DC Pulse


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    'Twice The Pace': 2024 Was A Busy Year For Law Firms

    Even as mergers and acquisitions activity has remained relatively "soft," large and midsize law firms have experienced a substantial increase in demand over the last year at twice the historic average rate of increase, according to the co-author of a Thursday report on U.S. law firm financial results.

  • $486M Djibouti Award Fight Settled In DC

    A port operator has agreed to end litigation to enforce a $486 million arbitral award issued against Djibouti, several months after the D.C. Circuit ruled that Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP would have to prove it had authority to represent the company.

  • Jackson's 'Quite Worried' About Equal Protection Precedent

    The U.S. Supreme Court's Republican-appointed justices' apparent willingness Wednesday to rule that a Tennessee law banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender minors didn't rely on sex-based classifications worried Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who warned that such a decision would undermine decades of the court's equal protection clause precedent.

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    Gorsuch Exits Utah NEPA Suit Amid Flak Over Billionaire Ties

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch recused himself from a case involving a controversial railway project Wednesday afternoon, the high court's clerk said, following calls for him to step away from the National Environmental Policy Act dispute in light of his connections to a Colorado billionaire.

  • SEC Taps New Co-Leaders For Crypto Enforcement Unit

    The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has promoted the assistant director of its crypto and cyber enforcement unit and a counsel to an outgoing Democratic commissioner to co-lead the regulator's crypto enforcement efforts ahead of a coming administration shake-up that could change the agency's approach to the digital asset industry.

  • Kramer Levin, Norton Rose To Match Milbank On Bonuses

    Kramer Levin said its associates will receive year-end and special bonuses in line with those set by Milbank LLP ahead of its proposed merger with Herbert Smith Freehills LLP.

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    Former AUSA To Lead Bradley Arant's Financial Crime Team

    Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that a former assistant U.S. attorney who joined the firm in October has been named chair of its newly formed financial crime and economic sanctions practice group.

  • Justices Seem To Back Ban On Transgender Youth Care

    The U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority on Wednesday seemed poised to greenlight a Tennessee ban on minors receiving gender-affirming care, despite arguments from the court's liberal block that finding the law constitutional would fly in the face of the court's equal-protection precedents.

  • Jan. 6 Rioter Unlikely To Succeed On Appeal, Judge Says

    A District of Columbia federal judge ordered a convicted rioter from the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol to serve the remainder of his more than four-year prison term while he appeals, saying his legal arguments are substantial but unlikely to result in a reduced sentence.

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    Trump Changes Course On Pick For WH Counsel

    President-elect Donald Trump announced on Wednesday he was naming a Dhillon Law Group Inc. partner who has represented his campaign to serve as White House counsel, replacing the ex-Jones Day attorney he'd previously picked as the top lawyer in his new administration.

  • Trump Names Slater To DOJ Antitrust Against 'Wild' Big Tech

    President-elect Donald Trump signaled a full steam ahead approach to reining in major technology platforms with the announced nomination Wednesday of former Federal Trade Commission staffer and Trump administration economic adviser Gail Slater to run the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division.

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    Steptoe Vet Will Lead Troutman Pepper's Sanctions, Trade Group

    Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP has hired a longtime Steptoe LLP lawyer to lead its sanctions and trade controls team in Washington, D.C., as the local lateral market continues responding to the coming change in political control in the nation's capital.

  • Coinbase Says It Won't Use Firms That Hire Crypto Enforcers

    Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase made clear that it won't work with law firms that employ former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission attorneys who led the charge on crypto enforcement suits, singling out Milbank LLP for its hiring of ex-SEC enforcement director Gurbir Grewal.

  • Justices Skeptical Of Hungary Holocaust Seizure Fight Ruling

    A D.C. Circuit decision greenlighting expropriation claims brought by Holocaust survivors against Hungary may be in jeopardy after a hearing Tuesday during which the U.S. Supreme Court appeared receptive to arguments that the historical commingling of assets is not enough to overcome the country's sovereign immunity.

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    Trump Argues Immunity Extends To Local Prosecutions

    President-elect Donald Trump told the New York state judge presiding over his hush money case that the criminal charges and guilty verdict should be thrown out, arguing in an expansive motion released Tuesday that allowing a local prosecution to proceed would upset the republic's balance of power.

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    Baker Botts Brings Back Antitrust Atty In DC

    Baker Botts LLP welcomed back on Tuesday an antitrust attorney once with the firm who most recently spent time at A&O Sherman.

  • New Judges Include One Who Aided Puerto Rico Bondholders

    The Senate on Tuesday confirmed two federal judges for Pennsylvania and one for the District of Columbia, who came under scrutiny during her confirmation hearing for her work at Jones Day.

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    Ex-Va. Solicitor General To Co-Lead Steptoe Appellate Group

    Steptoe LLP has brought on as co-leader of the appellate practice a former solicitor general of Virginia whose past government work included being special counsel to the committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, the firm said Tuesday.

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    Willkie Adds Litigation Heavyweight, Energy Expert In DC

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP announced Tuesday that it has brought on two Washington, D.C., partners — a new chair for its regulatory litigation practice group who joined from King & Spalding LLP and an energy-focused finance attorney who joined from Greenberg Traurig LLP.

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    Wilkinson Stekloff Exceeds BigLaw's Year-End Bonuses

    Associates at trial boutique Wilkinson Stekloff will receive year-end bonuses as much as $57,500 higher than those given across BigLaw on top of special bonuses matching those offered by other firms, founding partners said Tuesday.

