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Legal Ethics
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December 04, 2024
$4M Legal Mal Judgment Against Offit Kurman Erased
A judgment ordering Offit Kurman to pay more than $4 million in damages to Mitts Law LLC has been vacated by a Philadelphia judge after the firms recently reached a post-verdict settlement.
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December 04, 2024
NJ Atty Denies Harassment, Accuses Ex-Secretary Of Theft
A New Jersey lawyer who is facing a state court lawsuit brought by a former secretary accusing him of sexual harassment has denied the claims and alleged in a counterclaim that the ex-employee had converted property belonging to him and the law firm.
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December 04, 2024
NC Panel Reverses Prior Ruling Reviving Atty Meddling Claim
A split North Carolina appellate panel has walked back its ruling reviving a suit against a real estate attorney accused of helping meddle in a property ownership dispute, declaring after a second look that the claim against him doesn't actually exist under state law.
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December 03, 2024
Coinbase Says It Won't Use Firms That Hire Crypto Enforcers
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase made clear that it won't work with law firms that employ former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission attorneys who led the charge on crypto enforcement suits, singling out Milbank LLP for its hiring of ex-SEC enforcement director Gurbir Grewal.
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December 03, 2024
Antitrust Judge Rips Apple's 'Meritless' Doc Privilege Claims
Apple fought uphill Tuesday to convince a California federal magistrate judge that it properly withheld 57,000 documents from Epic Games due to attorney-client privilege in their antitrust fight, with the judge eventually telling its lawyer, "I disagree with everything you're saying, and the fact you're making these meritless arguments causes me concern."
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December 03, 2024
Sanctions Stick Against Colorado Gear Seller And Its Attys
A Washington appellate court has upheld about $500,000 in sanctions against an equipment manufacturer and its former counsel, Sinars Slowikowski Tomaska LLP, for failing to disclose information in a dispute over a rock climber's fall at a Seattle gym — including a defense attorney's 38 visits to the accident site.
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December 03, 2024
Judge Mulls Whether DA Willis Must Comply With Subpoenas
A Fulton County judge on Tuesday considered whether a Georgia state Senate committee can force Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis to testify or turn over records as part of its investigation into her prosecution of President-elect Donald Trump.
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December 03, 2024
Trump Argues Immunity Extends To Local Prosecutions
President-elect Donald Trump told the New York state judge presiding over his hush money case that the criminal charges and guilty verdict should be thrown out, arguing in an expansive motion released Tuesday that allowing a local prosecution to proceed would upset the republic's balance of power.
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December 03, 2024
Pastor Wants Judge DQ'd Over Attorney Turnover Comment
A Michigan pastor said Monday that a federal judge should be disqualified from overseeing his lawsuit alleging a township's zoning ordinance discriminates against religious entities because of a comment the judge made about the pastor having "issues" with attorney turnover.
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December 03, 2024
New Judges Include One Who Aided Puerto Rico Bondholders
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two federal judges for Pennsylvania and one for the District of Columbia, who came under scrutiny during her confirmation hearing for her work at Jones Day.
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December 03, 2024
Fla. Court Urged To OK 'Offensive' $645K Deal In Firm's Ch. 11
A law firm debtor urged a Florida bankruptcy court Tuesday to approve a $645,000 settlement in its Chapter 11 to resolve a proposed fraudulent misrepresentation class action in state court against a former Miami insurance attorney, who called the potential deal "offensive" and said it's possible he'll be sued again.
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December 03, 2024
Blank Rome Beats Subpoenas Seeking Attys' Comp Info
A Philadelphia federal judge on Tuesday tossed subpoenas that would have compelled Blank Rome LLP to share compensation information regarding three of its attorneys who are facing a malicious prosecution lawsuit, a day after the firm moved to quash the subpoenas.
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December 03, 2024
Tech Giants Seek Firm's Communications With Elusive Client
Apple and Amazon want Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP to turn over texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a putative class action against the tech giants, to determine whether the plaintiff consented to the case continuing in his absence.
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December 03, 2024
Alex Jones Atty Seeks Leniency Over Sandy Hook 'Mistake'
The lead attorney in Infowars host Alex Jones' $1.44 billion Connecticut defamation trial admits he "made a mistake" when he approved sending several Sandy Hook Elementary School victims' confidential records to other Jones attorneys, saying Tuesday he should receive either no discipline or a reprimand in a pared-down case.
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December 03, 2024
NJ Law Firm Fights Depo Sanctions In Crypto Scam Suit
New Jersey-based McCarthy & Soriero LLC has pushed back against a woman's contention in federal court that the firm "stonewalled" her efforts to depose its client in a lawsuit accusing him and his business of failing to prevent a roughly $200,000 cryptocurrency fraud, saying the client has been experiencing serious health issues.
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December 03, 2024
Thompson Coe Settles Defamation Suit From Former Firm Atty
Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP has reached a settlement in a defamation lawsuit in Texas state court filed by a former firm attorney who was appealing its dismissal under the state's anti-SLAPP law, court records show.
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December 02, 2024
Girardi Won't Get New Fraud Trial Despite Memory Claims
A California federal judge on Monday denied Tom Girardi's bid for a new trial after a jury found he misappropriated $15 million worth of client settlement funds, standing by a prior assessment that the disbarred attorney was "exaggerating" symptoms of mild cognitive impairment.
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December 02, 2024
Government Mole Faces Tough Cross From Madigan's Atty
An attorney for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan got his chance Monday to question the ex-Chicago alderman who recorded his client while cooperating with the government, pushing him to admit that Madigan never explicitly conditioned his support on legal business for his law firm or told the alderman to vote against developers who didn't hire him for tax work.
