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Legal Ethics
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September 20, 2024
Houston Judge Won't Take Up Prosecutor License Issue
A Houston judge declined to take up allegations that a government prosecutor participated in a case against a Texas surgeon while her law license was suspended, denying the doctor's show cause motion in a brief order Thursday.
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September 20, 2024
King & Spalding Fights Bias Suit Over Summer Program
King & Spalding LLP is urging a Maryland federal judge to toss a discrimination suit filed by a straight white woman who says she was dissuaded from applying to a summer associate program open only to "diverse" applicants, arguing the student suffered no injury since she did not apply.
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September 20, 2024
Firm Won't Be Sanctioned For 'Fabricated' Baby Death Suit
A Connecticut law firm will not be sanctioned for filing an allegedly fabricated product liability lawsuit against Target Corp. and the maker of an infant lounger over the death of a baby, whose death the companies say was actually caused by homicide, a Connecticut federal judge decided the same day that he trimmed most of the complaint's claims.
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September 20, 2024
NY Firm Settles With Chinese Exile Guo's Ch. 11 Trustee
Wildes & Weinberg PC, a New York-based immigration law firm, has penned a confidential settlement with the Chapter 11 trustee overseeing Chinese exile Miles Guo's bankruptcy in Connecticut, a deal that appears to be the first one the trustee struck with a law firm since he began filing clawback actions earlier this year.
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September 20, 2024
Seward & Kissel Says NJ Malpractice Docs Are Privileged
Seward & Kissel LLP has asked a New Jersey state judge to reject a discovery bid from the wife of hedge fund Two Sigma Investments LP's founder in her malpractice suit, arguing that the documents in question are protected by attorney-client privilege.
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September 20, 2024
Drew Eckl Battles Ex-Firm Attys Over Fees Arbitration
Drew Eckl & Farnham LLP and breakaway firm Burke Moore Law Group LLP filed competing briefs with the Georgia Court of Appeals this week, as Drew Eckl fought to uphold a trial court's ruling that Burke Moore must arbitrate a dispute over fees earned by its name partners when they left to start their own shop.
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September 20, 2024
Ellenoff Grossman Denied Arbitration In Ex-Atty's Firing Suit
A New York federal judge has sent a former Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP associate's suit saying she was fired for protesting sexual harassment back to state court and denied the firm's motion to compel arbitration of the matter.
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September 20, 2024
Trump Again Asks To Delay Evidence In DC Election Suit
Attorneys for former President Donald Trump again asked the Washington, D.C., federal judge overseeing his election interference case to push back a highly anticipated evidentiary filing from prosecutors, saying special counsel Jack Smith's office shouldn't be allowed to publicly lay out evidence until the court addresses Trump's concerns about the scope of discovery.
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September 20, 2024
Illinois Justices Affirm Fired Attorneys' $1.7M Fee Award
The Illinois Supreme Court held Thursday that two attorneys who represented clients in contentious proceedings over family assets are entitled to $1.7 million in fees for nearly a year and a half of legal work they did before they were terminated, reversing an appellate court that found their attorney-client agreement void.
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September 20, 2024
Steel Biz Investors Sue Atty Over 'Father-Son'-Like Conflict
A Pennsylvania couple have filed a malpractice suit accusing a lawyer of helping a steel distribution company induce them into investing about $800,000 and defrauding them, saying the attorney didn't disclose his relationship with the company's owners and "father-son"-like bond with one of them.
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September 20, 2024
Former Wilson Elser Attorney Drops 9th Circ. Benefits Appeal
The Ninth Circuit has agreed to dismiss a federal benefits lawsuit from a former Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP partner who claimed he was owed long-term disability benefits tied to chronic fatigue, after the parties held a lengthy mediation of the dispute.
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September 19, 2024
Dechert Settles Aviation Exec's Hack Cover-Up RICO Claims
An airline mogul has cut a confidential deal with Dechert and two former partners of the firm to let them off the hook in his sprawling civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act lawsuit in New York federal court, the settling parties announced Thursday.
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September 19, 2024
Ex-George Mason Law Prof Can't Stop Title IX Investigation
A former George Mason University law professor can't stop the school or its Title IX coordinator from investigating sexual misconduct claims lodged against him, but he can pursue some of the claims in his suit over the university's handling of the sexual misconduct accusations, a Virginia federal judge ruled Thursday.
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September 19, 2024
Why Justice Thomas' Gifts Probe Is Likely Taking So Long
The federal judiciary's governing body has spent more than a year reviewing complaints alleging U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas unlawfully failed to disclose decades of luxury gifts and travel. Ethics watchdogs argue it's time to wrap up the investigation, but politics — in every sense of the word — may cause further delay.
