Florida Pulse


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    AI-Focused Exec Roles Are Having A Moment At Law Firms

    Several law firms this year, including Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP and McDermott Will & Emery LLP, have filled artificial intelligence-focused chief and director roles to keep up with technological advances and client demands, according to legal recruiters.

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    'Ghost' Florida Atty Left Long Trail Of Irked Judges, Clients

    A Florida lawyer accused in a state court suit of ignoring and defrauding dozens of clients who paid nonrefundable retainers has faced a series of similar allegations in federal court, drawing the ire of judges and opposing counsel.

  • Convicted Fla. Atty Suspended Over Theft In Court Clerk Post

    The Florida Supreme Court has suspended the law license of the onetime clerk of courts for Jefferson County after he was convicted of grand theft and sentenced to 18 months behind bars.

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    Judge Security Data Reflects Policy Shifts As Much As Threats

    Former employees of the U.S. Marshals Service say that while judicial security has never been more urgent, finding trends is nearly impossible: The way threats against federal judges are tracked has varied so much from year to year, the data is essentially meaningless.

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    Polsinelli Taps Chief Of Staff As First Practice Strategy Leader

    Polsinelli PC announced Monday that it promoted its chief of staff to serve as both its staff lead and as its first chief practice strategy officer, tasking her with managing how its practices work together to benefit clients and promoting innovation through strategies such as the use of artificial intelligence.

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    Varnum Launches Fellowship For First-Year Law Students

    Varnum LLP, a Michigan law firm with an office in Florida, has launched a diversity fellowship program specifically for first-year law students.

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    Adams and Reese Construction Ace Rejoins Shumaker In Fla.

    A former partner at Shumaker Loop & Kendrick LLP rejoined the firm in Sarasota, Florida, after a short stint as an in-house counsel at a development company and as special counsel at Adams and Reese LLP.

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    White & Case Adds Marketing, Innovation Execs Amid Growth

    White & Case LLP announced Monday the appointment of both a chief innovation officer and a chief marketing officer as the firm continues to expand through hiring and office openings.

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    More Law Firms Want To Merge, But Deals Aren't Skyrocketing

    Law firm management consultants say they continue to see historic interest among law firms to engage in merger talks, driven further by a spate of big deals announced during the third quarter of the year, but the number of actual combinations inked has remained fairly steady, Law360 Pulse data shows.

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    Littler Adds Excelitas Exec As Chief Digital Innovation Officer

    Labor and employment firm Littler Mendelson PC has added the former executive vice president and chief information officer at photonics and light technology company Excelitas Technologies as its chief digital innovation officer.

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    Law Firm Billing Rate Hikes Doubled In 2024

    Billing rates for the top 100 law firms in the United States surged by 10% from 2023 to 2024, the largest rate hike in the past three years, according to a new research report on Tuesday.

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    Henderson Franklin Adds Tax Pro To Florida Offices

    A tax attorney who formerly practiced at Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth PC has joined Henderson Franklin Starnes & Holt PA's business and tax planning department and will work from the firm's Florida offices in Fort Myers and Naples.

  • Whistleblower Must Show Docs In Fla. House-Flipping Scheme

    A Florida state court judge Monday ordered a woman who uncovered a house-flipping scheme allegedly run by the husband of a former Miami city attorney to produce documents in the case, including communications with journalists, in an attempt to show whether any misconduct occurred over the course of the investigation.

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    Legal Employers Say AI Is Affecting Hiring

    A majority of legal industry employers say that artificial intelligence is changing the skill sets they look for in hiring, according to a report released Monday by business consulting firm Robert Half, with the report also finding that employers prefer to train existing employees than hire externally.

  • Ga. Asks Justices To Ignore Meadows' Election Removal Bid

    Georgia county prosecutors fought a bid by former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to move his election interference case into federal court, telling the U.S. Supreme Court that the legal issues at play require more "percolation" before they are ripe for review.

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    Chemical Co. GC Announces 2025 Retirement

    The general counsel of chemical company Element Solutions announced in a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing that he plans to retire from his position in 2025.

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    In-House Teams Using More GenAI And Fewer Law Firms

    Nearly 60% of general counsel and chief legal officers expect a reduced reliance on outside legal service providers due to generative artificial intelligence — more than double since a 2023 survey showed 25% of respondents would cut the number of law firms they work with in the next year to slash costs, according to data released Monday.

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    Navigating The Path To Equity: Tips For Nonequity Partners

    The rapid growth of nonequity partners at major law firms has expanded career options for attorneys, but it also brings distinct challenges as many lawyers in these roles often face extended paths to equity partnership, unclear succession planning, and limited transparency around compensation.

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    Winston & Strawn Adds Digital Assets Pro From K&L Gates

    Winston & Strawn LLP has hired as a partner for its transactions department and as a member of its digital assets and blockchain technology group an attorney who formerly worked at K&L Gates LLP and co-chaired its digital assets industry group.

  • Atty Who Defied License Ban Asks Court To Rethink Jail Time

    A disbarred attorney asked the Florida Supreme Court on Friday to reconsider its decision to send him to jail for 60 days for allegedly repeatedly practicing law without a license, including continuing to market himself as a licensed attorney.

