Business of Law

April 11, 2025
Fla. Federal Judge To Lead Judiciary Research Center

U.S. District Judge Robin L. Rosenberg of the Southern District of Florida will be the next director of the federal judiciary's research center, Chief Justice John Roberts announced Thursday.
April 11, 2025
Did DOJ Bless A Crypto Free-For-All? Think Again, Attys Say

The Justice Department's move to scale back cryptocurrency enforcement and dissolve its crypto fraud investigations unit isn't exactly a "get-out-of-jail-free card" for industry players who commit crimes using digital assets, experts say.
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
GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

Former general counsel who signed an amicus brief in support of Perkins Coie's fight against the Trump administration shared with Law360 Pulse the details behind their decisions. Meanwhile, Florida's attorney general said the state will no longer tap law firms with DEI programs to serve as external counsel. These are some of the stories in corporate legal news you may have missed in the past week.
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
Weber Gallagher Opens In Long Island With 7 Pillinger Attys

Weber Gallagher Simpson Stapleton Fires & Newby LLP has opened an office in Long Island, New York, with seven attorneys and three other legal professionals from Pillinger Miller Tarallo LLP.
April 11, 2025
Mississippi Federal Judge To Take Senior Status April 15

U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock of the Northern District of Mississippi, who was the first female federal district judge in the state, will take semiretired status on April 15.
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 11, 2025
5 BigLaw Firms Strike Deals With Trump Administration

The world's highest-grossing law firm, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, is among a group of five BigLaw firms that have reached deals with President Donald Trump's administration to stave off executive orders that could have pulled their federal security clearances and hampered their ability to serve as legal counsel to the federal government and its contractors, according to social media posts by the president Friday.
April 11, 2025
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

This past week in London has seen law firm Michael Wilson & Partners reignite a 20-year dispute with a former director over an alleged plot to form a rival partnership, headphone maker Marshall Amplification sue a rival in the intellectual property court, and a commercial diving company pursue action against state-owned nuclear waste processor Sellafield. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new cases in the U.K.
April 10, 2025
Trump Floats Using Firms That Cut Deals For Trade Dealings

President Donald Trump said during a Cabinet meeting Thursday that he wants to use BigLaw firms that have reached deals with the White House to "help us out" with making trade deals, telling Cabinet members, "I have a lot of legal fees I can give to you people, and we may as well use them."
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.
April 10, 2025
Dems Will Get More Answers From Pick For DC US Atty

In a compromise with concerned Democrats, the Republican leader of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Thursday that the nominee for the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia will answer an extensive questionnaire as part of his confirmation process.
April 10, 2025
Jury To Hear Judge Had 48 Guns In Retrial Over Shooting Wife

Jurors in the upcoming retrial of a California jurist accused of murdering his wife while intoxicated can hear that he had 48 firearms and thousands of ammunition rounds in his home, after the presiding judge ruled Thursday it was relevant to show he committed an intentional act he knew was inherently dangerous.
April 10, 2025
Judge DQs Atty Suing FIFA Over Antitrust Allegations

A Puerto Rican federal judge on Thursday disqualified an attorney suing FIFA and local affiliates over allegedly blocking rival soccer leagues, saying the lawyer cannot simultaneously be a plaintiff, counsel and factual witness.
April 10, 2025
Mass. Officials, Feds On A 'Low Boil' After Midtrial ICE Arrest

The midtrial immigration arrest of a Dominican national during his Massachusetts court case has raised tensions between federal and state prosecutors and threatens to injure cooperation between the offices, experts say.
April 10, 2025
Justices Uphold Order To Return Man Deported To El Salvador

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday upheld a federal judge's order requiring the Trump administration to quickly bring back a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and imprisoned there, ordering the lower court to clarify the government's obligations and requiring the government to share the steps it has taken.
April 10, 2025
Carlton Fields Beats DQ Bid In Fla. $500M Miss America Suit

A Florida federal judge denied a bid to disqualify Carlton Fields in a $500 million lawsuit over the ownership of the company that runs the Miss America pageant, saying such a remedy is extraordinary, and that the allegations are "scattered and speculative."
April 10, 2025
Sidley Snaps Up Cadwalader Real Estate Finance Team

Sidley Austin LLP recruited a team of real estate finance attorneys from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP, including the co-head of the firm's real estate financing group and three other partners, Law360 Real Estate Authority has learned.
April 09, 2025
House Approves Bill To Restrict Nationwide Injunctions

