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California Pulse


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    State & Local Tax Atty Rejoins Pillsbury In San Francisco

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP continues expanding its tax team, welcoming a state and local tax expert who worked several years as a solo practitioner back to the firm as a partner in its San Francisco office.

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    Many In-House Attys Say They Negotiate Their Compensation

    In-house lawyers increasingly are having conversations about their compensation packages, with more than half of corporate legal department respondents saying in a recent survey that they had negotiated their pay in 2024 or 2025, according to findings released Tuesday by a legal executive search firm.

  • Ex-Munchkin GC Sues Over 'War On Families' At Baby Co.

    Munchkin Inc.'s former general counsel says he was fired for trying to sound the alarm about the baby products brand's "war on families" and culture of discrimination against working mothers and families, in a $10 million suit filed in California state court on Friday.

  • Firms Rip Ford's 'Retaliatory' RICO Suit Over Lemon Law Bills

    Knight Law Group LLP and other firms urged a California federal judge Friday to toss The Ford Motor Co.'s allegations they conspired to dupe clients and defraud automakers by inflating billing, arguing that the racketeering claims are "retaliatory," insufficient and time-barred, and the firms are shielded under the Noerr-Pennington doctrine.

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    Warner Bros. Discovery Names Post-Split Legal Leaders

    The in-house attorneys who will lead the legal departments of the companies that will be formed by the upcoming breakup of Warner Bros. Discovery were named Monday as part of an announcement of new leadership for both entities.

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    ChatGPT Convos Aren't Privileged, Legal Experts Emphasize

    Legal experts are weighing in on comments OpenAI Inc. CEO Sam Altman made during an interview last week about ChatGPT exchanges not having legal privilege, saying information put into the publicly available chatbot are discoverable during litigation.

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    State Justices' Financial Disclosures 'Didn't Get Worse' In '24

    Several states are making information about their Supreme Court justices' finances and potential financial conflicts somewhat more accessible, according to a new report.

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    DLA Piper Adds Real Estate Deals Pro From Katten In LA

    DLA Piper has added a former Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP partner to its Los Angeles office, strengthening its real estate practice with an attorney who guided a client in a $250 million joint venture with a South Korean investment management business, the firm said Monday.

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    Cozen O'Connor Lands 4 IP Attys From Eversheds, Buchalter

    Cozen O'Connor announced Monday that it has added two intellectual property partners from Eversheds Sutherland and another prominent IP attorney from Buchalter PC in the San Diego area, with another Eversheds Sutherland partner set to join the team later this week.

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    Some Law Firms Cite Staff, Not Tech, As Hardest To Modernize

    Some law firms find that people are the hardest part of their business to modernize, not technology and processes, according to staffing agency Forrest Solutions Legal's 2025 Future of Work Survey Report.

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    Courts 'Turning Up The Heat' On AI Fake Citation Sanctions

    As the volume of sanctions orders resulting from attorneys' use of faulty citations blamed on artificial intelligence continues to rise, federal judges are beginning to pivot from financial sanctions to more creative means of disciplining lawyers, including targeting their professional reputations in ways that could really hurt.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Jones Day and DLA Piper lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Federal Circuit overturned a more than $125 million judgment against Medtronic's CoreValve unit for infringing a Colibri Heart Valve LLC patent.

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    Veteran Colo. GC Joins Wilson Sonsini Residence Program

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC has expanded its general-counsel-in-residence program with an experienced in-house legal leader who previously worked at multiple companies, including QRails Inc. and Arrow Electronics.

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    Will Tom Girardi's Wardrobe Mishap Help His Appeal?

    When legendary attorney Tom Girardi's pants fell down as he finished testifying in his defense, the judge had to decide: Was this a desperate bid to feign incompetence and avoid prison for stealing client funds, or just an accident by an 86-year-old man with dementia? And if it really was an accident, does it now give Girardi a shot at winning his appeal and overturning his sentence?

