Wed 8/16 - DeSantis Popular with Lawyers, Davis Polk Bets on Back to Work, VMWare Appraisal Suit, ABA Free Speech Guidelines for Law Schools and Angel Hernandez Loses Appeal

On this day in legal history, August 16, 1918, Lothar Witzke was convicted of espionage in the United States on behalf of Germany and became the first German spy convicted during World War I. Lothar Witzke was a junior officer in the German Imperial Navy during World War I, who became a spy and saboteur in the United States and Mexico. After escaping internment in Chile, he reached San Francisco in 1916 and began sabotage activities with another agent, Kurt Jahnke. They were involved in various missions, including suspected connections to significant explosions, though later investigations ruled out their involvement in some cases. Witzke was arrested in 1918 near the Mexican border, convicted, and sentenced to death, but his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment by President Woodrow Wilson. After an act of heroism in prison and diplomatic pressure from Germany, he was pardoned and released by President Calvin Coolidge in 1923. Upon his return to Germany, Witzke was decorated with the Iron Cross and later served in the Abwehr, or German military intelligence, during World War II. After the war, he became a member of the Hamburg Parliament, representing the German Party from 1949 to 1952.Donald Trump may have a 40 point lead ahead of DeSantis in the GOP primary, and Chris Christie may have overtaken the Florida governor in early New Hampshire polling, but among one demographic DeSantis seems to have the edge over all other Republican candidates–lawyers. According to a report by Bloomberg Law, Ron DeSantis has a significant advantage over Donald Trump in campaign donations from lawyers, leading with a 6-to-1 ratio. As of the end of June, DeSantis had received over $1.3 million from individual lawyer contributions, compared to just under $200,000 for Trump. DeSantis's background includes a Harvard Law School education and time as a U.S. Navy lawyer, while Trump has been known to criticize and even sue attorneys. Many larger law firms seem uncomfortable supporting Trump, contributing to DeSantis's advantage.DeSantis's fundraising from lawyers has also surpassed other GOP primary candidates, including former Governor Nikki Haley and Senator Tim Scott. His campaign haul includes significant contributions from elite law firms like Sullivan & Cromwell. DeSantis's support in Republican legal circles also includes several high-ranking Trump Justice Department officials and lawyers from Jones Day.While DeSantis leads in lawyer contributions, he still trails Trump by double digits in state and national polls. Some political analysts question whether DeSantis's momentum will continue, especially as his campaign has faced staff shakeups and strategy shifts. Meanwhile, Trump's campaign, powered by small-dollar donors, has raised over $50 million between January and June. Contributions from the legal industry have historically favored Democrats, with President Joe Biden out-raising DeSantis among lawyers so far this year with $1.5 million.DeSantis Crushes Trump in Cash from Lawyers Seeking AlternativeDavis Polk & Wardwell, a prominent law firm, has signed a 25-year lease extension to expand its Midtown headquarters in Manhattan, adding 30,000 square feet to its current space at 450 Lexington Ave. This deal increases the firm's footprint to 700,000 square feet, making it the largest commercial space leased in New York City in 2023, as announced by the building's landlord RXR Realty. The firm's managing partner, Neil Barr, emphasized that the expansion reflects the firm's growth strategy.Davis Polk has been proactive in moving back to in-office work after the pandemic and is requiring its lawyers and business services personnel to be in the office Monday through Thursday after Labor Day. The building, located near Grand Central Ter