Business of Law

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.
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.
February 05, 2025
Goldstein, Saying He's Mired In Debt, Asks To Redo Bail Terms

Prominent U.S. Supreme Court attorney and SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein has a negative net worth of more than $3.3 million and is mired in debt to his attorneys, he said in a filing Wednesday seeking to modify the conditions of his release ahead of a trial on federal criminal tax evasion charges.
February 05, 2025
As Adams Case Teeters, A DOJ 'Ideal' Hangs In The Balance

The public courtship between New York City Mayor Eric Adams and President Donald Trump is worrying some white collar legal experts, who say that Trump influencing the U.S. Department of Justice to drop Adams' corruption case would depart from over 40 years of policies aimed at keeping politics out of prosecutorial decisions.
February 05, 2025
Ex-Ambassador To Hungary Returns To Jenner's NY Team

After serving as the U.S. ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman is returning to Jenner & Block LLP as a partner, a firm where he helped co-found the national security and crisis practice as well as the human rights and global strategy practice, the firm announced Monday.
February 05, 2025
HSF Posts $6.3M US Loss As Kramer Levin Merger Looms

The U.S. operations of Herbert Smith Freehills made a loss of more than $6 million in the last financial year, accounts have revealed, as the firm's partners are set to cast their vote on a transatlantic merger with Kramer Levin this month.
February 04, 2025
Wheeling & Appealing: The Latest Must-Know Appellate Action

February is off to a rip-roaring start in several circuits, and there's plenty more action ahead, including a moment of truth for judiciary policymaking that has managed to anger both the defense and plaintiffs bars. We'll explore all that in this edition of Wheeling & Appealing, which also includes an appellate quiz pegged to recent presidential news.
February 04, 2025
Trump Picks AG Paxton Atty For Homeland Security Dept.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's special counsel, who is also a former member of President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, has been tapped for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Paxton announced Tuesday.
February 04, 2025
Trump Selects McKinsey CLO For Commerce Department GC

President Donald Trump on Monday nominated McKinsey & Co.'s Chief Legal Officer Pierre Gentin to serve as the next general counsel at the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to congressional records.
February 04, 2025
Senate Confirms Pam Bondi To Be AG

The U.S. Senate voted 54-46 on Tuesday to confirm Pam Bondi to be attorney general.
February 04, 2025
DOJ Criminal Division Leader Joins White & Case's DC Shop

White & Case LLP announced on Tuesday it was growing its white collar team with the addition of partner Brent Wible, who told Law360 Pulse that it was time for him to step back into private practice following a five-year stint with the U.S. Department of Justice.
February 04, 2025
Haynes Boone Adds 7-Atty Seward & Kissel Team In NY

Haynes Boone has grown its fund finance and securitization practices with the addition of seven attorneys from Seward & Kissel LLP, including the head of the firm's asset securitization and CLO practice group.
February 04, 2025
Former Conn. US Attorney Returns To McCarter & English

Vanessa Roberts Avery, who recently stepped down as U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut, has returned to her roots as a business litigator at McCarter & English LLP in Hartford, Connecticut.
February 04, 2025
'Is This A Joke?' Judge Denies Atty Fees For Grocery Patrons

A California federal judge had so little tolerance for shoppers claiming victory and seeking attorney fees from the abandoned Kroger-Albertsons merger that in tossing their motion and underlying lawsuit he noted with incredulity, "Plaintiffs are actually making these arguments."
February 03, 2025
Gilstrap Tells Patent Atty To 'Relearn The Fundamentals'

U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap has decided that a "public admonition" is a more appropriate punishment than legal fines for a lawyer whose client was called a "patent troll" by opponents, ordering the attorney to "relearn the fundamentals of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure."
February 03, 2025
DOJ Poised To Prosecute Threat-Makers Against DOGE

A federal prosecutor appointed by President Donald Trump offered Elon Musk his office's support to "protect" the work of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by the billionaire businessman, including "legal action against anyone who impedes your work or threatens your people."
February 03, 2025
DC Circ. Rejects Newman's Bid To Unseal Suspension Docs

The D.C. Circuit on Monday denied U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman's request to unseal documents about her suspension for refusing to participate in an investigation into her fitness, saying such documents are confidential unless both the judge under investigation and the chief judge agree to release them.
February 03, 2025
Jackson Walker Ethics Case Shelved Over Lack Of Authority

