Legal Ethics

  • February 13, 2025

    Judge's Bias Justifies Reviving Insurance Row, Fla. Panel Says

    A man whose legal counsel was disbarred while his insurance suit was pending will have another chance to pursue his claims, a Florida state appeals court has determined, reversing a lower court order that threw out the suit for delays and moving the case to another judge after finding evidence of potential "bias or prejudice."

  • February 12, 2025

    Elon Musk Wants Judges Removed For DOGE Court Losses

    Elon Musk on Wednesday posted a number of tweets calling for "an immediate wave of judicial impeachments," specifically targeting federal judges who have recently blocked his DOGE Service Temporary Organization from freezing federal funds and accessing U.S. Department of the Treasury payment systems.

  • February 12, 2025

    Social Media MDL Judge Rips Google, Snap Quick Appeal Bid

    A California federal judge indicated Wednesday she likely won't let Google and Snap file interlocutory appeals in multidistrict litigation over social media's allegedly addictive designs, saying the appeals requests make "no sense," and she slammed Meta insurers' unnecessary motion to expedite its coverage dispute with Meta as "unprofessional."

  • February 12, 2025

    Feds Cleared Of Intentional Intrusion Over Diddy's Jail Notes

    Prosecutors did not intentionally invade Sean "Diddy" Combs' attorney-client privilege when they received photographs of his handwritten notes that were taken during a security sweep of the prison, a Manhattan federal judge ruled Wednesday, rejecting the music mogul's request for relief in his sex-trafficking case.

  • February 12, 2025

    Estate Of Wife Killed By Ex-BigLaw Atty Opposes Consolidation

    The administrator of the estate of the wife of former BigLaw attorney Claud "Tex" McIver has called on a state court to not consolidate an action regarding the proceeds of a wrongful death settlement and a separate probate case involving her will.

  • February 12, 2025

    Willkie DQ'd Out Of Franchise Group Ch. 11

    A Delaware bankruptcy judge Wednesday denied retail chain operator Franchise Group Inc.'s request to retain Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP in its Chapter 11, saying issues stemming from a transaction it worked on before the bankruptcy are too central to the company's reorganization plans.

  • February 12, 2025

    Foley Hoag Must Face Bulk Of Worker's Bias, Wage Suit

    A New York federal judge largely denied Foley Hoag LLP's bid to partially escape a Moldovan former employee's lawsuit, saying Wednesday he put forward enough information to back up his claims that the firm discriminated against him because of his Russian heritage and disability.

  • February 12, 2025

    Client Says Seattle Firm's Bad Advice Cost Him Millions

    A former client has targeted Karr Tuttle Campbell in a legal malpractice complaint alleging the Seattle law firm gave him bad advice on the policy limits of related insurance coverage in an underlying case against another law firm, costing the client millions of dollars in a settlement.

  • February 12, 2025

    Fried Frank Faces Sanctions Bid Over RICO Suit

    Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP and its client, Tristar Products Inc., are facing a sanctions bid for bringing a RICO lawsuit against Telebrands Corp., with the defendant saying the complaint makes the company and its attorney seem like "alleged criminal masterminds."

  • February 12, 2025

    Houston Firm Pushes For $30K Sanctions In Back Wages Case

    A Houston law firm has urged an appellate court to sanction its former associate for his conduct during a back wages trial, saying that the trial court declined to decide the firm's motion despite having power over the case four months after the verdict.

  • February 12, 2025

    Connell Foley Can't Refute DQ Bid, NJ Investment Firm Says

    A Black-owned investment firm suing New Jersey for discrimination in federal court said the court must disqualify Connell Foley LLP from representing the state because of a conflict of interest, even though the supposedly conflicted attorney has denied any ethical breach.

  • February 12, 2025

    Texas Bar Suggests Limit On Atty Nondisparagement Clauses

    A proposed ethics opinion from the State Bar of Texas says lawyers licensed in the state cannot be bound by nondisparagement clauses that touch on the practice of law but that provisions dealing with their personal speech would be fair game.

