Legal Ethics

  • April 14, 2025

    Ex-Allied Wallet Exec Seeks Trial Delay Amid Recusal Bid

    A former executive of payment processing company Allied Wallet asked to pause his criminal bank fraud case Monday while a Massachusetts federal judge considers a recusal motion questioning his impartiality.

  • April 14, 2025

    Conservative Lawyers Seek Ethics Probe Of DC US Attorney

    A group of conservative lawyers and former prosecutors on Monday called for an attorney ethics investigation into President Donald Trump's nominee to be Washington, D.C.'s top federal prosecutor, saying the attorney has shown a "fundamental misunderstanding" of the role.

  • April 14, 2025

    Law Firm Fights 'Career Ending' Calif. Sanctions At Fed. Circ.

    Three attorneys from Texas patent firm Ramey LLP asked the Federal Circuit to press pause on a California magistrate judge's sanctions against them, arguing that their case was not filed in bad faith, they were not practicing law in California without a license and the penalties imposed on them are too harsh.

  • April 14, 2025

    3 Firms Sued By Freight Co. Over $18M Fatal Crash Judgment

    Three U.S. law firms botched their representation of a Canadian trucking company in Garden State personal injury lawsuits, resulting in a judgment of more than $18 million and excess attorney fees, according to a lawsuit filed in New Jersey state court.

  • April 14, 2025

    NY Judge Chided For Tossing Kid's Friend's Traffic Ticket

    A Westchester County, New York, judge who threw her title around while handling her daughter's traffic ticket in a neighboring town, and later tossed a different traffic ticket for her daughter's friend, has been hit with a public admonishment, the state's judicial watchdog announced Monday.

  • April 14, 2025

    NJ Attorney Must Face Land Dispute Malpractice Suit

    A New Jersey state judge has rejected a Fox Rothschild LLP attorney's bid for an early exit from a suit by a pair of sisters accusing him and related parties of malpractice stemming from the mishandling of their late stepfather's estate.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ex-Reed Smith Atty Gets Review Of NJ Bias Damages Limit

    The New Jersey state appeals court has said it will consider a former Reed Smith LLP labor and employment lawyer's appeal of a ruling that damages in her gender discrimination suit against the firm can only go as far back as the start date of a New Jersey equal pay law.

  • April 14, 2025

    McElroy Deutsch Settles Theft Suit Against Former Execs

    McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP has reached a settlement with two former executives who the firm accused of stealing millions through fraudulent bonuses and credit card use, capping off nearly two years of hard-fought litigation.

  • April 14, 2025

    Ga. Judge Faces New Misconduct Charges For Case Delays

    A Georgia state judge has been accused of delaying cases — including taking over two years to provide an order in a probate matter — after he was accused of similar misconduct in October.

  • April 14, 2025

    Colo. Atty Suspended 3 Years For Looting Firm Trust Account

    A Colorado attorney who operates a small criminal defense firm has been suspended from practicing law for three years in the state after admitting to taking tens of thousands of dollars from his firm's trust account for his own use.

  • April 14, 2025

    ABA Scholarship Illegally Bars White Applicants, Suit Says

    The American Bar Association unlawfully discriminates against white law students by excluding them from a scholarship program for racial and ethnic minorities, according to a federal lawsuit from a group founded by the conservative legal strategist who led a successful Supreme Court challenge to affirmative action in university admissions.

  • April 11, 2025

    Susman Godfrey Calls Trump Order 'Threat' To Rule Of Law

    Susman Godfrey LLP on Friday became the latest BigLaw firm targeted by President Donald Trump to hit back in D.C. federal court, saying his executive order revoking the firm's access to government resources needs to be shut down now before a "dangerous and perhaps irreversible precedent" is set.

  • April 11, 2025

    Patent Exec Hasn't Yet Proven Defamation In Baker Botts Case

    A Florida federal judge held Friday that it's too early to rule in favor of a patent licensing company executive accusing a Baker Botts LLP attorney of defamation, ruling that there are still "material facts in dispute."

  • April 11, 2025

    21 AGs Back WilmerHale, Jenner & Block Over Trump Order

    A coalition of 21 attorneys general Friday filed briefs in support of WilmerHale and Jenner & Block LLP as the firms challenge President Donald Trump's retaliatory executive orders in D.C. federal court, arguing that the directives unconstitutionally punish the firms for representing people and causes the president doesn't like.

