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Legal Ethics

  • August 29, 2025

    Philly Wants Sanctions For 'Appalling Treatment' Of Counsel

    In the wake of a $3 million judgment imposed against the city of Philadelphia in the case of a man who claimed he was shot by police and framed for rape, the city has asked a federal judge to sanction one of the plaintiff's lawyers for allegedly making false accusations that defense counsel were racist and suborned perjury.

  • August 29, 2025

    'I'm Flabbergasted': Fla. Atty's Accusers Rip Bar For Inaction

    More than a year after it began receiving complaints that a Florida lawyer was ghosting clients, the state bar has yet to take action — highlighting what experts call a slow-moving process that can fail to keep pace with expansive alleged frauds.

  • August 28, 2025

    Email Excluded From Harassment Suit Against Paxton Deputies

    A Texas federal judge on Thursday struck an email from a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against the founders of a law firm founded by former top attorneys in the Texas attorney general's office, but said the plaintiff could conduct discovery regarding the email.

  • August 28, 2025

    LA Atty Convicted Of Laundering $2.1M From Swiss Oil Co.

    A Los Angeles federal jury on Thursday found a divorce and immigration attorney guilty of money laundering, tax evasion and obstruction of justice related to a $2.1 million payment he received from a Swiss oil company while working in a government position in Nigeria that prosecutors allege was a bribe.

  • August 28, 2025

    Pa. Hospital Fraud Suits Barred By $19M Deal, Panel Says

    A split Pennsylvania appellate panel on Thursday tossed two suits accusing a hospital of fraudulently inducing plaintiffs to settle a bad birth suit for $19 million by failing to disclose a key document, saying the settlement's release of claims bars the suits.

  • August 28, 2025

    Ex-Fugees Rapper Ordered To Pay $6.5M In Loan Dispute

    A Georgia federal judge has ruled that former Fugees rapper Prakazrel Samuel "Pras" Michel must repay $6.5 million to a lender that accused him of fraudulently selling his music catalog while it was being held as collateral.

  • August 28, 2025

    Singapore Arbitration Org Begins Ethics, Insolvency Programs

    The Singapore International Arbitration Centre has announced it is kicking off two major initiatives with the launch of an ethics institute, as well as a new mechanism through which parties can seek resolution of restructuring and insolvency-related disputes.

  • August 28, 2025

    Baltimore Med Mal Atty Appeals $25M Extortion Conviction

    A medical malpractice attorney in Baltimore who was convicted in federal court in April of attempting to extort $25 million from the University of Maryland Medical System has asked the Fourth Circuit to review his conviction, saying he was unfit to represent himself at trial.

  • August 28, 2025

    Judge Rejects Reed Smith's Sanctions Bid In Doc Feud

    A New York federal judge has ordered the new owner of international shipping company Eletson to turn over documents requested by competitor Levona as the latter company looks to vacate an allegedly fraudulent $102 million arbitral award, while also ruling that Reed Smith LLP's threat of sanctions is unfounded.

  • August 28, 2025

    Illinois Atty Gets 2½ Years For Tax Fraud, Scripting Testimony

    A former Chicago attorney who covered up $1 million in payments to his romantic interest and tried scripting his bookkeeper's initial trial testimony has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

  • August 28, 2025

    Wash. Sen. Opposes Full-Term Role For State's New US Atty

    The newly installed interim U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Washington at this juncture has not been nominated for the full-term role, but one of the state's Democratic senators is already vowing to prevent his confirmation.

  • August 28, 2025

    Bid For DQ From FCA Suit Over AI Use 'Drastic,' Relator Says

    The unexpected disclosure that an expert witness misused artificial intelligence should not be enough to essentially doom a False Claims Act fraudulent billing suit, the case's relator told a Salt Lake City federal judge, arguing a sanctions bid brought by the anesthesiologist defendants is "grossly disproportional" to the error he already sought to rectify.

  • August 28, 2025

    Healthcare Cos. Want Akerman's 'Indefensible' Fee Suit Nixed

    Rennova Health Inc. and others asked a Florida state judge to dismiss Akerman LLP's unpaid fees case against the company, calling it "facially time-barred, factually flawed and legally indefensible."

