Tues 9/5 - Hogan Lovells CEO, EU Set to Crack Down on Anticompetitive Behavior, Paxton Impeachment Trial and Navarro Contempt Trials Begin, and Column Tuesday on Millionaire Tax-Funded Student Lunches

On this day in history, September 5, 1774, about 9 miles as the crow flies from where I’m writing this, the first Continental Congress convened to discuss the Intolerable Acts of 1774.On September 5, 1774, the First Continental Congress convened at Carpenters' Hall in Philadelphia, marking a pivotal moment in America's journey to independence. Representatives from twelve of the thirteen American colonies gathered to deliberate on the future of the colonies amidst escalating British aggression. Notable figures such as Samuel Adams, George Washington, and John Adams were among the delegates who discussed potential strategies, including boycotting British goods to assert the rights of the American colonists.This historic assembly was a response to the Coercive Acts, or the Intolerable Acts as they were known in America, which were implemented by the British Parliament to reassert control over the colonies following the Boston Tea Party. These acts had severe repercussions, including the closure of Boston Port and the revocation of the Massachusetts Charter. The colonies united in solidarity, with goods being sent to Massachusetts from as far as Georgia, and calls for a continental congress echoing across nine colonies by late spring 1774.Virginia played a significant role, with its Committee of Correspondence initiating the call for the congress. Delegates were elected through various means, including colonial legislatures and committees of correspondence. George Washington, who was elected at the First Virginia Convention, was a staunch supporter of using non-importation as leverage against British policies, a stance he had maintained since 1769.During the congress, Peyton Randolph was appointed as the president, and one of the first resolutions passed was the endorsement of the Suffolk Resolves, which encouraged citizens to disobey the Intolerable Acts and foster a spirit of resistance. The delegates also embarked on drafting the Continental Association, a policy that aimed to unify the colonies economically by ceasing British imports and exports, enforced by local and colony-wide committees of inspection.The congress was not without its challenges, as delegates grappled with defining American rights and grievances, and debating Britain's right to regulate trade in the colonies. A significant proposal during this time was Joseph Galloway's Plan of Union, which sought to establish a collaborative relationship between the American colonies and Britain, though it was narrowly defeated.As the congress progressed, the delegates formulated a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, emphasizing the people's right to participate in legislative councils. This period of intense discussion and planning culminated in the decision to convene a Second Continental Congress the following spring, a move that indicated the escalating tensions and the looming possibility of conflict with Britain. This gathering was not just a forum for dialogue but a precursor to the unity and resistance that would characterize the American Revolution, setting the stage for a historic change in the relationship between the colonies and the British Empire.A little bit of inside legal industry baseball to start off the new week: Miguel Zaldivar has been reappointed as the CEO of global law firm Hogan Lovells for a second four-year term, extending his leadership until 2028. Since assuming the role in 2020, Zaldivar has guided the firm to record financial outcomes in 2021, despite the general decline in demand in the legal sector. The firm's board chair, Marie-Aimée de Dampierre, praised Zaldivar's visionary strategy and leadership, which she believes will foster further success. Last year, the firm reported over $2.4 billion in gross revenue, positioning it among the top 15 law firms in the US. However, this was a 6.7% decrease from the 2021 record revenue, a dip Zaldivar attributes to a slump in M&A transactions. Loo