Thelen Departures Cloud Prospects for Possible Merger Partner Last weeks departure of yet another name partner from Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner is the latest in a string of exits. Since April, at least 17 partners have left. Former partners and consultants say the firm now has to grapple with an image issue as it tries to find a merger. The loss of key partners is "certainly a sign that something is wrong and needs to change," says Richard Gary, who was Thelens chairman until launching a legal consulting firm in 2003.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Transgender Bias Suit Against Library of Congress Could Change Federal PolicyA transgender job bias suit against the Library of Congress moves to trial Tuesday in federal court in Washington, D.C., with potentially major implications for federal anti-discrimination policy. Retired, decorated Army Col. Diane Schroer contends that the library violated the federal laws ban on sex discrimination in employment practices by rescinding a job offer that she had accepted after her disclosure to her future supervisor that she was in the process of transitioning from a male to a female.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More How Solos Can Gain Financial FlexibilityQuick beats big when it comes to linebackers and law practices. One of the solo practitioners greatest weapons is his nimbleness. Without meetings to attend or committees to persuade, a solo can react quickly to developments in a case or trends in the marketplace. But this advantage often is wasted by solos who leave themselves without the financial resources to take advantage of new situations. Attorney Paul Schorn offers three tips for solo practitioners who want to protect their financial flexibility.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Who Represents Americas Biggest Companies 2008: Labor PainsThe stars -- that is, the usual megafirms -- top Corporate Counsels Who Represents Americas Biggest Companies survey yet again. But the place order gives a revealing look into whats irking corporate America today. Workplace issues are among companies biggest concerns. The evidence? Morgan, Lewis & Bockius took the No. 1 spot, with half of the matters captured in the survey related to employment and labor.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Can MacPac 10 Generate Better Documents?Legal MacPac 10 promises template and macro functionality for Microsoft Word. Legal Technology editor Sean Doherty looks at how well it helps lawyers create and manage users, practice groups and firmwide content with conditional formatting like a document assembly application.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Lawsuit Over Politicized DOJ Hiring ExpandsThe lawyer for a Justice Department job applicant who claims he was rejected because of his "liberal affiliations" has gone back to court, adding five plaintiffs and four individual defendants to bolster his case that politicization of the hiring process was widespread. The original complaint named the DOJ as the defendant, but the amended complaint names former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and department officials Monica Goodling, Michael Elston and Esther McDonald in their individual capacities.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Judge Maintains Lawyers Sanctions Over Cursing ClientA federal judge has refused to reconsider sanctions he imposed on a lawyer for not reining in a foul-mouthed client during a deposition, declaring that, though the lawyer wasnt informed of the precise rule he would be sanctioned under, he was able to mount a "meaningful defense." In a Feb. 29 decision, Judge Eduardo C. Robreno had imposed sanctions of more than $29,000 on attorney Joseph R. Ziccardi and his client, Aaron Wider, whose alleged misconduct included dropping 73 "F bombs" during his deposition.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Amerigroup Settlement Nets $9.4 Million in Fees for Plaintiffs LawyersAmerigroup Corp., a managed care organization, has agreed to pay $225 million in fines to resolve claims it refused to care for pregnant women and "unhealthy patients," the Justice Department announced Thursday. About $9.4 million of that settlement will go to lawyers at Chicago boutique Goldberg Kohn, which represented a former Amerigroup executive who blew the whistle on the HMOs alleged discriminatory practices. Says one Goldberg shareholder, "Its not every day you get to settle a case like this."August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Yale Defamation Lawsuit Becomes a Case of Mistaken Identity for Texas AttorneyA Texas attorney who has the same name as a defendant in an Internet libel suit that has drawn national media attention has asked an attorney for the plaintiffs to amend the complaint in that suit to clarify who the defendant actually is. Matthew C. Ryan made the request to Stanford Law professor Mark A. Lemley, attorney for two Yale Law School students who allege that a different Matthew C. Ryan made untrue sexually crude and derogatory remarks about them on an Internet discussion board.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Iraq Injury Spurs Class Action Against KBRA wrecker driver who signed on with KBR to work in Iraq says the company dumped him in a war zone with poorly trained, unskilled co-workers whose inability to follow simple instructions left him injured and unable to work. His lawyers filed a class action last week in Georgia outlining the mans experiences and pointing to other highly publicized reports of deaths, accidents and sexual assaults allegedly tied to the company. Similar actions have been filed in other U.S. jurisdictions with mixed results.