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Legal Ethics

  • April 23, 2025

    Firm Can't Fight Conn. Scam Suit Fee Rulings, Ex-Client Says

    A Connecticut judge should not reconsider an award of attorney fees and interest against the law firm Mancini Provenzano & Futtner LLC because it already waived its arguments or brought them up in a pending appeal of a negligence judgment, a former client said this week.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge's Same-Sex Wedding Ban Legal In Texas, Justices Hear

    A Texas appeals panel balked at a state judge's argument that refusing to officiate same-sex marriages keeps with Texas law during oral arguments Wednesday, saying the discussion had gotten "far afield" of the issues before the court.

  • April 23, 2025

    Fed. Circ. Won't Immediately Pause Sanctions On IP Attys

    A Federal Circuit judge on Wednesday declined to provide immediate relief to attorneys from Texas patent firm Ramey LLP fighting sanctions they've deemed "career ending," letting stand penalties coming due for practicing without licenses in California, among other conduct.

  • April 23, 2025

    After Sanction Bid, Savannah Aims To Toss Cop Shooting Suit

    Months after seeking sanctions against the attorneys representing the family of a Georgia man killed by police, the city of Savannah asked a federal judge Tuesday to toss the family's civil rights lawsuit and "refrain from second guessing" an officer's decision to shoot the man after he allegedly flashed a gun.

  • April 23, 2025

    Pryor Cashman Atty, Telebrands Beat RICO Suit Over Hose IP

    A Florida federal judge tossed Tristar Products' lawsuit claiming a Pryor Cashman LLP lawyer and his client Telebrands schemed to usurp a hose company's rights to a patent portfolio while also defrauding the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, finding none of the conduct alleged "comes even close to racketeering."

  • April 23, 2025

    Disney Seeks $532K Atty Sanctions In Artist's 'Moana' Suit

    Disney asked a California federal judge to issue $532,815 in sanctions against attorneys for an animator who alleged "Moana" lifted his Polynesian adventure story, arguing Tuesday that the plaintiff's lawyers vexatiously prolonged litigation with "sanctionable misconduct" by pursuing "baseless" trade secret misappropriation claims that were untimely and premised on a forged document.

  • April 23, 2025

    DC Judges Doubt Feds' Rationale For Orders Against Firms

    Two D.C. federal judges on Wednesday expressed skepticism toward the Trump administration's justifications for targeting WilmerHale and Perkins Coie LLP with executive orders, with one judge invoking a comparison to the Red Scare.

  • April 23, 2025

    Iraq's Counsel Can Stay In $120M Award Fight, DC Circ. Says

    The D.C. Circuit has declined to nix Pierson Ferdinand LLP's appearance as counsel for Iraq in an appeal challenging the enforcement of a $120 million arbitral award issued to a Cypriot construction and engineering firm, rejecting the company's allegations that Iraq engaged in "gamesmanship."

  • April 23, 2025

    Law Firm Fights Sanctions Bid In Mootness Fee Row

    Attorneys at Monteverde & Associates PC urged an Illinois federal judge not to order certain sanctions against them in a challenge to so-called mootness fees paid to settle and dismiss allegedly baseless merger disclosure suits, saying more sanctions would be inconsistent with "well-established" pleading and sanctions standards.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge Orders MyPillow Attys To Explain AI Use, Fake Citations

    A Colorado federal judge on Wednesday ordered two attorneys for MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell to explain why she shouldn't refer them for discipline for a brief full of misquotes, miscited cases and references to cases that "do not exist," noting that it wasn't until she asked about artificial intelligence that one of the lawyers admitted to his use of it.

  • April 23, 2025

    Conservative Legal Group Sues For Federal Judiciary Records

    In its latest federal suit, the Washington-based conservative litigation group America First Legal Foundation has brought a claim against Chief U.S. Justice John Roberts, alleging that records held by the Judicial Conference must be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

  • April 23, 2025

    Crypto Co. Drops Suit Against K&L Gates, For Now

    A bitcoin mining company has dropped its lawsuit against its former counsel K&L Gates LLP, ending for now its claims that the firm overbilled it and missed a key deadline in a separate bankruptcy action.

  • April 23, 2025

    SCOTUSblog Sold Amid Goldstein's Criminal Case

    SCOTUSblog has been sold to digital media company The Dispatch, according to announcements from both publications Wednesday, marking a new chapter for the U.S. Supreme Court-focused legal publication while its co-founder Tom Goldstein faces criminal charges.

