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Legal Ethics

  • August 15, 2025

    Judiciary Starts Rule Debate Spanning AI, Subpoenas, More

    The federal judiciary's comment clock officially started ticking Friday for rulemaking efforts spanning a smorgasbord of subjects, from high-tech testimony utilizing artificial intelligence to the low-tech tasks of hand-delivering subpoenas and paying witness fees.

  • August 15, 2025

    6th Circ. Backs Baker Donelson In Malpractice Dispute

    A Sixth Circuit panel said Friday that Baker Donelson was correctly dismissed from a legal malpractice suit brought by the founder of an urgent care facility because it cannot be established that the underlying shareholder dispute claims that the firm was accused of fumbling would have been successful.

  • August 15, 2025

    NJ Watchdog Fights File Disclosure In Hospital Antitrust Suit

    The New Jersey State Commission of Investigation on Thursday challenged a federal judge's refusal to protect investigative materials that RWJBarnabas Health Inc. wants to subpoena as it defends an antitrust suit by CarePoint Health Systems Inc., arguing the ruling violates precedent giving such records the same secrecy protections as grand jury materials.

  • August 15, 2025

    Defense Attys Predict Rise In Shareholder Suits, Report Says

    Nearly three-quarters of defense attorneys surveyed by high-risk insurance firm Inigo believe there will be an increase in private securities litigation over the next year, especially in the area of artificial intelligence, according to a report released by Inigo.

  • August 15, 2025

    Texas Federal Judge Says He's 'Exhausted' By Atty's Antics

    A Texas federal judge told an attorney he was "exhausted" by his alleged antics in helping supposedly erstwhile clients dodge judgments, asking Friday why the attorney seemingly worked two clients after a disciplinary panel barred him from representing them.

  • August 15, 2025

    4th Circ. Revives Asylum-Seeker's Suit Over Her Atty's Error

    The Fourth Circuit has revived a Salvadoran woman's bid for asylum based on threats from a gang, saying in a published opinion that the woman's previous attorney proposed a legal theory during her removal proceedings that was "dead on arrival."

  • August 15, 2025

    Calif. Panel Trims Hunter Biden Atty's Suit Against Activist

    A California appellate panel has further trimmed a suit by an attorney for Hunter Biden against an activist whom he alleges impersonated a Democratic Party fundraiser to obtain personal information about the then-president's son, allowing three of five claims to survive and sending the case back to Los Angeles Superior Court.

  • August 15, 2025

    Perkins Coie Beats Claims It Aided Client's Alleged $12M Theft

    Perkins Coie LLP has defeated an investment company's lawsuit in Illinois state court accusing the firm of helping the plaintiff's onetime investment manager fleece $12 million from company accounts and playing a "critical" role in the theft and cover-up.

  • August 15, 2025

    2nd Circ. Says Sun Life Can't Nix Worker's Benefits Challenge

    A split Second Circuit panel resuscitated a worker's suit challenging Sun Life's decision to deny her long-term disability benefits, ruling a release she signed with her employer didn't bar her from suing the insurance company because she was assured the agreement wouldn't block her ability to collect benefits.

  • August 15, 2025

    New Jersey AG Slams Power Broker's 'Flawed' Appeal Brief

    South Jersey power broker George Norcross used a flawed argument in pushing back against New Jersey's effort to revive a dismissed criminal case against him, Attorney General Matthew Platkin has argued in a reply brief filed in state appellate court.

  • August 15, 2025

    Conn. Lawyer Defends $165K Fee Split Amid Ethics Probe

    A Connecticut attorney has asked a state court judge to dismiss a disciplinary case against him over a soured fee split deal with his former law firm, saying ethics authorities failed to meet their burden on claims that he failed to safeguard funds or otherwise prejudiced justice.

