Business of Law

September 18, 2024
Wayne State Law Student Refused Accommodations, School Says

Wayne State University argued Wednesday it did not violate the Americans with Disabilities Act by not letting a law student attend class virtually, telling a Michigan federal judge the student, who sued the university, turned down its offers of in-class accommodations, on-campus housing and other resources to help her attend lectures.
September 17, 2024
DOJ Investigating Alaska US Atty's Office, Murkowski Says

Sen. Lisa Murkowski revealed Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the U.S. attorney's office in Anchorage following the resignation of an Alaska federal judge who reportedly had an "inappropriately sexualized relationship" with a law clerk even after she joined the prosecutors' office.
September 17, 2024
Pa. Judge Confirmed As GOP Leader Bemoans Dems' Tactics

The Senate voted 52-41 Tuesday to confirm Mary Kathleen Costello as U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, but first the chamber's top Republican took time to blast judiciary policymakers for backing what he said were Democratic initiatives regarding the federal bench.
September 17, 2024
Pryor Cashman Taps NY Litigator As Next Managing Partner

A New York-based litigator will be the new managing partner of Pryor Cashman LLP starting next year, capping off a nearly 30-year journey at the firm that he began as an associate.
September 17, 2024
Sidley M&A Leader To Head Firm's Exec Committee

Sidley Austin LLP announced Tuesday that a co-head of the firm's M&A and private equity practice will be the next chair of its executive committee, tapping an attorney who has been with the firm for more than three decades to fill the leadership post.
September 17, 2024
GC Base Salaries At Big Companies On The Rise

General counsel base salaries at companies making $5 billion or more in revenue has increased from last year, while their total compensation has decreased, according to a report released Tuesday by the Association of Corporate Counsel and Empsight International LLC.
September 17, 2024
Better Days Ahead For Associates, Recruiters Say

Things are looking up for associates, recruiters say, as a strong economic outlook for the legal industry appears to be driving increased demand for younger attorneys after two straight years of layoffs.
September 17, 2024
Duane Morris Atty Asks Court To Keep Proposed Class Alive

A Duane Morris LLP attorney asked a California federal court to keep her proposed class action against the firm alive, alleging the BigLaw firm is mischaracterizing her claims that it underpaid and misclassified employees.
September 17, 2024
Eversheds US Chief-Elect Talks Firm Goals, DC Move Plans

Eversheds Sutherland named Lino Mendiola III the chief executive-elect for the U.S. side of the firm on Monday. Here, Mendiola talks to Law360 about his goals, his plans to continue the firm’s culture of innovation and why he’s transferring from Austin, Texas, to Washington, D.C., with the promotion.
September 17, 2024
Investors' Losses Were Caused By Own Failures, Firm Says

A Liverpool-based law firm has denied claims it was negligent when advising investors on a real estate investment deal alleged to be a Ponzi scheme, arguing that investors' losses were caused by their failure to follow legal advice.
September 17, 2024
Holland & Knight Slams Suit Over Ex-Atty's Client Info Access

Holland & Knight LLP urged a Pennsylvania federal judge on Monday to throw out what it called a "scattershot and vague" lawsuit alleging that a former firm partner unlawfully accessed a client's confidential documents in order to gain an upper hand in the partner's contentious divorce proceeding.
September 17, 2024
8th Circ. Won't Revive Fired Lockheed Atty's Race Bias Suit

The Eighth Circuit refused on Tuesday to reinstate a race discrimination and retaliation case brought by a former Lockheed Martin in-house attorney whose suit was tossed after a trial court concluded she had lied about her income, rejecting her push to deflect blame onto her lawyers.
September 17, 2024
PSEG's GC To Retire As Utility Co. Lines Up Her Successor

The top attorney for Public Service Enterprise Group is retiring next year after more than three decades with the utility provider, the company announced Tuesday.
September 16, 2024
Senate Confirms Tenn, Prosecutor To 6th Circ.

The U.S. Senate Monday confirmed federal prosecutor Kevin Ritz to join the Sixth Circuit bench along a 48-46 party line vote following vocal objections from the senior senator from Tennessee over the past few months.
September 16, 2024
Michael Best Absorbs 6-Atty Great Plains Startup Boutique

Michael Best & Friedrich LLP announced Monday it had expanded into the Great Plains region of the U.S. as it combines with a six-attorney Nebraska-based boutique helmed by a former Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC attorney.
September 16, 2024
Federal Judges Beat Ethics Complaint Over Clerk Boycotts

Two federal judges did not commit misconduct by joining in a letter with other jurists stating they would not hire students who attend Columbia University or its law school as clerks due to the university's handling of student protests over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Eleventh Circuit Judicial Council has found.
September 16, 2024
DOJ Special Counsel Hur Among Duo Joining King & Spalding

King & Spalding LLP announced Monday that Robert Hur, the former special counsel who declined to prosecute President Joe Biden earlier this year over his handling of classified documents, was rejoining the firm alongside fellow U.S. Department of Justice attorney Leah Grossi.
September 16, 2024
Record Retrieval Co. Hit With Suit Over Data Breach

Medical record retrieval company Compex Legal Services Inc. is facing a proposed class action in California federal court over an April data breach that exposed consumers' personal and health information.
September 16, 2024
Eversheds Elects New Co-Chiefs To Start In 2025

Eversheds Sutherland announced Monday it has elected a pair of new chief executives whose roles will start in 2025, with one overseeing the U.S. arm of the firm and the other overseeing the international offices.
September 16, 2024
Lawyer Fined For Claiming Mishcon Represented Pinochet

A high-profile criminal defense lawyer has been fined £6,500 ($8,600) by a disciplinary tribunal for making misleading statements about Mishcon de Reya in an antisemitic broadcast on an Iranian state-owned documentary channel.
September 16, 2024
Kennedys Adds 2 Knowledge Management Pros In London

Kennedys said on Monday it has boosted its back-office technology and knowledge management teams with the hire of two experienced experts in legal procedures and practices and IT.
September 16, 2024
Burford Capital Adds Chief Development Role In London

Burford Capital LLC said Monday that it has appointed a legal finance specialist to the newly created role of chief development officer as part of ongoing efforts to expand the legal funder's business in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond.
September 16, 2024
Law Firm Director Dishonestly Misled Insurer, SRA Says

The solicitors' watchdog told a disciplinary tribunal on Monday that a law firm director had dishonestly concealed the fact that his company had acquired another firm's work and staff after his insurer declined to offer cover for the change.
September 15, 2024
Top Atty For NYC Mayor Resigns As Fed. Investigations Mount

As investigations and high-profile departures continue around New York City's embattled Mayor Eric Adams, his chief counsel resigned Saturday.
September 13, 2024
The 2024 Regional Powerhouses

The law firms on Law360's list of 2024 Regional Powerhouses reflected the local peculiarities of their states while often representing clients in deals and cases that captured national attention.

Expert Analysis

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.
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.