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September 19, 2024
10th Circ. Says Disbarred Atty Mooted Appeal With Guilty Plea
The Tenth Circuit dismissed a disbarred immigration attorney's efforts at obtaining an injunction that would force a state court to appoint counsel for her in a forgery case, saying Thursday that she mooted her own appeal by pleading guilty.
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September 19, 2024
Mich. Atty Gets 1 Year For Inflating Apartment Values
A Michigan attorney and real estate executive was sentenced Thursday to one year and a day in prison for inflating how profitable his company's apartments were, allowing him to sell them for more than $500 million.
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September 19, 2024
Newsmax Appeals Quash Of Smartmatic Atty Subpoenas
Newsmax Media Inc. is appealing a Florida judge's decision to quash its attempt to subpoena a slew of criminal defense attorneys — representing Smartmatic USA Corp. executives in a criminal case over a Philippines elections contract — in Smartmatic's defamation suit over Newsmax reports tying the voting tech company to alleged conspiracies to steal the 2020 U.S. presidential election.
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September 19, 2024
Ex-Ballard Spahr Legal Assistant Drops Wrongful Firing Suit
A former Ballard Spahr LLP legal assistant on Thursday agreed to drop a Pennsylvania civil rights lawsuit alleging that the firm fired her in retaliation for taking leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act in order to care for her husband, who was battling cancer.
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September 19, 2024
Conn. Justices Wonder How 'Malicious' Firm's Ex-Client Was
The Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday questioned whether an ex-McCarter & English LLP client was "wanton" and "malicious" enough to justify the firm's novel $3.6 million punitive damages bid in a protracted billing dispute that has already fetched the firm judgments totaling more than $2 million on contract claims.
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September 19, 2024
Judge Keeps Hur Investigation Ghostwriter Tapes Sealed
A D.C. federal judge said Thursday she would review portions of President Joe Biden's ghostwriter's interview with special counsel Robert Hur's office to see if more of it should be publicly released, but denied a separate request from the Heritage Foundation to make the audio of the same conversation public.
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September 19, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Challenges Oro Negro Execs' Discovery Bid
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP is pushing back against a bid for firm documents from its former client, Oro Negro Drilling Pte. Ltd., saying the company that provides oil services in Mexico and its subsidiaries are "weaponizing" the firm's party status to gain a tactical advantage in related legal battles.
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September 19, 2024
New NJ Senator Seeks Postelection Vote On 3rd Circ. Nominee
New Jersey's new U.S. senator, freshly sworn-in Democrat George Helmy, hopes the Senate will vote after the election on the long-stalled nomination of Adeel Mangi to the Third Circuit, which includes his state.
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September 19, 2024
Ex-La. Assistant DA Indicted In Bribery, Laundering Case
A former assistant district attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana, has been indicted on allegations he conspired to solicit kickbacks and accept bribes while overseeing the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office's pretrial intervention program.
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September 19, 2024
Calif. Panel Rejects Malpractice Claim In Ambulance Crash Suit
A California appeals panel won't revive a woman's legal malpractice suit against her former attorney stemming from an ambulance crash suit that was filed too late, finding she also filed the malpractice suit outside the one-year statute of limitations.
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September 19, 2024
Filing After Bar Lapse Was Honest Mistake, Prosecutor Says
A Texas surgeon facing criminal charges for giving patient data to a media outlet regarding gender-affirming care provided to minors accused the government's lead prosecutor of taking the case while she had a suspended law license, a blunder the attorney called an unintentional error on Thursday.
Expert Analysis
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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Alleged $636M Deal Error Highlights Ethics Considerations
Adelman v. Proskauer, a malpractice suit that allegedly arose from a cut-and-paste error resulting in potential damages of $636 million, presents an intriguing juxtaposition of facts and legal issues — and practical ethical considerations for transactions attorneys, says Richard Leisner at Trenam Law.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Alleged $636M Deal Error Shows Value Of Old-School Methods
Though Proskauer Rose has now settled claims involving a copy-paste error in deal documents that could have resulted in $636 million in damages, the debacle reminds attorneys that classic revision methods using paper copies can help avoid drafting errors and actually save time in the long run, says Richard Leisner at Trenam.
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Twitter Sanction Highlights Privacy Law's Complexity
The D.C. Circuit's recent decision to uphold a sanction against X Corp., formerly known as Twitter, for failing to produce account records in response to a subpoena highlights the importance of understanding the Stored Communications Act, particularly when deciding to produce or not produce data, says Cary Aronovitz at Holland & Knight.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.
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How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI
When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.
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How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth
Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.
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Nev. Insurance Law May Mean Turmoil In Liability Market
Nevada's new law prohibiting insurers from issuing or renewing defense-within-limits liability policies in the state could cause professional liability insurers to withdraw certain products or prohibitively increase premiums — and while an emergency regulation allows for exceptions, the situation remains fluid, says Joshua Leach at Atheria Law.