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Legal Ethics
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March 27, 2025
Fitch Even Sues Ex-IP Client In Effort To End Malpractice Case
Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery LLP has launched a lawsuit asking an Illinois federal court to declare that the co-founder of a former client isn't the inventor behind a prenatal test patent, which the firm said would put a stop to a malpractice case against it in state court.
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March 27, 2025
Ex-Atty Ran $840M Tax Evasion Scheme, DOJ Says
A former tax and real estate attorney ran a nationwide scheme that helped his customers avoid paying taxes on as much as $840 million in capital gains, the federal government told an Idaho federal court Thursday.
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March 27, 2025
Full 7th Circ. Urged To Review Law Prof's Retaliation Suit
The full Seventh Circuit was asked on Thursday to revisit a panel's ruling reviving a retaliation claim from a law school professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago who was disciplined for including a redacted racist slur on an exam, saying the opinion "raises, without answering, questions of exceptional importance that will have sweeping implications for university officials."
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March 27, 2025
Texas IP Attys Get $60K Sanction For Unauthorized Practice
A San Francisco federal magistrate judge has leveled more than $60,000 in personal sanctions against Texas intellectual property lawyer William Ramey III and two other attorneys from his high-volume patent firm, saying two of them practiced law without a California license in numerous cases to escape paying out-of-state admission fees of $328 per lawyer.
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March 27, 2025
Texas Law Firm Must Face 2nd Firm's Paxil Fees Suit
A Texas appellate court affirmed Thursday that a law firm battling its former co-counsel over the proceeds of lawsuits concerning the antidepressant drug Paxil can't use the state's anti-SLAPP statute to avoid a breach of contract claim but tossed an award of $100,000 in attorney fees.
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March 27, 2025
Ex-Troutman Atty Says Racial Bias Suit Should Go To Trial
A former Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP associate who says she was fired for calling out racial bias told a Washington, D.C., federal judge that the firm's own documents and testimony show it saw her as a valuable attorney, despite saying she was let go over performance.
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March 27, 2025
Dutch Software Co. Tells 4th Circ. To Pause Trial After Atty DQ
A Dutch software company is taking another stab at delaying its impending trademark trial with an American rival, telling the Fourth Circuit that it should not be forced to proceed after the district court held one of its attorneys in contempt and essentially disqualified him.
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March 27, 2025
McCarter & English Faces DQ Bid In NJ Food Biz Dispute
A food industry executive has asked a New Jersey federal court to remove McCarter & English LLP as counsel for his opponents in a business dispute, arguing that the firm previously represented him in negotiating the contract at issue.
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March 27, 2025
Eletson, Levona Ask 2nd Circ. To Not Delay Atty Removal
The new owners of reorganized international shipping group Eletson and a creditor-turned-affiliate have urged the Second Circuit to nix Reed Smith LLP's emergency motion for a stay in a lawsuit seeking to enforce a $102 million arbitral award, as the law firm fights to continue representing the shipping company's pre-bankruptcy shareholders.
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March 27, 2025
Panera Franchisee Blames Insurer For Slip-And-Fall Payout
A Massachusetts Panera franchisee said Travelers and its counsel botched a minor slip-and-fall claim, eventually leaving it on the hook for its full $250,000 deductible to cover an "inflated" settlement and legal fees in the case.
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March 26, 2025
Tesla Can't DQ Calif. Judge Over His Old Firm's Prior Work
A California federal judge has rejected Tesla Inc.'s bid to disqualify him from an accident case over his prior law firm's work on employment cases against the automaker, saying that aside from that the motion was not brought in time.
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March 26, 2025
Atty's Falsehoods In Key Docs Aided $23M Fraud, Suit Says
A pair of investment funds and two investors have hit a lawyer with professional malpractice and misrepresentation claims in Illinois federal court, accusing him of making false statements in solicitation documents to help their since-convicted managing member carry out a $23 million fraud.
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March 26, 2025
Ramey Slams BlackBerry's IP Fee Win As 'Manifest Injustice'
Ramey LLP and its client Silent Communications LLC urged U.S. District Judge Alan Albright Thursday to amend his finding that Ramey is liable for covering BlackBerry's attorney fees, estimated to be nearly $900,000, after filing a patent lawsuit in bad faith, arguing that the judgment is a "manifest injustice."
