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Legal Ethics
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August 29, 2024
Tesla, Elon Musk Beat Dogecoin Buyers' Fraud Suit, For Good
A New York federal judge on Thursday for the final time threw out a contentious lawsuit brought by Dogecoin investors accusing Elon Musk of manipulating the market so that he and Tesla could turn a profit on the meme-themed cryptocurrency.
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August 29, 2024
'You Don't Need To Be Obnoxious': Ch. 11 Hearing Gets Rowdy
A California bankruptcy judge on Thursday slammed an attorney for what he called her "obnoxious" courtroom behavior, while the lawyer argued that a proposed liquidation plan for a defunct law firm could enrich the professionals managing the case and leave little for claimants.
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August 29, 2024
Samsung Nabs Costs After Beating Staton Techiya IP Case
A Texas federal judge on Thursday awarded Samsung $108,674 in court costs stemming from a patent infringement suit filed by the company's former in-house patent attorneys — a case he tossed earlier this year based on unclean hands — and asked for more information on costs still in dispute.
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August 29, 2024
Philly Legal Org. Must Face Atty's EEOC Bias Suit At Trial
A Pennsylvania federal judge declined Thursday to side with either party on the core claims in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit alleging a Philadelphia legal services organization fired an attorney who asked for more medical leave, ruling that the case is best fit for trial.
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August 29, 2024
Judiciary Group Urged To Table 'Mega' Bankruptcy Panel Ban
A subcommittee urged the Judicial Conference's bankruptcy rule advisory committee to hold off on considering a ban on so-called mega bankruptcy panels at an upcoming meeting, saying a different committee's work overlaps with a rule proposed to curb the controversial practice.
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August 29, 2024
Burke Warren Nixed WFH Request, Violating ADA, Suit Says
A former legal assistant at Burke Warren MacKay & Serritella PC has sued the firm for disability discrimination in Illinois federal court, saying he was illegally fired rather than accommodated when his cancer treatment led him to ask for a permanent work-from-home schedule.
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August 29, 2024
Ill. Judge Overrules Dismissal For 6 Paraquat Cases
An Illinois federal judge on Wednesday declined to dismiss several cases in multidistrict litigation over the herbicide paraquat, finding that even though counsel didn't fill out questionnaires on time, it was because he was left the sole attorney in the firm after others quit.
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August 29, 2024
Texas Justices Sign Off On Attorney Ethics Rule Changes
The Texas Supreme Court has adopted a number of amendments and new professional conduct rules for lawyers practicing in the Lone Star State, including some that address the duties of a managing partner or supervising attorney and an attorney's responsibilities to prospective clients.
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August 29, 2024
Feds Say Ex-BigLaw Atty Can't Shake OneCoin Conviction
Federal prosecutors have told the Second Circuit that former Locke Lord LLP partner Mark S. Scott has "greatly exaggerate[d]" the importance of testimony from a government witness, some of which was later shown to be perjury, in a bid to have his money laundering conviction reversed.
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August 29, 2024
6th Circ. Tosses Atty's Challenge To Court Recording Ban
A Michigan attorney who was held in contempt for posting a screenshot of a Zoom hearing on Facebook can't use the First Amendment to challenge a prohibition on recording courtroom proceedings, because he lacks standing, the Sixth Circuit has ruled.
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August 29, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Seeks DC Circ. Rehearing In $486M Award Fight
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has asked the D.C. Circuit to reconsider its ruling in a dispute over the firm's authority to represent a port operator in a long-running legal battle with the Republic of Djibouti.
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August 29, 2024
Offit Kurman Must Pay Over $4M In Legal Malpractice Suit
A Pennsylvania judge has awarded over $4 million to Mitts Law LLC in its suit claiming that Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law's discovery violations while representing a client resulted in a $3 million judgment, ruling that the firm's representation "fell below the ordinary skill, knowledge and care exercised by attorneys under the circumstances."
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August 29, 2024
Ex-Littler Atty Drops Suit Alleging Firm Violated $1M Deal
A former Littler Mendelson PC lawyer has dropped her California state court lawsuit against the firm that alleged it had violated a settlement inked in a suit the firm filed in Texas state court accusing the attorney of stealing confidential information, wrapping up the dispute between the former associate and the firm.
