Legal Ethics

  • August 08, 2024

    NJ Chief Justice Escapes Depo In Ex-Jurist's Pension Suit

    Chief Justice Stuart Rabner of the New Jersey Supreme Court will not have to sit for a deposition in a suit brought by a former Superior Court judge over the denial of her disability pension application, a Garden State judge ruled Thursday.

  • August 08, 2024

    Former In-House Atty Says Mortgage Co. Was 'Oppressive'

    A former staff attorney for mortgage company Newrez LLC alleges in a Texas state court lawsuit made public this week that she was terminated last year after witnessing a deputy general counsel engage in sexually inappropriate conduct with an intoxicated subordinate attorney at a work-related gathering.

  • August 08, 2024

    50 Cent Beats Liquor Consultant's 'Ridiculous' Wiretap Claim

    A frustrated New York state judge on Thursday tossed a former Beam Suntory Inc. sales contractor's reworked wiretapping allegations against rapper Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson in a $3 million embezzlement dispute, calling the claims "ridiculous" and an "obvious" delay tactic.

  • August 08, 2024

    LegalZoom Seeks Arbitration Of Unauthorized Practice Claims

    LegalZoom has asked a New Jersey federal court to force arbitration of proposed class claims that the company engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, arguing the named plaintiff entered into a binding arbitration agreement by clicking "agree and pay now" when he purchased services from the online platform.

  • August 08, 2024

    Calif. Attorney Beats DQ Bid Despite Being Potential Witness

    A California state appeals court on Wednesday upheld a lower court decision not to disqualify a San Diego lawyer from representing a client in a malpractice suit against a Pasadena law firm, saying the attorney can be counsel and provide witness testimony at the trial.  

  • August 07, 2024

    Ex-Mayer Brown Atty Says Firm Retaliated After Her Cancer

    A former Mayer Brown LLP attorney has accused the firm of refusing to accommodate her breast cancer diagnosis and instead retaliating against and eventually firing her, according to a suit filed in New York state court.

  • August 07, 2024

    10th Circ. Won't Undo Atty Fees In $1.5B Syngenta Corn Deal

    The Tenth Circuit on Wednesday backed a Kansas federal judge's allocations of attorney fees to three law firms representing individual claimants in multidistrict litigation over Syngenta's genetically modified corn that was resolved by a $1.5 billion class settlement, finding that the firms' arguments strayed from the issue at hand.

  • August 07, 2024

    'Something Sketchy Was Going On,' Girardi Client Tells Jury

    A man horribly injured in a gas explosion told a Los Angeles federal jury Wednesday that Tom Girardi lied to him for years about the true details of his civil settlement and withheld millions he was owed, but it took him years to figure out "something sketchy was going on."

  • August 07, 2024

    Judge's Pharma Comments Could Decide Ineligibility Appeal

    A Federal Circuit panel on Wednesday was willing to explore Astellas Pharma's argument that a Nebraska federal judge should be taken off its infringement case over the bladder medication Myrbetriq, given statements that showed a potential bias against the pharmaceutical industry, but also made clear that such reassignments are rare and difficult.

  • August 07, 2024

    Shuttered Firm Partner Pulls $9.5M Fee Fight Out Of Arbitration

    An Illinois appeals court has reversed the transfer to partial arbitration of a suit accusing a personal injury firm name partner of defrauding the other name partner by collecting $9.5 million in fees shortly before the firm's dissolution, saying the firm's operating agreement with an arbitration clause was superseded by the dissolution agreement.

  • August 07, 2024

    Google 'May Not Be So Lucky' Next Time Over Chat Deletions

    Google's stunning antitrust loss in D.C. federal court Monday dealt another blow against its policies of letting internal chats delete automatically, and it came with a callout of its practice of training employees to avoid competition law "buzzwords."

  • August 07, 2024

    6th Circ. Voids Man's Death Penalty Over 'Judicial Malfunction'

    The Sixth Circuit on Wednesday granted a capital defendant's habeas petition based on a trial court's decision to recruit the prosecutor to ghostwrite a "corrupt opinion" issuing the death penalty and refusing to allow the defendant to proffer relevant mitigating evidence at his re-sentencing, in violation of his constitutional rights.

  • August 07, 2024

    Bid For Ex-Judge's Phone Records Halted At Texas Hearing

    A Texas bankruptcy judge shut down a bid from JCPenney's bankruptcy administrator to subpoena former Judge David R. Jones' cellphone records in a partially sealed hearing Wednesday in connection with Jones' secret romance with a onetime lawyer at Jackson Walker LLP.

  • August 07, 2024

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: The Battles Making Summer Sizzle

    A 1983 championship basketball team's intellectual property rights and a public feud between Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP and its insurer are among the legal battles that have kept North Carolina Business Court judges and Tar Heel state private practice attorneys busy this summer. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.

