California Pulse

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry closed out August with another action-packed week as firms hired new talent and disbarred attorney Tom Girardi was convicted by a California federal jury. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Epstein Becker Green PC and the Restaurant Law Center lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit struck down a U.S. Department of Labor rule on tipped wages, deeming it to go against the Fair Labor Standards Act.

  • 'No Hesitation' On $7M Atty Fees For $10B Verdict, Judge Says

    A California judge held up a phone book-sized printout Thursday of the 20-year docket for a case that resulted in a $10 billion verdict for four brothers who claim their real estate empire was stolen by another brother, and said she has "no hesitation" granting the plaintiff $7 million in attorney fees.

  • 'You Don't Need To Be Obnoxious': Ch. 11 Hearing Gets Rowdy

    A California bankruptcy judge on Thursday slammed an attorney for what he called her "obnoxious" courtroom behavior, while the lawyer argued that a proposed liquidation plan for a defunct law firm could enrich the professionals managing the case and leave little for claimants.

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    Law Firm Real Estate Report

    Attorneys at a few major national and regional U.S. law firms find themselves in new surroundings this month after Norton Rose Fulbright, Venable LLP and Snell & Wilmer all completed long-planned relocation projects.

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    Ex-Littler Atty Drops Suit Alleging Firm Violated $1M Deal

    A former Littler Mendelson PC lawyer has dropped her California state court lawsuit against the firm that alleged it had violated a settlement inked in a suit the firm filed in Texas state court accusing the attorney of stealing confidential information, wrapping up the dispute between the former associate and the firm.

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    Holland & Knight M&A Atty Wants You To Conquer Your Fears

    Stephen J. Dietrich, a corporate partner at Holland & Knight in Denver, recently published a book on overcoming an abusive childhood. Here, Law360 Pulse talks to Dietrich about how his past struggles have shaped both his personal and professional life.

  • 9th Circ. Revives Atty's Suit Against State Bar Officers

    The Ninth Circuit on Wednesday reversed a summary judgment win for Oregon State Bar officers, ruling in a published opinion that a member attorney established that the bar violated his constitutional right to freedom of association when publishing statements he objected to that criticized former President Donald Trump.

  • Calif. Debt Relief Firm Ran Criminal Enterprise, Judge Says

    A California bankruptcy judge ruled Tuesday that the defunct Orange County debt relief law firm Litigation Practice Group operated a "criminal enterprise" and possibly a Ponzi scheme, a finding that representatives for the firm's court-appointed bankruptcy trustee say they will use to claw money back from investors.

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    Sidley Brings On McDermott's LA Litigation Leader

    The head of McDermott Will & Emery LLP's Los Angeles litigation practice has moved to Sidley Austin LLP's commercial litigation and disputes department as a partner, Sidley Austin announced Wednesday.

  • LA Atty Accused Of Bilking Inmates With False Freedom Hope

    A Los Angeles attorney accused of raking in thousands of dollars by giving inmates and their families intentionally misleading information about their chances for resentencing after convictions for violent crimes faces an 18-count disciplinary complaint filed this week by the State Bar of California.

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    Farella Braun Can Pursue Unpaid SVB Fees From FDIC

    Farella Braun & Martel LLP can go after the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for $49,000 in legal fees owed by Silicon Valley Bank's parent after the agency was appointed as the bank's receiver, a California federal judge ruled Wednesday.

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    Kaufman Dolowich Hires Longtime Employment Atty In LA

    Kaufman Dolowich has hired a labor and employment attorney as a partner in its Los Angeles office who has been practicing with a firm he helped launch in 2009 for over 14 years, his new firm announced Wednesday.

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    Ex-Assistant DA Can't Revive Retaliation Suit At 9th Circ.

    The Ninth Circuit declined Wednesday to reinstate a former assistant district attorney's suit claiming he was fired by the city of San Francisco for whistleblowing about what he alleged was misconduct, ruling there's not enough proof he was canned for going to the media with his concerns.

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    Hueston Hennigan Adds Section Chief At US Atty's Office In LA

    Hueston Hennigan LLP has added to its Los Angeles office an attorney who worked for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California for more than eight years, including as chief of its criminal appeals section.

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    Why BigLaw Firms Are Investing In E-Discovery Expertise

    Bolstered by technological advancements, BigLaw firms are relying more on specialized e-discovery attorneys who can provide more focused legal guidance and technical support.

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    A Winding Path: How Lawyers' Career Aspirations Shift

    The road for many lawyers to their final career destination is winding. What a person thinks they want in law school may change once, twice or more in the following decades. Here, Law360 presents four stories about the winding path of lawyer career aspirations.

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    Cooley Adds O'Melveny Securities Litigation, Fintech Pro In LA

    Cooley LLP has expanded its California team, announcing Wednesday it has brought in an O'Melveny & Myers LLP securities litigation and fintech expert as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

  • Calif. Panel Won't Block Sanctions Over Firm's Anti-SLAPP Bid

    A California appeals court has upheld a trial court's denial of an anti-SLAPP motion in a lawsuit alleging a partner in one law firm tried to misappropriate fees won in an overtime suit by another law firm where he was also a partner.

  • Google Privacy Class Action Delays Irk Discovery Judge

    A California federal judge expressed frustration Tuesday with discovery delays in a years-old class action alleging Google Assistant-enabled devices surreptitiously recorded conversations, telling attorneys they've already "been around and around and around" on discovery fights, and "we need to keep this moving."