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August 29, 2024
Seward & Kissel Faces Docs Demand In NJ 'Betrayal' Suit
The wife of the billionaire founder of hedge fund Two Sigma Investments LP told the New Jersey state court that Seward & Kissel LLP cannot hide behind attorney-client privilege to avoid producing documents in her malpractice case because the firm defrauded her.
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August 29, 2024
Foley & Lardner Must Face Ex-Clients' Breach-Of-Duty Action
A Texas appellate court has reversed a decision that let Foley & Lardner LLP escape a suit filed by two partners in an oil and gas venture who allege that the firm failed to disclose conflicts of interest and misused their confidential information after representing them in several matters.
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August 29, 2024
Bannon Again Seeks Bail As DC Circ. Considers Rehearing
Imprisoned former Donald Trump adviser Stephen Bannon asked a D.C. federal judge on Thursday to reimpose his bail while he waits to hear whether an appeals court will give another look at his contempt of Congress conviction.
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August 28, 2024
9th Circ. Revives Atty's Suit Against State Bar Officers
The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed a summary judgment win for Oregon State Bar officers, ruling in a published opinion that a member attorney established that the bar violated his constitutional right to freedom of association when publishing statements he objected to that criticized former President Donald Trump.
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August 28, 2024
Orrick, Okla. Atty Deny Violating MOVEit MDL Judge's Orders
Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP and an Oklahoma attorney have denied violating court orders in multidistrict litigation over a 2023 data breach involving Progress Software's MOVEit file transfer tool, telling a Massachusetts federal court they were allowed to settle similar state litigation against a payroll software provider outside the federal action.
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August 28, 2024
Pa. Atty Admits To Dodging Taxes On Mass Tort Deal Fees
A Pennsylvania attorney pled guilty Wednesday to failing to pay taxes for approximately $1.2 million in income she received over three years, depriving the government of up to half a million dollars in revenue, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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August 28, 2024
NY Firm Calls Gas Co.'s Contract And Fee Claims Duplicative
Albany, New York-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna LLP has moved to trim breach of contract and disgorgement of fees claims brought by a former client over allegedly bungled tax advice, telling a New York federal judge the claims are redundant when the ex-client is also pursuing a legal malpractice cause of action.
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August 28, 2024
NJ Health System Repeats Call For Proskauer DQ
New Jersey health network CarePoint Health Management Associates LLC has redoubled its call for a New Jersey federal judge to disqualify Proskauer Rose LLP from representing competitor RWJBarnabas Health Inc. amid antitrust claims brought by CarePoint, arguing CarePoint's prior representation by Proskauer is substantially related to the case.
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August 28, 2024
LA Atty Accused Of Bilking Inmates With False Freedom Hope
A Los Angeles attorney accused of raking in thousands of dollars by giving inmates and their families intentionally misleading information about their chances for resentencing after convictions for violent crimes faces an 18-count disciplinary complaint filed this week by the State Bar of California.
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August 28, 2024
Jones Foster Beats Malpractice Claims In Fla. Over Trust Case
Jones Foster PA and one of its attorneys escaped malpractice claims filed against them in Florida federal court after a judge said their former clients were mistaken when they argued they didn't need an expert witness in their case.
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August 28, 2024
NFL Concussion Litigation Funder's Case Heading For Trial
A New Jersey federal judge has advanced a case for trial in which a litigation funder accuses a solo practitioner in the NFL concussion case of unfairly shielding assets by buying and transferring himself a house through his firm.
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August 28, 2024
Congress Urged To Address Trump Financial Conflicts
After possible financial conflicts of interest caused consternation during President Donald Trump's first term, an ethics watchdog is calling for a series of legislative reforms to prevent them from recurring if he's reelected.
Expert Analysis
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Litigation Inspiration: Attys Can Be Heroic Like Olympians
Although litigation won’t earn anyone an Olympic medal in Paris this summer, it can be worthy of the same lasting honor if attorneys exercise focused restraint — seeking both their clients’ interests and those of the court — instead of merely pursuing every advantage short of sanctionable conduct, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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Lean Into The 'Great Restoration' To Retain Legal Talent
As the “great resignation,” in which employees voluntarily left their jobs in droves, has largely dissipated, legal employers should now work toward the idea of a “great restoration,” adopting strategies to effectively hire, onboard and retain top legal talent, says Molly McGrath at Hiring & Empowering Solutions.