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December 02, 2024
Judge OKs Fla. Law Firm's $229K Fee In Chiquita MDL
A Florida federal judge on Monday approved a fee of more than $229,000 to a law firm for its work in reaching a settlement in the long-running multidistrict litigation over Chiquita Brands International Inc.'s funding of Colombian paramilitaries following a recommendation from a magistrate.
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December 02, 2024
Hagens Berman Sued For Slice Of Atty Fee From Effexor Deal
A pharmaceutical reseller's in-house counsel and founder lodged a breach of contract suit against Hagens Berman in Mississippi federal court, accusing the law firm of refusing to pay him his share of a $13 million attorney fees award stemming from an antitrust class settlement with Pfizer Inc. unit Wyeth.
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December 02, 2024
Lowenstein Sandler Seeks Judge DQ In Pot Dispensary Suit
Lowenstein Sandler LLP has asked an Essex County Superior Court judge to recuse himself over his social connections with the parties and counsel on the firm's $800,000 fee suit against a New Jersey cannabis dispensary
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December 02, 2024
New Jersey Panel Upholds $140K Legal Fee In Divorce Case
A New Jersey law firm is owed more than $140,000 in legal fees from a divorce action after it merged with the firm that originally handled the case, a state appellate panel ruled Monday.
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December 02, 2024
Ex-BigLaw Atty Who Killed Wife Faces Depo Over Settlement
Former Fisher Phillips partner Claud "Tex" McIver, who is serving a prison sentence for killing his wife, is set to be deposed as soon as Tuesday as part of the legal battle in Georgia state court over who is entitled to the settlement of the wrongful death suit brought by his wife's estate.
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December 02, 2024
FedEx Wants To Sanction 'Cavalier' Attys Behind OT Litigation
FedEx on Monday asked a Massachusetts federal judge to dismiss one of a handful of overtime lawsuits brought by drivers working for intermediate employers as a sanction to the lawyers for rushing to file the "ocean of claims" to harass it and drain its pockets through endless litigation.
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December 02, 2024
Couple Say Texas Law Firm Let Disbarred Atty Represent Them
A Texas couple say in a lawsuit filed in Harris County court that a Houston-area law firm allowed a disbarred attorney to represent them in a case against the seller of their home, alleging he botched the case and failed to prevent their eviction.
Expert Analysis
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Twitter Legal Fees Suit Offers Crash Course In Billing Ethics
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.
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ABA's Money-Laundering Resolution Is A Balancing Act
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.
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Law Firm Professional Development Steps To Thrive In AI Era
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.
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Nev. Insurance Law May Mean Turmoil In Liability Market
Nevada's new law prohibiting insurers from issuing or renewing defense-within-limits liability policies in the state could cause professional liability insurers to withdraw certain products or prohibitively increase premiums — and while an emergency regulation allows for exceptions, the situation remains fluid, says Joshua Leach at Atheria Law.
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Lessons From High-Profile Witness Tampering Allegations
As demonstrated by recent developments in the cases against former President Donald Trump and FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, allegations of witness tampering can carry serious consequences — but attorneys can employ certain strategies to mitigate the risk that accusations arise, says Kenneth Notter at MoloLamken.
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Covington Ruling Strengthens SEC's Enforcement Powers
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.
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'Blind Side' Family Case Is A Cautionary Tale For Attorneys
Former NFL player Michael Oher's recent allegations against Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy that they never legally adopted him and tricked him into conservatorship — which paint a very different picture than the 2009 film "The Blind Side" — demonstrate the importance of attorney due diligence and safeguards against abuse of process, says Roland Weekley at Smith Gambrell.
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The Basics Of Being A Knowledge Management Attorney
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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.
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To Hire And Keep Top Talent, Think Beyond Compensation
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.
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Ethics Issues For Mainland Firms Involved In Maui Fire Suits
Before law firms located outside of Hawaii represent clients affected by the Lahaina wildfires, they must be aware of local ethics rules and regulatory gray areas, as any any ethical missteps could have major ramifications for the firm's practice in its home jurisdiction, says Ryan Little at Klinedinst.
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Perspectives
More States Should Join Effort To Close Legal Services Gap
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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Identifying Trends And Tips In Litigation Financing Disclosure
Growing interest and controversy in litigation financing raise several salient concerns, but exploring recent compelled disclosure trends from courts around the country can help practitioners further their clients' interests, say Sean Callagy and Samuel Sokolsky at Arnold & Porter.
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Attorneys Using AI Shouldn't Worry About Waiving Privilege
As large language models become more advanced, attorneys may be concerned that sending confidential data to companies like OpenAI risks waiving attorney-client or work-product privilege, but there’s nothing about such tools that would negate the reasonable expectation of privacy, say John Tredennick and William Webber at Merlin.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Elrod On 'Jury Duty'
Though the mockumentary series “Jury Duty” features purposely outrageous characters, it offers a solemn lesson about the simple but brilliant design of the right to trial by jury, with an unwitting protagonist who even John Adams may have welcomed as an impartial foreperson, says Fifth Circuit Judge Jennifer Elrod.
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NJ Justices Clarify Bribery Law Scope, But Questions Remain
The New Jersey Supreme Court’s recent State v. O'Donnell decision clarified that the state’s bribery law unambiguously applies to candidates for public office, but there are still unresolved questions about how the ruling may affect lobbyists, undeclared candidates and political speech, says Scott Coffina at Pietragallo Gordon.