Business of Law

  • June 06, 2024

    In 13-Year Trademark Fight, Chicago Judge Says No More

    A Chicago federal judge brought to a close a trademark fight between two vaping companies surrounding the phrase "21st Century Smoking" that has stretched on for over a decade and led to millions of dollars in sanctions over thousands of deleted emails and long-hidden documents.

  • June 06, 2024

    Fla. Justices Won't Undo DeSantis' Suspension Of Prosecutor

    State prosecutor Monique Worrell lost her bid to be reinstated to her post in the Ninth Judicial Circuit after a split Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order suspending her passed muster.

  • June 06, 2024

    Judge Who Took Israel Trip Recuses Self From Gaza Case

    A Ninth Circuit judge on Thursday recused himself from a case over the Biden administration's support for Israel's military efforts in Gaza, suggesting he disagreed with Palestinian rights activists' claim that a sponsored trip to Israel disqualified him but nevertheless would step aside "out of an abundance of caution."

  • June 06, 2024

    Former New Jersey AG Recalls 'Gross' Meeting With Menendez

    A U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission official took the stand in the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez on Thursday, testifying that he shut down "gross" inquiries by the congressman while the official was serving as New Jersey's attorney general.

  • June 06, 2024

    3rd Circ. Nominee Reports Over $9M Net Worth

    Adeel Mangi, whose nomination for the Third Circuit has stalled in the Senate, reported a net worth of over $9 million in financial forms filled out last fall.

  • June 06, 2024

    Ex-CFO Says McElroy Deutsch's $7M Relief Bid Is A Reach

    McElroy Deutsch Mulvaney & Carpenter LLP's former chief financial officer said Thursday that his old firm's motion for partial summary judgment in a theft suit against him "seeks relief that far exceeds the scope" of his recent criminal guilty plea, defending his request that the New Jersey state court hold off ruling on the bid.

  • June 06, 2024

    'Brussels Effect' Of EU's AI Act Is Uncertain, Legal Pros Say

    BigLaw attorneys advising international clients on the European Union's AI Act tell Law360 there are significant uncertainties over vague terms in the 458-page statute, how its steep eight-figure fines will be enforced, and whether it will set a new standard globally as part of the "Brussels effect."

  • June 05, 2024

    Atty Carried Gun, Rope During Attempted Break-In, Police Say

    Police in Royal Oak, Michigan, said Tuesday they have arrested a Dearborn personal injury attorney after he allegedly tried to break into the home of a former co-worker while carrying a firearm, knife, handcuffs and other "concerning items."

  • June 05, 2024

    PwC Asks Calif. Justices To Revive $2.5M Sanction Against LA

    PwC urged the California Supreme Court on Wednesday to revive a $2.5 million sanction against the city of Los Angeles for yearslong discovery misconduct in an underlying utility billing dispute, arguing the trial court's inherent authority to pose such penalties isn't limited to nonmonetary sanctions.

  • June 05, 2024

    Hunter Biden's Ex-Wife, Ex-Lover Testify About His Drug Use

    Hunter Biden's trial on felony gun charges continued in Delaware federal court on Wednesday with testimony from his ex-wife, a former girlfriend and the salesman at the shop where he bought the Colt Cobra revolver on Oct. 12, 2018.

  • June 05, 2024

    Google Legal Dept. Goes From Crisis Mode To Long Term

    As much of the major antitrust litigation against Google winds down, the company is shuffling around its in-house legal departments to add more people and settle from crisis mode into the more sustainable posture of a technology giant where lawsuits have likely become a permanent feature of its existence.

  • June 05, 2024

    Brown Rudnick Partner's 50% Fee Hike Nixed In Ch. 11 Case

    A Brown Rudnick LLP bankruptcy partner Wednesday had his 50% fee increase rejected by a Delaware judge, who took issue with the proposed hike to $1,500 an hour for representing the creditors' committee in Kidde-Fenwal Inc.'s Chapter 11 case.