  • April 11, 2025

    Ga. Law Firm Says Lender's Malpractice Suit Is Doomed

    An Atlanta real estate law firm has urged a federal judge to toss a lender's legal malpractice suit alleging the firm bungled the paperwork of a $2 million closing, arguing the lawsuit fails to meet the most basic standard for such a claim — an existing attorney-client relationship.

  • April 11, 2025

    Attorney Owners Of Pot Co. Accused Of $46M RICO Scheme

    A Florida-based real estate lender is suing two attorneys with civil rights law firm Loevy & Loevy in New York federal court, alleging they engaged in racketeering in connection with more than $46 million in loans intended to fund cannabis facilities they own in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

  • April 11, 2025

    Judge Won't Exit Broker Fee Case Over Donations To Wife

    A Missouri federal judge said a real estate firm's bid to boot him from a class action over commission fees may have been driven more by litigation strategy than ethical concerns over campaign contributions made by opposing counsel to his wife, a Kansas City councilwoman.

  • April 11, 2025

    Hodges & Foty Attys Dissolve Houston Firm To End Spat

    The co-founders and name partners of Houston law firm Hodges & Foty LLP have agreed to dissolve the firm and settle claims that arose as their partnership soured.

  • April 11, 2025

    Texas, Washington Immigration Firm Rivals Settle Suit

    A Washington state-based immigration firm and a Texas rival have agreed to settle a trade secrets battle between them, telling a Houston federal court they've agreed to drop all the allegations in the case.

  • April 11, 2025

    NJ AG Cleared To Appeal Ex-Prosecutor's Resignation Claim

    The New Jersey Superior Court's Appellate Division granted Attorney General Matthew Platkin's request to rule on a lawsuit from a former Warren County prosecutor claiming that Platkin misled him into resigning from his post last year.

  • April 11, 2025

    Hagens Berman Sanctioned Over Disappearing Client

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is facing monetary sanctions in a proposed class action against Apple and Amazon, after a Washington federal judge said the firm misled her about a problem client who disappeared and wasted the court's time in the process.

  • April 11, 2025

    Alex Jones' Sandy Hook Atty Lands 7-Day Suspension Credit

    Alex Jones' former lead Connecticut attorney will be suspended for only one additional week because of a prior sit-out in 2023, a state court judge has clarified, saying she hadn't considered that Norm Pattis was previously benched while he appealed his discipline for his role in transferring Sandy Hook families' confidential records to another Jones attorney.

  • April 11, 2025

    Ex-Girardi CFO Gets 10 Years For 'Devastating' Fraud

    A California federal judge sentenced Girardi Keese's former chief financial officer to just over 10 years in prison Friday for aiding firm leader Tom Girardi's $15 million client theft scheme while also embezzling $6 million for himself, saying the two interrelated schemes "had devastating and far-reaching effects."

  • April 11, 2025

    Keller Postman Denies Breaching Arbitration Deal With Tubi

    Keller Postman LLC shot back at Tubi Inc.'s claims that it violated an agreement meant to cool a heated dispute amid the video streaming service's tortious interference suit over mass arbitration against its user agreement, with the firm arguing it "complied with every stipulation it made to this court."

  • April 10, 2025

    Prosecutor's Sexting With Ex-Judge Was Misconduct, DOJ Says

    The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded that a federal prosecutor in Alaska who accused former U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred of coercing her into a sexually charged "abusive relationship" committed intentional professional misconduct when she stayed silent about their interactions and continued arguing cases in his courtroom.

Expert Analysis

  • Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

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    Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

  • What Insurers Should Know About AI Use In Litigation

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in litigation evolves, insurers should note standing court orders, instances of judges utilizing AI to determine policy definitions and the application of evidentiary standards to expert evidence that incorporates AI, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Despite Political Divide, FEC Found Common Ground In '24

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    The Federal Election Commission, although evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, reached consensus in consequential advisory opinions, enforcement actions and regulations last year, offering welcome clarity on some key questions facing campaigns, PACs and parties, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Public Corruption Enforcement In 2024 Has Clues For 2025

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    If 2024 activity is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely continue to rein in expansive prosecutorial theories of fraud in the year to come, but it’s harder to predict what the new administration will mean for public corruption prosecutions in 2025, says Cathy Fleming at Offit Kurman.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Key Ethical Issues For Gov't Attys Moving To Private Practice

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    Transitioning from government service to private practice presents complex ethical challenges for attorneys, including navigating conflicts of interest, confidential information rules and post-employment restrictions, say attorneys at HWG.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

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