Mayer Brown Explained

Firm Name:Mayer Brown
Firm Logo:Mayer Brown logo.svg
Offices:71 South Wacker, Chicago, Illinois, United States[1]
Num Offices:27 total[2]
Num Lawyers:More than 1,900 (2021)[3]
Practice Areas:litigation, capital markets, real estate, fund formation, finance[4]
Key People:Jon Van Gorp (Chairman)
Revenue: $1.85 billion (2021)[5]
Date Founded:1881; 140 years ago
Founder:Adolf Kraus
Levy Mayer
Company Type:Limited liability partnership

Mayer Brown is a global white-shoe law firm, founded in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has offices in 27 cities throughout the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, with its largest offices being in Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York City, Hong Kong,[6] and London.

History

Mayer Brown was founded in Chicago in the late 1800’s. Among its earliest clients were retail giant Sears Roebuck and Co.[7] The three firms that now form the core of Mayer Brown were all founded in the 19th century. The US portion of the firm was founded in 1881 in Chicago, by Adolf Kraus and Levy Mayer, and was shortly thereafter known as Kraus, Mayer & Brackett. After several changes in name to reflect its growing membership, the firm eventually became known in the US as Mayer, Brown & Platt.

In 2002, the firm merged with British law firm Rowe & Maw which was established in 1895 in London and operated under that name until joining with Mayer, Brown & Platt in 2002 to form Mayer, Brown, Rowe & Maw.[8] In 2007, the amalgamated firm shortened its name to Mayer Brown.[9]

Johnson Stokes & Master was formed in 1863 in Hong Kong, and is today known as Mayer Brown (formerly Mayer Brown JSM) after merging with Mayer Brown in 2008.[10]

Mayer Brown has offices in Asia, Europe, the Americas and the Middle East.[11] In Brazil, the firm has an association with Tauil & Chequer Advogados.[12] The firm operates as a collective of separate legal entities with offices in 14 countries. In October 2022, the firm launched its own joint law venture with Singapore law firm PK Wong & Nair LLC known as Mayer Brown PK Wong & Nair PTE. Ltd (“Mayer Brown”).[13] The firms' other Asia offices are in Beijing, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Tokyo.[14]

As of 2009, the firm represented 89 companies of the Fortune 500.[15]

In May 2024, It announced that it had reached an agreement to split from its China operations, with its Hong Kong entity JSM set to oversee the Beijing and Shanghai offices, amid tensions in U.S.-China relations.[16] [17]

Pro bono work

Mayer Brown is a signatory to the Pro Bono Institute's Law Firm Pro Bono Challenge, which commits the firm to devote 3 percent of total billable time to pro bono work[18] and a member of the UK Joint Protocol on Pro Bono Work, which stipulates that pro bono legal work must be carried out to the same standard as chargeable work.[19]

Partner John F. Halbleib represented the Milton Hershey School on a pro bono basis from 1998 to 2002.[20]

In 2001, lawyer Lee Rubin represented the National Security Archives in an effort by the U.S. State Department to recover 10,000 pages of transcripts of telephone conversations from former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger[21]

Ward Johnson, a managing partner in the firm’s Northern California office, secured the release of Ken Oliver who had been convicted in 1997 to life in prison under California’s "three strikes" law. Oliver spent 23 years in prison before Johnson secured his release in 2017 along with along with a $125,000 settlement for violating Oliver’s civil rights.[22]

Attorney Brian Netter spent four years working pro bono to have the District of Columbia’s budget freed from federal control in a case tied to the 2012 Budget Autonomy Act.[23]

Partner Marcia Maack, the director of pro-bono activities for the firm, helped secure a special immigrant visa in 2017 for an interpreter who had served American forces in Iraq.[24]

In 2017 attorney Andrew Pincus represented the city of Seattle in a pro bono lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s threats against sanctuary cities that refused to aid in federal immigration crackdowns.[25] That same year, Pincus and others represented two Yemeni men who had been detained at the Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. after Trump signed the first ban on travelers from seven majority Muslim countries.[26]

Partners Nicole Saharsky, Michael Scodro and Marcia Goodman along with associates Minh Nguyen-Dang and Carmen Longoria-Green, obtained a landmark settlement for the players on the US Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) in their 2019 equal-pay lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF).[27] The parties agreed to settle for $24 million in backpay damages and a guarantee of equal pay going forward for all games, including for the World Cup. This is the first commitment from a major US sports federation to pay female and male athletes equally.[28]

