-Chair of the firm’s Insurance Recovery and Counseling Practice, and Summer Associate Averi Suk co-authored an article for Law360 examining how a historic rate increase, a significant litigation outcome, and a new round of legislation are together reshaping the California FAIR Plan's role in the state's insurance market.

Associate Tal Ratner Solovey will speak on a panel hosted by the Jewish Federation Los Angeles (JFEDLA) Legal and Tech Networks on August 10 in Century City.

Jenner & Block earned a ranking in the USA – Nationwide category in its first year featured in the Chambers Crisis & Risk Management Guide. Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Practice Co-Chair Joanna Ludlam received an individual ranking in the UK-wide category.

Partner Joanna Ludlam was quoted in City AM on the Upper Tribunal's ruling upholding the ICO's £12.7 million fine against TikTok for unlawfully processing children's data.

Chicago Partner John Storino, Co-Chair of Jenner & Block's Law Firm and Professional Services Defense Practice, has been named President of the Chicago Inn of Court.

Partner Rachel Alpert, former Chief Counsel at the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), was featured in Export Compliance Daily discussing how companies can identify sanctions risk hidden behind complex ownership structures and sham transactions.

Partner Lucy Blake authored an article for The Times examining Canada's recent decision to wind down its corporate human rights watchdog, the Office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE). She explores what that move signals about the broader shift in how companies are being held accountable for forced labour and supply chain abuses.

Chicago Partner Nicole Allen has been selected as one of Leadership Greater Chicago’s Class of 2027 Signature Fellows. The leadership development fellowship immerses its participants in the region’s civic landscape, engaging them in addressing critical socioeconomic issues affecting the area, including community safety, health inequality, affordable housing, education, and economic development. 

John Edwards’s resignation as UK Information Commissioner (ICO) on 19 June 2026 followed an independent workplace investigation that found Mr Edwards’s conduct fell short of the standard expected of a public official, including using language that the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology described as “vulgar and highly sexualised”.