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Legal Ethics
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October 02, 2024
Texas High Court Skeptical Of Atty Solicitation Law Overreach
The Texas Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared skeptical that an anti-solicitation statute should apply to lawyers licensed in the state who used "case runners" to attract personal injury clients who live out of state for lawsuits filed and decided beyond the borders of the Lone Star State.
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October 02, 2024
Wells Fargo Says Atty Can't Blame It For Getting Scammed
Wells Fargo has asked a Colorado state judge to dismiss claims brought by an attorney and conservative political figure alleging the bank failed to cancel his wire transfer from a client's account to what ended up being a scammer's Hong Kong account.
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October 02, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Can't Ignore Past Oro Negro Ties, Oil Co. Says
Oro Negro Drilling Pte. Ltd. said former counsel Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP must produce confidential information in a discovery bid to disqualify its attorneys in Mexican proceedings.
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October 02, 2024
Fla. Atty Disbarred For Abandoning Pharma Biz Before USPTO
The Florida Supreme Court on Wednesday disbarred an attorney for taking on intellectual property work for a pharmaceutical company only to later cease communications and keep the business in the dark about maintenance fees, causing its patents to expire.
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October 02, 2024
Ahmuty Demers Booted Off NJ Fatal Crash Case Over Conflict
A New Jersey state appeals court affirmed Wednesday that Ahmuty Demers & McManus is not allowed to represent both a paving company and one of its employees at the same time in a case in which the employee allegedly caused a fatal car crash.
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October 02, 2024
4th Circ. Says Murdaugh Can't Appeal Fraud Sentence
Former South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, who is serving life in prison for murder, was denied an appeal of a separate 40-year sentence after pleading guilty to stealing at least $9 million from clients by a Fourth Circuit panel that said he'd waived his right to appeal.
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October 02, 2024
Morgan & Morgan Says Ex-Client 'Flat Wrong' Over Arbitration
Morgan & Morgan PA and one of its attorneys told a Georgia federal court on Tuesday that an ex-client is "flat wrong" in arguing that his legal malpractice proposed class action should stay out of arbitration, saying that Georgia's case law clearly allows arbitration clauses between attorneys and clients.
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October 02, 2024
Auto Biz Must Hand Emails Over To EEOC In Harassment Case
A Michigan federal magistrate judge has ordered an automotive services company to turn over certain emails sought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in a sexual harassment suit, saying only portions can be redacted due to attorney-client privilege.
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October 02, 2024
Progressive Group Staffs Up For Judicial Nominee Fights
With a little over a month until Election Day, a progressive organization announced a slate of new hires to prepare for judicial confirmation battles and fight for court reform on Wednesday.
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October 02, 2024
Tenn. Atty Sues Federal Court, Judges Over Gag Order Rule
A rule of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee barring attorneys from making "any extrajudicial statements" about cases pending in the district violates the First Amendment and should be blocked, according to a Nashville civil rights lawyer.
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October 02, 2024
Bullying In Law Is Pervasive, Drives Turnover, Ill. Attys Say
Nearly a quarter of those who responded to a recent large-scale survey of Illinois lawyers said they had been bullied at work within the last year, with those numbers spiking among women and other traditionally underrepresented attorneys in the profession, a report released Tuesday found.
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October 02, 2024
Baker Donelson Must Face Mississippi Ponzi Scheme Suit
A Mississippi federal judge has denied Baker Donelson's effort to escape civil conspiracy claims alleging the firm allowed a timber company's $164.5 million Ponzi scheme to unfold, with the judge stating he was "not persuaded" by the firm's argument, as it was based on the Eleventh Circuit's interpretation of Florida law.
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October 02, 2024
NYC Mayor Adams May Face More Charges, Feds Say
Prosecutors told a Manhattan federal judge Wednesday it was "possible" they would charge New York City Mayor Eric Adams with additional crimes in his corruption case, indicating they have evidence he told witnesses to lie to the FBI.
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October 01, 2024
Trump Cries Voter Interference As Immunity Brief Hits Docket
Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday slammed special counsel Jack Smith's bid to publicize some evidence in a voluminous filing over Trump's presidential immunity to election interference charges, reiterating allegations that it's a "politically motivated manifesto" aimed at influencing voters on the eve of the 2024 election.
