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Legal Ethics
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February 06, 2025
Judge Questions Firm's Candor In Apple, Amazon Docs Row
A Washington federal judge said on Thursday there was "troubling shifting" around Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP's explanation of texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a proposed class action targeting Amazon and Apple, while also saying it might not matter because the firm found substitute plaintiffs.
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February 06, 2025
Colo. Panel Upholds State Attys' Immunity In Defamation Row
A Colorado appeals panel on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a state economist's defamation claims against two government lawyers, finding that nothing in the state's government immunity statute carves out an exception for lawyers and that professional misconduct does not automatically cancel lawyers' immunity.
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February 06, 2025
Calif. Firm Settles Photographer's IP Claim Over Photo Use
A New Mexico photographer told a California federal judge on Thursday that he was ending his copyright infringement suit against Santa Monica immigration law firm Wolfsdorf Rosenthal LLP over ownership of a photograph on the firm's website, as the two sides have reached a settlement.
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February 06, 2025
Girardi's Mental Evaluation At NC Prison Extended By 15 Days
A California federal judge Thursday ordered Tom Girardi's psychiatric evaluation at a North Carolina federal prison to be extended by 15 days, and she also lectured Girardi's public defender while saying she "could not have imagined" why it took 17 days to get his client's medical records sent to the facility.
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February 06, 2025
Tort Report: Kiss Death Suit Must Be Axed, Band Says
A bid to escape a suit accusing legendary rock band Kiss of causing a guitar technician's coronavirus death and the $8.5 million settlement of a convoluted medical malpractice case lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.
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February 06, 2025
Ga. Judge Resigns Amid Ethics Probe Over Communications
The chief magistrate of the Haralson County Magistrate Court in Georgia has resigned amid an ethics investigation involving his ex parte communications, telling an official in a letter that he will not "seek appointment or election to any judiciary position in the future."
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February 06, 2025
NJ Personal Injury Firm Hit With Bias Suit From Fired Atty
A solo personal injury attorney is suing his former firm in New Jersey state court alleging that he was discriminated against based on his Ecuadorian heritage and because of his requests for accommodations when he became a father.
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February 06, 2025
Philly Law Firm Settles $1.5M Fee Suit Against Metal Company
Philadelphia firm Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC and metalworking company M. Cohen & Sons have resolved a legal battle in which the firm sought to collect $1.5 million in fees while also attempting to fight legal malpractice counterclaims over an alleged conflict of interest.
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February 06, 2025
Union Funds Call For Sanctions In CBA Fight With Crane Co.
Benefit funds for an Operating Engineers local asked a Michigan federal court to adopt a magistrate judge's recommendation of sanctions against a crane rental company in the parties' contributions spat, accusing the business of being "blatantly disingenuous" in its objections to her findings.
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February 06, 2025
Jay-Z Gets Nod To Withdraw Sanctions Bid Against Buzbee
Rapper Jay-Z has dropped his sanctions bid against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee for filing a lawsuit that claims Jay-Z and Sean "Diddy" Combs raped a 13-year-old more than 20 years ago, accusations he has called "knowingly false."
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February 06, 2025
Convicted Atty Disbarred In NJ Over LA Utility Billing Scandal
The New Jersey Supreme Court disbarred an attorney this week who orchestrated a sham lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles on behalf of plaintiffs suing the local water utility and who later made $24 million off contracts with the city reached through a number of bribery schemes.
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February 06, 2025
Fla. Judge Beats Bias Challenge In Presiding Over CBD Suit
A Florida federal judge on Thursday rejected an objection by former franchisee for CBD company American Shaman Franchise System LLC to a magistrate judge's decision not to recuse herself from his breach of contract case.
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February 06, 2025
Metals Dealer Says Partners Lost $12M In Attys' Tax Scam
A precious metals dealer and his partners said they were fleeced of $12 million by attorneys who directed them to form a partnership and take illegal tax deductions for intellectual property, according to a complaint filed in Colorado federal court.