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Dechert Expands in Asia With Beijing OfficeDechert, which opened a Hong Kong office earlier this year, will open shop in Beijing on Sept. 1. A U.S. partner has been designated as interim managing partner of the office while the firm searches for attorneys on the ground, in accordance with the local rules in China. According to Chairman Barton J. Winokur, Decherts Beijing office will put an emphasis on cross-border multinational matters.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Suit Proceeds Over Ownership, Validity of Warhol-Like WorkA legal battle over the authenticity and ownership of a multimillion-dollar work of art possibly produced by Andy Warhol will go forward following a judges denial of a summary judgment motion filed by one of the pieces two ostensible owners. Gerard Malanga claims that, in 1971, he and two friends created the silkscreens of the face of the defendant, who later sold them as genuine Warhols. The suit is seen as an ironic reminder of the Warhol era, which raised questions about the very idea of authenticity.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More No. 1 Reason for Lawyer Sanctions in 8th Circuit: Frivolous ClaimsFrivolous claims in cases before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals were the most likely reason lawyers were slapped with sanctions in nearly 100 cases during the past 14 years, the preliminary results of a University of Iowa College of Law study showed. Such conduct was involved in 32 of the 96 cases in which sanctions were issued for the period in question -- nearly three times more than the second-biggest cause, which was failure to comply with discovery orders or rules.August 16, 2008 21:11:42 - Read More Simpson Thacher Denies Layoffs ReportThe legal world was abuzz Monday thanks to a story in a British paper that 745-lawyer Simpson Thacher & Bartlett was clandestinely trimming its associate ranks by roughly 30 lawyers through midyear performance reviews. The story solicited a stern response from Simpson Chairman Philip "Pete" Ruegger III, who called the report "complete nonsense." Said Ruegger, "We arent doing anything differently than any other year and we actually have less attrition this year than last year."August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More Heller Says Conflicts Killed MergerFollowing months of speculation and rumors, merger talks between Heller Ehrman and Baker & McKenzie are off. Heller Chairman Matthew Larrabee cited conflicts as a key reason for the end of the talks, but industry observers say other considerations may have been involved, noting that major adjustments would have been required on both sides. The end of talks is both good and bad news for Heller, allowing the firm to retain its culture but once again raising uncertainty over Hellers status.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More Modest Success Justifies Cut in Lawyers Fees, Panel SaysThe failure to secure certification of an overtime pay case as a collective action justified slashing an attorneys fee award, a federal appeals court has ruled. Abdool Hassad, the attorney for Anetha Barfield, prevailed in showing that Bellevue Hospital was Barfields joint employer along with the referral agencies who regularly placed her in temporary jobs there, but Hassads success was only modest, according to the 2nd Circuit, which upheld a decision to knock down a $340,375 fee request to $49,889.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More About Those Law Firm Layoffs? It Isnt That BadWith the repercussions of the credit crunch creating a slowdown in finance, real estate and big-deal work, several law firms have unloaded attorneys and have done so under the scrutiny of news outlets eager to report the bad news. But in relative terms, the news might not be all that dismal. "Youd think there would be a greater bloodbath," says professor Bill Henderson. A look at the bigger picture shows a profession responding to the economic downturn rather adroitly -- at least so far.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More Lessons Learned From Creative PipeIn Creative Pipe, Judge Grimm warned lawyers of the deficiencies in keyword searching and to employ the "utmost care" in selecting an information retrieval methodology to identify and withhold information protected by the attorney-client privilege and work-product doctrine.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More Untangling the Ethical Issues of Internal InvestigationsRegulatory requirements as well as best corporate practices have led to in-house counsel conducting internal investigations on everything from racial or ethnic slurs in the workplace to alleged securities fraud. Attorney David Bayless examines the ethical and practical issues triggered by internal investigations, including those that arise due to the distinction between representing a corporation and the employees of the corporation.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More Edwards Scandal Puts Texas Plaintiffs Lawyer on the DefensiveEven as some acquaintances questioned Fred Barons judgment on Monday, they defended the trial lawyer, saying his loyalty to his friends and his passion for Democratic politics were behind his payments to John Edwards mistress and the campaign worker who has identified himself as the father of her child. Baron, well known for his role in asbestos litigation, has admitted paying Rielle Hunter and former Edwards staffer Andrew Youngs relocation expenses when they moved from North Carolina to California.August 12, 2008 07:20:45 - Read More | |