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    Fish & Richardson Adds Sterne Kessler GC In Top Legal Role

    Fish & Richardson PC has hired the general counsel at Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox PLLC as its new chief legal risk officer, who is bringing her more than 15 years of experience with intellectual property law firm risk management and compliance to the firm.

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    Stradley Ronon Brings On Marketing Pro From Morgan Lewis

    Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young LLP has a new director of marketing and communications who previously served in similar roles at Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP and at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

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    Disbarred Atty Tom Girardi Convicted Of Defrauding Clients

    A California federal jury on Tuesday convicted disbarred attorney Tom Girardi on all four counts of wire fraud, finding that the former titan of the plaintiffs bar misappropriated $15 million of his clients' settlement funds.

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    Approach The Bench: Justice Earls On Speaking Out

    North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls still believes in the importance of informing the public about the judiciary, but these days she's a little more careful about what she says.

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    Weil Adds Ex-Kirkland, Massumi + Consoli PE Pro In Calif.

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP is expanding its California team, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Massumi + Consoli LLP private equity expert as a partner in its recently opened Los Angeles office.

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Expert Analysis

  • Why Interdisciplinarity Is Key To Designing The Future Of Law Author Photo

    The legal profession faces challenges that urgently demand new solutions, and lawyers and firms can address this by leaning on other industries that have more experience practicing, teaching and incorporating innovation into their core business and service models, says Jennifer Leonard at the University of Pennsylvania.

  • Incorporating ADA Guidance Into Lawyer Wellness Movement Author Photo

    The Americans with Disabilities Act and rules of professional conduct may help the legal profession promote lawyer well-being by focusing on mental conditions' actual impact, rather than on associated stereotypes, says Alex Long at the University of Tennessee College of Law.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can New Partners Generate Business? Author Photo

    Christine Wong at MoFo discusses how newly elected partners can prioritize business development by creating a strategic plan with the firm's marketing team and strengthening relationships with professional and personal networks.

  • 9 Writing Tips From The Justices' Opinions Last Term Author Photo

    Hidden in the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinions from the last term are each justice’s talents for crafting choice turns of phrase, highlighting best practices for attorneys to jump-start their own writing, says Ross Guberman at BriefCatch.

  • What Web3 Means For Lawyers' Ethical Duties Author Photo

    As law firms embrace Web3 technologies by accepting cryptocurrency as payment for legal fees, investing in metaverse departments and more, lawyers should remember their ethical duties to warn clients of the benefits and risks of technology in a murky regulatory environment, says Heidi Frostestad Kuehl at Northern Illinois University College of Law.

  • NY's Cybersecurity CLE Rule Is A Sign Of Changing Times Author Photo

    New York's recently announced requirement that lawyers complete cybersecurity training as part of their continuing legal education is a reminder that securing client information is more complicated in an increasingly digital world, and that expectations around attorneys' technology competence are changing, says Jason Schwent at Clark Hill.

  • Opinion

    Law Firms Stressing Work-Life Balance Are Missing The Mark Author Photo

    Law firms struggling to attract and retain lawyers are institutionalizing work-life balance through hybrid work models, but such balance is elusive in a client services and tech-dependent world, underscoring the need for firms to instead aim for attorney empowerment and true balance within — not outside — the workplace, says Joe Pack at Pack Law.

  • A Law Student's Guide To Thriving As A Summer Associate Author Photo

    Summer associates are expected to establish a favorable reputation and develop genuine relationships in a few short weeks, but several time management, attitude and communication principles can help them make the most of their time and secure an offer for a full-time position, says Joseph Marciano, who was a 2022 summer associate at Reed Smith.

  • Burnout Prevention Requires Effort From Attys And Firms Author Photo

    To avoid physical and emotional exhaustion, attorneys must respect their own and their colleagues' personal and professional boundaries, but law firms must also play a role in discouraging burnout culture — especially if they are struggling with attorney retention, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • How I Owned My Power As An Asian American Woman In Law Author Photo

    Gibson Dunn's Debra Yang shares the bumps in her journey to becoming the first female Asian American U.S. attorney, a state judge and a senior partner in BigLaw, and how other women can face their self-doubts and blaze their own trails to success amid systemic obstacles.

  • Successful In-House Alt Legal Services Start With 4 Questions Author Photo

    Law firms that are considering creating an in-house alternative legal service provider should focus not on recapturing revenue otherwise lost to outside vendors, but instead consider how a captive ALSP will better fulfill the needs of their clients and partners, say Beatrice Seravello and Brad Blickstein at Baretz & Brunelle.

  • 3 Reasons To Embrace Jargon In Legal Marketing Content Author Photo

    Ignore what you've been told about jargon — adding insider industry terms to your firm's marketing and business development content can persuade potential clients that you have the specialized knowledge they can trust, says Wayne Pollock at Law Firm Editorial Service.

  • Future Lawyers Expect DEI Commitments Beyond Recruiting Author Photo

    To attract future lawyers from diverse backgrounds, firms must think beyond recruiting efforts, because law students are looking for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that invest in employee professional development and engage with students year-round, says Lauren Jackson at Howard University School of Law.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can Law Students Build Real-World Skills? Author Photo

    Allison Coffin at Akin Gump discusses how summer associates going back to school can continue to develop real-world lawyering skills by leveraging the numerous law school resources that support professional development both inside and outside the classroom.

  • How Firm Leaders Can Build And Sustain Culture Author Photo

    In uncertain and challenging times, law firm leaders can build and sustain culture by focusing attention on mission, values and leadership development, and applying a growth mindset across their firms, says Scott Westfahl at Harvard Law.

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