In 2019, Mayer Brown obtained a nationwide injunction against the US government and its decision to terminate temporary protected status for 60,000 Haitians.[29]

Attorneys Matthew Ingber, Christopher Mikesh, and Justin Perkins secured asylum in the United States for a 12-year old Nigerian chess prodigy and his family.[30]

Attorneys from Mayer Brown represented a group of migrants in 2021 and successfully argued that asylum seekers coming to U.S. ports of entry have rights under U.S. law that cannot be denied by preventing them from physically crossing the border.[31]

Beginning in 2021, the firm led a coalition of 20 law firms and corporate legal departments working to evacuate nearly 150 Asian University for Women (AUW) students in Afghanistan and placing them at universities throughout the U.S. to continue their studies.[32]

Recognitions

Notable lawyers and alumni

Significant matters

Mayer Brown represented AT&T before the U.S. Supreme Court in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion.[76]

In Credit Suisse First Boston Ltd. v. Billing, the firm represented Credit Suisse[77] in a precedent-setting case which determined that banks and mutual funds could not be sued under antitrust law over stock losses.[78]

The firm represented Phillip Morris USA before the U.S. Supreme Court in Philip Morris USA v. Williams which held that a jury may not punish a defendant for injuries suffered by non-parties.[79]

Mayer Brown represented Spokeo before the U.S. Supreme Court in Spokeo v. Robbins, a 2015 case with broad implications for class action suits.[80]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm advised Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC on a $6.8 billion financing for United Airlines MileagePlus loyalty program.[81]

Mayer Brown helped Citibank recover $500 million[82] in mistakenly wired funds[83] in a multi-year case that was resolved in 2022.[84]

The firm represented Nestle in $7.15 billion agreement with Starbucks Corporation for perpetual marketing and distribution rights of products including Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, Starbucks Reserve, Teavana, Starbucks VIA and Torrefazione Italia.[85] The transaction was noted for its importance in expanding the business reach of both companies.[86]

Role in Refco Inc. collapse

Refco was a New York-based broker of commodities and futures contracts. In 2005, the company filed for bankruptcy after significant evidence of accounting fraud surfaced.[87] In the wake of the collapse, a lawsuit was filed in 2007 against Mayer Brown and one of its partners, Joseph Collins.[88] [89] In November 2012, Collins was found guilty on multiple charges of conspiracy and fraud for his role in preparing Refco's IPO.[90] [91] Meyer Brown agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to settle legal claims that it "aided a $1.5 billion fraud scheme that produced a flurry of criminal convictions.”[92]

Role in the removal of a Tiananmen Square massacre statue

In October 2021, Mayer Brown was hired by the University of Hong Kong to help remove a statue memorialising the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre from its campus.[93] The statue, known as the Pillar of Shame, was on loan from its creator, Danish sculptor Jens Galschiøt,[94] had been placed in the campus for more than 20 years.

The law firm issued a letter to Hong Kong Alliance,[95] a pro-democracy organization which had erected the statue, requesting that that sculpture be removed. The request to remove the statue attracted global criticism.[96] Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod raised the matter with the Chinese government[97] while United States Senator Pat Toomey criticized the removal attempt as an attempt to "rewrite history".[98] Galschiøt, the sculpture's creator, compared the law firm's handling to Italian mafia methods[99] and said, "I believe that Mayer Brown is morally and ethically responsible for helping to destroy the only mark of remembrance of the Tiananmen peace plan that exists on Chinese territory."

In response, the university defended its position by saying that the decision was based on “the latest risk assessment and legal advice”.[100] In a statement, Mayer Brown said, "We were asked to provide a specific service on a real estate matter for our long-term client, the University of Hong Kong... Our legal advice is not intended as commentary on current or historical events."[101] This response prompted the press and activists to draw comparisons with the law firm's reaction following the murder of George Floyd.[102] [103] The firm had issued a statement following Floyd's murder in June 2020, that "[a]s members of the legal community, we bear a special and heightened responsibility. We understand that the rule of law requires that everyone, and especially those in power, be held accountable for their actions."[104]

Two days after the removal deadline set by the law firm, and while the sculpture was still in place despite the deadline had already passed, Mayer Brown confirmed that they would stop representing the university regarding the sculpture removal.[105]

