Legal Ethics

  • December 03, 2024

    Tech Giants Seek Firm's Communications With Elusive Client

    Apple and Amazon want Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to turn over texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a putative class action against the tech giants, to determine whether the plaintiff consented to the case continuing in his absence.

  • December 03, 2024

    Alex Jones Atty Seeks Leniency Over Sandy Hook 'Mistake'

    The lead attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' $1.44 billion Connecticut defamation trial admits he "made a mistake" when he approved sending several Sandy Hook Elementary School victims' confidential records to other Jones attorneys, saying Tuesday he should receive either no discipline or a reprimand in a pared-down case.

  • December 03, 2024

    NJ Law Firm Fights Depo Sanctions In Crypto Scam Suit

    New Jersey-based McCarthy & Soriero LLC has pushed back against a woman's contention in federal court that the firm "stonewalled" her efforts to depose its client in a lawsuit accusing him and his business of failing to prevent a roughly $200,000 cryptocurrency fraud, saying the client has been experiencing serious health issues.

  • December 03, 2024

    Thompson Coe Settles Defamation Suit From Former Firm Atty

    Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP has reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit in Texas state court filed by a former firm attorney who was appealing its dismissal under the state's anti-SLAPP law, court records show.

  • December 02, 2024

    Girardi Won't Get New Fraud Trial Despite Memory Claims

    A California federal judge on Monday denied Tom Girardi's bid for a new trial after a jury found he misappropriated $15 million worth of client settlement funds, standing by a prior assessment that the disbarred attorney was "exaggerating" symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.

  • December 02, 2024

    Government Mole Faces Tough Cross From Madigan's Atty

    An attorney for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan got his chance Monday to question the ex-Chicago alderman who recorded his client while cooperating with the government, pushing him to admit that Madigan never explicitly conditioned his support on legal business for his law firm or told the alderman to vote against developers who didn't hire him for tax work.

  • December 02, 2024

    Judge OKs Fla. Law Firm's $229K Fee In Chiquita MDL

    A Florida federal judge on Monday approved a fee of more than $229,000 to a law firm for its work in reaching a settlement in the long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitaries following a recommendation from a magistrate.

  • December 02, 2024

    Hagens Berman Sued For Slice Of Atty Fee From Effexor Deal

    A pharmaceutical reseller's in-house counsel and founder lodged a breach of contract suit against Hagens Berman in Mississippi federal court, accusing the law firm of refusing to pay him his share of a $13 million attorney fees award stemming from an antitrust class settlement with Pfizer Inc. unit Wyeth.

  • December 02, 2024

    Lowenstein Sandler Seeks Judge DQ In Pot Dispensary Suit

    Lowenstein Sandler LLP has asked an Essex County Superior Court judge to recuse himself over his social connections with the parties and counsel on the firm's $800,000 fee suit against a New Jersey cannabis dispensary

  • December 02, 2024

    New Jersey Panel Upholds $140K Legal Fee In Divorce Case

    A New Jersey law firm is owed more than $140,000 in legal fees from a divorce action after it merged with the firm that originally handled the case, a state appellate panel ruled Monday.

  • December 02, 2024

    Ex-BigLaw Atty Who Killed Wife Faces Depo Over Settlement

    Former Fisher Phillips partner Claud "Tex" McIver, who is serving a prison sentence for killing his wife, is set to be deposed as soon as Tuesday as part of the legal battle in Georgia state court over who is entitled to the settlement of the wrongful death suit brought by his wife's estate.

  • December 02, 2024

    FedEx Wants To Sanction 'Cavalier' Attys Behind OT Litigation

    FedEx on Monday asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss one of a handful of overtime lawsuits brought by drivers working for intermediate employers as a sanction to the lawyers for rushing to file the "ocean of claims" to harass it and drain its pockets through endless litigation.

  • December 02, 2024

    Couple Say Texas Law Firm Let Disbarred Atty Represent Them

    A Texas couple say in a lawsuit filed in Harris County court that a Houston-area law firm allowed a disbarred attorney to represent them in a case against the seller of their home, alleging he botched the case and failed to prevent their eviction.

