Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Legal Ethics
-
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."
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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 2022 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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
August 28, 2024
Ex-Defender Opposes Bid To Fix Record In Harassment Case
A former assistant public defender in North Carolina who lost her suit accusing the judiciary of botching her sexual harassment complaint has called out mistakes in the trial transcripts but opposed the government's method for correcting them, calling the proposal "fundamentally unfair."
-
August 28, 2024
Holland & Knight Sued Over Client Info In Ex-Partner's Divorce
Holland & Knight LLP and former partner Patrick McCabe are facing a lawsuit in Pennsylvania court filed by a former client of the law firm who claims McCabe and two employees who reported to him unlawfully accessed the client's confidential documents in order to gain an upper hand in his contentious divorce.
-
August 27, 2024
Gharavi Threatens Defamation Suit In Chiles Controversy
Prominent arbitrator Hamid Gharavi is accusing the authors of a viral article questioning whether he should have been conflicted off the tribunal that stripped U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles of her Olympic bronze medal of defamation, saying they exposed him to "public hatred, threats and disgrace."
-
August 27, 2024
Calif. Panel Won't Block Sanctions Over Firm's Anti-SLAPP Bid
A California appeals court has upheld a trial court's denial of an anti-SLAPP motion in a lawsuit alleging a partner in one law firm tried to misappropriate fees won in an overtime suit by another law firm where he was also a partner.
-
August 27, 2024
Jackson Walker Is Trying To 'Revise History,' US Trustee Says
Jackson Walker LLP told a Houston judge Tuesday that the U.S. Trustee's Office "wants everyone to play by the rules except for [itself]" in a discovery dispute connected to a former Texas bankruptcy judge's secret relationship, as the bankruptcy watchdog simultaneously accused the firm of chasing down rumors to "revise history" through overbroad discovery requests.
-
August 27, 2024
Colo. Startup Founder Disbarred For Conflicts, Dishonesty
A Denver attorney who co-founded and provided legal services for a publicly traded software startup has been disbarred in Colorado for widespread misconduct including failing to inform the company that he issued stock in excess of what had been authorized, practicing law with a suspended license, and conversion of thousands of dollars in corporate funds.
-
August 27, 2024
NY-Licensed Atty Tells Appeals Court NC Bar Can't Touch Him
An immigration attorney has told the North Carolina Court of Appeals he can't be disciplined in a state where he was never licensed, saying the state bar's decision to disbar him should be reversed.
-
August 27, 2024
Ford, NC Couple Settle Car Crash Dispute
Ford Motor Company and a couple suing the auto giant over an allegedly defective seat and seat belt in their 2017 Ford Explorer have reached a confidential settlement of their claims, according to a recent North Carolina state court filing.
-
August 27, 2024
Mich. Atty Says Brother's Email Hack Harming Clients, Firm
A Michigan attorney has accused his brother of improperly accessing his law firm's email accounts and confidential discussions with clients, forcing the attorney to step down as name partner of his firm, allegedly after the brothers' joint cannabis venture failed.
-
August 27, 2024
Reed Smith Calls Ex-Atty's Bid For Pay Data 'Frivolous'
Reed Smith LLP has urged a New Jersey state court judge to reject a bid by a former attorney suing the firm for gender discrimination to obtain pay data going back nearly 20 years, arguing there is no legal basis to support expanding the scope of discovery.
-
August 27, 2024
Connecticut Litigation To Watch In The 2nd Half Of 2024
The Connecticut state and federal courts will grapple with a number of closely watched cases during the second half of 2024, including three key lawsuits by state Attorney General William Tong.
-
August 27, 2024
Disbarred Atty Tom Girardi Convicted Of Defrauding Clients
A California federal jury on Tuesday convicted disbarred attorney Tom Girardi on all four counts of wire fraud, finding that the former titan of the plaintiffs bar misappropriated $15 million of his clients' settlement funds.
Expert Analysis
-
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
-
Series
Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.
-
Unpacking Executive Privilege, Contempt In Recent Cases
The U.S. House of Representatives’ recent move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is the latest example in a growing trend of executive privilege disputes, and serves as a warning to private citizens and corporate leaders who are in communication with the president, says Kristina Moore at Womble Bond.
-
3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.
-
E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents
Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.
-
Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course
The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.
-
Series
Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer
As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.
-
Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act
As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.
-
How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market
Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.
-
Series
Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.
-
Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step
From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
-
Avoiding Legal Ethics Landmines In Preindictment Meetings
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's recent bribery conviction included obstruction charges based on his former lawyer's preindictment presentation to prosecutors, highlighting valuable lessons on the legal ethics rules implicated in these kinds of defense presentations, say Steve Miller and Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG.
-
Series
Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer
When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.
-
Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity
The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.
-
Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: July Lessons
In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers cases touching on pre- and post-conviction detainment conditions, communications with class representatives, when the American Pipe tolling doctrine stops applying to modified classes, and more.