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chicago. www.mayerbrown.com.
  2. Web site: Mayer Brown Rode 'Calling Card' Practices to More Than 20% Revenue, Profit Growth. The American Lawyer.
  3. Web site: The NLJ 500: Ranked by Head Count. National Law Journal.
  4. https://www.law.com/americanlawyer/2022/02/07/how-mayer-browns-jon-van-gorp-approaches-leadership-the-talent-war-and-podcasting/? How Mayer Brown's Jon Van Gorp Approaches Leadership, the Talent War—and Podcasting
  5. Web site: Mayer Brown Rode 'Calling Card' Practices to More Than 20% Revenue, Profit Growth.
  6. Web site: Hong Kong | Mayer Brown. www.mayerbrown.com.
  7. Book: Djordjevich, Vera . Vault Guide to the Top Chicago & Midwest Law Firms . 2007 . Vault Inc. . 978-1-58131-460-1 . en.
  8. Web site: The Charlotte Observer 11 Feb 2002, page 66 . 2023-02-11 . Newspapers.com . en.
  9. Web site: Chicago Tribune 29 Jan 2002, page 29 . 2023-02-11 . Newspapers.com . en.
  10. Web site: August 30, 2018. John. Kang. Mayer Brown to drop 128-year-old iconic JSM name in Asia. 2020-09-02. Law.com International. en-gb.
  11. Web site: 2022 . The Legal500 . The Legal 500.
  12. Web site: 2018-04-10 . Mayer Brown – What The Lawyer Says . 2023-02-11 . The Lawyer Legal insight, benchmarking data and jobs . en-GB.
  13. News: Dixit . Nimitt . 2022-10-25 . Mayer Brown expands in Singapore with new law firm joint venture . en . Reuters . 2023-02-11.
  14. Web site: Mayer Brown forges Singapore joint venture as it pursues twin hub strategy for Asia . 2023-02-11 . www.globallegalpost.com . en.
  15. News: Steingart . Gabor . 2009-08-24 . USA: "Kaufmann des Todes" . de . Der Spiegel . 2023-01-12 . 2195-1349.
  16. Web site: Mayer Brown Splits From Hong Kong Unit Amid US-China Tension (2) . 2024-05-03 . news.bloomberglaw.com . en.
  17. Web site: U.S. law firm Mayer Brown confirms split from China operations . 2024-05-03 . Nikkei Asia . en-GB.
  18. http://www.probonoinst.org/projects/law-firm-pro-bono/law-firm-pro-bono-challenge-signatory-law-firms/law-firm-pro-bono-challenge-signatories-list/ "Probonoinst.org"
  19. http://lawworks.org.uk/list-of-members "Lawworks.org.uk"
  20. Web site: Malawskey . Nick . 2012-02-24 . Former Milton Hershey School alumni president sues school's trust fund, board member . 2023-02-11 . pennlive . en.
  21. Web site: Archive Hails Turnover of Kissinger Papers . 2023-02-11 . nsarchive2.gwu.edu.
  22. News: Greene . Jenna . 2021-12-09 . From prisoner to philanthropist, the remarkable journey of Ken Oliver . en . Reuters . 2023-02-12.
  23. Web site: 2016-05-06 . How a Pair of Moonlighting Attorneys Won a Landmark Budget Autonomy Case for DC - Washingtonian . 2023-02-12 . en-US.
  24. Johnson . Kirk Wallace . 2017-02-07 . A Temporary Reprieve for Some Iraqi Refugees . 2023-02-12 . The New Yorker . en-US.
  25. Web site: Kroman . David . Seattle sues Trump over sanctuary city threats Crosscut . 2023-02-12 . crosscut.com . en.
  26. Web site: Lawyers Clamor for Access to Travelers Detained Under Muslim Ban . 2023-02-12 . www.courthousenews.com . en-US.
  27. News: Das . Andrew . 2022-02-22 . U.S. Soccer and Women's Players Agree to Settle Equal Pay Lawsuit . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-02-11 . 0362-4331.
  28. News: Greene . Jenna . 2022-03-07 . Win, lose or draw? Inside the U.S. women's soccer settlement . en . Reuters . 2023-02-11.
  29. Web site: Trump Can't End Protections For Haitian Refugees In TPS Suit - Law360 . 2023-02-12 . www.law360.com . en.
  30. News: Nigerian chess prodigy, 12, granted asylum in the United States . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-02-12 . 0190-8286.
  31. News: Wiessner . Daniel . 2021-09-03 . Judge says 'metering' of asylum applicants at border is illegal . en . Reuters . 2023-06-02.
  32. News: Kwai . Isabella . 2021-08-30 . A university in Bangladesh evacuates almost 150 young women from Kabul. . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-06-02 . 0362-4331.
  33. https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2023/01/legal-500-asia-pacific-2023-ranks-mayer-brown-in-40-practice-categories-and-recognizes-36-lawyers
  34. Web site: Keckley . Andrea . April 4, 2013 . Mayer Brown, BNY Mellon Honored For Pro Bono Work . 2023-05-24 . www.law360.com . en.
  35. https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2021/03/mayer-brown-wins-two-awards-at-iflr-asia-pacific-awards-2021