  • December 02, 2024

    'Malicious' Intent Testimony Nixed From Blank Rome Suit

    A Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday prohibited certain expert witnesses from opining on the alleged "malicious" intent an aircraft parts maker, represented by Blank Rome LLP, had when suing a onetime defense attorney who defected to the plaintiffs bar.

  • December 02, 2024

    EB-5 Visa Scam Suit Against Fla. Immigration Atty Ends

    A Florida federal judge on Monday dismissed with prejudice a lawsuit against an immigration attorney over a $500,000 visa scam after the two parties filed a stipulation of dismissal.

  • December 02, 2024

    Fla. Judge Suspended For Pro-Cop Campaign Remarks

    A Florida state judge will face a 25-day suspension without pay for showing bias in favor of law enforcement during his campaign by making or approving statements such as, "Criminals won't be happy to see me on the bench."

  • December 02, 2024

    Attorney Disbarred In NJ For Stealing $170K From Father

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has disbarred a Pennsylvania attorney following her conviction in Pennsylvania for stealing nearly $170,000 from her father, according to a recently filed order.

  • December 02, 2024

    Miss America CEO Files $500M Suit Alleging Bankruptcy Fraud

    The producer of the Miss America pageant and its related entities have filed a $500 million racketeering suit in Florida accusing developer Glenn Straub of fraudulently pushing the organization into bankruptcy in an effort to take over its assets.

  • December 02, 2024

    Jackson Walker 'Extinguished' Privilege Over Judge Romance

    An Oregon federal judge has said Holland & Knight LLP lawyers must turn over documents regarding their advice to Jackson Walker LLP on how to handle the "debacle" of a former firm partner's intimate relationship with a former bankruptcy judge, finding Jackson Walker has "utterly extinguished" any claim to attorney-client privilege.

  • December 02, 2024

    Atty Seeks DEA Communications On Rescheduling

    An attorney is suing the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration under the Freedom of Information Act, seeking communications between the agency and anti-legalization activists as the agency holds a hearing on whether to reschedule the drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

  • December 02, 2024

    NJ Siblings Say Fox Rothschild Must Face Malpractice Suit

    Two siblings have called on a New Jersey state court to reject Fox Rothschild LLP's bid to exit their malpractice suit alleging a lawyer now at the firm bungled a 1984 property deed and 1993 trust belonging to their late stepfather, depriving them of a lucrative land parcel.

  • November 27, 2024

    Starbucks, Baker Botts Partner Accused Of Defaming Inventor

    An executive for a patent-licensing company that's pursuing infringement litigation against numerous restaurants over a patent that lets customers place mobile orders using a real-time menu that can make personalized suggestions accused Starbucks and its Baker Botts LLP attorney in a lawsuit Wednesday of making defamatory statements about him.

  • November 27, 2024

    Dad Can Sue Over Atty Sons' Alleged Fraud In Death Deal

    A Florida appeals court reinstated Wednesday a suit seeking to change terms of a trust agreement regarding a multimillion-dollar wrongful-death settlement amid claims that a Miami attorney and his Morgan & Morgan attorney brother defrauded their father of his rightful share, holding that a fraud claim warrants a second look.

  • November 27, 2024

    Atty Censured For Posts Criticizing Town Council Clients

    A Colorado attorney has been publicly censured for taking to social media to criticize a town council that hired him to conduct an investigation, according to a disciplinary opinion that said the lawyer betrayed the confidence of his former clients by disclosing information he learned during the investigation.

  • November 27, 2024

    Indicted NH Justice Pushes To DQ AG's Office, Nix Charges

    A New Hampshire Supreme Court justice charged with trying to interfere with a criminal investigation into her husband is seeking to have the state attorney general disqualified from prosecuting her and the charges dropped, with a hearing scheduled for Monday.

Expert Analysis

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

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    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

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    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

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    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

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    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

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    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

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    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories

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    The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

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    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

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    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

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    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

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    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

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    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

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