Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
Legal Ethics
-
July 15, 2025
Advocates Turn To Florida High Court For Bondi Ethics Probe
A group of attorneys, law professors and former judges asked the Florida Supreme Court on Tuesday to order the Florida Bar to investigate U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi for alleged unethical conduct.
-
July 15, 2025
Keesal Young Accuses Stradley Ronon Of Unfair Poaching
Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young has been hit with allegations from California firm Keesal Young & Logan that it unfairly poached both shareholders and associates from the firm, allegedly conspiring with the departing attorneys to violate their agreements with the firm and costing Keesal Young $2.5 million in annual profits.
-
July 15, 2025
Funding 'Crisis' Jeopardizes Indigent Defense, Judiciary Says
The judiciary rang the alarm on Tuesday that funding has been exhausted for the private attorneys who represent indigent federal criminal defendants, and this predicament is expected to last for three months.
-
July 15, 2025
Atty Suspended In Fla. After Conviction In Fatal Texas Crash
The Florida Supreme Court has suspended a Texas-based attorney who was also admitted to practice in the Sunshine State after he struck and killed two people while driving to a city council meeting in November 2021.
-
July 15, 2025
Reed Smith Says Docs Slipped Through Stay In Eletson Row
Reed Smith has asked the Second Circuit to again step in and block new owners of reorganized Greece-based international shipping company Eletson from viewing communications between the firm and the company's prior owners, saying that, despite a stay already in place, the new owners were allowed to acquire some files.
-
July 14, 2025
BCBS Defends $2.8B Provider Antitrust Deal Amid Objections
Blue Cross Blue Shield asked an Alabama federal judge on Friday to approve a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement with hospitals and other healthcare providers over its territorial policies, arguing that recent objections to the deal's release provision are meritless and the settlement preserves "key, procompetitive features" of the insurance system.
-
July 14, 2025
WilmerHale DQed From Representing Verizon In Patent Row
A federal magistrate judge in Texas has disqualified WilmerHale from representing Verizon on the eve of a trial over allegations that the telecommunications company infringed wireless communications patents owned by Headwater Research.
-
July 14, 2025
Mich. Judge Claims Watchdog's Process Violates Due Process
A Michigan judge accused by the state's judicial watchdog of creating a "climate of fear" among court staff is fighting the accusations, saying interpersonal issues were related to her "desire for accurate records, professionalism and respect" and calling the commission's pursuit of charges "misdirected and unfair."
-
July 14, 2025
Fla. Landlord Accuses Akerman Of Botching Lease Language
Real estate investor Turner Healthcare Facilities Fund LP on Monday accused its former Akerman LLP counsel in a south Florida state court of having committed a $45 million "mistake" by approving unenforceable clauses in leases on properties the investor owned.
-
July 14, 2025
Girardi Keese CFO Gets 5 Concurrent Years For Aiding Theft
Girardi Keese's former accounting head should serve more than five years alongside the 10 he's already logging for his role in helping Tom Girardi steal millions from plane crash clients who'd settled their cases in Chicago, an Illinois federal judge said Monday.
-
July 14, 2025
Ga. Judge Calls Atty 'Unworthy Of Belief' As Ethics Case Ends
A Georgia superior court judge facing ethics charges on Monday urged the state's judicial watchdog to either privately reprimand or suspend her for no more than 30 days if it decides punishment is needed in the case brought against her by the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission.
-
July 14, 2025
San Francisco DA: 'Tough On Crime' Can Also Be Thoughtful
In 2022, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins took charge of an office in turmoil after leading a successful recall effort against her predecessor, whom she criticized as too soft on crime. Now, Jenkins is under harsh public scrutiny as she works to shift the office's priorities. In this audio interview with the new Criminal Practice Law360, she discusses some of the challenges — and opportunities — of one of the highest-profile and most politicized prosecutors' offices in the nation.
-
July 14, 2025
CFTC Must Pay $3M In Atty Fees As Sanctions In Forex Case
A New Jersey federal judge ordered the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission on Friday to pay back over $3.1 million in attorney fees to a foreign exchange company after dismissing the regulator's case for bad-faith sanctionable behavior.
-
July 14, 2025
11th Circ. Won't Reexamine Sentence Of Convicted Fla. Atty
The Eleventh Circuit has rejected a Florida lawyer's request to reconsider her 75-month prison sentence for a COVID-19 loan fraud scheme.
-
July 14, 2025
End Of NJ Municipal Court Official's Harassment Suit Upheld
A former New Jersey municipal court administrator cannot sue the state Administrative Office of the Courts in a sexual harassment case because she was never an employee of the office, the state Appellate Division said Monday in a published opinion.
-
July 14, 2025
UAE Prisoner Voluntarily Drops Suit Against Ex-Dechert GC
A Jordanian lawyer imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates has permanently dropped a Philadelphia civil suit seeking discovery against Dechert LLP's former general counsel in the U.S. over what the law firm's leadership knew of alleged human rights abuses committed by a former partner.