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March 26, 2025
Judge Knocks Amazon For Mislabeled Docs In Antitrust Suits
Amazon.com Inc. must hand over dozens of records previously flagged as confidential to the consumers in a series of class actions alleging antitrust violations, a Washington federal judge has ruled, concluding that the e-commerce giant wrongly marked the documents as "attorney-client communications or attorney-work product."
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March 26, 2025
Ex-Aides Say AG Paxton Acted Like 'Pro Se Litigant' In Fee Fight
Lawyers for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's former deputies told a judge on Wednesday that litigating against their ex-boss was "like litigating against a pro se litigant," while defending their bid for hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees.
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March 26, 2025
Jay-Z's New Evidence May Save Claim Buzbee Tried Extortion
A California state court judge said Wednesday that new evidence submitted by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter "has thrown a monkey wrench" in his analysis of the rapper's feud with personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee, and he's now inclined to keep alive an extortion claim stemming from now-abandoned rape allegations.
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March 26, 2025
State AGs, Bars Urge Attys To Speak Up Over Trump Orders
In a pair of letters released on Wednesday, dozens of bar associations and over 20 state attorneys general urged lawyers to speak out against perceived threats to the rule of law in response to President Donald Trump's recent executive orders against prominent law firms and his call for the impeachment of a federal judge.
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March 26, 2025
11th Circ. Appears Dubious Of Ex-Judge's Defamation Claims
An Eleventh Circuit panel appeared skeptical Wednesday of former Alabama judge Roy Moore's claims that he was defamed by a Democratic PAC's ad referencing allegations that he made sexual advances on underage girls, suggesting the court could strike an $8 million verdict he won after the charges dragged down his 2017 bid for U.S. Senate.
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March 26, 2025
BCBS Settlement Opt-Outs Ordered To Disclose Funding Deals
Four law firms representing hospitals that opted out of the landmark $2.8 billion Blue Cross Blue Shield antitrust settlement must disclose whether their clients were motivated by a "quick payment" from litigation funders, an Alabama federal judge ordered Tuesday.
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March 26, 2025
Sysco Can't Tap Out Of $50M Price-Fix Deal With JBS
Sysco can't back out of a $50 million agreement it made with JBS for the meat producer to exit sprawling litigation accusing it of working to fix the price of poultry, beef and pork, even though Sysco has since signed away its interest in the antitrust claims, a federal court has ruled.
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March 26, 2025
DOJ Can't DQ Judge In Perkins Coie Suit Over Trump Order
A D.C. federal judge on Wednesday shot down a demand from the U.S. Department of Justice that she step aside from Perkins Coie LLP's lawsuit against the federal government over President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the firm.
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March 26, 2025
Ex-CEO Says McGuireWoods Can't Rehash Immunity Appeal
McGuireWoods LLP and one of its former partners are rehashing immunity defenses in a last-ditch effort to dodge a long-running defamation case, the former CEO of a managed care organization told the North Carolina Court of Appeals in seeking to have the case kicked back down to the trial court.
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March 26, 2025
Del. Justices Urged Not To Open Malpractice Suit 'Floodgates'
Attorneys representing Brockstedt Mandalas Federico LLC and Schochor Staton Goldberg & Cardea PA urged the Delaware Supreme Court on Wednesday to reject a bid to revive a malpractice suit filed over damages sought for a child's "catastrophic injuries" allegedly caused by contamination from a chicken plant, saying doing so could open "floodgates" for similar suits.
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March 26, 2025
Ill. Attorney Accused Of Spending Client's Settlement Funds
A state's attorney in Illinois is facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly misusing a former client's settlement funds while he was still in private practice and doctoring a bank statement to cover his tracks.
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March 26, 2025
Calif. Consumer Affairs Dept. Sued For 'Unqualified' Arbitrator
California's Department of Consumer Affairs has been accused of harming consumers by allowing unqualified individuals to handle arbitrations, according to a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.
Expert Analysis
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What Lawyers Can Learn From High School AI Suit
A pending Massachusetts lawsuit regarding artificial intelligence use in an academic setting underscores the need for attorneys to educate themselves on AI technology and tools that affect their clients so they can advise on establishing clear expectations and limits around the permissible use of AI, say attorneys at Hinckley Allen.
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Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks
A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.
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Series
Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.
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Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content
Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.
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Series
Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer
Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.
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When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records
Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.
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3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less
Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.
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Opinion
Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'
State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
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The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule
Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.
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Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors
On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.
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Series
Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.
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So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?
Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.
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Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Series
Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers
In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron.
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata
Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.