  36. Web site: 2021. Corporate Equality Index 2021. 2021-04-12. Human Rights Campaign.
  37. https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2021/02/mayer-brown-named-hong-kong-copyright-law-firm-of-the-year-at-2020-asia-ip-awards
  38. https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2020/12/mayer-brown-receives-distinguished-pro-bono-law-firm-award-and-silver-law-firm-award-for-pro-bono-in-2020
  39. Web site: The Firms That Dominated In 2020 - Law360. 2021-04-12. www.law360.com. en.
  40. News: Appellate Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. Law360.com.
  41. News: Banking Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. law360.com.
  42. News: Benefits Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. law360.com.
  43. News: Consumer Protection Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. law360.com.
  44. Web site: Environmental Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. 2021-04-12. law360.com.
  45. News: Project Finance Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. law360.com.
  46. Web site: Securitizations Practice Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. 2021-04-12. law360.com.
  47. News: Tax Group Of The Year: Mayer Brown. law360.com.
  48. https://www.mayerbrown.com/-/media/files/news/2019/08/global-20-mayer-brown.pdf "Law360.com"
  49. https://www.bestlawfirms.com/firms/mayer-brown/4067/US Best Law Firms
  50. https://www.bticonsulting.com/client-service-30-a-team-2019
  51. https://www.event.law.com/legalweek-china-law-practice-awards/past-winners
  52. Web site: Mayer Brown named Top Law Firm for Training Contracts and Vacation Schemes at AllAboutLaw Awards 2018. 2022-01-27. www.mayerbrown.com. en.
  53. Web site: National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States . 2023-01-18 . www.9-11commission.gov.
  54. Web site: Klopp . Charlotte . September 20th: WACC Speaker Series Luncheon with Peter Beyer, Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation and Member of the German Parliament (MdB) . 2023-02-12 . World Affairs Council of Charlotte . en-US.
  55. Web site: Neil Bluhm Gives $15 Million: Northwestern Pritzker School of Law . 2023-01-18 . wwws.law.northwestern.edu.
  56. Web site: Burghardt, Günter . 2023-02-12 . archives.eui.eu.
  57. Web site: MAYER BROWN ADDS BILL DALEY AS PARTNER . 2023-01-18 . Chicago Tribune.
  58. Web site: Mayer Brown Lands Cybersecurity, Data Privacy Lawyer Leipzig . 2023-01-18 . news.bloomberglaw.com . en.
  59. Web site: Play about Hamlet puts Chicago judges and attorneys center stage . 2023-02-23 . ABA Journal . en.
  60. Web site: Judicial profile: Thomas M. Durkin Illinois State Bar Association . 2023-01-18 . www.isba.org.
  61. Web site: Tyrone C. Fahner . 2023-02-23 . U.S Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad . en-US.
  62. Web site: United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary . 2023-02-23 . www.judiciary.senate.gov . en.
  63. Web site: Kenneth Geller of Mayer Brown . 2023-02-23 . The American Lawyer . en.
  64. Web site: Rabin . Jeffrey L. . 2005-02-10 . MAN OF CONTRASTS . 2023-01-16 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  65. Web site: Washingtonpost.com Special Report: Clinton Accused Key Players . 2023-01-16 . www.washingtonpost.com.
  66. Web site: Wake Up Call: Ex-Mayer Brown Partner Lori Lightfoot Elected Chicago Mayor . 2023-01-18 . news.bloomberglaw.com . en.
  67. Web site: 2014-12-04 . Source: David McIntosh to Replace Chris Chocola At Club for Growth . 2023-01-18 . National Review . en-US.
  68. Web site: 2014-06-09 . Toby Moffett Settles in at Mayer Brown Life After Congress . 2023-05-24 . Roll Call . en.
  69. News: Debra Cassens Weiss . 'Revenant' author wrote the book as a Mayer Brown partner . en . ABA Journal . 2023-01-18.
  70. Web site: 2020-02-11 . Civic Consulting Alliance names Scheinfeld its CEO . 2023-02-23 . Chicago Sun-Times . en.
  71. Web site: The Honorable Vijay Shanker Is Now a Judge on the DC Court of Appeals . 2023-01-18 . District of Columbia Courts . en-us.
  72. Web site: NATHAN A. SIMINGTON - Senate Commerce Committee.
  73. News: McFadden . Robert D. . 2021-09-07 . Adlai E. Stevenson III, Ex-Senator and Scion of Political Family, Dies at 90 . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-01-16 . 0362-4331.