  • August 07, 2024

    5th Circ. Grapples With 'Ridiculous' $100M Arbitration

    A Fifth Circuit panel struggled to make sense out of a "ridiculous" arbitration proceeding that produced four contradictory arbitration awards in a legal malpractice dispute, one awarding $100 million, pressing both sides during oral arguments Wednesday to give answers about how the "spectacle" unfolded.

  • August 07, 2024

    7th Circ. Says Atty Inadequacy ID'ed Too Late In Asylum Case

    The Seventh Circuit on Tuesday refused to reopen a Mexican family's asylum proceedings despite finding that the family's attorney cost them their case by arriving unprepared at their immigration hearing, saying the family should have flagged the lawyer's ineffectiveness earlier.

  • August 07, 2024

    'Herculean' Efforts Warrant Max Fee, Debt Firm Trustee Says

    A California bankruptcy trustee overseeing the failed debt relief law firm Litigation Practice Group has told the court he deserves the maximum fee amount and possibly a bonus due to the "herculean" efforts of himself and his colleagues — a statement that comes at a time when the bankruptcy estate appears to have little money to pay more than 2,500 creditors.

  • August 07, 2024

    Law Firms Fight J&J Bid To Revive Talc Subpoenas

    The Beasley Allen Law Firm, the steering committee of talc plaintiffs suing Johnson & Johnson, and a third-party law firm urged the New Jersey federal court this week to reject a bid from the pharmaceutical company to reinstate subpoenas seeking evidence of alleged third-party litigation funding.

  • August 07, 2024

    Young Thug Decries 'Horror' Of Working With Prosecutors

    Atlanta rapper Young Thug launched another bid to boot prosecutors from his long-running gang trial, citing various episodes of alleged misconduct and arguing that prosecutors' inability to provide "the simplest and most basic fundamental fairness" requires their disqualification.

  • August 07, 2024

    Mortgage Banker Says Experian Can't Tie Him To 'Sham' Suits

    A New Jersey-based licensed mortgage banker is urging a California federal judge to let him escape Experian's suit alleging that he helped credit reporting law firms identify clients and created false evidence of a mortgage denial in a nationwide scheme to "extort" the credit reporting agency into settling "sham" lawsuits.

  • August 07, 2024

    Air Force Says Sanctions Bid In Contract Dispute Unwarranted

    The U.S. Air Force has hit back at a contractor's bid for sanctions over alleged late document production and document destruction in a contract dispute, saying the motion was unexpectedly sprung on it while the parties were negotiating discovery issues.

  • August 07, 2024

    Calif. Judges Cautioned About Recall, Election Comments

    The California Supreme Court Committee on Judicial Ethics Opinions is cautioning judges about making comments concerning pending proceedings or decisions that come under fire during a campaign or recall effort, saying such comments can impact the public's perception of judicial integrity.

  • August 07, 2024

    BP Malpractice Deal Needs Work, 5th Circ. Says

    The Fifth Circuit scrapped a legal malpractice settlement in a consolidated lawsuit alleging attorneys were negligent in representing plaintiffs seeking compensation following the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, with a panel finding the terms were not mutually agreed upon.

  • August 07, 2024

    Logistics Co. CEO Denies Role In NJ Racketeering Scheme

    The chief executive officer of logistics firm NFI Industries on Wednesday denied that he played a role in an alleged scheme led by a New Jersey power broker accused of reaping millions in tax credits by using extortion to acquire waterfront property in the distressed city of Camden.

  • August 06, 2024

    Thompson Hine Says Ex-Atty's Harassment Claims Lack Teeth

    A former Thompson Hine LLP attorney's sex harassment suit should be dismissed for failing to show that gender bias had anything to do with the workplace conflicts that arose during her tenure, the firm argued in a New York federal court filing.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 Reasons Associates Shouldn't Take A Job Just For Money

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    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.

  • Series

    Playing Competitive Tennis Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Series

    The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Djerassi On Super Bowl 52

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    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.

  • Considerations For Lawyer Witnesses After FTX Trial

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    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.

  • Employee Experience Strategy Can Boost Law Firm Success

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    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.

  • Series

    Competing In Triathlons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    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.

  • Opinion

    History Reveals Folly Of Absolute Presidential Immunity

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    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.

  • Where Justices Stand On Chevron Doctrine Post-Argument

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    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.

  • Perspectives

    6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice

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    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.

  • Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga

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    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.

  • Series

    Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.

  • Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?

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    Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.

  • Wachtell-X Ruling Highlights Trend On Arbitrability Question

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    A growing body of case law, including a California state court's recent decision in X Corp. v. Wachtell, holds that incorporation of specific arbitral body rules in an arbitration provision may in and of itself constitute clear and unmistakable evidence of delegation of arbitrability to an arbitrator, and thus such clauses should be drafted carefully, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

  • 7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond

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    The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.

  • On The Edge: Lessons In Patent Litigation Financing

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    A federal judge's recent request that the U.S. Department of Justice look into IP Edge patent litigation, and that counsel be disciplined, serves as a reminder for parties asserting intellectual property rights — and their attorneys — to exercise caution when structuring a litigation financing agreement, say Samuel Habein and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.

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