The House voted 219-213 on Wednesday to approve a bill curbing nationwide injunctions, a move the Trump administration has thrown its support behind after district court judges paused or halted many of the administration's initiatives over the last few months.
April 09, 2025
Ill. Senator Sought Bribe In 'Politics For Profit,' Feds Say

An Illinois state senator engaged in "politics for profit" as he solicited a bribe to limit a state study on automated traffic enforcement and then lied about his conduct to investigators, federal prosecutors told a jury Wednesday.
April 09, 2025
Susman Godfrey Latest BigLaw Firm Targeted In Trump Order

Susman Godfrey LLP became President Donald Trump's latest BigLaw target when he signed an executive order Wednesday revoking its access to government resources and buildings, a directive the firm immediately blasted as "unconstitutional" and vowed to fight.
April 09, 2025
LA DA Demoted Prosecutors Over Menendez Work, Suits Say

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office has been sued by two former top prosecutors who say they were demoted in retaliation for advocating to have Erik and Lyle Menendez released from prison after serving more than 35 years for murder.
April 09, 2025
Florida Won't Hire Law Firms With DEI Initiatives, AG Says

The state of Florida will no longer hire law firms with diversity, equity and inclusion programs to serve as outside general counsel, according to a new memo from Attorney General James Uthmeier.
April 09, 2025
ChatGPT Output Can't Be Defamation, OpenAI Tells Ga. Court

OpenAI LLC this week told a Georgia state court that its product ChatGPT did not defame a talk radio show host because its warnings that ChatGPT output was not factual "were repeated, prominent, clear, and specific" and the output claiming he was a defendant in a suit was not presented as actual facts.

Expert Analysis

Associate Issues In The 2024 Spotlight

Law360 guest writers provided insights on a range of issues affecting associates this year, from the challenges of training new lawyers in the era of artificial intelligence, to nonfinancial factors that junior attorneys should consider before accepting a job offer.
ESG And DEI: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

In their commentary on ESG and DEI topics this year, Law360 guest authors discussed Project 2025’s potential impact, the rise of greenwashing litigation, strategies for fostering employee retention amid a shaky regulatory landscape, and more.
AI Questions: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

As the legal discourse surrounding artificial intelligence shifted from theoretical to concrete this year, guest commentary focused on the proliferation of new AI-related litigation, enforcement actions and best practices, while tracking the judiciary’s experimentation with generative AI.
Election Impact: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Donald Trump's election win initiated a deluge of predictions for the incoming administration, with Law360 guest writers covering key policy areas such as immigration, tax, energy, labor and competition, plus potential congressional themes and investigations.
Cybersecurity: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

From the CrowdStrike failure to the plethora of new and sometimes tricky regulatory requirements, to early decisions interpreting cyberinsurance coverage, guest authors broke down the implications of the biggest cybersecurity developments this year.
Noncompetes: The Top Guest Articles Of 2024

Employee noncompete issues took center stage this year, as Law360 guest writers covered everything from state-level enforceability trends and alternative methods for protecting business interests, to a National Labor Relations Board ruling and the Federal Trade Commission’s attempted ban.
The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Double-patenting was one of the top intellectual property topics tackled in Law360’s Expert Analysis section this year, along with the intersection of copyright law and artificial intelligence, case distribution in the Western District of Texas, and more.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

Readers were drawn to employment law commentary on a range of 2024 developments, including the U.S. Supreme Court's Title VII ruling, impactful activity from the National Labor Relations Board, and state legislation targeting employee noncompete agreements.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2024

This year, popular securities guest article topics included controversial Delaware court decisions and their legislative aftermath, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s focus on emerging industries amid struggles to implement its rulemaking agenda.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Guest Articles Of 2024

Law360 guest commentary addressed several emerging access to justice issues this year, including growing case backlogs, a dearth of legal services in rural communities and amendments to long-standing sentencing policies.
The Most-Read Law360 UK Guest Articles Of 2024

The start of a generational shift in U.K. employment law under Labour, a ruling on artificial intelligence-driven credit scores and strategic law firm expansion were among the hot topics U.K. Expert Analysis articles explored this year.
Reviewing 2024's Crucial Patent Law Developments

As 2024 draws to a close, significant rulings and policies aimed at modernizing long-standing legal practices or addressing emerging challenges have reached patent law, says Michael Ellenberger at Rothwell Figg.
Series

Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.
2024's Most Notable FTC Actions Against Dark Patterns And AI

In 2024 the Federal Trade Commission ramped up enforcement actions related to dark patterns, loudly signaling its concern that advertisers will use AI to manipulate consumer habits and its intention to curb businesses' use and marketing of AI to prevent alleged consumer deception, say attorneys at Goodwin.
Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.