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October 01, 2024
Attys Contest $1M Wrongful Conviction Referral Fee
A Michigan attorney has accused a well-known wrongful conviction lawyer of withholding nearly $1 million in fees she says she's owed for referring a client who went on to win an $8.5 million settlement for his imprisonment, though the client says the attorney didn't actually help him find the firm that ended up representing him.
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October 01, 2024
Foley & Lardner Accused Of Malpractice In GWG Transactions
Foley & Lardner LLP did not heed the fiduciary duty it owed to GWG Holdings when it facilitated loans and other transactions unfair to the life insurance-backed bond seller and, instead, enriched a group of "corrupt" shareholders, according to a lengthy adversary lawsuit filed in Texas bankruptcy court.
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October 01, 2024
Water Firm Can't End Flint Children's Negligence Claims
The federal judge presiding over Flint, Michigan, water crisis litigation again ruled on Tuesday that an engineering firm won't be able to avoid professional negligence claims related to its consulting work with the city, issuing the 70-page opinion days before jury selection for a bellwether trial begins.
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October 01, 2024
EEOC, Hooters Not Taking Bias Suit 'Seriously,' Judge Chides
Attorneys for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Hooters got a dressing down Tuesday by a federal judge in North Carolina who accused them of dragging their feet and wasting the court's time by asking for deadline extensions without making meaningful progress.
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October 01, 2024
Buchanan Ingersoll, McNees Wallace Duck Athlete's Bias Suit
A Pennsylvania federal judge threw out a former student athlete's abuse of process claims against Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC and McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC over their representation of an athletic association in an unsuccessful challenge over his eligibility to play postseason high school sports.
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October 01, 2024
McElroy Deutsch Must Face 'Malicious' Claim From Fired Exec
A former business development director from McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP has been given the go-ahead from a New Jersey state judge to bring a malicious-prosecution claim against the firm in litigation over her and her husband's alleged multimillion-dollar embezzlement from the firm.
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October 01, 2024
Ex-Interior Dept. Deputy's Oil Stocks Violated Ethics Laws
The onetime deputy secretary of the Interior, Tommy Beaudreau, who moved into private practice last year and now co-leads WilmerHale's energy practice, violated government ethics laws by failing to recuse himself from drilling-related matters while knowingly holding petroleum stocks, according to an internal watchdog's ethics report released Tuesday.
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October 01, 2024
Fla. Justices Urged To Nix Ruling Axing Malpractice Award
A former client of The Ferraro Law Firm PA is asking the Florida Supreme Court to consider restoring its $1.5 million legal malpractice arbitration award, arguing the Third District Court of Appeal created a new pleading requirement in arbitrations.
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October 01, 2024
Apple, Amazon Hint Hagens Berman Lacked Client's OK
Amazon and Apple blasted Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for seeking to withdraw as counsel for the no-show original lead plaintiff in an antitrust suit targeting iPhone and iPad sales, hinting that the firm continued to pursue the case even after knowing its client wished to drop out.
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October 01, 2024
Wigdor Sued For Dragging Cuomo Aide Into Harassment Case
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's spokesperson hit Wigdor LLP with a malicious prosecution suit Tuesday, claiming the well-known employment law firm filed a bogus retaliation claim against him for likening a sexual harassment suit against Cuomo to extortion.
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October 01, 2024
Colo. Murder Case Prosecutors Censured After Botched Probe
Two Colorado attorneys who worked as prosecutors in the failed high-profile prosecution of a man charged with murdering his wife have agreed to public censure as discipline for their roles in the botched proceeding that led to a recent opinion disbarring the elected district attorney who oversaw the case.
Expert Analysis
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Opinion
Now More Than Ever, Lawyers Must Exhibit Professionalism
As society becomes increasingly fractured and workplace incivility is on the rise, attorneys must champion professionalism and lead by example, demonstrating how lawyers can respectfully disagree without being disagreeable, says Edward Casmere at Norton Rose.