California Pulse

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    Ideaya Biosciences Chief Legal Officer To Step Down In July

    The chief legal officer of Ideaya Biosciences Inc., a company that researches and develops cancer drugs, is set to depart on July 11, a Thursday public filing says.

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    Calif. Atty Won't Contest Claim He Stole Up To $282M

    A California lawyer has stopped defending himself against bar discipline charges that accuse him of stealing as much as $282 million from clients, and his posture has forced the cancelation of a trial that was scheduled for this week and makes his disbarment almost certain.

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    Most New Attys Don't See 'Flashy Lawyer Salary'

    While some new attorneys earn top dollar right out of their Juris Doctor program, that isn't actually the norm, according to a new study from Georgetown University, which found that when factoring in student loan debt, the median earnings for all law graduates land at just $72,000 four years after graduation.

  • Docusign Replaces Sales President And CTO

    Digital contract platform Docusign announced Tuesday the hiring of two executives to replace its outgoing president of worldwide field operations and chief technology officer.

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    The Case For BigLaw Being More Transparent About Suicides

    While BigLaw's suicide prevention efforts emphasize open communication around mental health, firms are largely less transparent about how they'd respond to the suicide of an employee.

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    Thompson Hine Adding LA Office With 11 Attys From Boutique

    Ohio-based Thompson Hine LLP announced Wednesday it is expanding to the West Coast, establishing a Los Angeles office by adding 11 lawyers from a Santa Monica litigation boutique, which will cease operations.

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    GM Gears Up For Legal Dept. Changes With New Top Lawyer

    General Motors said late Tuesday it had recruited a former in-house counsel at Boeing to be its next top lawyer, who will begin the job when the company's longtime legal chief takes a job in GM's driverless car unit next month.

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    Kroger Using Annual Meeting To Stress Value Of Merger

    As grocery chain The Kroger Co. prepares to defend its proposed merger with Albertsons Cos. later this summer, it's using its virtual annual meeting on Thursday to trumpet its value to shareholders, to communities and to workers.

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    Small Firms Put Unique Spin On Summer Associate Programs

    As the competition for sought-after BigLaw summer associateships continues to ramp up, some small firms and boutiques are seeing an opportunity to develop their own programs to attract law students looking to gain valuable experience.

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    Legal Office Leasing Stayed Strong In Q1, Cushman Says

    Cushman & Wakefield said in a report Tuesday that the legal sector continued to take on real estate at a strong clip in the first quarter of 2024 after reaching records among office leases in both 2022 and 2023.

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    Approach The Bench: Judge Nazarian Touts Mentorship

    Judge Douglas Nazarian of the Appellate Court of Maryland has given a lot of thought to clerkships since he took the bench more than 11 years ago.

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    A Look At Husch Blackwell's $5M Bet On AI Technology

    Since artificial intelligence developer OpenAI debuted ChatGPT, several legal tech companies and law firms have launched their own tools leveraging generative AI. Here is a look at how Husch Blackwell LLP is using the technology.

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    Litigation Pro Rejoins GRSM50 In Calif. From DeHay & Elliston

    Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP has strengthened its litigation bench with a partner in Walnut Creek, California, who arrived from DeHay & Elliston LLP and who worked for six years earlier in his career as a senior counsel for GRSM50.

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    Winston's Chicago Leader On 'New Era' And Firm's Roots

    Bill O’Neil recently took over as Winston & Strawn’s Chicago office managing partner. He talked to Law360 Pulse about his goals for the 171-year-old office, which include growth.

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    Nixon Peabody Snags IP Litigator From Davis Wright In LA

    Nixon Peabody LLP continues to fortify its intellectual property practice with the addition of a former Davis Wright Tremaine LLP litigator, who joins as counsel in the firm's Los Angeles office.

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    More Law Schools Boosting AI In Curricula

    Law schools are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence into their curricula, including dedicated AI courses and opportunities for students to use AI tools, signaling a trend that the technology is becoming essential for future lawyers, according to results from an American Bar Association survey released Monday.

  • 9th Circ. Upholds Fine For Fake News In $18B Chevron Case

    The Ninth Circuit has affirmed a $268,000 fine against a Seattle attorney for filing a fake newspaper article as a court exhibit in an attempt to bolster his clients' efforts to enforce a nearly $18 billion arbitral award against Chevron.

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    Michelman & Robinson Hires 1st Chief Growth Officer In NY

    Los Angeles-headquartered Michelman & Robinson LLP is focusing on its expansion goals with the addition of its first-ever chief growth officer, a seasoned law firm leader whose resume includes a stint serving as chief talent officer for Greenberg Traurig LLP, according to a Monday announcement.

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    O'Melveny Adds Katten Credit Finance Trio In California

    An experienced trio of finance attorneys who specialize in private credit transactions has jumped from Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP to O'Melveny & Myers LLP in California, the firm said Monday.

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    Ousted Paramount GC Gets Over $6M In Severance

    When Christa D'Alimonte leaves Paramount Global Inc. as its general counsel Friday amid a major cost-cutting initiative, she will take a severance package worth about $6 million, plus various medical and other benefits, recent security filings showed.

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    Duane Morris Appoints New Immigration Law Chair

    Philadelphia-based Duane Morris LLP announced on Friday the appointment of business immigration partner Ted J. Chiappari as chair of its immigration division, part of its employment, labor, benefits and immigration practice.