  • June 05, 2024

    Ex-Sacks Weston Atty Blames 'Toxic' Firm For His Theft

    A Philadelphia attorney convicted of defrauding his former law firm told a state ethics panel Wednesday that he was remorseful for his deeds, but he noted he was driven to his crime by being owed money by his firm for too long.

  • June 05, 2024

    Trump Gag Order Still Needed Through Sentencing, DA Says

    Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office has asked a judge not to lift the gag order on Donald Trump before the convicted former president's sentencing next month, arguing in a letter released Wednesday that there is still a need to "protect the integrity" of the hush money case.

  • June 05, 2024

    Ga. Trump Election Case On Hold For DA DQ Appeal

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Wednesday temporarily halted proceedings in the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump and his co-defendants while it reviews a trial judge's ruling allowing Fulton County District Attorney Fani T. Willis to continue prosecuting the case.

  • June 05, 2024

    An Ex-BigLaw Atty Shot His Wife. Who Gets Her Settlement?

    The administrator of the estate of Diane McIver, who was fatally shot by her husband, former Fisher Phillips partner Claud "Tex" McIver, while driving through Atlanta in 2016, has asked a Georgia state court to decide who is entitled to settlement funds from a wrongful death case brought by the estate.

  • June 05, 2024

    After Judge Takes Trip To Israel, Attys Want Him Off Gaza Case

    Palestinian rights activists asked a Ninth Circuit judge to recuse himself from a case claiming that the Biden administration flouted international laws barring genocide by supporting Israel's military efforts in Gaza, noting that the judge recently took a trip to Israel sponsored by the World Jewish Congress.

  • June 05, 2024

    Federal Judges Facing Scrutiny For Clerk-Hiring Boycotts

    The federal judiciary must take a look at its judges' hiring practices in the wake of some jurists' public refusal to hire students from certain law schools over on-campus political activity over the Israel-Hamas war, a nonprofit government watchdog said Wednesday.

  • June 05, 2024

    Lippes Mathias Merges With Syracuse Health, Business Firm

    Buffalo, New York-based firm Lippes Mathias LLP said this week that it had created one of the state's largest healthcare attorney teams outside New York City in combining with Syracuse business and healthcare boutique CCBLaw, a move that will ultimately add 11 lawyers and eight nonlawyer professionals to its ranks.

  • June 05, 2024

    From Small Town To 11th Circ., Nominee Pledges 'Open Mind'

    A nominee for an Eleventh Circuit seat on Wednesday discussed his small-town upbringing, award-winning career as a prosecutor and the "obligation" he feels to be a role model for others considering a career in the law, saying he would approach cases with an "open mind" if confirmed to the federal appeals court.

  • June 05, 2024

    Rutgers Law Students Must Provide Comms In Bias Suit

    A pair of Rutgers Law School students must turn over recordings and messages in a Jewish classmate's lawsuit accusing the school of antisemitic bias for opening a disciplinary investigation against him after he spoke out against the same two students for allegedly spreading antisemitism, a New Jersey state judge has ruled.

  • June 05, 2024

    AAA Says Fee Critique 'Flawed' For Missed Eclipse Day Depo

    An attorney sanctioned for missing a deposition in Florida while he was in Arkansas viewing April's solar eclipse used "guesswork" in a response asking a federal judge in the Sunshine State to whittle a request for $7,800 in fees down to just over $1,200, according to a reply filed this week by AAA in a lawsuit by a former employee.

  • June 05, 2024

    DLA Piper Atty, Ex-UK Official On Practicing Across The Pond

    In returning to the United States after nearly two decades in London, former Serious Fraud Office official Judy Krieg says DLA Piper was the ideal place to serve clients and leverage the skills she has gained from working on both sides of the Atlantic.

  • June 05, 2024

    NY Gov. Denies Cop-Shoving Judge New Term

    A Buffalo judge censured for brawling with neighbors, shoving a police officer and bragging about his ties to power was denied a second term by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who took the unusual step of rejecting the judge's request for reappointment.