  74. Web site: - NOMINATION OF HON. JOHN J. SULLIVAN FOR DEPUTY SECRETARY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE . 2023-01-18 . www.congress.gov.
  75. Web site: Judicial profile: John J. Tharp, Jr. Illinois State Bar Association . 2023-01-18 . www.isba.org.
  76. Web site: Mayer Brown and AT&T reach unusual deal in tax overcharge settlement . 2023-02-23 . Daily Report . en.
  77. Web site: High Court Rules In Favor Of Banks In IPO Case - Law360 . 2023-02-23 . www.law360.com . en.
  78. Web site: Anderson . Mark H. . Court to Hear Cases on Securities Suits . 2023-02-23 . WSJ . en-US.
  79. Web site: Supreme Court Remands Philip Morris Case - Law360 . 2023-02-23 . www.law360.com . en.
  80. Web site: Robins v. Spokeo, Inc., 867 F.3d 1108 . 2023-05-24 . casetext.com.
  81. Web site: U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . Term Loan Credit and Guaranty Agreement among Mileage Plus Holdings, LLC and Mileage Plus Intellectual Property Assets, Ltd., as Borrowers, and United Airlines Holdings, Inc. and United Airlines, Inc., as Parent Guarantors, . 2023-05-24 . www.sec.gov.
  82. Web site: Citi, Revlon Lenders Ink Deals Ending $500M Transfer Battle . 2023-05-24 . www.law360.com . en.
  83. Web site: 2nd Circ. Gives Citi Win In $500M Revlon Wire Transfer Fight . 2023-05-24 . www.law360.com . en.
  84. Web site: United States District Court Southern District of New York in re Citibank August 11, 2020 Wire Transfers .
  85. Web site: TRANSACTION AGREEMENT DATED AS OF MAY 6, 2018 BY AND BETWEEN STARBUCKS CORPORATION AND NESTLÉ S.A. . 2023-05-24 . www.sec.gov.
  86. News: 2019-12-10 . Ranking: Enabling Business Growth and Transformation . Financial Times . 2023-05-24.
  87. Web site: Refco Files 4th-Largest Bankruptcy in U.S. History. Bloomberg News. https://web.archive.org/web/20131023031340/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=acZKnl3HUyCM. live. 2013-10-23.
  88. Web site: 2007-10-02 . Refco Investors Sue Mayer Brown . 2023-01-12 . DealBook . en.
  89. Web site: Refco Trustee Seeks $2 Billion from Mayer Brown, Others. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012064022/http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/refco_trustee_seeks_2_billion_from_mayer_brown_others/. live. 2013-10-12.
  90. Web site: Lawyer sentenced to prison for role in $2.4 billion fraud at Refco. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012022525/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-07-15/business/sns-rt-us-usa-refco-collins-20130715_1_refco-fraud-refco-executives-phillip-bennett. dead. 2013-10-12.
  91. News: Refco Lawyer, A&O, Mayer Brown, Skadden: Business of Law. Bloomberg.com. 19 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20131023031429/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-19/refco-lawyer-a-o-mayer-brown-skadden-business-of-law.html. live. 2013-10-23.
  92. Web site: Settlement Reached in Billion-dollar Fraud Scheme. 15 July 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131012031107/http://www.ringoffireradio.com/2013/07/settlement-reached-in-billion-dollar-fraud-scheme/. live. 2013-10-12.
  93. News: 8 October 2021. Hong Kong university hires US law firm to seek Tiananmen statue's removal. Financial Times.
  94. News: When removing a statue actually is antidemocratic . . https://web.archive.org/web/20211014000537/https://www.vox.com/2021/10/13/22722674/tiananmen-square-pillar-of-shame-university-hong-kong . 14 October 2021.
  95. 1446463655164383261. uffeelbaek. Danske medier og ikke mindst @JeppeKofod og @AneHalsboe: Er I opmærksom på, hvad der lige nu sker med @Galschiot sk…. 11 October 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211011171319/https://twitter.com/uffeelbaek/status/1446463655164383261/photo/1. 7 October 2021.
  96. News: Thomas. David. October 13, 2021. Rights groups, U.S. senators blast Mayer Brown over Tiananmen statue. Reuters. October 13, 2021.
  97. News: 16 October 2021. Danish government raises concerns over University of Hong Kong's removal order for Pillar of Shame statue. South China Morning Post. https://web.archive.org/web/20211016075313/https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3152585/danish-government-raises-concerns-over-university-hong. 16 October 2021. 'For long, I have expressed my serious concern about developments in Hong Kong. And we ... have raised the matter [of the statue] in Beijing,' the country’s foreign minister Jeppe Kofod said in a statement first reported in Danish media.
