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Legal Ethics

  • June 30, 2025

    Ga. Judge Can't Quash Ethics Charges, Watchdog Panel Says

    A Georgia superior court judge has lost her bid to quash the charges brought against her by the state's judicial watchdog, with the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission saying investigators' financial backing of one of her political opponents does not justify tossing the charges.

  • June 30, 2025

    Trump Admin Appeals Perkins Coie Case To DC Circ.

    The Trump administration announced in D.C. federal court on Monday that it's not giving up on its effort to punish Perkins Coie LLP through an executive order, even after losing four court rulings that found its actions in this and three similar cases are unconstitutional.

  • June 30, 2025

    Fla. Law Firm Accused Of Holding Deal Funds 'Hostage'

    Florida personal injury firm Brotman Nusbaum Ibrahim PLLC has been hit with a state court malpractice suit claiming it held a client's settlement funds "hostage" and then duped his daughter into signing a release to try to block him from suing a surgeon over an allegedly botched surgery.

  • June 30, 2025

    Law Firm Aims To Exit Lowenstein Sandler Suit Over Affidavit

    Trif & Modugno LLC asked a New Jersey state judge to dismiss Lowenstein Sandler LLP's claims against the firm as part of its legal battle with a cannabis dispensary, saying the claims fail because Lowenstein Sandler did not file an affidavit of merit.

  • June 30, 2025

    McCarter & English Says Developer Estate Suit Is A Duplicate

    McCarter & English LLP and the estate of a deceased attorney should not have to face a new lawsuit over the alleged mismanagement of a Connecticut retail developer's trust because it seeks to "derail" a pending case that is already teed up for trial, the defendants told a state court.

  • June 30, 2025

    Lin Wood Can't Avoid Legal Costs In Defamation Case

    A Georgia federal judge has found that retired attorney L. Lin Wood can't escape paying his former law partners $750,000 in attorney fees and costs related to a $3.75 million defamation verdict against him, rejecting his argument that the statute governing attorney fees was unconstitutional.

  • June 30, 2025

    Judge Hits Pause On Civil RICO Suit Against NJ Power Broker

    A New Jersey judge has entered a consent order pausing a real estate developer's civil racketeering suit against influential South Jersey businessman George Norcross III, holding the parties' dispute in stasis until an appeal over the dismissal of a related criminal indictment can be resolved.

  • June 30, 2025

    Calif. Panel Chides Attys Who Hid Opponent's Inactive Status

    In a precedential ruling, a California appellate panel found a party whose counsel's license was made inactive should have been treated as though the attorney had died or been suspended, overturning a $70,000 fee award levied against a woman who was not informed that her lawyer was inactive.

  • June 30, 2025

    Fox Rothschild Beats RICO Suit From 2 Former Clients

    A New Jersey federal judge has tossed federal racketeering and state law claims lodged against Fox Rothschild LLP by two former clients who accused the firm of "knowingly and willfully robbing their immigration clients."

  • June 30, 2025

    Conn. Firm Settles Ex-Client's Malpractice Suit Over Biz Sale

    Connecticut law firm Oberst DeFala Law PC and a former client have settled a malpractice lawsuit alleging attorney Sharon Oberst DeFala improperly represented both parties in a restaurant buyout and drafted an agreement that favored the seller, court records show.

  • June 27, 2025

    Trump's Susman Godfrey 'Sword Of Damocles' Order Tossed

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge Friday struck down as unconstitutional President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Susman Godfrey LLP, saying it was issued in retaliation for the firm's representation of clients and causes with which the president disagrees, while hanging "like the sword of Damocles" over the BigLaw firm.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ga. Panel Says Court's Tech Glitch Shouldn't Kill Appeal

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday revived a tenant's appeal of an eviction action, saying the trial court wrongly dismissed the matter when it failed to explain why evidence of a delay caused by the court's electronic filing system did not save the appeal.

  • June 27, 2025

    2nd Circ. Mulls Arguments In NY Atty Grievance Privacy Suit

    A Second Circuit panel has questioned whether a pathway exists to limit the scope of "presumptive public access" to attorney grievance documents in New York, as the panel considers the state's appeal of a federal district court ruling that would make records related to attorney misconduct cases public.

