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California Pulse
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Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz
The legal industry began spring with another action-packed week as President Donald Trump continued to eye BigLaw diversity programs and firms expanded their presence and headcounts worldwide. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
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MoFo Adds 4 BraunHagey Corporate Attys In San Francisco
Morrison Foerster LLP announced Thursday that it has continued adding corporate attorneys from BraunHagey & Borden LLP, bringing a team of venture capital specialists to its San Francisco office, two as partners and two as associates.
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DEI Issues Creating 'Culture Of Fear' In Company Leaders
As the heart of the season for corporate annual meetings begins next month, many companies are facing investor questions and resolutions related to diversity in the workplace, primarily because of the federal government's threat of investigations and various groups' lawsuits on both sides of the issue.
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Ashurst Reelects Global Chair, Aims For £1B Revenue
Ashurst LLP has reelected its global chair for a second term, the firm announced Thursday, amid hopes of reaching its first year of £1 billion ($1.2 billion) revenue in 2025 after eight years of growth.
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State AGs To Play Larger Role With Trump Back In Office
Many state attorneys general will have growing influence on national issues under the new Trump administration, as they ramp up regulatory enforcement in areas where the federal government pulls back, while also fighting against or in support of the administration's policies, lawyers and observers say.
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Offit Kurman Names New Deputy Managing Principal
Offit Kurman Attorneys At Law announced Thursday that a Virginia-based attorney who previously served as one of the firm's department chairs has been elevated to the role of deputy managing principal.
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Rocket Lawyer Founder Retires, CFO Named Interim CEO
Rocket Lawyer founder and Chief Executive Officer Charley Moore has retired after nearly 20 years of leadership, the legal technology company said in an announcement Thursday.
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Calif. Panel Probes Disbarring Eastman Over 2020 Election
An appeals panel appeared unlikely Wednesday to reverse a California State Bar judge's finding that John Eastman, a former attorney for President Donald Trump, engaged in misconduct when he tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election, but questioned whether disbarment is the appropriate punishment.
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Plaintiffs Attys Fight Arbitration, While Imposing It On Clients
Plaintiffs attorney groups have for decades lobbied against forced arbitration, saying it strips injured consumers and aggrieved workers of their right to jury trial and hides corporate misconduct from public view. But many plaintiffs lawyers nationwide have subjected their own clients to forced arbitration in their retainer contracts — including leaders of some organizations that forbid the practice, Law360 has found.
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Ex-Lewis Brisbois Hospitality Ace Joins Signature Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution service Signature Resolution is bringing in a recently retired Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP hospitality industry litigator to join its panel of neutrals.
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Alston & Bird Securities Litigator Joins Katten In Calif.
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP added a former Alston & Bird LLP securities litigation partner whom one firm leader has hoped to hire after a stint working together decades ago.
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Robbins Geller Escapes Sanctions In Gas Price-Fixing Suit
A California federal judge on Wednesday rejected a bid to sanction Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP attorneys in a gas price-fixing suit, determining that the firm didn't act in bad faith or unreasonably multiply proceedings in a way that unnecessarily cost Alon USA Energy millions.
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EEOC Bid For Law Firm DEI Info On Shaky Ground, Attys Say
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent call for law firms to cough up a trove of information about their diversity, equity and inclusion programs lacks statutory authority and may contravene federal law, according to experts from both sides of the aisle.
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Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards
Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.
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Six Takeaways From California's State Of The Judiciary
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero gave an annual State of the Judiciary address to Golden State legislators Tuesday that highlighted the judicial branch's independence and commitment to providing "fair and impartial justice," while putting less attention than in years past on policies that support diversity and inclusion.
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How BigLaw Is Tweaking Diversity Messaging Amid Pushback
As the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny of diversity programs, some of the nation's leading law firms are quietly adjusting how they publicly present their diversity commitments, including softening language, scrubbing diversity reports, and, in some cases, erasing diversity pages altogether.
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Eisner Lands 2 Reed Smith Entertainment Pros In NY, Calif.
Business and entertainment firm Eisner LLP announced Tuesday that it has hired two attorneys from Reed Smith LLP to enhance its capacity to negotiate entertainment industry transactions.
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McDermott Launches San Diego Office Helmed By IP Veteran
McDermott Will & Emery LLP announced Tuesday it is opening an office in San Diego and has tapped a longtime intellectual property attorney to lead it, while also naming that attorney to be one of the co-heads of its global IP practice.
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Maynard Nexsen Adds 5 Constangy Employment Attys In LA
Maynard Nexsen PC has brought a 5-lawyer team from labor and employment firm Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP to its Los Angeles office, bringing on a team that is experienced in management-side employment law and can converse in six languages.
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Dem Ex-EEOC Officials Call Law Firm DEI Letters Overreach
A group of Democratic-appointed former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission officials urged acting Chair Andrea Lucas on Tuesday to rescind letters seeking information from 20 law firms about their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, saying she had exceeded the agency's power.
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Semiconductor Co. AMD Paid GC Nearly $16.9M In '24
Semiconductor manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s legal chief made nearly $16.9 million in her first year with the company, including a $2 million sign-on bonus, according to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Debevoise Atty Goes In-House As TPG's Legal Chief
Global asset manager TPG announced Monday that it has hired Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner Jennifer Chu to take over as its chief legal officer and general counsel, saying her deep "experience, leadership expertise and judgment" are an ideal match for the rapidly expanding firm.