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Series
Fishing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Atop the list of ways fishing makes me a better lawyer is the relief it offers from the chronic stress of a demanding caseload, but it has also improved my listening skills and patience, and has served as an exceptional setting for building earnest relationships, says Steven DeGeorge at Robinson Bradshaw.
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A Healthier Legal Industry Starts With Emotional Intelligence
The legal profession has long been plagued by high rates of mental health issues, in part due to attorneys’ early training and broader societal stereotypes — but developing one’s emotional intelligence is one way to foster positive change, collectively and individually, says attorney Esperanza Franco.
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To Make Your Legal Writing Clear, Emulate A Master Chef
To deliver clear and effective written advocacy, lawyers should follow the model of a fine dining chef — seasoning a foundation of pure facts with punchy descriptors, spicing it up with analogies, refining the recipe and trimming the fat — thus catering to a sophisticated audience of decision-makers, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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Circuit Judge Writes An Opinion, AI Helps: What Now?
Last week's Eleventh Circuit opinion in Snell v. United Specialty Insurance, notable for a concurrence outlining the use of artificial intelligence to evaluate a term's common meaning, is hopefully the first step toward developing a coherent basis for the judiciary's generative AI use, says David Zaslowsky at Baker McKenzie.
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Perspectives
Trauma-Informed Legal Approaches For Pro Bono Attorneys
As National Trauma Awareness Month ends, pro bono attorneys should nevertheless continue to acknowledge the mental and physical effects of trauma, allowing them to better represent clients, and protect themselves from compassion fatigue and burnout, say Katherine Cronin at Stinson and Katharine Manning at Blackbird.
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Opinion
NY Should Pass Litigation Funding Bill To Protect Plaintiffs
New York state should embrace the regulatory framework proposed in the Consumer Litigation Funding Act, which would suppress the unregulated predatory lenders that currently prey on vulnerable litigants but preserve a funding option that helps personal injury plaintiffs stand up to deep-pocketed corporate defendants, says Alan Ripka at Alan Ripka & Associates.
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Series
Playing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My deep and passionate involvement in playing, writing and producing music equipped me with skills — like creativity, improvisation and problem-solving — that contribute to the success of my legal career, says attorney Kenneth Greene.
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How Attys Can Avoid Pitfalls When Withdrawing From A Case
The Trump campaign's recent scuffle over its bid to replace its counsel in a pregnancy retaliation suit offers a chance to remind attorneys that many troubles inherent in withdrawing from a case can be mitigated or entirely avoided by communicating with clients openly and frequently, says Christopher Konneker at Orsinger Nelson.
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High Court Injunction Case Could Shake Up Fee-Shifting Rules
In agreeing to review a Virginia case rendered statutorily moot before final judgment, the U.S. Supreme Court could finally settle the question of if — and when — a preliminary injunction can win attorney fees for a prevailing party, but all possible answers could disrupt fee-shifting schemes written into major laws, says Laurens Wilkes at Winston & Strawn.
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Using A Children's Book Approach In Firm Marketing Content
From “The Giving Tree” to “Where the Wild Things Are,” most children’s books are easy to remember because they use simple words and numbers to tell stories with a human impact — a formula law firms should emulate in their marketing content to stay front of mind for potential clients, says Seema Desai Maglio at The Found Word.
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Series
Being An EMT Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While some of my experiences as an emergency medical technician have been unusually painful and searing, the skills I’ve learned — such as triage, empathy and preparedness — are just as useful in my work as a restructuring lawyer, says Marshall Huebner at Davis Polk.
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Exploring An Alternative Model Of Litigation Finance
A new model of litigation finance, most aptly described as insurance-backed litigation funding, differs from traditional funding in two key ways, and the process of securing it involves three primary steps, say Bob Koneck, Christopher Le Neve Foster and Richard Butters at Atlantic Global Risk LLC.
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Trump Hush Money Case Offers Master Class In Trial Strategy
The New York criminal hush money trial of former President Donald Trump typifies some of the greatest challenges that lawyers face in crafting persuasive presentations, providing lessons on how to handle bad facts, craft a simple story that withstands attack, and cross-examine with that story in mind, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.