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California Pulse
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Shifting Market Winds Blew Kramer Levin To HSF Deal
In the span of four years, Kramer Levin co-managing partner Howard Spilko went from "very happy" with the firm's geographical footprint to announcing a combination with a more-than-2,000-lawyer global giant. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at the increasing headwinds for smaller law firms that led to that change in position.
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Law Firms Positioned To Finish 2024 On 'Very Strong' Note
The legal market is positioned to have a very strong year, with firms seeing increases in demand, revenue and attorney productivity during the first three quarters of 2024, according to the results of a survey by Citi Global Wealth at Work.
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What's Next For Court Reform In This New Political Climate?
Advocates are not holding out hope for bills that would firm up a code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court, impose term limits on justices or give judiciary employees antidiscrimination job protections, saying Republican control of the federal government will likely stall any progress that's been made with court reform efforts.
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Kilpatrick Cybersecurity Leader Joins BakerHostetler In LA
BakerHostetler has welcomed the cochair of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP's cybersecurity, privacy and data governance practice in California, continuing the firm's plan for strategic growth on the West Coast.
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Calif. Bar Latest To Offer Smokeball Billing Software For Free
Legal practice management software provider Smokeball furthered its plan to provide state bar associations with free access to its trust accounting billing software, adding the California Lawyers Association to its growing list of partnerships, according to a Tuesday announcement.
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Jones Day Real Estate Ace Jumps To Greenberg Traurig In LA
Greenberg Traurig LLP is expanding its West Coast real estate team, bringing in a Jones Day real estate transactions pro as a shareholder in its Los Angeles office.
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In-House Counsel Less Wary Of Making BigLaw Jump
While most in-house counsel aren't actively looking to shift to private practice, a survey out Tuesday found there may be an increasing openness to that career lane shift if certain conditions — such as better salaries, work-life balance, and firm culture — are met.
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OpenX Promotes Atty To Chief Privacy Officer, Deputy GC
OpenX Technologies Inc. has looked within for a new privacy leader in what the online advertising exchange company described as a strategic move doubling down on its commitment to privacy-first practices in the ad tech industry.
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Polsinelli Adds Kirkland AI And Tech Ace In San Francisco
Polsinelli PC is expanding its West Coast technology transactions team, announcing Tuesday it is bringing in a Kirkland & Ellis LLP data privacy and artificial intelligence expert as a principal in its San Francisco office.
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Deloitte In-House Atty Joins Foley & Lardner In LA
Jose Sanchez, a former senior trial counsel in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Enforcement Division, has joined Foley & Lardner's Los Angeles office following nearly six years in Deloitte's office of the general counsel.
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Girardi Prosecutor Joins Edelson's Trial Bench In LA
A former federal prosecutor who helped secure Tom Girardi's conviction in August is now moving to Edelson PC, the law firm that shined a spotlight on the disbarred lawyer's theft and fraud, leading to criminal charges and a public downfall.
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Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q3
A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the third quarter of the year.
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Morgan Lewis M&A Pro Jumps To Baker Botts In Palo Alto
Baker Botts LLP has hired an attorney who previously worked at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP, Winston & Strawn LLP and other firms to bolster its mergers and acquisitions practice on the West Coast.
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BigLaw Bonus Season Starts With A Move By Milbank
Milbank LLP announced Monday that it will hand its associates year-end bonuses ranging from $15,000 to $115,000 depending on seniority, numbers that nearly align with bonuses the firm and its peers handed out last year.
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Herbert Smith Freehills To Merge With US-Based Kramer Levin
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP said Monday that it is joining forces with U.S. law firm Kramer Levin to form a global legal powerhouse in a move that could signal further consolidation in the sector.
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Sullivan & Cromwell Fees Questioned In Kidde-Fenwal Ch. 11
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and the attorney general of California clashed in Delaware bankruptcy court over the firm's interim fee requests for its representation of debtor chemical company Kidde-Fenwal Inc., with the state alleging overbilling and Sullivan & Cromwell claiming California is seeking "payback" for the results of a recent mediation.
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Exec Exodus At Hospitality Platform Sonder Includes CLO
Hospitality platform Sonder announced Friday its chief legal officer will be resigning from her role later this month as one of three executives who have announced their plans to leave the company by the end of 2024.
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Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and Potter Anderson & Corroon LLP lead this week's list of Law360 legal lions for helping a California biotech startup beat a nearly $460 million trade secrets trial before a federal jury in Delaware.
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Cozen O'Connor Vet Leader On Affinity Group, Military Service
Affinity groups have become one way for law firms to make sure diverse groups of lawyers in their organizations feel connected and supported. Cozen O' Connor is among the firms that provide a forum for attorneys with military service to link up with one another along with provide pro bono work to veterans dealing with legal issues such as benefits and disability compensation matters.
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Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz
The legal industry had another action-packed week as BigLaw firms named new leaders and Donald Trump became president-elect. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
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New Top LA Judge Discusses Being Latino Leader, Advocate
Law360 Pulse caught up with Judge Sergio C. Tapia II, who in January will become presiding judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, to discuss what it means to be a Latino in a position of authority and how he remains “an advocate for justice and neutrality.”
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How General Counsel Are Preparing For Trump 2.0
While the stock market surge after Donald Trump won election this week shows that business considers him a friend, corporations are still bracing for the impact of changes that a new administration will bring in 2025.