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Ex-Avenatti Clients Resolve Fight Over Seized Honda Jet
Two of Michael Avenatti's former clients have settled their dispute over ownership interest and an insurance policy covering a $4.4 million Honda jet that the disgraced attorney allegedly purchased with stolen client funds, according to a notice filed in California federal court.
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Wayne Gretzky Suing Co-Investor For Malicious Prosecution
NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and his wife filed a lawsuit in California state court against a co-investor in a failed weight-loss business, whom he alleges lodged a meritless suit against him in 2022 to "score a quick payday" after accusing him of contributing to the demise of the company.
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Judge Ikuta's Sr. Status Plans Give Trump 9th Circ. Opening
U.S. Circuit Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta of the Ninth Circuit will be taking semi-retired status upon appointment of her successor, a court representative confirmed to Law360 on Monday.
Expert Analysis
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How Your Summer Associate Events Can Convey Inclusivity
As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Negotiate Long-Term Flex Work?
Though the pandemic has shown the value of remote work, many firms are still reluctant to embrace flexible working arrangements when offices reopen, so attorneys should use several negotiating tactics to secure a long-term remote or hybrid work setup that also protects their potential for career advancement, says Elaine Spector at Harrity & Harrity.
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What I Wish Law Schools Taught Women About Legal Careers
Instead of spending an entire semester on 19th century hunting rights, I wish law schools would facilitate honest discussions about what it’s like to navigate life as an attorney, woman and mother, and offer lessons on business marketing that transcend golf outings and social mixers, says Daphne Delvaux at Gruenberg Law.
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4 Ways To Break Down Barriers For Women Of Color In Law
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Female lawyers belonging to minority groups continue to be paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts, so law firms and corporate legal departments must stop treating women as a monolithic group and create initiatives that address the unique barriers women of color face, say Daphne Turpin Forbes at Microsoft and Linda Chanow at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
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Opinion
We Need More Professional Diversity In The Federal Judiciary
With the current overrepresentation of former corporate lawyers on the federal bench, the Biden administration must prioritize professional diversity in judicial nominations and consider lawyers who have represented workers, consumers and patients, says Navan Ward, president of the American Association for Justice.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Retire Without Creating Chaos?
Retired attorney Vernon Winters explains how lawyers can thoughtfully transition into retirement while protecting their firms’ interests and allaying clients' fears, with varying approaches that turn on the nature of one's practice, client relationships and law firm management.
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Why I Went From Litigator To Law Firm Diversity Officer
Narges Kakalia at Mintz recounts her journey from litigation partner to director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm, explaining how the challenges she faced as a female lawyer of color shaped her transition and why attorneys’ unique skill sets make them well suited for diversity leadership roles.
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For Asian American Lawyers, Good Mentorship Is Crucial
Navigating the legal world as an Asian American lawyer comes with unique challenges — from cultural stereotypes to a perceived lack of leadership skills — but finding good mentors and treating mentorship as a two-way street can help junior lawyers overcome some of the hurdles and excel, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.
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Coping With Secondary Trauma From Pro Bono Work
As the need for pro bono services continues to grow in tandem with the pandemic, attorneys should assess their mental well-being and look for symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, while law firms must carefully manage their public service programs and provide robust mental health services to employees, says William Silverman at Proskauer.
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How Firms Can Benefit From Creating Their Own ALSPs
As more law firms develop their own legal services centers to serve as both a source of flexible personnel and technological innovation, they can further enhance the effectiveness by fostering a consistent and cohesive team and allowing for experimentation with new technologies from an established baseline, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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Modernizing Legal Education Through Hybrid JD Programs
Amid pandemic-era shifts in education, law schools and other stakeholders should consider the wide geographic and demographic reach of Juris Doctor programs with both online and in-person learning options, and educators should think through the various ways hybrid programs can be structured, says Stephen Burnett at All Campus.
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How BigLaw Can Mirror Small Firm Attorney Engagement
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BigLaw has the unique opportunity to hit refresh post-pandemic and enhance attorney satisfaction by adopting practices that smaller firms naturally employ — including work assignment policies that can provide junior attorneys steady professional development, says Michelle Genet Bernstein at Mark Migdal.
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Ditch The Annual Review To Boost Attorney Job Satisfaction
In order to attract and retain the rising millennial generation's star talent, law firms should break free of the annual review system and train lawyers of all seniority levels to solicit and share frequent and informal feedback, says Betsy Miller at Cohen Milstein.
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How Attorneys Can Narrow LGBTQ Gap In The Judiciary
Lawyers can take several steps to redress the lack of adequate LGBTQ representation on the bench and its devastating impact on litigants and counsel in the community, says Janice Grubin, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee at the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.
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Employers Must Heed Rising Attorney Stress And Alcohol Use
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Krill Strategies’ Patrick Krill, who co-authored a new study that revealed alarming levels of stress, hazardous drinking and associated gender disparities among practicing attorneys, highlights how legal employers can confront the underlying risk factors as both warnings and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era.