  • February 12, 2025

    Ex-Client Slams Buzbee's Sanctions Bid In Fraud Suit

    A former client suing prominent Houston attorney Tony Buzbee for fraud has hit back against Buzbee's attempt to sanction him, claiming he's well within his rights to mention other instances in which Buzbee allegedly stole from clients.

  • February 12, 2025

    Morgan Lewis, Patent Specialist End Age, Race Bias Suit

    A discrimination complaint filed by a former patent prosecution specialist against her former employer, Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, has been dismissed from Washington, D.C., federal court after both sides reached a settlement agreement.

  • February 12, 2025

    California Judge Chided For Entering Other Jurists' Chambers

    A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has been publicly admonished for entering other jurists' chambers after hours and without permission to access confidential files and computers, in what the state's Commission on Judicial Performance called a "serious breach of the expected trust shared among judicial colleagues."

  • February 12, 2025

    Ex-Ill. Speaker Madigan Guilty Of Bribery In Mixed Verdict

    A federal jury on Wednesday partially convicted the man who was once the most powerful politician in Illinois on federal corruption charges, finding former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan guilty of bribery conspiracy and wire fraud but deadlocking on the government's overarching racketeering charge.

  • February 11, 2025

    GAO Says Protester Wrongly Used Redacted Army Corps Info

    The U.S. Government Accountability Office has rejected a protest over a €36.7 ($38 million) million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers construction contract and criticized the protester for filing claims based on improperly redacted Corps information, saying the redaction mistake didn't waive related protections.

  • February 11, 2025

    Orion Telescope Partly Revives $4M Fraudulent Transfer Suit

    A California appellate court on Monday partially revived Orion Telescope's suit accusing rival Celestron Acquisition of orchestrating a fraudulent $4.2 million transfer to help another company avoid paying a judgment owed to Orion, ruling that Orion indeed adequately alleged conspiracy or aiding and abetting a fraudulent transfer.

  • February 11, 2025

    GOP Reps. Reintroduce Litigation Funding Disclosures Bill

    Three House Republicans have reintroduced legislation that would require the disclosure of parties collecting payments in civil lawsuits, saying that transparency on so-called "third-party litigation funding" was crucial, especially in patent litigation.

  • February 11, 2025

    NY Judge Sides With Attorney In Golf Malpractice Row

    A New York federal magistrate judge has recommended summary judgment in favor of an attorney in a legal malpractice lawsuit in which he is accused of causing the plaintiffs to lose an Arizona golf course property because he failed to file the proper bankruptcy paperwork.

  • February 11, 2025

    Rodney King's Former Atty Gets Prison For $7M Tax Evasion

    A Los Angeles criminal defense and civil rights attorney who once represented Rodney King was sentenced by a California federal court Tuesday to 1½ years in prison for evading $7.2 million worth of taxes on income from his law practice.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ill. Atty Beats Wire Fraud Retrial After Privilege Violation

    An Illinois jury has acquitted a former Freeborn & Peters partner of charges that he helped a client shift assets to avoid creditors ahead of its anticipated bankruptcy filing, after a privilege violation prompted the trial judge to exclude certain evidence from the case.

  • February 11, 2025

    Eaton Fire Victim Wants Sanctions Against SoCal Edison

    A victim of the recent devastating Eaton Fire in Altadena has told a California state judge that Southern California Edison and its attorneys should face sanctions for allegedly concealing efforts to reenergize electrical transmission lines while the blaze was still burning last month.

  • February 11, 2025

    Ye Sanctioned, Ordered To Sit For Depo In Fired Guard's Suit

    A California judge ordered Ye on Tuesday to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit from a former security guard at the embattled rapper's Donda Academy and sanctioned him $500 for skipping a deposition, while also scolding Ye's counsel about the attorney's apparently difficult "history" before his court.

  • February 11, 2025

    NJ Prosecutor Can Pursue Claim He Was Misled Over Resignation

    A New Jersey state judge has reinstated a claim in a lawsuit from the former Warren County prosecutor that he was deceived into resigning from his position by Gov. Phil Murphy and Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

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