Legal Ethics

  • April 17, 2025

    Judge Accused Of Sexting, Misusing Bench For Ex-Client

    A Colorado state judge improperly used his position to help a former client with legal advice and exchanged sexually explicit texts with her while on the bench, according to a judicial disciplinary complaint that also alleged the judge failed to disclose their "prior sexting" when he later presided over her case.

  • April 17, 2025

    Firms Seek Fee Relief Over 'Grossly Unfair' Seresto MDL Snub

    Two New Jersey law firms say they were cut out of their fair share of $4.5 million in attorney fees, awarded as part of a $15 million settlement they helped secure against Bayer and others in a flea collar multidistrict litigation, asking an Illinois federal court to order lead counsel to open their wallets and share the reward.

  • April 17, 2025

    Man's Deportation Looms After Tax Evasion Plea Stands

    A Connecticut federal judge denied a man's attempt to vacate his guilty plea for tax evasion, despite accepting that his lawyers had misled him into believing that if he received no prison time he could avoid mandatory detention and likely deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

  • April 17, 2025

    Jenner & Block Fights DOJ Bid To Toss Exec Order Suit

    Jenner & Block LLP on Thursday urged a D.C. federal court to reject the government's bid to dismiss its lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order targeting the firm, saying the "legal profession as a whole is watching."

  • April 17, 2025

    Debt Firm's Successor, Ch. 11 Trustee End Latest Pay Dispute

    A law firm that bought thousands of client files left over from the collapse of bankrupt California-based debt relief business Litigation Practice Group PC has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to the bankruptcy estate to help settle a payment dispute that began months ago.

  • April 17, 2025

    Judge Refuses To Recuse Himself In Ga. Defamation Case

    A Georgia federal judge on Thursday refused to disqualify himself from presiding over a defamation case arising from a family dispute related to a tax preparation business, while also rejecting a bid to transfer the matter to a federal court in California.

  • April 17, 2025

    Calif. Judge To Resign Over Misconduct Amid Office Romance

    A California state judge will resign and be barred from serving on the bench after engaging in misconduct that included pretending to be the lawyer for his judicial secretary with whom he was having an affair, according to a Thursday decision.

  • April 17, 2025

    Ga. Judicial Watchdog To Weigh Cases Against Pair Of Judges

    Separate hearings have been set for a Georgia Superior Court judge accused of intervening in a legal matter on behalf of her uncle and locking a woman in a cell during her parents' divorce hearing, as well as a state probate judge accused of causing extensive case delays.

  • April 17, 2025

    'Latter-Day Machiavelli' Defamed Calif. Law Firm, Court Told

    California employment law firm Lawyers for Justice PC has filed a suit in state court accusing one of its former clients of defamation in what the firm calls "a scorched-earth crusade against her former attorneys."

  • April 17, 2025

    Co. Seeks 2nd Shot At Asbestos RICO Suit, Citing New Info

    New information supplied by confidential whistleblowers is cause for an Illinois federal court to allow a Los Angeles pipe manufacturer a second chance at pursuing a racketeering case against a Chicago area law firm, the company has argued in a motion to alter or amend the judgment.

  • April 17, 2025

    Akerman Sues To Block Malpractice Claim, Secure $750K Fees

    Akerman LLP sued the healthcare services company Rennova Health Inc. and three medical laboratories in Florida state court this week, alleging that they owe the firm about $750,000 in unpaid fees and are now threatening to sue the firm for malpractice even though they have already released any claims.

  • April 17, 2025

    No Redo In Ex-CEO's $6M Stock Case Against Co., Law Firm

    The former CEO of WorldQuant Predictive Technologies LLC cannot reargue failed $6 million stock loss claims against the company from which he was ousted or its law firm Pullman & Comley LLC, a Connecticut trial judge has ruled.

  • April 17, 2025

    Ex-NJ Prosecutor Says Whistleblower Suit Should Go To Trial

    A former deputy director of the Union County Prosecutor's Office who says she was demoted to "girl Friday" status after becoming a whistleblower told a state judge that her lawsuit should survive to go to trial because there are many factual disputes that a jury should decide.

  • April 17, 2025

    Former Law Firm Leader Launches Whistleblower Suit In Fla.