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February 06, 2025
Filing Claims 'Secret Lockout' Led To Conn. Trial Firm Schism
One of the 50-50 partners litigating the dramatic breakup of Connecticut Trial Firm LLC, a personal injury firm known for high-dollar verdicts, has accused his onetime partner of having "plotted a secret lockout" to remove him from the firm, according to a revised derivative complaint filed in Connecticut state court.
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February 05, 2025
Cuomo Faces Skeptical Panel In AG Document Lawsuit
Counsel for former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced a doubtful appellate panel Wednesday, who questioned whether the disgraced executive had jumped the gun in suing Attorney General Letitia James for records from the state's sexual harassment investigation against him that are still being reviewed and produced.
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February 05, 2025
Motorcycle Co. Gets $2.7B Mexico Claim Revived
A Canadian appeals court has revived U.S.-based Vento Motorcycles' claim seeking up to $2.7 billion after Mexico allegedly destroyed its business through unfair tariffs, ruling Tuesday that a lower court judge wrongly declined to nix an adverse award despite finding that an arbitrator was potentially biased.
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February 05, 2025
GOP Sens.' Bill Ups Penalty For Protesting Justices' Homes
Five Republican senators introduced a bill on Wednesday that would increase maximum prison sentences for individuals who illegally protest outside the homes of U.S. Supreme Court justices, from the current one-year limit up to five years.
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February 05, 2025
NJ Seeks Jury Trial In PFAS Cleanup Case Against 3M, DuPont
New Jersey officials are fighting back against 3M and DuPont's requests to have a federal bench trial on their environmental claims seeking remediation and restoration cost reimbursement over purported PFAS contamination, arguing that its legal claims are tied to legal remedies that a jury, not a judge, must decide.
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February 05, 2025
Ga. Judge Balks At Zurich's Claim Of Surprise Testimony
A Georgia federal judge has rejected Zurich American Insurance's bid to strike supposed surprise testimony from a recent trial where it lost $12.2 million over a disputed rain damage claim from a solar farm, ruling Wednesday that the real surprise was Zurich's belated and meritless objections.
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February 05, 2025
NJ Fraud Defendant Loses Bid To Toss 'Vindictive' Charges
A New Jersey federal judge has rejected a bid by convicted fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein — who was later pardoned, and then charged again — to toss seven counts of a 17-count indictment on money laundering and other charges, reasoning that he and a co-defendant didn't show the new counts amounted to vindictive prosecution.
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February 05, 2025
Worker, Nonprofit Mental Health Co. Agree To End Work Row
A former case manager sanctioned for faking evidence and the nonprofit mental health and addiction treatment center she accused of not paying full wages told a North Carolina federal court they agreed to end the case a month before the trial was set to start.
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February 05, 2025
Barnes & Thornburg's Immunity Challenged At Ga. High Court
An ex-Barnes & Thornburg LLP client suing a now-retired attorney with the firm over his alleged "split loyalties" in an insurance dispute urged the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday to revise its standard for when lawyers can be shielded from legal malpractice claims, arguing two lower courts wrongly killed her suit before trial.
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February 05, 2025
Va. Law Firm Ends Ex-Worker's Harassment, Retaliation Suit
A Virginia law firm has agreed to resolve a former accounts payable specialist's lawsuit claiming she was fired for repeatedly complaining that a male contractor followed her to the restroom and acted threateningly toward her, according to a Wednesday federal court filing.
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February 05, 2025
Texas Bar Says Lawyers Can't Partner With Non-Attorneys
A new ethics opinion from the State Bar of Texas says lawyers practicing in the Lone Star State cannot partner with law firms offering legal services in other jurisdictions if the partnership includes a non-lawyer, even if such arrangements are permitted in the jurisdiction where the law firm is based.
