BUSINESS/LEGAL/MICHAEL COHEN/ROBERT MUELLER/TRUMP PEOPLE: “When Michael Cohen came knocking after the 2016 election, touting himself as the president’s lawyer, a man who could decipher the new administration, Ford Motor Co. said no. So did Uber Technologies Inc. He managed to notch AT&T Inc. and Novartis AG . And Squire Patton Boggs, a law and lobbying firm, hired him for a sizable fee—though he felt it wasn’t enough. Mr. Cohen talked to associates about building a huge practice. He mused about approaching foreign governments and foreign firms. But a broad review of his Washington dealings since they first surfaced last week shows his efforts were scattershot and met only with mixed success—both for Mr. Cohen and his clients. His work did have an impact in one way. It dragged some of the world’s largest corporations and other firms into Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation: Novartis, Ford and AT&T have responded to information requests from Mr. Mueller’s office, according to people familiar with the matter.”
-Rebecca Ballhaus, Peter Nicholas, Michael Rothfeld and Joe Palazzolo, “The Wall Street Journal, May 13, 2018 8:38 pm