California Pulse

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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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    9th Circ. Chief Judge Cleared Of Judicial Misconduct Claims

    The Judicial Council of the Ninth Circuit on Friday cleared its chief judge of judicial misconduct claims alleging she failed to timely investigate a Los Angeles judge's decision to have a lawyer handcuffed and detained during contempt proceedings, finding the allegations were unfounded.

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    Law Firm Revenue Rose At 'Historic' Rate In 2024's First Half

    U.S. law firm revenue was up 11.4% during the first half of 2024 compared to this time last year, marking one of the industry's best first halves in memory, second only to 2021, according to survey results released Monday by Wells Fargo Private Bank.

  • Brownstein Hires State Gov't Relations Duo In Sacramento

    Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck LLP has hired two policy directors in Sacramento, who will bring more than 25 years of combined experience working with California lawmakers and business leaders to the firm, according to a Monday announcement.

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    Semiconductor Biz MaxLinear Cuts GC Job To Save Costs

    Semiconductor business MaxLinear Inc. recently reported that it has eliminated its general counsel and chief compliance officer post as a cost savings move.

  • Girardi Says High Court Holding Should Gut His Fraud Case

    Tom Girardi has urged a California federal judge to toss the majority of the wire fraud charges he is facing ahead of closing arguments in his trial, saying a 1960 U.S. Supreme Court case demonstrates he was charged for nothing more than receiving legally required wire transfers.

  • LegalShield Used AI To Record Clients, Suit Says

    Online legal service company LegalShield has been letting a call center software company use artificial intelligence to intercept, analyze and record its customer calls and chats, according to a lawsuit recently pulled into California federal court.

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    ABA Guides Lawyers On Avoiding Criminal Transactions

    Just over a year after the American Bar Association formalized long-standing due diligence rules for attorneys' interactions with clients, an ABA committee on Friday released its first ethics opinion providing guidance on interpreting the rules amendment.

  • Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Richards Layton's handling of a suit over Tesla's Texas relocation and Wiley's representation of an American solar panel makers' interest group lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Aug. 9 to 23.

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    Messner Reeves Commercial Litigator Jumps To Gordon Rees

    A former Messner Reeves LLP partner has jumped to Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP in San Diego to bolster its services in product and general liability matters, catastrophic brain injury cases and commercial litigation.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry had another action-packed week as BigLaw firms expanded practices, shook up partnership models, and outlined new policies on office attendance. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, Fillmore Law Firm LLP, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP, the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center and the Business Roundtable lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Texas federal judge blocked a Federal Trade Commission ban on noncompete agreements in employment contracts.

  • Calif. Atty Can't Beat Sanctions In Geragos Malpractice Suit

    A California state appeals court on Wednesday affirmed $23,000 in sanctions for discovery violations on the part of a lawyer representing clients in a malpractice case against Hollywood litigator Mark Geragos.

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    Women Attys Mobilizing For Harris Say They Can't Sit This Out

    As Vice President Kamala Harris seeks to become the first female president, women in BigLaw and the broader legal community are rallying behind her, motivated by issues such as reproductive rights.

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    Tom Girardi Takes The Stand In His Criminal Fraud Trial

    Disbarred attorney Tom Girardi took the stand Thursday in his California federal fraud trial and denied stealing from any of his clients, while also showing a strong grasp of past events and people but claiming to have no memory of the trial's witnesses and key moments, or to even know his own lawyer's name.

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    Meet The 'Larger Than Life' Atty Defending Hunter Biden

    The renowned attorney representing Hunter Biden at his upcoming criminal tax trial is a "larger than life" figure whose ability to connect with a jury, legal acumen and media savvy have made him a go-to lawyer for celebrities and high-profile cases, according to those who know him.

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    'Beloved By Everyone': Attys Recall Clifford Chance's Morvillo

    Clifford Chance LLP partner Christopher Morvillo, who died this week after a luxury yacht he was on sank off the coast of Sicily, is being remembered not only as a lion of the legal community but also as an "extraordinary human being" and a "Renaissance man" who was devoted to his family.

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    WilmerHale Adds Nonequity Partnership Tier

    Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP has become the latest BigLaw shop to create a nonequity partnership tier, the firm confirmed Thursday.

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    Perkins Coie Leader On 'Bold' Rebrand And Strategic Growth

    Perkins Coie LLP recently launched a new branding initiative, including a redesigned website, to better reflect its forward-looking and innovative reputation. Law360 Pulse spoke with Managing Partner Bill Malley about the rebranding strategy, its alignment with the firm’s goals, and its impact on future business development.