  • August 28, 2025

    Lawyer Accused Of Bribing DEA Agent Cuts Deal To End Case

    A Florida criminal defense attorney accused of bribing a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent for law enforcement tips entered into an agreement Thursday with Manhattan federal prosecutors that will see charges against him dropped in a year.

  • August 28, 2025

    Compliance Atty Who Duped Lender Wants New Trial

    A compliance lawyer convicted of pilfering from a $20 million line of credit that a subsidiary of Emigrant Bank extended to his tax-lien business has asked a Manhattan federal judge to order a new trial, arguing that prosecutors' evidence is insufficient and that the charges were "multiplicitous," in violation of the Fifth Amendment.

  • August 27, 2025

    Attys Say Fee Concerns Do Not Bar Student Aid-Fixing Class

    Three law firms representing students in a case accusing elite universities of fixing offers of student aid told an Illinois federal court that concerns about attorney fees are unfounded and should not serve as a basis for denying a pending class certification motion.

  • August 27, 2025

    IP Atty Beats Temu's Claims He Lied To Bag Settlements

    A Massachusetts federal judge has dismissed Chinese e-commerce platform Temu's lawsuit accusing a California intellectual property attorney of lying to secure settlements for his clients, but the judge refused Wednesday to sanction Temu and its counsel at WilmerHale and Keker Van Nest & Peters LLP for filing a frivolous suit.

  • August 27, 2025

    Negligence Suit Over Arrest On Stale Warrant Gets New Life

    A Fourth Circuit panel Wednesday vacated a South Carolina county clerk's summary judgment win against allegations that her negligence resulted in a man being arrested twice over the same unpaid child support dispute, kicking the case back to trial court for new proceedings.

  • August 27, 2025

    Judge Scolds Atty In Katt Williams Case For 'AI Hallucinations'

    A Georgia federal judge warned the attorney representing four women who are suing the comedian Katt Williams that she could face "serious discipline" for filing a brief he described as riddled with "AI hallucinations."

  • August 27, 2025

    IP Atty Challenges 'Pittance' Valuation Of Ex-Partners' Names

    A longtime Connecticut intellectual property lawyer who left Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP to launch his own firm says the names of two deceased partners are worth more to a remaining attorney than an expert's proposed 2% licensing fee, arguing the names achieved "celebrity status" in the IP community.

  • August 27, 2025

    Ex-Jackson Walker Partner Says Romance Suit Is 'Déjà Vu'

    A former Jackson Walker LLP partner accused of hiding a romance with a former Texas bankruptcy judge asked a court Tuesday to toss a group of bondholders' proposed class action over their company's Chapter 11 proceeding.

  • August 27, 2025

    Faegre Drinker Says Investor Can't Call Biz Loss Malpractice

    Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP told a New Jersey state court this week that a malpractice suit it faces from a real estate investor is nothing more than an attempt by the investor to shift responsibility for a failed investment.

  • August 27, 2025

    Fenwick Fights New Claims In FTX Crypto Scam MDL

    Fenwick & West LLP has asked a Florida federal judge to shut down a bid by victims of the infamous FTX Trading Ltd. cryptocurrency scam to bring new claims against the firm, calling allegations that it knew about FTX's misuse of customer funds an "irresponsible falsehood."

  • August 27, 2025

    Jailed Pastor Cites Adams Dismissal In Bid To Beat Charges

    A clergyman serving a nine-year sentence for fraud cited his ties to New York City Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday in a bid to have his conviction overturned in the wake of the Trump administration's dismissal of the charges against Adams.

  • August 27, 2025

    Accuser Can Stay Anonymous In Suit Over Ex-DA Sex Assault

    A woman suing Somerset County, Pennsylvania, and its former district attorney over his stalking, harassment and sexual assault can continue with her civil case under a "Jane Doe" pseudonym, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

Expert Analysis

  • How Attys Can Use A Therapy Model To Help Triggered Clients

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    Attorneys can lean on key principles from a psychotherapeutic paradigm known as the "Internal Family Systems" model to help manage triggered clients and get settlement negotiations back on track, says Jennifer Gibbs at Zelle.

