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Legal Ethics
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August 19, 2024
Feds Trim Sentencing Request For Atty In Email Fraud Case
Massachusetts federal prosecutors have shaved 11 months off of a nine-year sentencing request for an Illinois attorney who was convicted of collecting proceeds from an email fraud scheme, after the First Circuit vacated three of the lawyer's six counts on venue grounds.
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August 19, 2024
Chinese Exile's Daughter Wants Ch. 11 Sanctions Overturned
The daughter of bankrupt Chinese exile Miles Guo and her New Jersey-based attorney are asking the Second Circuit to overturn a bankruptcy judge's $83,370 discovery sanction, calling the discovery requests in question unclear and the sanction excessive.
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August 19, 2024
Gov't, Contractor Urge Against Sanctions Over Doc Dispute
Both the federal government and a contractor have urged a Court of Federal Claims judge not to sanction the government for the mislabeling of documents in a dispute over a U.S. Air Force construction deal, after the government argued its mistakes were inadvertent.
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August 19, 2024
Kasowitz Urges NY Court To Toss Supertall Tower Suit
Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP asked a New York state court to dismiss a lawsuit filed by two limited liability companies tied to AmBase Corp. over Manhattan's troubled supertall Steinway Tower.
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August 19, 2024
DQ'd Judge Should Have Kept Quiet, Tax Challengers Say
A Michigan federal judge who disqualified himself from homeowners' challenge to a $217 million dam repair tax assessment put his "thumb on the scale of justice" by improperly commenting on legal questions as he bowed out, according to homeowners seeking to have the comments rescinded.
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August 19, 2024
Ex-NJ County Exec Loses Bid To DQ Firm In Retaliation Suit
A former Cumberland County, New Jersey, health official claiming his firing was political retaliation cannot disqualify the county's counsel in his lawsuit, Testa Heck Testa & White PA, over interactions he had with two firm attorneys around the time of his firing, a state court judge ruled Friday.
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August 19, 2024
Ex-McElroy Execs' Theft, Bias Cases Paused Amid Ch. 11
A New Jersey state court has sided with McElroy Deutsch and stayed all litigation between the law firm and two former executives, including both the firm's fraud claims and discrimination counterclaims made against it, while a related bankruptcy case plays out.
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August 19, 2024
Ford Can't Show Judge Is Biased In Crash Case, Driver Says
Victims of a car crash urged the North Carolina state appeals court to reject a bid by Ford to get a trial court judge booted from a vehicle safety lawsuit, arguing the carmaker hasn't shown the judge is biased by bringing up statements he made years ago as a private attorney who took on the company.
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August 19, 2024
Atty Faces Contempt Bid In Fla. Forex Trading Firm Case
The court-appointed receiver of an investment company at the center of a U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission lawsuit over the firm's $75 million foreign currency trading fraud has asked for the company's now-imprisoned CEO's appeals attorney to be held in contempt of court for allegedly failing to comply with a subpoena.
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August 19, 2024
Voters Fight DeSantis Bid To Toss Prosecutor Suspension Suit
Florida voters and a partisan advocacy group have pushed back against Gov. Ron DeSantis' argument that voters have no right to see an elected official serve an entire term in a suit over the suspension of Florida prosecutor Monique Worrell, saying it doesn't matter when interference in an election occurs because the effect on the voters is the same.
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August 19, 2024
FTC Says Albertsons Execs Deleted Texts About Merger
The Federal Trade Commission accused executives from Albertsons of deleting text messages about the supermarket chain's planned megamerger with Kroger, saying the messages likely contained valuable internal views about the effects of the $25 billion deal.
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August 19, 2024
Trump's Immunity Appeal May Delay Sentencing, DA Says
Prosecutors will not oppose Donald Trump's request to delay sentencing in his New York hush money case, currently set for next month, while he seeks to dismiss his conviction in light of the U.S. Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling, agreeing that an immediate appeal may upend the proceedings anyway.
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August 19, 2024
Florida Judge's Recusal Not Required After Child's Arrest
A Florida judge presiding over the juvenile division in a county where the judge's own child was arrested or charged with a crime need not be recused from juvenile delinquency cases, a state ethics watchdog has found, though the judge must disclose the information to parties in juvenile delinquency matters.
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August 16, 2024
2 BigLaw Firms Nix Bankruptcy Judge Romance Suit, For Now
A Texas federal judge Friday tossed an investor's racketeering lawsuit alleging a conspiracy involving Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Jackson Walker LLP, a disgraced Texas bankruptcy judge and his secret romance with a former Jackson Walker partner, dismissing the suit without prejudice while voicing her distaste for its allegations of judicial misconduct.
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August 16, 2024
Feds Get Boost From Dem Reps In 5th Circ. PWFA Fight
The federal government's Fifth Circuit challenge to a court order blocking it from enforcing a law to protect pregnant workers in Texas got support on Friday from four Democratic lawmakers who argued the lower court ruling, if upheld, would undercut Congress' authority to set its own rules of operation.