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February 05, 2025
Girardi Keese Trustee Sues NY Atty Who Funded Girardi
The bankruptcy trustee for disgraced California attorney Tom Girardi's defunct law firm is suing to prevent New York attorney Joseph DiNardo from discharging $7.5 million in his own bankruptcy, claiming DiNardo received the money by helping Girardi defraud his own clients.
Expert Analysis
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Verizon Benefits Ruling Clears Up Lien Burden Of Proof
A Rhode Island federal court recently ruled that a Verizon benefits plan could not recoup a former employee’s settlement funds from the attorney who represented her in a personal injury case, importantly clarifying two Employee Retirement Income Security Act burden of proof issues that were previously unsettled, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Law.
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Reimagining Law Firm Culture To Break The Cycle Of Burnout
While attorney burnout remains a perennial issue in the legal profession, shifting post-pandemic expectations mean that law firms must adapt their office cultures to retain talent, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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Series
Competing In Dressage Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My lifelong participation in the sport of dressage — often called ballet on horses — has proven that several skills developed through training and competition are transferable to legal work, especially the ability to harness focus, persistence and versatility when negotiating a deal, says Stephanie Coco at V&E.
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Opinion
High Court's Gifts Problem Taints Public Corruption Cases
A history of U.S. Supreme Court justices failing to disclose luxurious gifts from wealthy donors coincides with a troubling line of court precedent overturning jury convictions in public corruption cases, indicating that perhaps justices aren't presently fit to be making these decisions, says Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.
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The Legal Industry Needs A Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift
As law firms face ever-increasing risks of cyberattacks and ransomware incidents, the legal industry must implement robust cybersecurity measures and privacy-centric practices to preserve attorney-client privilege, safeguard client trust and uphold the profession’s integrity, says Ryan Paterson at Unplugged.
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5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money
As a number of BigLaw firms increase salary scales for early-career attorneys, law students and lateral associates considering new job offers should weigh several key factors that may matter more than financial compensation, say Albert Tawil at Lateral Hub and Ruvin Levavi at Power Forward.
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Series
Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My experience playing competitive tennis has highlighted why prioritizing exercise and stress relief, maintaining perspective under pressure, and supporting colleagues in pursuit of a common goal are all key aspects of championing a successful legal career, says Madhumita Datta at Lowenstein Sandler.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52
Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Ramy Djerassi discusses how Super Bowl 52, in which the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the New England Patriots, provides an apt metaphor for alternative dispute resolution processes in commercial business cases.
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Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial
Sam Bankman-Fried's recent trial testimony about his lawyers' involvement in FTX's business highlights the need for attorney-witnesses to understand privilege issues in order to avoid costly discovery disputes and, potentially, uncover critical evidence an adversary might seek to conceal, says Lawrence Bluestone at Genova Burns.
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Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success
Amid continuing business uncertainty, law firms should consider adopting a holistic employee experience strategy — prioritizing consistency, targeting signature moments and leveraging measurement tools — to maximize productivity and profitability, says Haley Revel at Calibrate Consulting.
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Series
Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
While practicing law and competing in long-distance triathlons can make work and life feel unbalanced at times, participating in the sport has revealed important lessons about versatility, self-care and perseverance that apply to the office as much as they do the racecourse, says Laura Heusel at Butler Snow.
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Opinion
History Reveals Folly Of Absolute Presidential Immunity
As a federal appeals court grapples with former President Donald Trump’s claims that he’s immune from prosecution on election interference charges, it’s a fitting time for lawyers to reflect on the rule of law — from 13th century jurisprudence to Watergate and the Clinton impeachment — and how the idea of absolute presidential immunity is unwise, says attorney Steven Reske.
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Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument
Following recent oral argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, at least four justices appear to be in favor of overturning the long-standing Chevron deference, and three justices seem ready to uphold it, which means the ultimate decision may rest on Chief Justice John Roberts' vote, say Wayne D'Angelo and Zachary Lee at Kelley Drye.
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Perspectives
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.