    The former Jacksonville office managing partner of Matthiesen Wickert & Lehrer SC has launched a whistleblower lawsuit in Florida state court against the firm alleging she was forced to leave because a paralegal was engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

  • April 17, 2025

    LegalZoom Scores Arbitration In Unlawful Practice Suit

    A suit accusing online legal services provider LegalZoom of engaging in the unauthorized practice of law will head to arbitration, after a New Jersey federal judge ruled the claims fall within the scope of an enforceable arbitration agreement.

  • April 16, 2025

    Ed Martin Discloses Russia TV Spots, Coloring Books, Jan. 6

    Ed Martin, President Donald Trump's nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has disclosed dozens of additional media interviews with right-wing and Russian-state outlets, according to a letter obtained on Wednesday by Law360.

  • April 16, 2025

    Ex-Judges Say BIA Wrongly Looking For 'Sushi-Grade Tuna'

    Former immigration judges and members of the Board of Immigration Appeals told the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday that the BIA has recently departed from the clear error standard to reverse relief to those seeking protection under the Convention Against Torture, emphasizing that the error needs to smell like "five-week-old, unrefrigerated dead fish."

  • April 16, 2025

    Ye Says DJ Khalil Is Fishing For Profits In 'Donda' IP Lawsuit

    The artist formerly known as Kanye West denied derailing discovery in a lawsuit alleging he stole music from DJ Khalil and three other artists for two tracks on his blockbuster "Donda" album, telling a California federal judge Tuesday that the $50,000 sanctions bid is just a "profit-driven fishing expedition."

  • April 16, 2025

    Lindell Claims 'I'm In Ruins,' Can't Pay Smartmatic Sanctions

    MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell told a D.C. federal judge that he has "no money" to pay the $56,369 in sanctions he was ordered to for filing third-party counterclaims against election systems company Smartmatic, saying Wednesday that he is "in ruins."

  • April 16, 2025

    Wash. Atty Disbarred For Blown Divorce Case, Blaming Client

    A Seattle-area attorney has been disbarred for failing to file any pleadings in a divorce case, resulting in a default order keeping the client from his children, then repeatedly lying during disciplinary proceedings in an attempt to avoid the blame, according to records from the Washington State Bar Association.

  • April 16, 2025

    Colo. Lawyer Says Disbarred Atty Won't Give Settlement Info

    A Colorado firm that agreed to take over a case from a disbarred attorney has sued her and the client, accusing them of refusing to state how much he is owed from a confidential settlement that ended the underlying employment case.

  • April 16, 2025

    Jackson Walker Hits Back At Bankruptcy Court Standing Brief

    Jackson Walker LLP told a federal judge that the CEO of a now-bankrupt barge company is improperly trying to relitigate the issue of standing in bankruptcy court with his suit over a former judge's secret romance with a firm partner.

  • April 16, 2025

    Former McCarter & English Atty Fights Bid To Toss Firing Suit

    A former McCarter & English LLP attorney and Navy SEAL has accused the firm in New Jersey state court of trying to "smear" him by claiming he was fired for his offensive social media posts rather than his advocacy for veterans.

  • April 16, 2025

    Chiropractor Sues Law Firm For Filing Delay After $3M Verdict

    A Florida chiropractor is suing his former law firm for malpractice after he says it failed to timely file an action against his liability insurer following a $3.7 million judgment against him.

  • April 16, 2025

    Greek IT Co.'s Suit Over Leaked Patent Info Gets Tossed

    A New York federal judge has tossed a Greece-based technology company's suit alleging Ladas & Parry LLP sent proprietary information to a third party while the company had an attorney-client agreement with the firm.

Expert Analysis

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • A Reminder On Avoiding Improper Venues In Patent Cases

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in the Symbology and Quantum cases shows that baseless patent venue allegations may be subject to serious Rule 11 sanctions, providing venue-vetting takeaways for plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Bond Schoeneck.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • Applying ABA Atty Role Guidance To White Collar Matters

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    The American Bar Association’s recently published guidance, clarifying the duties outside counsel owes to both organizational clients and those organizations' constituents, provides best practices that attorneys representing companies in white collar and other investigative matters should heed, say attorneys at MoFo.

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