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Legal Ethics
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July 09, 2024
Tampa Atty Accused Of Fraud In Long-Running House Dispute
A Tampa-area estate lawyer has been accused of fraud conspiracy in a state court lawsuit brought by a former tax attorney who alleges that her house was taken to collect fees stemming from a false guardianship case, saying a court order that revoked possession of the property violated the Florida Constitution.
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July 09, 2024
Young Thug Wants To DQ Prosecutors Over Secret Meeting
Atlanta rapper Young Thug has called for the removal of two Fulton County prosecutors from his racketeering trial, arguing that a transcript of a secret meeting involving those prosecutors, a Georgia state judge and a key witness has revealed they unethically persuaded the witness to reconsider and testify against the rapper.
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July 09, 2024
Ousted Fla. Atty Pushes 11th Circ. To Speed Up Review
Suspended Florida prosecutor Andrew Warren is once again asking the Eleventh Circuit to expedite a mandate to a lower court to reconsider his case against Gov. Ron DeSantis, arguing that a single judge has stopped it from moving forward for nearly six months.
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July 09, 2024
Alaska Senators Condemn District Judge After Resignation
Alaska's two Republican senators reprimanded the federal judge from their state who was found by a special committee to have created a hostile work environment and had an "inappropriately sexualized relationship" with one of his clerks, and has resigned.
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July 09, 2024
Davis Malm, Partner Dropped From Investor Suit
Davis Malm & D'Agostine PC and one of its partners have been dropped from a suit alleging a former client of the firm convinced a group of investors to back a startup, then misused their funds.
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July 09, 2024
Texas Judge Gets Warning For Sexually Harassing Colleague
A Fort Worth trial judge has been issued a public warning and ordered to attend demeanor and sexual harassment instruction over findings that he "engaged in a pattern of sexually harassing conduct" toward a fellow judge, according to a decision by the Texas State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
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July 09, 2024
Estate Atty Settles Claims She Stole From Incarcerated Man
A previously incarcerated man has dismissed malpractice claims he filed in Michigan federal court against an attorney, alleging she skimmed money he received from his mother's estate.
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July 09, 2024
Newman Loses Suit Against Fed. Circ. Over Suspension
A D.C. federal judge on Tuesday dismissed the lawsuit Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman filed against her colleagues over her suspension for refusing to undergo medical tests, saying she failed to prove the judicial conduct law at issue is unconstitutional.
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July 09, 2024
NJ Power Broker, Firm CEO Deny Racketeering Charges
Powerful New Jersey businessman George E. Norcross III, his prominent attorney brother and others on Tuesday denied that they schemed to acquire waterfront property in the distressed city of Camden by threatening to ruin the business reputations and finances of key stakeholders.
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July 08, 2024
Resigning US Judge Had 'Sexualized Relationship' With Clerk
U.S. District Judge Joshua Kindred of the District of Alaska, who abruptly announced his resignation last week, had a "sexualized relationship" with his clerk, including sexual encounters with her shortly after she left her clerkship and joined the U.S. Attorney's Office, according to an order issued Monday by the Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit.
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July 08, 2024
Holland & Hart Dodges Deposition Order In Discovery Spat
A Washington federal judge said from the bench Monday that she would not order the deposition of High 5 Games LLC's defense team for alleged discovery misconduct in a class action accusing the company of targeting gambling addicts, ruling the depositions were not crucial to make a case for sanctions.
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July 08, 2024
Judge's Error Reverses Med Mal Atty Sanctions, Panel Rules
A Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled Monday that a Philadelphia trial court erred by imposing sanctions on counsel in a long-running medical malpractice suit against a hospital, saying sanctions can't be based on a broad courtwide policy attempting to speed up medical malpractice cases.
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July 08, 2024
Fla. Judge Facing Reprimand For Spreading Campaign Gossip
A Florida judge has agreed to a public reprimand for disseminating unreliable allegations about her opponent for a judicial seat that insinuated the opponent fraudulently obtained money from the Paycheck Protection Program, according to documents filed Monday.
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July 08, 2024
Biotech Co. Alleges Arbitrator Conflict In Patent Award Fight
Pennsylvania-based biotechnology company Renmatix Inc. is urging the Delaware Court of Chancery to nix an arbitral award favoring Finnish company UPM-Kymmene Corp. in a long-running patent dispute, pointing to an allegedly undisclosed conflict of interest involving the Finnish company's counsel at DLA Piper.
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July 08, 2024
3rd Circ. Doubts SEC Properly Served Ponzi Scheme Suspect
The Third Circuit on Monday appeared skeptical of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's bid to maintain a default judgment against a Swiss resident accused of operating a $1.4 million Ponzi scheme, peppering the agency with questions about how the complaint was served.
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July 08, 2024
Credit Repair Law Firm Only Made Problems Worse, Suit Says
A purported credit repair organization faces a Michigan customer's allegations that the company further damaged her credit at a price of "tens of thousands of dollars" over months in violation of state and federal law.
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July 08, 2024
NJ Cops Claim Retaliation After Uncovering Prosecutor Fraud
A detective and a lieutenant with the Warren County Prosecutor's Office have launched a whistleblower lawsuit in New Jersey state court alleging retaliation for their part in uncovering an alleged fraud scheme to improperly collect state grant funds, as detailed in an April special investigator's report.
