Business of Law

June 26, 2024
House GOP Mulls Little-Used Inherent Contempt For Garland

A group of House Republicans are giving Attorney General Merrick Garland until Friday morning to comply with their demands for the audio recordings of President Joe Biden and his ghostwriter speaking with special counsel Robert Hur during his investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents before they move forward with a vote to hold him in inherent contempt of Congress.
June 26, 2024
High Court 'Inadvertently' Posts Order Punting Abortion Case

The U.S. Supreme Court mistakenly released a draft order Wednesday that would allow emergency abortions in Idaho, with a majority saying the court was wrong to consider a state challenge at this time.
June 26, 2024
Justices Say Bribery Law Doesn't Criminalize Gratuities

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday narrowed the scope of a federal bribery law frequently used in corruption cases against local officials, in a 6-3 ruling in favor of a former Indiana mayor who argued the law only criminalizes quid pro quo bribery and not rewards given after an official act.
June 26, 2024
High Court Axes Challenge To Biden Admin's Social Media Work

The U.S. Supreme Court wiped out a Fifth Circuit order prohibiting the Biden administration and several federal agencies from working with social media platforms to combat the spread of misinformation Wednesday, finding the states and individuals challenging the collaboration don't have standing to sue.
June 25, 2024
GM Gears Up For Legal Dept. Changes With New Top Lawyer

General Motors said late Tuesday it had recruited a former in-house counsel at Boeing to be its next top lawyer, who will begin the job when the company's longtime legal chief takes a job in GM's driverless car unit next month.
June 25, 2024
3rd Circ. Says Smith & Wesson Can't Sidestep NJ Subpoena

The gunmaker Smith & Wesson must comply with a subpoena from New Jersey to produce advertising materials requested in a consumer fraud case brought by the state, a divided Third Circuit panel ruled Tuesday.
June 25, 2024
Trump Atty Argues Feds Lied To Get Mar-A-Lago Warrant

An attorney representing Donald Trump in his criminal case over retaining classified documents after leaving the White House urged a Florida federal judge Tuesday to toss evidence seized during the raid on Mar-a-Lago, arguing the government put false information on the warrant application to search the former president's estate.
June 25, 2024
Gov't Asks Ala. Fed. Court To Stay Gender Care Case

The Biden administration has asked an Alabama federal court to stay a suit challenging a state law criminalizing gender-affirming care for transgender youth, which has drawn attention because of judge-shopping allegations leveled against plaintiff's counsel, as the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a separate but potentially precedential suit.
June 25, 2024
House GOP Looks To Hold Biden Ghostwriter In Contempt

The House Judiciary Committee will consider a resolution on Thursday on whether to hold President Biden's ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer in contempt for refusing to turn over materials related to special counsel Robert Hur's investigation of the president's handling of classified documents.
June 25, 2024
Ga. Panel OKs COVID Aid To Atty Who Cared For 2 Young Kids

A Georgia attorney who left his legal job to be the primary caregiver for his young children during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic should have qualified for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, a state appeals panel has ruled, overturning the state's decision to deny benefits.
June 25, 2024
Approach The Bench: Judge Nazarian Touts Mentorship

Judge Douglas Nazarian of the Appellate Court of Maryland has given a lot of thought to clerkships since he took the bench more than 11 years ago.
June 25, 2024
Lewis Baach Says Chrysler Building Landlord Bilked The Firm

International boutique Lewis Baach Kaufmann Middlemiss PLLC has sued the landlord for its former office space in the Chrysler Building in New York state court, saying RFR Holding LLC is refusing to return its $275,000 security deposit.
June 25, 2024
Immigration Org.'s Attys Can Be In Union, NLRB Official Says

Attorneys at a nonprofit providing immigration legal services may remain in a voluntarily recognized union bargaining unit, a National Labor Relations Board regional director concluded, saying the attorneys are not supervisors who are excluded from unionizing under federal labor law.
June 25, 2024
DC Court Of Appeals Suspends Hunter Biden's Law License

The D.C. Court of Appeals on Tuesday suspended Hunter Biden's license to practice law in the district because of his recent conviction on federal gun charges.
June 25, 2024
House Republicans Look To Cut Justice Department Funding

House Republicans are looking to slash funding for the U.S. Department of Justice for fiscal 2025, a move that comes as Republicans have been attacking the department for what they deem unfair prosecutions of former President Donald Trump.
June 25, 2024
NY Judge Partially Lifts Trump Gag Order Ahead Of Sentence

The Manhattan judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's hush-money case on Tuesday vacated key parts of a gag order intended to shield jurors and witnesses from his verbal attacks, although an order protecting the jurors' identities remains in place.
June 25, 2024
Cooley Adds Ex-CPSC Chair To Product Safety Group

The former chair of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has joined Cooley LLP, a return to private practice he told Law360 came about after a health crisis, trips to war-torn Ukraine for his prior nonprofit job, and a personal "sabbatical" that led him to refocus his life.
June 24, 2024
Willis' Plan To Prejudice Defendants Requires DQ, Trump Says

Former President Donald Trump told the Georgia Court of Appeals on Monday that a trial court judge inaccurately applied the legal standard for forensic misconduct when he ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could continue her prosecution of him and his co-defendants in the Georgia presidential election interference case.
June 24, 2024
More Law Schools Boosting AI In Curricula

Law schools are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence into their curricula, including dedicated AI courses and opportunities for students to use AI tools, signaling a trend that the technology is becoming essential for future lawyers, according to results from an American Bar Association survey released Monday.
June 24, 2024
Alleged Contract Killing Sparks Delaware Chancery Lawsuit

Los Angeles biotech firm Renovaro Inc. has sued a former, purported scientific adviser and his husband in Delaware's Court of Chancery for damages tied to an assortment of fraudulent schemes allegedly shielded in part by a contract killing linked to a separate alleged international oil trading scam.
June 24, 2024
Apple, Amazon Assail Hagens Berman's Class Rep 'Charade'

Apple and Amazon.com blasted Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP for trying to "have it both ways" in an antitrust suit over a pact between the companies restricting Amazon iPhone and iPad sales to approved vendors, arguing the firm cannot withdraw its original named plaintiff without forcing him to testify.
June 24, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

Amendments to Delaware's General Corporation Law topped the news out of the Court of Chancery again last week, as the hotly contested measure sailed through the state's legislature. Tesla and its shareholders continued their tug-of-war over attorney fees for Chancery litigation about Elon Musk's pay package, and new cases were filed involving biotechs, car rental companies, workout platforms, telecom towers, and a cargo ship fire in Brazil.
June 24, 2024
GOP Rep. Seeks To Revive 'Inherent Contempt' For Garland

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., plans to bring up a resolution this week to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in inherent contempt of Congress, a "long dormant" procedure as Republicans continue their investigations of the president.
June 24, 2024
Trump Mar-A-Lago Case Is Unlawfully Funded, Fla. Judge Told

An attorney defending Donald Trump against the federal government's accusation that he illegally retained classified documents at Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White House in 2021 told a Florida judge Monday the criminal indictment should be dismissed against the former president, saying that the case isn't lawfully funded.
June 24, 2024
High Court To Review State Gender Care Bans

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to review a Sixth Circuit decision that allowed Tennessee to keep in place a new ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

Expert Analysis

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.
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.
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.
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.