Patterson Belknap Names 2020 LCLD Pathfinder

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February 10, 2020

Patterson Belknap Names 2020 LCLD Pathfinder

Patterson Belknap associate Christopher Wilds has been selected as the Firm’s 2020 LCLD Pathfinder. As a Pathfinder, Mr. Wilds will take part in a program designed by LCLD to train high-performing, early-career attorneys in critical career development strategies, including leadership and the building of professional networks.

Founded in 2009, LCLD is a growing organization of more than 320 corporate chief legal officers and law firm managing partners who are personally committed to creating a truly diverse legal profession. The Fellows Program, which has trained more than 1,600 mid-career attorneys since 2011, is one of LCLD’s most important initiatives. The Pathfinder Program has trained nearly 700 early-career attorneys since 2015, catering to junior lawyers in law firms and corporate legal departments who have demonstrated potential to become future leaders in the legal profession.

Mr. Wilds is an associate in the Firm’s Litigation department, where he represents clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation matters as well as internal investigations. Before joining the Firm, Mr. Wilds served as a law clerk to the Hon. Johnnie B. Rawlinson of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

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Firm Tops The American Lawyer's 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard with Number 1 Ranking

Patterson Belknap has been recognized with a number 1 ranking in The American Lawyer's 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard. These rankings assess pro bono efforts among Am Law 200 firms and are based on the average number of pro bono hours per lawyer and the percentage of lawyers performing 20 or more pro bono hours in 2025. The Scorecard highlights the firm's “intense focus” on pro bono work, with an average of 185.7 hours per lawyer and 85.1% of firm lawyers doing more than 20 hours of pro bono. The article includes commentary from Pro Bono Chair, Michael F. Buchanan, on the firm’s commitment to both impact litigation and pro bono work that has an impact on people's lives, such as access to health care,...

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Patterson Belknap submitted an amicus brief that played a significant role in Justice Sonia Sotomayor's June 29, 2026 dissent in Trump v. Slaughter. The brief was filed on behalf of legal historians Noah A. Rosenblum and Nathaniel Donahue, arguing that the concepts "quasi-legislative" and "quasi-judicial" as used in Humphrey's Executor had long histories in American law and provide workable definitions to guide the Court's review of congressional limitations. In the dissent, Justice Sotomayor, joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown-Jackson, cited the brief extensively. Justice Sotomayor relied on the brief to explain that the concepts were well-established well before the Humphrey's decision, and were used by many political figures and by courts developing a “quasi-judicial” category for officers whose duties resembled a judge’s. To read the amicus brief, please...

SEC Proposes Regulation E-Delivery: Default Electronic Delivery for Federal Securities Law Communications

On July 16, 2026, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC” or “Commission”) proposed Regulation E-Delivery[i], a new regulatory framework that would permit covered entities to deliver required information to investors and other recipients electronically as the default method, without first obtaining affirmative consent. In an accompanying statement, SEC Chairman Paul S. Atkins characterized the proposal as “an important step toward allowing the financial services industry to harness technology for the benefit of everyday American investors” and “another stride toward a regulatory framework suitable for the modern era.”[ii] Proposed Regulation E-Delivery would establish uniform conditions under which the federal securities laws’ information delivery requirements are satisfied by electronic delivery. The proposal would generally supersede the Commission’s 1995[iii] and 1996[iv] e-delivery...

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Bankruptcy Court Decides Issue of First Impression Concerning Code Section 365(h)

When a debtor that is a landlord rejects a real property lease in bankruptcy, the tenant has a choice. Either the tenant can treat the lease as terminated or retain its rights under the lease. These rights include the use, possession, quiet enjoyment, subletting, and hypothecation of the property. In a recent case, the parties and the court grappled with this question: when does the tenant need to make that decision? When the lease is rejected, or by some other date? Interestingly, neither the court nor the parties found case law on this issue. It was one of first impression. In re All Star Props., LLC, No. 25-41314, 2026 Bankr. LEXIS 1461 (Bankr. N.D. Ga. June 15, 2026). The debtor owns...