A Houston federal judge on Monday recommended closing an ethics case against Jackson Walker LLP over its supposed knowledge of a firm attorney's relationship with a judge, finding the court lacked the authority to pursue sanctions against a law firm.
February 03, 2025
The Top In-House Hires Of January

Legal department moves in the past month included high-profile appointments at Hilton Hotels, the Baltimore Orioles baseball team and the restaurant chain White Castle. Meanwhile, several legal leaders left notable companies, including American Airlines, music streamer Spotify and radio broadcaster SiriusXM.
February 03, 2025
ABA House Of Delegates Votes For Stricter High Court Ethics

The American Bar Association's policymaking body recommended Monday that the U.S. Supreme Court adopt a binding ethics code as strict as the code of conduct that other U.S. federal judges must follow.
February 03, 2025
Cozen Adds Ex-Carlton Fields Construction Pro In Boston

Cozen O'Connor has added an ex-Carlton Fields PA partner as a Boston-based member of its construction law group, the firm announced Monday.
February 03, 2025
DOJ Vets Start Group To Protect Ex-Colleagues From Trump

Former attorneys at the U.S. Department of Justice are launching a new initiative to protect staff caught in the cross-hairs of President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape the department in his image.
February 03, 2025
Attys For Blake Lively, Baldoni Warned Over Media Statements

Lawyers representing feuding actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni in their "It Ends With Us" damages litigation agreed Monday to rein in public statements, after a Manhattan federal judge cited their duty not to taint a potential future jury pool.
February 03, 2025
Paul Hastings Taps Ex-Fried Frank AI Expert For New Practice

Paul Hastings announced Monday the hiring of a former partner at Fried Frank to lead its new technology transactions practice out of New York.
January 31, 2025
In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.

Expert Analysis

4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
Legal Practice In The AI Era: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Guest columnists explored the possibilities and challenges for the legal profession amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence, including privilege complications, demands for new types of legal skills, and the ethics of a ChatGPT-authored motion.
AI In Employment Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

This year, the most popular employment law topics related to artificial intelligence in Law360's Expert Analysis section included ChatGPT, new AI legislation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
AI In Health Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

As the use of artificial intelligence accelerated this year, Expert Analysis writers examined AI's significant impact on the healthcare sector, ranging from key compliance considerations for companies utilizing AI tools to regulators' efforts to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.
AI In IP Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Keeping up with generative artificial intelligence was the name of the game for intellectual property lawyers in 2023 as the government worked to determine whether AI-generated output is protectable under the law and guest writers assessed the technology's risks and rewards.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

Securities guest article topics that piqued reader interest this year include how the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission utilized seldom-used rules to go after bad actors, and how Delaware courts increased scrutiny on boards of directors — sometimes in surprising ways.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

This year, some of the most popular employment topics in articles written for Law360's Expert Analysis section focused on workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, new unionization rules from the National Labor Relations Board, and proposed regulations for implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Managing AI Risks: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Amid the rapidly developing legal landscape around artificial intelligence, Law360 Expert Analysis writers tackled a range of compliance and litigation challenges, providing insights on privacy in the age of AI, the role of class actions in AI risk mitigation, and the creation of corporate AI policies.
The Most-Read Law360 UK Guest Articles Of 2023

Benefits of the new EU Unified Patent Court, artificial intelligence regulation and M&A trends amid rising inflation were among the hot topics U.K. Expert Analysis articles explored this year.
The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office incentives and restrictions, Federal Circuit decisions on exact meaning, and lessons from the comedic whodunit “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” were among popular intellectual property topics guest authors tackled this year.
The Most-Read Trials Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

Law360 guest columnists provided a number of tips and insights for trial attorneys this year, including pitfalls to avoid in witness preparation, color psychology pointers that can enhance trial graphics, and strategies for excluding expert testimony.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

In their commentary on emerging access to justice issues this year, Law360 guest experts covered the importance of tiered legal assistance in eviction cases, the evolution of financial bail conditions, and the role of public defenders in addressing the root drivers of crime.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
So You Want To Write A Guest Article?

If your New Year's resolution is to spend more time writing, here's everything you need to know to pitch guest article ideas to Law360.