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July 08, 2024
Trump's Mar-a-Lago Case Slowed After Immunity Ruling
The Florida federal judge overseeing Donald Trump's criminal case over retaining classified national security documents at Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House temporarily halted some proceedings following the U.S. Supreme Court's presidential immunity ruling, and also denied a motion to dismiss the superseding indictment against Trump's personal aide.
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July 08, 2024
Trump Allies Push For Fani Willis DQ In Election Case
A pro-Donald Trump think tank has thrown its support behind the former president's bid at the Georgia Court of Appeals to have a trial court's decision reversed and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis disqualified from prosecuting Trump and 18 co-defendants over interference in the 2020 election.
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July 08, 2024
NJ Bar Wants To Halt Ban On Out-Of-State Atty Referral Fees
The New Jersey State Bar Association has asked the state Supreme Court to pause enforcement of a new ethics rule that would bar Garden State certified trial attorneys from paying referral fees to out-of-state lawyers.
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July 08, 2024
Ex-OneTaste Staffer Says Atty Forced Her To Play The Victim
A former employee of sexual wellness company OneTaste is suing her former lawyer, saying he conspired with the FBI to present her as a victim of a forced labor conspiracy while she maintains she was not.
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July 08, 2024
Fla. Judge Who Cursed From Bench Faces 60-Day Suspension
An ethics panel on Monday again recommended a 60-day suspension for a judge's intemperate conduct on the bench that included cursing out a member of the gallery in his courtroom, despite the Florida Supreme Court's previous determination that the sanction was inadequate.
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July 08, 2024
House Hearing Postponed For Trump's NY Prosecutors
The House Judiciary Committee's hearing with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and top prosecutor Matthew Colangelo on former President Donald Trump's conviction on 34 felony counts has been postponed.
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July 08, 2024
1st Circ. Nominee Cut Teeth As 'Victim-Centered' Prosecutor
Maine Superior Court Justice and First Circuit nominee Julia Lipez spent most of her legal career prosecuting federal human trafficking cases, an experience former colleagues say demonstrates her sense of fairness and a sharp focus on the well-being of victims.
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July 08, 2024
The Biggest Patent Rulings Of 2024: A Midyear Report
The Federal Circuit issued its first en banc patent decision since 2018, a circuit judge's suspension was solidified and courts shed further light on foreign damages and skinny labels. Here's a look back at these rulings and other top patent decisions from the first half of 2024.
Expert Analysis
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Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities
Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
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In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023
Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
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Opinion
Animal Rights Are About Saving Nature, And Our Own Future
The climate crisis makes it clear that animal law — conceived of as an ecocentric approach to protecting the most vulnerable nonhumans who depend on the natural environment — is essential to restoring the Earth and safeguarding the future of humanity, says Carter Dillard at the Fair Start Movement.
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The Ethics Of Accepting Advanced Legal Fees In Crypto
State and local bar associations have been weighing in on whether attorneys may accept cryptocurrency as a form of payment in advance of providing legal services, but the answer is frequently a fact-specific inquiry that demands close reading of the rules of professional conduct, say Matthew Feinberg and Jeffrey Cunningham at Goldberg Segalla.
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How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season
Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
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5 Gifts That May Run Afoul Of Government Ethics Rules
As the holiday season ramps up, it’s essential to keep in mind that government officials and employees are all subject to specific gift rules, and related violations can lead to consequences far worse than coal in one’s stocking, say Mark Renaud and Rob Walker at Wiley.
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3 Defense Takeaways From The Bankman-Fried Trial
FTX founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent fraud conviction offers several key lessons for future white collar defendants, from the changing nature of cross-examination to the continued risks of taking the stand, say Jonathan Porter and Gregg Sofer at Husch Blackwell.
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Series
Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
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How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge D'Emic On Moby Grape
The 1968 Moby Grape song "Murder in My Heart for the Judge" tells the tale of a fictional defendant treated with scorn by the judge, illustrating how much the legal system has evolved in the past 50 years, largely due to problem-solving courts and the principles of procedural justice, says Kings County Supreme Court Administrative Judge Matthew D'Emic.
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The Basics Of Law Firm Cyber Liability Insurance Applications
Cyber liability insurance has become a common consideration for law firms as cyber threats have escalated, but these insurance forms can be quite complicated given the nature of the industry and associated risks, so simply filling out the form won't necessarily result in an ideal policy for your firm, says Kevin Haight at WAMS.
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Series
Performing Music Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The discipline of performing live music has directly and positively influenced my effectiveness as a litigator — serving as a reminder that practice, intuition and team building are all important elements of a successful law practice, says Jeff Wakolbinger at Bryan Cave.
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Breaking Down High Court's New Code Of Conduct
The U.S. Supreme Court recently adopted its first-ever code of conduct, and counsel will need to work closely with clients in navigating its provisions, from gift-giving to recusal bids, say Phillip Gordon and Mateo Forero at Holtzman Vogel.
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Opinion
Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave
To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.
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Series
Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.