  • June 04, 2024

    Judiciary Panel Clears 1st MDL Rule, Eyes 'Mouthpiece' Amici

    Top rulemaking gatekeepers for the federal judiciary Tuesday capped off seven years of strife in the defense and plaintiffs bars by backing a milestone measure aimed at optimizing multidistrict litigation, and then promptly greenlighted an entirely different war of words over new efforts to ferret out amicus briefs from "paid mouthpieces" masquerading as independent experts.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Camp Lejeune Attorneys To Mitigate TCPA Suit Risks

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    To retain and assist Camp Lejeune clients, it is vital to understand best practices to avoid violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which has been at the center of recent lawsuits against attorneys seeking to reach veterans and their families affected by the toxic water exposure at the Marine Corps base, says Libby Vish at SimplyConvert.

  • Series

    Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Opinion

    Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues

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    Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.

  • Opinion

    Companies Must Not Back Down On DEI Efforts

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    In the face of recent lawsuits filed to challenge schools' diversity efforts, and a U.S. Supreme Court potentially friendly to purely hypothetical arguments, companies must stand strong and not be intimidated into abandoning diversity and inclusion programs, says Licha Nyiendo at Human Rights First.

  • How To Protect Atty-Client Privilege While Using Generative AI

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    When using generative artificial intelligence tools, attorneys should consider several safeguards to avoid breaches or complications in attorney-client privilege, say Antonious Sadek and Christopher Campbell at DLA Piper.

  • Opinion

    New York Must Guarantee Court Neutrals Fair Compensation

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    Neutrals that serve New York’s court-annexed alternative dispute resolution program are underappreciated and face injurious unjust enrichment because they are required to provide parties with a certain amount of free time, so the state must establish minimum guaranteed compensation floors with deliberate speed, say Elan Weinreb at Weinreb Law and Dorothy Kaldi at Petza & Kaldi Mediation.

  • How New Lawyers Can Leverage Feedback For Growth

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    Embracing constructive criticism as a tool for success can help new lawyers accelerate their professional growth and law firms build a culture of continuous improvement, says Katie Aldrich at Fringe Professional Development.

  • Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics

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    X Corp.'s suit alleging that Wachtell grossly inflated its fees in the final days of Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition provides a case study in how firms should protect their reputations by hewing to ethical billing practices and the high standards for professional conduct that govern attorney-client relationships, says Lourdes Fuentes at Karta Legal.

  • ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act

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    While the American Bar Association’s recently passed resolution recognizes a lawyer's duty to discontinue representation that could facilitate money laundering and other fraudulent activity, it preserves, at least for now, the delicate balance of judicial, state-based regulation of the legal profession and the sanctity of the attorney-client relationship, say attorneys at Ballard Spahr.

  • Roundup

    In A 'Barbie' World

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    On the heels of the "Barbie" movie's historic global box office success, this Expert Analysis series explores regulatory questions and intellectual property battles that have emerged from the evolution of the iconic doll's brand.

  • Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools rapidly evolve, professional development leaders are instrumental in preparing law firms for the paradigm shifts ahead, and should consider three strategies to help empower legal talent with the skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological landscape, say Steve Gluckman and Anusia Gillespie at SkillBurst Interactive.

  • Covington Ruling Strengthens SEC's Enforcement Powers

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    A Washington, D.C., federal court’s recent order that Covington & Burling provide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with the identities of its clients in response to a subpoena reinforces the agency’s broad authority to investigate cybersecurity violations, and suggests law firms must take steps to strengthen data privacy, say Elisha Kobre and Ryan Dean at Bradley Arant.

  • The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Michael Lehet at Ogletree Deakins discusses the role of knowledge management attorneys at law firms, the common tasks they perform and practical tips for lawyers who may be considering becoming one.

  • To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation

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    Firms seeking to appeal to sophisticated clients and top-level partners should promote mentorship, ensure that attorneys from diverse backgrounds feel valued, and clarify policies about at-home work, says Patrick Moya at Quaero Group.

  • Perspectives

    More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap

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    Colorado is the most recent state to allow other types of legal providers, not just attorneys, to offer specific services in certain circumstances — and more states should rethink the century-old assumptions that shape our current regulatory rules, say Natalie Anne Knowlton and Janet Drobinske at the University of Denver.

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