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August 16, 2024
Atty Gets 32 Months In Prison For Bribing Chicago Alderman
An Illinois federal judge on Friday sentenced an immigration attorney and real estate developer convicted of bribing former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke to two years and eight months in prison, maintaining prison time is warranted because the lawyer initiated the bribe and tried to hide it from federal agents and the grand jury.
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August 16, 2024
Texas Injury Firm's Ex-Associate Must Face Poaching Suit
A Texas state appeals court refused to dismiss a suit accusing a former associate of Daspit Law Firm PLLC of improperly poaching clients following his firing in 2022, saying his conduct isn't covered by state statute protecting citizens from retaliatory lawsuits.
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August 16, 2024
Fla. Atty Gets Second Look At Sanctions Ruling Over Mistrial
A Florida attorney and his law firm, Garrison Yount Forte & Mulcahy LLC, will get the sanctions against them reconsidered by a state trial court after a three-judge panel for Florida's Fifth District Court of Appeal found they were denied a necessary hearing prior to receiving the penalties after the attorney's actions led to a mistrial in a personal injury case.
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August 16, 2024
Gunster Aims To Erase Data Breach Suit In Florida
Gunster Yoakley & Stewart PA has asked a Florida federal court to toss a proposed class action related to a data breach in 2022, arguing that the former client failed to state actual damages sustained by the potential class due to the cybersecurity incident.
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August 16, 2024
V&E Can Advise Wood Pellet Co. Enviva In Ch. 11, Court Says
Months after a Virginia bankruptcy court blocked Vinson & Elkins LLP from representing Enviva in the wood pellet maker's Chapter 11 case due to a possible conflict of interest, the court has reversed course, permitting the law firm to serve as special counsel after it pledged to narrow the scope of its work.
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August 16, 2024
Former Texas Judge Sanctioned Over Atty Romance Interview
Former bankruptcy judge David R. Jones was sanctioned Friday for an "off the record" interview with Jackson Walker LLP, in which he asked the firm not to take his deposition during a federal investigation into Jones' secret romantic relationship with a former Jackson Walker partner.
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August 16, 2024
Ford Says $1.7B Loss Blocks Punitives In Rollover Suit
Ford Motor Co. is asking a Georgia federal court to throw out a bid for punitive damages from the children of a couple who died in a rollover crash, saying punitive damages in a prior $1.7 billion loss in a similar suit bars the claim.
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August 16, 2024
Pashman Stein Must Face NJ Atty's Malpractice Claims
A New Jersey state court has rejected Pashman Stein Walder Hayden PC's bid to dismiss a malpractice counterclaim lodged against it by an attorney and former client, who the firm has argued painted an "outright deceptive narrative" to avoid paying nearly $100,000 in legal fees.
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August 16, 2024
Ortho Center Seeks Lit Funding Details After Scuttled Verdict
A Minnesota-based orthopedic center wants a former patient to disclose information regarding his litigation financing agreement with Bench Walk Advisors following a $110 million malpractice verdict, which a judge later decided was "astronomical" and largely scrapped.
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August 16, 2024
Atty Who Reported Client Can't Get SEC Award, DC Circ. Says
The D.C. Circuit was not moved by an attorney's attempt to claim a potential multimillion-dollar award for reporting his client to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, saying the attorney could not have reasonably believed that blowing the whistle on the $44 million fraud was in his client's best interest.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.
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Opinion
History Reveals Folly Of Absolute Presidential Immunity
As a federal appeals court grapples with former President Donald Trump’s claims that he’s immune from prosecution on election interference charges, it’s a fitting time for lawyers to reflect on the rule of law — from 13th century jurisprudence to Watergate and the Clinton impeachment — and how the idea of absolute presidential immunity is unwise, says attorney Steven Reske.
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Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument
Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.
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Perspectives
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer
After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.
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Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?
Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.
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Wachtell-X Ruling Highlights Trend On Arbitrability Question
A growing body of case law, including a California state court's recent decision in X Corp. v. Wachtell, holds that incorporation of specific arbitral body rules in an arbitration provision may in and of itself constitute clear and unmistakable evidence of delegation of arbitrability to an arbitrator, and thus such clauses should be drafted carefully, say attorneys at Norton Rose.
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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
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On The Edge: Lessons In Patent Litigation Financing
A federal judge's recent request that the U.S. Department of Justice look into IP Edge patent litigation, and that counsel be disciplined, serves as a reminder for parties asserting intellectual property rights — and their attorneys — to exercise caution when structuring a litigation financing agreement, say Samuel Habein and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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Opinion
Stronger Attorney Rules Are Needed To Avoid A Jan. 6 Repeat
Given the key role lawyers played in the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, the legal profession must shore up its rules before this year’s presidential election to make clear that lawyers who undermine the rule of law will face severe penalties, including disbarment, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like
As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.