  • August 15, 2025

    'Creative' $2.5B DuPont Deal In NJ Is PFAS Road Map For AGs

    After six years of litigation between New Jersey and E.I. du Pont de Nemours, including a series of bench trials, the chemical manufacturer agreed to a deal that committed more than $2 billion to cleaning up the Garden State from "forever chemical" contamination at four of its facilities, in the largest environmental settlement ever achieved by a single state.

  • August 15, 2025

    Boies Schiller Seeks To End Fla. Fee Suit Between Law Firms

    Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and related defendants have moved to dismiss a Florida state lawsuit brought by a pharmaceutical mass tort law firm and related parties to block their former counsel from collecting fees after being fired for allegedly insufficient representation. 

  • August 15, 2025

    Judge Punts On ProPay Sanctions In TelexFree Suit

    A Massachusetts magistrate judge sent a motion for sanctions against ProPay to a district judge for ruling, saying the payment company failed to take steps to preserve electronic documents but the plaintiffs hadn't proven its intent to destroy evidence in a case over its alleged involvement in TelexFree's "hybrid Ponzi-pyramid scheme."

  • August 15, 2025

    4th Circ. Sides With Judiciary In Ex-Defender's Sex Bias Suit

    The Fourth Circuit shot down a former assistant public defender's effort to revive her sexual harassment suit against the federal judiciary, finding Friday that her belief that the judiciary's internal complaint process was unfair, leading her to quit, was not reasonable.

  • August 15, 2025

    Judge Removes Atty From Case Over 'Egregious' Citations

    An Arizona federal judge has revoked a Washington state-based attorney's ability to practice in the Grand Canyon State and removed her as counsel in a social security disability lawsuit over a court filing containing fake and misleading case citations.

  • August 15, 2025

    Judge Questions How New Jersey US Atty Ascended To Role

    A federal judge tasked with deciding if acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba was legitimately serving as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor was curious about how she ascended to the role in the first place, suggesting at one point during a hearing Friday that the government proposed a game of "musical chairs" designed to "shoehorn" her into the position.

  • August 15, 2025

    Atty Urges Texas High Court To Take On Suit Over Firm Ouster

    A former Branscomb PC partner is asking the Texas Supreme Court to reject a lower court's order compelling him to arbitrate a suit he brought against the firm's other partners accusing them of wrongfully ousting him.

  • August 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Restores Boeing's $72M Loss In Electric Jet IP Suit

    A Ninth Circuit panel reinstated a $72 million jury verdict against Boeing in an electric jet startup's trade secret case on Thursday and said a new judge should handle future proceedings, flagging the trial judge's late disclosure that his spouse acquired Boeing stock through an IRA during the litigation.

  • August 14, 2025

    Fla. Judge Warns Of Split Claims In Detention Center Suit

    A Florida federal judge on Thursday warned parties in a proposed class action over attorney access for individuals confined at the Everglades immigrant detention center that some claims in the lawsuit appear to belong in a neighboring district, saying that he could issue a ruling reflecting this determination. 

  • August 14, 2025

    Va. Woman Asks 4th Circ. For Resentence Over Atty Failures

    A Virginia woman has told the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals she should be resentenced because her attorney provided bad advice, resulting in her receiving a 30-year prison term for selling her boyfriend's property while he was incarcerated.

  • August 14, 2025

    Judge Says Patents In $50M Amgen Jury Loss Unenforceable

    A Delaware federal judge on Thursday found that two Lindis Biotech immunotherapy patents at the heart of the German company's $50.3 million infringement verdict against Amgen are unenforceable.

  • August 14, 2025

    9th Circ. Affirms Damages In Litigation Support Services Dispute

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday affirmed a Nevada federal court's judgment awarding a litigation support services company a combined $350,000 in liquidated damages and attorney fees after finding a competitor breached their years-old settlement and violated its trademark, determining the district court had not selectively enforced the rules.

  • August 14, 2025

    OptumRx Flags Email Accidentally Sent To Opioid MDL Parties

    UnitedHealth subsidiary OptumRx Inc. is seeking a ban on secret communications with the Ohio federal judge overseeing sprawling national opioid litigation after the court-appointed special master accidentally sent the company an email, intended for the judge, celebrating a "gambit" that prevented objections to his decision.