  • Opinion

    Third-Party Funding Transparency Is Key In Patent Suits

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    Third-party litigation funding is a growing industry that could benefit from enhanced disclosure standards to ensure transparency, as challenges in obtaining discovery of such funding can complicate patent litigation against nonpracticing entities, say attorneys at Skadden.

  • 3 Steps For In-House Counsel To Assess Litigation Claims

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    Before a potential economic downturn, in-house attorneys should investigate whether their company is sitting on hidden litigation claims that could unlock large recoveries to help the business withstand tough times, says Will Burgess at Hilgers Graben.

  • Series

    Teaching College Students Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving as an adjunct college professor has taught me the importance of building rapport, communicating effectively, and persuading individuals to critically analyze the difference between what they think and what they know — principles that have helped to improve my practice of law, says Sheria Clarke at Nelson Mullins.

  • Atty Insurance Implications Of Rising Nonclient Cyber Claims

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    As law firms are increasingly targeted in cyberattacks, claims by clients as well as nonclients against lawyers are also on the rise, increasing the scope of exposure that attorneys face in their practice, say attorneys at Wilson Elser.

  • Why Attys Should Get Familiar With Quantum Computing

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    Quantum computing is projected to pose significant updates to current practices in cryptography, making the issue relevant to policymakers and the legal profession generally, particularly when it comes to data storage, privacy regulations and pharmaceutical industry market changes, say professors at the University of San Francisco.

  • Series

    Adapting To Private Practice: From DOJ Enviro To Mid-Law

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    Practitioners leaving a longtime government role for private practice — as when I departed the U.S. Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement division — should prioritize finding a firm that shares their principles, values their experience and will invest in their transition, says John Cruden at Beveridge & Diamond.

  • Legal Ethics Considerations For Law Firm Pro Bono Deals

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    If a law firm enters into a pro bono deal with the Trump administration in exchange for avoiding or removing an executive order, it has an ethical obligation to create a written settlement agreement with specific terms, which would mitigate some potential conflict of interest problems, says Andrew Altschul at Buchanan Angeli.

  • Series

    Playing Football Made Me A Better Lawyer

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    While my football career ended over 15 years ago, the lessons the sport taught me about grit, accountability and resilience have stayed with me and will continue to help me succeed as an attorney, says Bert McBride at Trenam.

  • 10 Arbitrations And A 5th Circ. Ruling Flag Arb. Clause Risks

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    The ongoing arbitral saga of Sullivan v. Feldman, which has engendered proceedings before 10 different arbitrators in Texas and Louisiana along with last month's Fifth Circuit opinion, showcases both the risks and limitations of arbitration clauses in retainer agreements for resolving attorney-client disputes, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

  • Series

    Power To The Paralegals: The Value Of Unified State Licensing

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    Texas' proposal to become the latest state to license paraprofessional providers of limited legal services could help firms expand their reach and improve access to justice, but consumers, attorneys and allied legal professionals would benefit even more if similar programs across the country become more uniform, says Michael Houlberg at the University of Denver.

  • 10 Soft Skills Every GC Should Master

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    As businesses face shifting regulatory and technological uncertainty, general counsel will need to strengthen certain soft skills to succeed, from admitting when they make a mistake to maintaining a healthy dose of dispassion, says Douglas Brown at Manatt.

  • An Unrestrained, Bright-Eyed View Of Legal AI's Future

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    Todd Itami at Covington offers a bright-eyed, laughing-all-the-way, skydive look at what the legal industry could look like after an artificial intelligence revolution, which he believes may happen much sooner and more dramatically than we expect.

  • Tracking The Evolution In Litigation Finance

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    Despite continued innovation, litigation finance remains an immature market with borrowers recieving significantly different terms as lenders learn to value cases, which firms need a strong handle on to ensure lending terms do not overwhelm collateral value, says Robert Wilkins at Lightfoot Franklin.

  • Series

    Volunteer Firefighting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While practicing corporate law and firefighting may appear incongruous, the latter benefits my legal career by reminding me of the importance of humility, perspective and education, says Nicholas Passaro at Ford.

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