-
July 14, 2025
Firing Of DOJ Ethics Chief Draws Watchdog Groups' Concerns
Attorney General Pam Bondi has fired the attorney responsible for advising the U.S. Department of Justice's top officials on matters of ethics, according to a Monday social media post by that ethics lawyer.
-
July 11, 2025
Adams Loses Suit Seeking Reelection Campaign Match Funds
A Brooklyn federal judge Friday backed the New York City Campaign Finance Board's decision to deny Mayor Eric Adams $3.5 million in reelection campaign matching funds, saying the board didn't deny the funds solely due to now-tossed corruption charges against the mayor.
-
July 11, 2025
4th Circ. Tosses Ex-Baltimore Prosecutor's Fraud Conviction
A split Fourth Circuit on Friday tossed the mortgage fraud conviction of former Baltimore City State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby, finding that the jury was improperly instructed on where the crime occurred, but upheld her perjury conviction.
-
July 11, 2025
Ill. Judge Wants Limited Ethics Claim Info In Aid-Fixing Suit
An Illinois federal judge weighing ethical fee concerns in an aid-fixing suit against several elite universities said Friday that the class attorney who raised the issue should outline his dispute in a sealed filing before the court decides whether discovery should be taken over it.
-
July 11, 2025
3rd Circ. Revives Benicar MDL Fees Suit Against NJ Law Firm
The Third Circuit on Friday revived a proposed class action against Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman LLC attorneys that claims they took excessive fees from plaintiffs' settlements in multidistrict litigation over the blood pressure drug Benicar, remanding the dispute for the district court to determine whether it has jurisdiction over the case.
-
July 11, 2025
NJ Libel Suit Against 'Legal Edutainer' Tossed For Good
A New Jersey federal judge on Friday tossed for good claims that a self-proclaimed online "legal edutainer" defamed the founder of a company that aims to help celebrities in mental health crises, finding that the complaint failed to remedy earlier complaints' pleading defects.
-
July 11, 2025
7th Circ. Affirms End To Vandalism Dispute Over Key Records
The Seventh Circuit upheld discovery sanctions against an Indianapolis hotel owner after an Indiana federal court found it repeatedly failed to hand over records relating to whether the property was deemed "vacant" per the terms of its property insurance policy with a Liberty Mutual unit.
-
July 11, 2025
Ramey IP Atty Sanctioned But Beats Netflix's Contempt Bid
A California federal judge sanctioned a prolific patent plaintiff's former counsel William Ramey and the Ramey LLP law firm for sharing Netflix's confidential information with a third party while pursuing patent infringement claims against Netflix, but he declined to review whether Ramey should be held in civil contempt.
-
July 11, 2025
Feds Flag Possible Atty Conflict In Cuellar Bribery Case
Federal prosecutors on Friday asked for a hearing in the bribery case of U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to determine if one of his lawyers should bow out because he previously represented a witness whom he helped set up a consulting firm allegedly used to funnel money to the congressman.
Expert Analysis
-
What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case
The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.
-
Series
Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.
-
Opinion
Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence
Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.
-
Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises
“No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.
-
How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work
Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.
-
Series
Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer
The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.
-
Opinion
Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice
A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.
-
In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege
Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.
-
Applying ABA Atty Role Guidance To White Collar Matters
The American Bar Association’s recently published guidance, clarifying the duties outside counsel owes to both organizational clients and those organizations' constituents, provides best practices that attorneys representing companies in white collar and other investigative matters should heed, say attorneys at MoFo.
-
Series
Collecting Rare Books Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My collection of rare books includes several written or owned by prominent lawyers from early U.S. history, and immersing myself in their stories helps me feel a deeper connection to my legal practice and its purpose, says Douglas Brown at Manatt Health.
-
Opinion
Judge Should Not Have Been Reprimanded For Alito Essay
Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Ponsor's New York Times essay critiquing Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito for potential ethical violations absolutely cannot be construed as conduct prejudicial to the administration of the business of the courts, says Ashley London at the Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
-
Lights, Camera, Ethics? TV Lawyers Tend To Set Bad Example
Though fictional movies and television shows portraying lawyers are fun to watch, Hollywood’s inaccurate depictions of legal ethics can desensitize attorneys to ethics violations and lead real-life clients to believe that good lawyers take a scorched-earth approach, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
-
Perspectives
Accountant-Owned Law Firms Could Blur Ethical Lines
KPMG’s recent application to open a legal practice in Arizona represents the first overture by an accounting firm to take advantage of the state’s relaxed law firm ownership rules, but enforcing and supervising the practice of law by nonattorneys could prove particularly challenging, says Seth Laver at Goldberg Segalla.
-
AI Will Soon Transform The E-Discovery Industrial Complex
Todd Itami at Covington discusses how generative artificial intelligence will reshape the current e-discovery paradigm, replacing the blunt instrument of data handling with a laser scalpel of fully integrated enterprise solutions — after first making e-discovery processes technically and legally harder.
-
When Innovation Overwhelms The Rule Of Law
In an era where technology is rapidly evolving and artificial intelligence is seemingly everywhere, it’s worth asking if the law — both substantive precedent and procedural rules — can keep up with the light speed of innovation, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.