Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said Tuesday it is "within the realm of possibility" that the state will sue BP PLC over any damage the Gulf oil spill causes.

Crist made the comment after meeting with workers at the Escambia County emergency operations center. He said a decision would come soon. BP announced Tuesday that it was giving the state an initial $25 million to cover costs its incurred preparing for the oil's arrival.

Crist said that while it remains unclear when the spill might reach Florida or what its affect would be, the state needs to be prepared. The state Department of Environmental Protection says no landfall is expected in Florida through Thursday. The department is taking air and water samples and about 20 miles of boom has been laid off the Panhandle coast to protect environmentally sensitive areas.

Crist has declared a state of emergency in 19 counties from Escambia in the Panhandle to Sarasota in southwest Florida.

Over the years, Hogan & Hartson has made no secret about its intention to expand. In 1990, the Washington law firm opened its first international outpost, in London.

After Chairman Warren Gorrell took the helm in 2001, firm revenue doubled as he supervised the acquisition of offices in Munich, Beijing and Abu Dhabi.

But the firm's growth has mostly occurred in fits and starts by snapping up smaller offices in the United States and abroad -- until May 1 when the already big firm doubled in size after formally completing its merger with Lovells, a London-based firm with a similar growth strategy and 29 offices worldwide.

The combination is likely to propel the longtime D.C. firm into the top three among U.S. firms in both the number of attorneys and gross revenue.

The justices denied Delaware's petition for judicial review without comment, leaving in place a ruling by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia that limits sports betting in Delaware to multi-game, or parlay, bets on National Football League games.

The appeals court heard arguments last August on a request by the NFL and other sports leagues for an injunction to prevent Delaware from starting sports betting with the launch of the NFL season. But instead of ruling on the injunction, the appeals court turned directly to the leagues' claim that Delaware's proposal to allow single-game bets on a variety of professional and collegiate sports would violate a 1992 federal ban on sports wagering.

The court declared that the state's new sports betting lottery had to be similar to the betting scheme used in a failed 1976 National Football League lottery that allowed Delaware to be one of only four states to receive grandfathered exemptions from the federal ban.

The ruling stunned attorneys for the state, who were not given the opportunity to defend the merits of the sports betting proposal. Gov. Jack Markell subsequently approved an appeal to the Supreme Court that was funded by Delaware's three slot-machine casinos, which have exclusive rights to offer sports betting.

Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP has honored partner Dianne Baquet Smith with the firm's first Diversity & Inclusion Award, an award that recognizes the significant diversity and inclusion commitment of a Sheppard Mullin attorney.  As part of the award, the firm has made a contribution to two pipeline programs: The USC Street Law Program and Loyola Law School's Young Lawyers Program.  These pipeline programs expose primary, secondary, or college students to the legal profession.  

The Street Law Program is a student organization at USC's Law School, whose goal is to connect law students with inner-city middle and high-school students.  The primary aspect of Street Law's program is the classroom teaching session, which provides opportunities to the students and benefits the law students.  Six Sheppard Mullin attorneys participate in the Street Law Program, including firm liaison and associate Olivier Theard.

The Judge Stephen O'Neil Trial Advocacy Mentoring Program (aka "Young Lawyers Program") is a collaborative effort of students of the Black Law Students Association and the La Raza Law Students Association of Loyola Law School.  These two law student groups created the Young Lawyers Program to bridge the gap between the law school and youth in the communities of color that surround Loyola Law School.  Five Sheppard Mullin attorneys participate in the Young Lawyers Program, including firm liaison and associate Claudia Gutierrez.

“Dianne has led the firm's diversity efforts for decades and we are thrilled to recognize her dedication to the firm's efforts and initiatives in this area,” said Guy Halgren, chair of the firm's Executive Committee.  "Dianne has been a diversity advocate within and outside the firm, and we are pleased to contribute on her behalf to two pipeline programs that are making a difference in our local communities."  

In addition to Smith's internal Sheppard Mullin achievements and accomplishments, she is the current president of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles' Foundation, a member of the LA County Bar Association's Diversity Committee, and a founding member of the Association of Law Firm Diversity Professionals. 

"I am honored by the firm's recognition and support," said Smith.  "Diversity is important to Sheppard Mullin, to our clients, and to our profession.  Serving as the firm's diversity chair has been both personally and professionally fulfilling.  I am pleased that Sheppard Mullin's donation will support the vital work performed by the Street Law and Young Lawyer's programs, as our firm teams with them to address the current pipeline crisis."

Smith is a Labor and Employment group partner in the Los Angeles/Downtown office.  She has extensive experience representing management in litigation of wrongful discharge, discrimination, breach of contract, breach of public policy, wage and hour, unfair labor practice, ERISA, and other types of labor and employment cases, through trial. 

The Sheppard Mullin Diversity & Inclusion Award was created to recognize an individual or team of attorneys in the firm for their commitment to diversity & inclusion programs and initiatives in the legal profession.  Recipients are selected based on their overall contributions and dedication to advancing the firm’s mission in this area.  

About Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP

Sheppard Mullin is a full service AmLaw 100 firm with 550 attorneys in 11 offices located in the United States and Asia.  Since 1927, companies have turned to Sheppard Mullin to handle corporate and technology matters, high stakes litigation and complex financial transactions.  In the U.S., the firm's clients include more than half of the Fortune 100.  For more information, please visit www.sheppardmullin.com.

Hartford-based Shipman & Goodwin today opened an office in Washington -- and the launch came with a major new client: The Hartford.

The Washington office will start with six lawyers, all formerly with Hogan and Hartson in Washington. It will be led by partner James P. Ruggeri, longtime national counsel for insurance coverage for The Hartford Financial Services Group.

"We join a strong existing litigation group and gain talented colleagues in Connecticut that will allow us to grow the practice and continue to provide first-rate service to The Hartford on a national basis," said Ruggeri.

Shipman and Goodwin, founded in 1919, has 140 lawyers. Besides Hartford and Washington, the firm has offices in Stamford, Greenwich and Lakeville.

"Our presence in D.C. will also be a further boost to other current firm practices with national reach, including health care, government investigations, petroleum marketing, export-import compliance and bankruptcy," said Scott Murphy, the firm's managing partner.

Law firm Wolf Popper, LLP announced Monday it has filed a class action lawsuit against investment bank Goldman Sachs on behalf of investors who purchased securities, options or common stock between August 2009 and April 2010. The suit claims Goldman Sachs did not disclose to shareholders that it was under investigation by the Securities Exchange Commission.

The SEC began investigating Goldman in 2008 for its role in the sale of a package of mortgage-related securities that were allegedly constructed and sold with the knowledge it would perform poorly. More recently, the SEC filed formal charges of fraud against the bank and one of its officials.

When the news of the SEC’s suit went public in mid-April, Goldman stock fell 13% in one day. Two weeks later, Goldman’s stock fell more than 9% in a single day.

According to Wolf Popper, Goldman never disclosed to its shareholders the SEC investigation, and knowingly misled investors to think Goldman was committed to its clients’ best interests.

The Wolf Popper press release did not specify a court date or contain any additional information on the suit.

The seven former inmates allege that Britain was complicit in their alleged abuse in the U.S. military prison camp on the southwestern tip of Cuba, as well as elsewhere, and are seeking damages from the government.

Their civil suit has yet to come to trial, but the government won a preliminary victory last year by securing the right to keep selected pieces of information secret.

Lawyers for the men said Tuesday that a three-judge panel overturned that ruling because secret evidence violated the principle of open justice.

The government has not yet indicated whether it will appeal.