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Latham Elevates 24 Associates To Partner In Reduced Class
Latham & Watkins LLP will promote 24 associates to partner at the start of 2025, a number that is down significantly from the 34 associates who were promoted to partner in January 2024, the firm has announced.
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Wilson Sonsini Accused Of Wrongfully Firing Legal Assistant
A former practice group assistant at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC has filed a wrongful termination suit in California state court, accusing the firm of discriminating against her because of her disabilities and firing her in retaliation for raising hostile work environment and other concerns.
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Greenberg Glusker Wins Bid To Arbitrate Ex-Client's Suit
A judge in California state court on Thursday granted a motion by Greenberg Glusker Fields Claman & Machtinger LLP and two partners to arbitrate an investor's allegations that they bungled his defense in an underlying civil suit, finding some of the ex-client's arguments against arbitration were "frivolous" and "not credible."
Expert Analysis
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9 Writing Tips From The Justices' Opinions Last Term
Hidden in the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinions from the last term are each justice’s talents for crafting choice turns of phrase, highlighting best practices for attorneys to jump-start their own writing, says Ross Guberman at BriefCatch.
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What Web3 Means For Lawyers' Ethical Duties
As law firms embrace Web3 technologies by accepting cryptocurrency as payment for legal fees, investing in metaverse departments and more, lawyers should remember their ethical duties to warn clients of the benefits and risks of technology in a murky regulatory environment, says Heidi Frostestad Kuehl at Northern Illinois University College of Law.
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NY's Cybersecurity CLE Rule Is A Sign Of Changing Times
New York's recently announced requirement that lawyers complete cybersecurity training as part of their continuing legal education is a reminder that securing client information is more complicated in an increasingly digital world, and that expectations around attorneys' technology competence are changing, says Jason Schwent at Clark Hill.
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Opinion
Law Firms Stressing Work-Life Balance Are Missing The Mark
Law firms struggling to attract and retain lawyers are institutionalizing work-life balance through hybrid work models, but such balance is elusive in a client services and tech-dependent world, underscoring the need for firms to instead aim for attorney empowerment and true balance within — not outside — the workplace, says Joe Pack at Pack Law.
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A Law Student's Guide To Thriving As A Summer Associate
Summer associates are expected to establish a favorable reputation and develop genuine relationships in a few short weeks, but several time management, attitude and communication principles can help them make the most of their time and secure an offer for a full-time position, says Joseph Marciano, who was a 2022 summer associate at Reed Smith.
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Burnout Prevention Requires Effort From Attys And Firms
To avoid physical and emotional exhaustion, attorneys must respect their own and their colleagues' personal and professional boundaries, but law firms must also play a role in discouraging burnout culture — especially if they are struggling with attorney retention, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.
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How I Owned My Power As An Asian American Woman In Law
Gibson Dunn's Debra Yang shares the bumps in her journey to becoming the first female Asian American U.S. attorney, a state judge and a senior partner in BigLaw, and how other women can face their self-doubts and blaze their own trails to success amid systemic obstacles.
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Successful In-House Alt Legal Services Start With 4 Questions
Law firms that are considering creating an in-house alternative legal service provider should focus not on recapturing revenue otherwise lost to outside vendors, but instead consider how a captive ALSP will better fulfill the needs of their clients and partners, say Beatrice Seravello and Brad Blickstein at Baretz & Brunelle.
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3 Reasons To Embrace Jargon In Legal Marketing Content
Ignore what you've been told about jargon — adding insider industry terms to your firm's marketing and business development content can persuade potential clients that you have the specialized knowledge they can trust, says Wayne Pollock at Law Firm Editorial Service.
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Future Lawyers Expect DEI Commitments Beyond Recruiting
To attract future lawyers from diverse backgrounds, firms must think beyond recruiting efforts, because law students are looking for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that invest in employee professional development and engage with students year-round, says Lauren Jackson at Howard University School of Law.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can Law Students Build Real-World Skills?
Allison Coffin at Akin Gump discusses how summer associates going back to school can continue to develop real-world lawyering skills by leveraging the numerous law school resources that support professional development both inside and outside the classroom.
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How Firm Leaders Can Build And Sustain Culture
In uncertain and challenging times, law firm leaders can build and sustain culture by focusing attention on mission, values and leadership development, and applying a growth mindset across their firms, says Scott Westfahl at Harvard Law.
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The Case That Showed Me The Value Of E-Discovery Plans
Robert Keeling at Sidley reflects on leading discovery in the litigation that followed the historic $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger and how the case highlighted the importance of having a strategic e-discovery plan in place.
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Opinion
CLE Accreditation Should Be Tied To Learning Outcomes
Given the substantial time and money lawyers put toward mandatory continuing legal education, CLE regulators and providers should be held to accreditation standards that assess learning outcomes, similar to those imposed on law schools and continuing medical education providers, says Rima Sirota at Georgetown Law.
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Why You Should Leverage AI For Privilege Review
While many lawyers still believe that a manual, document-by-document review is the best approach to privilege logging, certain artificial intelligence tools can bolster the traditional review process and make this aspect of electronic document review more efficient, more accurate and less costly, say Laura Riff and Michelle Six at Kirkland.