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    Fenwick Adds Freshfields Antitrust Atty In DC

    An antitrust attorney specializing in assisting clients in the technology and life sciences sectors with navigating the federal regulatory process has moved her practice to Fenwick & West LLP's Washington, D.C., office after more than 12 years with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

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    Former OFAC Official Joins Hughes Hubbard In DC

    Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP has announced that a former lead sanctions investigator and analyst at the Office of Foreign Assets Control has joined the firm's Washington, D.C., office as a partner in its sanctions, export controls and anti-money laundering practice.

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    Norton Rose Names US Corporate, M&A And Securities Head

    Norton Rose Fulbright announced Tuesday that it has tapped a New York partner to co-lead its U.S. corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and securities team.

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    McCarter & English Adds Ex-DOJ Antitrust Atty In DC

    McCarter & English has hired a new partner and former Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC senior counsel, who started her career working on antitrust issues for the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., the firm announced Tuesday.

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    Approach The Bench: Judge Tunheim Advises Other Jurists

    For more than a decade, U.S. District Judge John Tunheim has counseled judges from other countries on quandaries jurists face internationally, from artificial intelligence to court administration to judicial independence.

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Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • The Case That Showed Me The Value Of E-Discovery Plans Author Photo

    Robert Keeling at Sidley reflects on leading discovery in the litigation that followed the historic $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger and how the case highlighted the importance of having a strategic e-discovery plan in place.

  • Opinion

    CLE Accreditation Should Be Tied To Learning Outcomes Author Photo

    Given the substantial time and money lawyers put toward mandatory continuing legal education, CLE regulators and providers should be held to accreditation standards that assess learning outcomes, similar to those imposed on law schools and continuing medical education providers, says Rima Sirota at Georgetown Law.

  • Why You Should Leverage AI For Privilege Review Author Photo

    While many lawyers still believe that a manual, document-by-document review is the best approach to privilege logging, certain artificial intelligence tools can bolster the traditional review process and make this aspect of electronic document review more efficient, more accurate and less costly, say Laura Riff and Michelle Six at Kirkland.

  • Persuading The Court With Visual Aids In Written Argument Author Photo

    Robert Dubose at Alexander Dubose describes several categories of visuals attorneys can use to make written arguments easier to understand or more persuasive, and provides tips for lawyers unused to working with anything but text.

  • BigLaw Vs. Mid-Law Summer Programs: The Pros And Cons Author Photo

    There are major differences between BigLaw and Mid-Law summer associate programs, and each approach can learn something from the other in terms of structure and scheduling, the on-the-job learning opportunities provided, and the social experiences offered, says Anna Tison at Brooks Pierce.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Take Time Off? Author Photo

    David Kouba at Arnold & Porter discusses how attorneys can prioritize mental health leave and vacation despite work-related barriers to taking time off.

  • Law Firms Must Prioritize Mental Health In Internal Comms Author Photo

    The traditional structure of law firms, with their compartmentalization into silos, is an inherent challenge to mental wellness, so partners and senior lawyers should take steps to construct and disseminate internal action plans and encourage open dialogue, says Elizabeth Ortega at ECO Strategic Communications.

  • Our Current Approach To Trial Advocacy Training Is Lacking Author Photo

    The key to trial advocacy is persuasion, but current training programs focus almost entirely on technique, making it imperative that lawyers are taught to be effective storytellers and to connect with their audiences, says Chris Arledge at Ellis George.

  • How Women In Law Can Advance Toward Leadership Roles Author Photo

    Female attorneys in leadership roles inspire other women to pursue similar opportunities in a male-dominated field, and for those who aspire to lead, prioritizing collaboration, inclusivity and integrity is key, says Kim Yelkin at Foley & Lardner.

  • The Case That Took Me From Prosecutor To Defense Attorney Author Photo

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza, now at Wilkinson Stekloff, recalls the challenges of her first case as a civil defense attorney — a multibillion-dollar multidistrict class action against Allergan — and the lessons she learned about building rapport in the courtroom and with co-counsel.

  • The Importance Of Legal Macroeconomics Education For Attys Author Photo

    Most legal professionals lack understanding of the macroeconomic trends unique to the legal industry, like the rising cost of law school and legal services, which contributes to an unfair and inaccessible justice system, so law school courses and continuing legal education requirements in this area are essential, says Bob Glaves at the Chicago Bar Foundation.

  • Opinion

    It's Time To Hold DC Judges Accountable For Misconduct Author Photo

    On the heels of Thursday's congressional hearing on workplace protections for judiciary employees, former law clerk Aliza Shatzman recounts her experience of harassment by a D.C. Superior Court judge — and argues that the proposed Judiciary Accountability Act, which would extend vital anti-discrimination protections to federal court employees, should also include D.C. courts.

  • What ABA Student Well-Being Standards Mean For Law Firms Author Photo

    While the American Bar Association's recent amendments to its law school accreditation standards around student well-being could have gone further, legal industry employers have much to learn from the ABA's move and the well-being movement that continues to gain traction in law schools, says David Jaffe at the American University Washington College of Law.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Build Rapport In New In-House Role? Author Photo

    Tim Parilla at LinkSquares explains how new in-house lawyers can start developing relationships with colleagues both within and outside their legal departments in order to expand their networks, build their brands and carve their paths to leadership positions.

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