  • June 27, 2025

    Sunbeam Says 'Reptile Theory' Tactics Doom $8.8M Verdict

    Sunbeam Products Inc. and parent company Newell Brands Inc. want a new trial in a case where a woman won an $8.8 million verdict on claims that a slow cooker made by the companies left her with burns, asserting that her attorneys committed misconduct aimed at using "Reptile Theory" to inflame the jury.

  • June 27, 2025

    Court Urged To Push Ex-GC To Provide Co. Laptop Password

    E-commerce company Storehouse In A Box has asked a federal judge in Michigan to issue a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against its former general counsel and chief operating officer, arguing he refused to give the company access to a laptop that the company provided and used the company's trade secrets for his benefit.

  • June 27, 2025

    Calif. Panel Tosses Hacking Case Against Ex-LA Prosecutor

    A California state appeals court has ordered the dismissal of criminal claims against former Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney Diana Teran over her use of public sheriff's deputy files contained in a "confidential" database.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ga. Panel Fines Atty For 'Blatant Lack Of Professionalism'

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday backed the dismissal of a lawyer's libel suit against opposing counsel over a discovery dispute in a personal injury case, going so far as to slap the attorney with a fine for wasting its time with the "frivolous" appeal.

  • June 27, 2025

    2 Firms Accused Of Vexatious Litigation Over Property Liens

    Law firms Neubert Pepe & Monteith PC and Cuddy & Feder LLP have been sued by a Greenwich, Connecticut, couple who claim the firms misused the court system in order to delay payouts they were owed by a property owner, including a stake in a $7.9 million judgment in New York.

  • June 27, 2025

    BNP Alleges 'Coaching' In Refugee Case Sanctions Bid

    BNP Paribas has asked a Manhattan federal judge to open a sanctions investigation into plaintiffs' attorneys leading a long-running suit alleging the bank had a hand in funding human rights violations perpetrated by the former Sudanese government, accusing the attorneys of "coaching" prospective class members to submit potentially falsified claims.

  • June 27, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Last-Minute Settlements Head Off Trials

    Untouched by the summer slump, the North Carolina Business Court kicked off June with a sanctions order against a biogas company caught spurning court orders and a new complaint by a former NFL player accusing his longtime financial adviser of defrauding him for decades.

  • June 26, 2025

    Kirkland Stops Repping Novartis After Regeneron Sought DQ

    A New York federal judge accepted the withdrawal Thursday of the entire Kirkland & Ellis LLP team that recently joined Novartis Pharma's legal team battling antitrust allegations over the eye medication Eylea, just a week after plaintiff Regeneron Pharmaceuticals sought their disqualification over an "unthinkable" conflict of interest by the lawyers, whose firm previously represented Regeneron.

  • June 26, 2025

    Fla. Lawyers Suspended For Online Criticism Of Judge

    Florida's high court on Thursday approved a one-month suspension for a father-daughter team of attorneys for their online comments criticizing a judge who reversed a $2.75 million jury verdict in favor of a doctor who sued for discrimination, finding that there were also mitigating factors in the attorneys' cases.

  • June 26, 2025

    Ex-Trump Atty Chesebro Disbarred In NY For Fake Elector Plot

    President Donald Trump's former attorney Kenneth Chesebro, the so-called "architect" in the plot to use fake electors to overturn Georgia's 2020 election results, has been disbarred from practicing law in the state of New York, according to a unanimous decision issued on Thursday. 

  • June 26, 2025

    Del. Justices Mull New Appeal In $1.5B Pipeline Co. Cashout

    An attorney for cashed-out minority unitholders of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP urged Delaware's Supreme Court to consider whether a controlling investor's interests "subverted" a crucial attorney fairness opinion used to justify a 2018, $1.5 billion deal that took the company private.

  • June 26, 2025

    Conn. Atty Can't Intervene In Ex-Partner's Digital Data Bid

    Connecticut Trial Firm LLC co-founder Ryan McKeen cannot intervene in a discovery bid launched by his former 50-50 law partner Andrew Garza because the proceeding is not a "civil action" under the relevant statute, a state court judge has ruled.

Expert Analysis

  • A Reminder On Avoiding Improper Venues In Patent Cases

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in the Symbology and Quantum cases shows that baseless patent venue allegations may be subject to serious Rule 11 sanctions, providing venue-vetting takeaways for plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Bond Schoeneck.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    “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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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

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    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.

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