    'The freedom to express opinions peacefully – through speech, art or other means – is a fundamental right of all human beings. This goes for Hong Kong too.'.
  98. 1448043801323483138. SenToomey. The CCP is further tightening its stranglehold over #HongKong. First they stripped Honk Kongers of their basic fr…. 12 October 2021.
  99. Web site: 2021-10-15 . 'Morally reprehensible' Mayer Brown works to suppress memory of Tiananmen Square massacre RollOnFriday . 2023-01-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20211015162411/https://www.rollonfriday.com/news-content/morally-reprehensible-mayer-brown-works-supress-memory-tiananmen-square-massacre . 2021-10-15 . "I believe that Mayer Brown is morally and ethically responsible for helping to destroy the only mark of remembrance of the Tiananmen peace plan that exists on Chinese territory.".
  100. News: 9 October 2021. Hong Kong: University orders Tiananmen statue's removal. BBC. https://web.archive.org/web/20211010080021/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-58847650. 10 October 2021. The university said the decision was "based on the latest risk assessment and legal advice" without expanding on this explanation..
  101. News: A Hong Kong university orders the removal of a memorial to the Tiananmen massacre. NPR. https://web.archive.org/web/20211013160926/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/13/1045574697/hong-kong-pillar-of-shame-tiananmen-sculpture-removal. 13 October 2021. The firm told Hong Kong Free Press that it was being retained "as outside counsel [to] help our clients understand and comply with current law."
    "We were asked to provide a specific service on a real estate matter for our long-term client, the University of Hong Kong," the firm said. "Our legal advice is not intended as commentary on current or historical events.".
  102. Web site: Candice . Chau. 2021-10-13. University of Hong Kong told to contact Tiananmen Massacre statue artist as removal ultimatum nears, despite T8 typhoon. 2021-10-14. Hong Kong Free Press HKFP. en-GB. Previously the firm has commented on political events – namely the Black Lives Matter anti-racism protests in the US..
  103. News: 13 October 2021 . Rights groups, U.S. senators blast Mayer Brown over Tiananmen statue . . https://web.archive.org/web/20211014031828/https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/rights-groups-us-senators-blast-mayer-brown-over-tiananmen-statue-2021-10-13/ . 14 October 2021 . "American firms should be ashamed to be complicit" in the statue's removal, Cruz told journalist Eli Lake in a Substack column published Wednesday. Graham in the article lamented that "American law firms are doing the bidding of the Communist Party." A spokesperson for Graham declined to comment further. Cruz's office did not respond to a request for comment..
  104. News: 1 June 2020. Statement from Mayer Brown on the Death of George Floyd. Mayer Brown. https://web.archive.org/web/20211012044927/https://www.mayerbrown.com/en/news/2020/06/statement-from-mayer-brown-on-the-death-of-george-floyd. 12 October 2021. At Mayer Brown, our core values are grounded in the principle that every individual—each and every individual—is equally worthy of respect and appreciation. We recognize the value that diversity and inclusion bring to our business and to our communities and we have a corresponding responsibility to speak up when our core values are undermined.
    As members of the legal community, we bear a special and heightened responsibility. We understand that the rule of law requires that everyone, and especially those in power, be held accountable for their actions. Those who failed to protect or even recognize George Floyd’s human rights should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Mayer Brown stands in solidarity with all who lawfully seek justice for those who have been denied their civil liberties and human rights, and particularly when that denial has such tragic and irreversible consequences..
  105. News: Taylor. Adam. 15 October 2021. U.S. law firm Mayer Brown to cease work for Hong Kong University in dispute over Tiananmen memorial removal. The Washington Post.