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    Fieldfisher Adds Employment Law To Silicon Valley Office

    Fieldfisher LLP has added employment law services to the offerings of its Silicon Valley office, the firm announced this week.

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    Spellbook CEO Aims For AI To Cut Junior Associate Drudgery

    A legal technology company known for its artificial intelligence contract drafting and review software is releasing a new AI copilot on Thursday to help legal teams become more efficient.

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Expert Analysis

  • How Law Firms And Attys Can Combat Imposter Syndrome Author Photo

    Imposter syndrome is rampant in the legal profession, especially among lawyers from underrepresented backgrounds, leading to missed opportunities and mental health issues — but firms can provide support in numerous ways, and attorneys can use therapeutic strategies to quiet their inner critic, says Helen Pamely at Rosling King.

  • The Law Firm Qualities Partners Seek In Lateral Moves Author Photo

    In 2022, partners considering lateral moves have new priorities, and firms that hope to recruit top talent will need to communicate their strategy for growth, engage on hot issues like origination credit and diversity initiatives, and tailor their integration plans toward expanding partners’ client base, says Gloria Sandrino at Lateral Link.

  • Small Steps Can Help Employers Beat Attorney Burnout Author Photo

    Lawyers are experiencing burnout on a massive, unprecedented scale due to the pandemic, but law firms and institutional players can and should make a difference by focusing on small, practical solutions that protect their attorneys’ most precious personal resource and professional commodity — time, says Chad Sarchio, president of the District of Columbia Bar.

  • The Evolving Role Of The Law Firm Legal Secretary Author Photo

    Technological shifts during the pandemic and beyond should force firms to rethink how legal secretaries can not only better support timekeepers but also participate in elevating client service, bifurcating the role into an administrative support position and a more elevated practice support role, says Lauren Chung at HBR Consulting.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Ace My Upcoming Annual Review? Author Photo

    Jennifer Rakstad at White & Case highlights how associates can emphasize achievements and seek support before, during and after their annual review, despite the pandemic’s negative effects on face time with colleagues and business development opportunities.

  • How Your Law Firm's Brand Can Convey Prestige Author Photo

    In order to be perceived as prestigious by clients and potential recruits, law firms should take their branding efforts beyond designing visual identities and address six key imperatives to differentiate themselves — from identifying intangible core strengths to delivering on promises at every interaction, says Howard Breindel at DeSantis Breindel.

  • How Dynamic Project Management Can Help Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms looking to streamline matter management should consider tools that offer both employees and clients real-time access to documents, action items, task assignee information and more, overcoming many of the limitations of project communications via email, says Stephen Weyer at Stites & Harbison.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Successfully Switch Practices? Author Photo

    Associates who pivot into new practice areas may find that along with the excitement of a fresh start comes some apprehension, but certain proactive steps can help tame anxiety and ensure attorneys successfully adapt to unfamiliar subjects, novel internal processes and different client deliverables, say Susan Berson and Hassan Shaikh at Mintz.

  • A Road Map For Creating Law Firm Sustainability Programs Author Photo

    Amid demands from clients and prospective hires for greater sustainability efforts, law firms should think beyond reusable mugs and create programs that incorporate clear leadership structures, emission tracking and reduction goals, and frameworks for reporting results, says Gayatri Joshi at the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

  • Why Firms Should Help Associates Do More Pro Bono Work Author Photo

    Associates may hesitate to take on the added commitment of pro bono matters, but such work has tangible skill-building benefits, so firms should consider compensation and leadership strategies to encourage participation, says Rasmeet Chahil at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Confronting The Stigma Of Alcohol Abuse In Legal Industry Author Photo

    The pandemic has likely exacerbated the prevalence of problem drinking in the legal profession, making it critical for lawyers and educators to address alcohol abuse and the associated stigma through issue-specific education, supportive assistance and alcohol-free professional events, says Erica Grigg at the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program.

  • Opinion

    Lawyers Have Duty To Push For Immigration Court Reform Author Photo

    Attorneys must use their collective voice to urge federal lawmakers to create an Article I immigration court outside executive branch control, helping address the conflicts of interest, political influence and lack of adjudication consistency that prevent migrants from achieving true justice, say Elia Diaz-Yaeger and Carlos Bollar at the Hispanic National Bar Association.

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    ​​​​​​​Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work? Author Photo

    First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.

  • 5 Ways To Lead Lawyer Teams Toward Better Mental Health Author Photo

    Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.

  • How Your Summer Associate Events Can Convey Inclusivity Author Photo

    As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.

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