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    The Most Surprising Aspect For GCs So Far In 2024? AI

    This month, Law360 Pulse asked general counsel what has surprised them so far in 2024. Artificial intelligence was front of mind for many attorneys heading into the year, with the technology's rapid growth and expanding influence forming a common thread among the responses.

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    New Head Of Winston & Strawn Chicago HQ Started As Intern

    Winston & Strawn LLP announced Monday that it has named Bill O'Neil, a trial attorney and securities litigation partner, as its new Chicago office managing partner.

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    Girardi Wants To Block Evidence Of Ex-Clients' Injuries At Trial

    At the upcoming fraud trial of disgraced attorney Tom Girardi, his defense attorneys want to exclude any mention of the horrific injuries suffered by the clients he allegedly stole from, while prosecutors want to introduce evidence that he allegedly spent $25 million to fund the lavish lifestyle of his celebrity ex-wife. 

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    Biz Leaders, Attys Worry AI Regs Are Insufficient, Create Risk

    Most corporate executives and top lawyers are concerned that current regulations on generative artificial intelligence are inadequate and leave them exposed to risk, according to a new report by Berkeley Research Group LLC.

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Expert Analysis

  • Keys To Digitizing Inefficient Contract Management Processes Author Photo

    Neville Eisenberg and Mark Grayson at BCLP explain how they sped up contract execution for one client by replacing email with a centralized, digital tool for negotiations and review, and how the principles they adhered to can be helpful for other law firms looking to improve poorly managed contract management processes.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can Firms Coach Associates Remotely? Author Photo

    Practicing law through virtual platforms will likely persist even after the pandemic, so law firms and senior lawyers should consider refurbishing their associate mentoring programs to facilitate personal connections, professionalism and effective training in a remote environment, says Carol Goodman at Herrick Feinstein.

  • How Law Firms Can Welcome And Celebrate Autistic Lawyers Author Photo

    As the U.S. observes Autism Acceptance Month, autistic attorney Haley Moss describes the societal barriers and stereotypes that keep neurodivergent lawyers from disclosing their disabilities, and how law firms can better accommodate and level the playing field for attorneys whose minds work outside of the prescribed norm.

  • Law Firm Tips For Evaluating AI And Machine Learning Tools Author Photo

    Many legal technology vendors now sell artificial intelligence and machine learning tools at a premium price tag, but law firms must take the time to properly evaluate them as not all offerings generate process efficiencies or even use the technologies advertised, says Steven Magnuson at Ballard Spahr.

  • A Call For Personal Accountability On Diversity And Inclusion Author Photo

    While chief legal officers are increasingly involved in creating corporate diversity, inclusion and anti-bigotry policies, all lawyers have a responsibility to be discrimination busters and bias interrupters regardless of the title they hold, says Veta T. Richardson at the Association of Corporate Counsel.

  • Learning How To Code Can Unleash New Potential In Lawyers Author Photo

    Every lawyer can begin incorporating aspects of software development in their day-to-day practice with little to no changes in their existing tools or workflow, and legal organizations that take steps to encourage this exploration of programming can transform into tech incubators, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Supporting Associates Amid Pandemic's Mental Health Toll Author Photo

    As junior associates increasingly report burnout, work-life conflict and loneliness during the pandemic, law firms should take tangible actions to reduce the stigma around seeking help, and to model desired well-being behaviors from the top down, say Stacey Whiteley at the New York State Bar Association and Robin Belleau at Kirkland.

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    Ask A Mentor: Should My Law Firm Take On An Apprentice? Author Photo

    Mentoring a law student who is preparing for the bar exam without attending law school is an arduous process that is not for everyone, but there are also several benefits for law firms hosting apprenticeship programs, says Jessica Jackson, the lawyer guiding Kim Kardashian West's legal education.

  • The Importance Of Client Engagement In Law Firm Innovation Author Photo

    As clients increasingly want law firms to serve as innovation platforms, firms must understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach — the key is a nimble innovation function focused on listening and knowledge sharing, says Mark Brennan at Hogan Lovells.

  • The Unique Challenges Facing Women-Owned Law Firms Author Photo

    In addition to establishing their brand from scratch, women who start their own law firms must overcome inherent bias against female lawyers and convince prospective clients to put aside big-firm preferences, says Joel Stern at the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms.

  • The Pursuit Of Wellness In BigLaw: Lessons From My Journey Author Photo

    Jane Jeong at Cooley shares how grueling BigLaw schedules and her own perfectionism emotionally bankrupted her, and why attorneys struggling with burnout should consider making small changes to everyday habits.

  • Why We Must Recruit And Advance More Black Prosecutors Author Photo

    Black Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of the incarcerated population but are underrepresented among elected prosecutors, so the legal community — from law schools to prosecutor offices — must commit to addressing these disappointing demographics, says Erika Gilliam-Booker at the National Black Prosecutors Association.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Deal With Overload? Author Photo

    Young lawyers overwhelmed with a crushing workload must tackle the problem on two fronts — learning how to say no, and understanding how to break down projects into manageable parts, says Jay Harrington at Harrington Communications.

  • A Scientific Path For Improving Diversity At Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms could combine industrial organizational psychology and machine learning to study prospective hires' analytical thinking, stress response and similar attributes — which could lead to recruiting from a more diverse candidate pool, say Ali Shahidi and Bess Sully at Sheppard Mullin.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Seek More Assignments? Author Photo

    In the first installment of Law360 Pulse's career advice guest column, Meela Gill at Weil offers insights on how associates can ask for meaningful work opportunities at their firms without sounding like they are begging. 

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