  • CPA Charged With $5M Fraud Involving 2 Law Firms

    A federal grand jury has charged an accountant with defrauding two law firms and other clients by selling them false tax benefits and pocketing more than $5 million from an account into which they made their payments, according to a superseding indictment in California federal court.

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    Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Wiley Rein LLP's work on a $3.1 billion satellite provider merger and Labaton Keller Sucharow LLP and Motley Rice LLC securing lead counsel roles in a proposed class action lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from July 10 to 25.

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    Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry had another busy week with more in-house moves, government attorneys returning to the private sector and office openings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • NJ Atty To Pay SEC Fine Over Alleged Prime Bank Fraud Role

    A New Jersey attorney and a California man will pay the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission a total of $134,000 as part of agreements to resolve the regulator's allegations they helped bilk an older couple out of over $150,000 through a so-called prime bank scheme. 

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    FedArb CEO Takes Full Ownership Of ADR Service

    California-based alternative dispute resolution service Federal Arbitration Inc. has announced a change in ownership, as its current CEO has bought out the other partners.

  • Ex-Calif. Judge Says 'Trying To Do Too Much' Led To Backlog

    A former California state appellate justice said health problems and a strong work ethic harmed his ability to handle his caseload quickly, leading to delays in hundreds of cases that precipitated ethics charges, telling a watchdog he "can only be faulted for trying to do too much under the circumstances."

  • Alston & Bird Expands West Coast Reach With LA Funds Atty

    Alston & Bird LLP has hired a former Greenberg Traurig LLP shareholder with in-house investment firm experience as an investment funds partner in Los Angeles.

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    Freshfields Reelects Senior Partner For Second Term

    Freshfields said Thursday that it has reelected litigator Georgia Dawson as its senior partner for a second term amid strong backing for her leadership from the firm's partners.

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    Seyfarth Shaw Employment Atty Jumps To Akerman In LA

    Akerman LLP is boosting its employment team, bringing in a Seyfarth Shaw LLP class action litigator as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

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    Clients Name Top Firms For Service Amid Shifting Needs

    The set of client service-related behaviors corporate clients demand from their law firms has dramatically shifted, creating a shakeup at the top of this year's BTI Client Service A-Team ranking released Thursday.

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    Nonequity Partners Unsure How They Can Make Equity Partner

    The ranks of nonequity partners may be growing, but a recent report found many partners stating confusion about how attorneys can advance to the next level and ambiguity about whether the tier should be expanded.

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Expert Analysis

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises Author Photo

    “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.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Prioritize Connections Author Photo

    One reason business development in the legal industry seems so mysterious is because human relationships are so complex, but lawyers can reorient their thinking in two important ways to drive the process of connecting with new colleagues and contacts, say Jamie Lawless and Angela Quinn at Husch Blackwell.

  • Overcoming US Law Firms' Hesitancy To Enter Indian Market Author Photo

    Successful private equity exits with strong returns have solidified India's buyout market as an increasingly attractive destination for future investments, offering compelling reasons for the U.S. legal community to overcome its caution on the country's markets, says Vaishali Movva at Eimer Stahl.

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

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    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

  • Strategies For Successful Law Firm Mergers In 2025 Author Photo

    Law firms are expected to continue consolidating in the year to come, and because these mergers require a different kind of playbook, firm leaders must carefully consider office culture nuances, professional services economics and talent retention strategy before any merger, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Making Legal Cents: Winning More Work In A Crowded Market Author Photo

    In a market where clients have more options, tighter budgets and higher expectations, firms must figure out how to differentiate themselves without discounting their rates, and several practical strategies for pitching, pricing and early-engagement communication can help, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

  • Tips For Constructing Your Small-Law Exit Strategy Author Photo

    By initiating planning and processes to evaluate personal retirement goals and firm value early, longtime solo practitioners and small-firm owners can unlock a range of possibilities and potential buyers, setting up for a profitable exit and a rewarding transition, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

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