  • August 14, 2025

    Colo. Healthcare Biz Blames Atty For Defamation Case Loss

    A Colorado healthcare solutions company accused of falsifying records to state medical officials in order to obtain millions in funding for COVID-19 vaccination centers said Thursday that its prior attorney is at fault for the dismissal of a defamation case against a local journalist who broke the story.

Expert Analysis

  • Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?

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    A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Series

    Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.

  • Unpacking Executive Privilege, Contempt In Recent Cases

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    The U.S. House of Representatives’ recent move to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress is the latest example in a growing trend of executive privilege disputes, and serves as a warning to private citizens and corporate leaders who are in communication with the president, says Kristina Moore at Womble Bond.

  • 3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture

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    Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Hyperlinked Documents

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    Recent rulings show that counsel should engage in early discussions with clients regarding the potential of hyperlinked documents in electronically stored information, which will allow for more deliberate negotiation of any agreements regarding the scope of discovery, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Loper Bright Limits Federal Agencies' Ability To Alter Course

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    The U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision to dismantle Chevron deference also effectively overrules its 2005 decision in National Cable & Telecommunications Association v. Brand X, greatly diminishing agencies' ability to change regulatory course from one administration to the next, says Steven Gordon at Holland & Knight.

  • Series

    Teaching Scuba Diving Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    As a master scuba instructor, I’ve learned how to prepare for the unexpected, overcome fears and practice patience, and each of these skills – among the many others I’ve developed – has profoundly enhanced my work as a lawyer, says Ron Raether at Troutman Pepper.

  • Lawyers Can Take Action To Honor The Voting Rights Act

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    As the Voting Rights Act reaches its 59th anniversary Tuesday, it must urgently be reinforced against recent efforts to dismantle voter protections, and lawyers can pitch in immediately by volunteering and taking on pro bono work to directly help safeguard the right to vote, says Anna Chu at We The Action.

  • How To Grow Marketing, Biz Dev Teams In A Tight Market

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    Faced with fierce competition and rising operating costs, firms are feeling the pressure to build a well-oiled marketing and business development team that supports strategic priorities, but they’ll need to be flexible and creative given a tight talent market, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Rock Climbing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Rock climbing requires problem-solving, focus, risk management and resilience, skills that are also invaluable assets in my role as a finance lawyer, says Mei Zhang at Haynes and Boone.

  • Think Like A Lawyer: Dance The Legal Standard Two-Step

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    From rookie brief writers to Chief Justice John Roberts, lawyers should master the legal standard two-step — framing the governing standard at the outset, and clarifying why they meet that standard — which has benefits for both the drafter and reader, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.

  • Avoiding Legal Ethics Landmines In Preindictment Meetings

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    U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez's recent bribery conviction included obstruction charges based on his former lawyer's preindictment presentation to prosecutors, highlighting valuable lessons on the legal ethics rules implicated in these kinds of defense presentations, say Steve Miller and Hilary Gerzhoy at HWG.

  • Series

    Being A Luthier Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    When I’m not working as an appellate lawyer, I spend my spare time building guitars — a craft known as luthiery — which has helped to enhance the discipline, patience and resilience needed to write better briefs, says Rob Carty at Nichols Brar.

  • Lead Like 'Ted Lasso' By Embracing Cognitive Diversity

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    The Apple TV+ series “Ted Lasso” aptly illustrates how embracing cognitive diversity can be a winning strategy for teams, providing a useful lesson for law firms, which can benefit significantly from fresh, diverse perspectives and collaborative problem-solving, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • Class Actions At The Circuit Courts: July Lessons

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    In this month's review of class action appeals, Mitchell Engel at Shook Hardy considers cases touching on pre- and post-conviction detainment conditions, communications with class representatives, when the American Pipe tolling doctrine stops applying to modified classes, and more.

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