  • Fla. Firm Wins Wage Dispute After Paralegal Abandons Suit

    A federal judge threw out a paralegal's lawsuit alleging that a West Palm Beach, Florida, law firm underpaid her and then retaliated against her by cutting her hours when she complained, saying she has refused to continue to participate in the litigation.

  • Experience May Not Guard Fla. Attys Against Malpractice Suits

    A newly published study of thousands of legal malpractice claims against Florida lawyers shows that, perhaps surprisingly, many of the lawyers accused of botching their clients' cases weren't recent law school graduates, but rather veteran attorneys.

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    Lateral Hiring Softens In Q3 As Partner Moves Slow

    After a brief period of stability in the second quarter, lateral recruitment at law firms has softened once more in the third quarter of 2024, particularly in the hiring of partner candidates, according to recent data from legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.

  • Feds Say Judge Threatened In Court Considering Trump Case

    An Illinois man has been indicted for allegedly threatening to assault, kidnap and murder a federal judge in the Florida federal court where former President Donald Trump's classified documents case has been unfolding.

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    New Fla. Jewish Bar Group To 'Stand Up' After Oct. 7 Attacks

    Amid the despair over Hamas' attack on Israel nearly a year ago, Florida attorneys established the Jewish Lawyers Association of Palm Beach County as a voice against rising antisemitism.

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Expert Analysis

  • How Your Law Firm's Brand Can Convey Prestige Author Photo

    In order to be perceived as prestigious by clients and potential recruits, law firms should take their branding efforts beyond designing visual identities and address six key imperatives to differentiate themselves — from identifying intangible core strengths to delivering on promises at every interaction, says Howard Breindel at DeSantis Breindel.

  • How Dynamic Project Management Can Help Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms looking to streamline matter management should consider tools that offer both employees and clients real-time access to documents, action items, task assignee information and more, overcoming many of the limitations of project communications via email, says Stephen Weyer at Stites & Harbison.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Successfully Switch Practices? Author Photo

    Associates who pivot into new practice areas may find that along with the excitement of a fresh start comes some apprehension, but certain proactive steps can help tame anxiety and ensure attorneys successfully adapt to unfamiliar subjects, novel internal processes and different client deliverables, say Susan Berson and Hassan Shaikh at Mintz.

  • A Road Map For Creating Law Firm Sustainability Programs Author Photo

    Amid demands from clients and prospective hires for greater sustainability efforts, law firms should think beyond reusable mugs and create programs that incorporate clear leadership structures, emission tracking and reduction goals, and frameworks for reporting results, says Gayatri Joshi at the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

  • Why Firms Should Help Associates Do More Pro Bono Work Author Photo

    Associates may hesitate to take on the added commitment of pro bono matters, but such work has tangible skill-building benefits, so firms should consider compensation and leadership strategies to encourage participation, says Rasmeet Chahil at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Confronting The Stigma Of Alcohol Abuse In Legal Industry Author Photo

    The pandemic has likely exacerbated the prevalence of problem drinking in the legal profession, making it critical for lawyers and educators to address alcohol abuse and the associated stigma through issue-specific education, supportive assistance and alcohol-free professional events, says Erica Grigg at the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program.

  • Opinion

    Lawyers Have Duty To Push For Immigration Court Reform Author Photo

    Attorneys must use their collective voice to urge federal lawmakers to create an Article I immigration court outside executive branch control, helping address the conflicts of interest, political influence and lack of adjudication consistency that prevent migrants from achieving true justice, say Elia Diaz-Yaeger and Carlos Bollar at the Hispanic National Bar Association.

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    ​​​​​​​Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work? Author Photo

    First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.

  • 5 Ways To Lead Lawyer Teams Toward Better Mental Health Author Photo

    Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.

  • How Your Summer Associate Events Can Convey Inclusivity Author Photo

    As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Negotiate Long-Term Flex Work? Author Photo

    Though the pandemic has shown the value of remote work, many firms are still reluctant to embrace flexible working arrangements when offices reopen, so attorneys should use several negotiating tactics to secure a long-term remote or hybrid work setup that also protects their potential for career advancement, says Elaine Spector at Harrity & Harrity.

  • What I Wish Law Schools Taught Women About Legal Careers Author Photo

    Instead of spending an entire semester on 19th century hunting rights, I wish law schools would facilitate honest discussions about what it’s like to navigate life as an attorney, woman and mother, and offer lessons on business marketing that transcend golf outings and social mixers, says Daphne Delvaux at Gruenberg Law.

  • 4 Ways To Break Down Barriers For Women Of Color In Law Author Photo

    Female lawyers belonging to minority groups continue to be paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts, so law firms and corporate legal departments must stop treating women as a monolithic group and create initiatives that address the unique barriers women of color face, say Daphne Turpin Forbes at Microsoft and Linda Chanow at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

  • Opinion

    We Need More Professional Diversity In The Federal Judiciary Author Photo

    With the current overrepresentation of former corporate lawyers on the federal bench, the Biden administration must prioritize professional diversity in judicial nominations and consider lawyers who have represented workers, consumers and patients, says Navan Ward, president of the American Association for Justice.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Retire Without Creating Chaos? Author Photo

    Retired attorney Vernon Winters explains how lawyers can thoughtfully transition into retirement while protecting their firms’ interests and allaying clients' fears, with varying approaches that turn on the nature of one's practice, client relationships and law firm management.

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