  • April 23, 2025

    Mich. Judge Faces Ethics Complaint After Criminal Plea

    Michigan's judicial watchdog on Tuesday filed a complaint against the chief judge of a Michigan state district court who pled guilty to domestic violence charges for hitting his spouse, alleging that the jurist violated ethical codes for the criminal case and for disrespecting officers during the investigation.

  • April 23, 2025

    Ex-Atlanta Atty Asks 11th Circ. To Revive Sex Harassment Suit

    A former attorney for the city of Atlanta urged the Eleventh Circuit on Wednesday to revive her sexual harassment and disability discrimination suit against the city alleging she was fired after complaining that her boss, a prominent civil rights lawyer, made sexual advances towards her.

  • April 23, 2025

    Ex-Morgan & Morgan Client Seeks Remand In Malpractice Suit

    A former client of Morgan & Morgan has urged a Georgia federal court to return his proposed class action to state court, arguing that his complaint accusing the firm and a trial attorney of legal malpractice is a "local controversy" while the firm says he should arbitrate his claims.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge Slams TCPA Atty Over Filing With 'No Legitimate Basis'

    A North Carolina magistrate judge on Wednesday chastised a Telephone Consumer Protection Act litigant and his attorney for filing a reply to a discovery motion after the court had already ruled on it, striking the reply from the docket and warning that further filings without "a legitimate basis" could lead to sanctions.

  • April 23, 2025

    Ex-CEO Fires Back At Jackson Walker's Standing Argument

    The former CEO of a defunct barge company is fighting to keep alive his lawsuit blaming the company's downfall on the judicial secret romance scandal that has consumed the Texas bankruptcy courts, claiming Jackson Walker LLP is using its own misdeeds to shield itself from liability.

  • April 23, 2025

    Judge Exits Allied Wallet Exec's Trial Over Plea Interference

    A Massachusetts federal judge agreed to step aside Wednesday from the criminal bank fraud case of a former Allied Wallet executive after acknowledging that he had improperly inserted himself into plea negotiations.

  • April 23, 2025

    Investment Fund Insists On DQing Connell Foley From Bias Suit

    A Black-owned investment company asked a New Jersey federal court to overturn a magistrate judge's decision denying its bid to disqualify a Connell Foley LLP attorney from representing the state in the investment firm's bias case.

  • April 23, 2025

    Dems Demand DOJ Explain Marshals Sent To Ex-Official

    A group of Democrats are pressing the U.S. Department of Justice for answers on why U.S. marshals were sent to the home of the fired U.S. pardon attorney days before she was to appear before a congressional hearing.

  • April 23, 2025

    New Videos Undercut Ex-Knick's Assault Claim, Judge Hints

    A federal judge said Wednesday that new videos appear to show former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley slipping — not being pushed — during a 2017 altercation with Madison Square Garden security, evidence MSG's lawyers say disposes of his assault claims.

  • April 23, 2025

    Bernstein Litowitz Looks To Hire SEC's Ex-Top Crypto Cop

    Investor-side firm Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP has disclosed in a court filing that it is seeking to hire Jorge Tenreiro, the former head of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's crypto enforcement unit as well as the onetime chief of the agency's entire litigation team.

  • April 23, 2025

    Conn. Firm Hit With Another Data Breach Lawsuit

    A 26-attorney Connecticut business litigation, intellectual property and employment law firm was hit with another proposed federal class action over a breach of the firm's computer systems.

  • April 22, 2025

    Girardi's Son-In-Law Wants Chicago Client Theft Case Tossed

    Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi's son-in-law Tuesday urged an Illinois federal court to toss a superseding indictment accusing him of helping steal millions from clients of the now-defunct Girardi Keese, saying prosecutors created confusion around the charged offenses by highlighting California legal ethics rules without explaining their relevance, "if any."

Expert Analysis

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data

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    Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • 'Fat Leonard' Case Shows High Bar For Rescinding Guilty Plea

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    Prosecutors’ recent move in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, supporting several defendants’ motions to withdraw their guilty pleas, is extremely unusual – and its contrast with other prosecutions demonstrates that the procedural safeguards at plea hearings are far from enough, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.

  • Series

    Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.

  • As Arbitrator Bias Claims Rise, Disclosure Standards Evolve

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    The growth in post-award challenges based on arbitrators' alleged conflicts of interest has led to the release of new guidance and new case law on the topic — both supporting the view that professional familiarity alone does not translate to a lack of impartiality, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert

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    As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • Series

    Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic

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    Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals

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    Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.

  • Series

    Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

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