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Legal Ethics
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May 29, 2024
Law Firm Says Atty Can't Elude Malpractice Claims In RE Case
Chaitman LLP has urged a New Jersey state court to preserve its malpractice claims against a suspended solo attorney, arguing that discovery so far has shown that the attorney was deeply involved in guiding a case that ended in failure for its clients and exposed Chaitman to its own malpractice suit.
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May 29, 2024
Colo. Suspends Ex-Trump Atty For Aiding Ga. Election Lies
A Colorado disciplinary judge has suspended Jenna Lynn Ellis from practicing law in the state for three years over her guilty plea in a Georgia election interference case, after the former attorney and legal adviser to Donald Trump disavowed her actions in a letter that admitted, "I was wrong."
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May 29, 2024
Ga. Attys Face Sanctions Bid Over Racial Profiling, Death Suit
A Georgia city has urged a federal court to sanction opposing counsel and their client, a mother who sued its police department for allegedly racially profiling and fatally shooting her son, calling the case "an abuse of the judicial process" because counsel and the plaintiff should have known their claims were false.
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May 29, 2024
Non-Atty Advice To Debtors Is Unprotected, 2nd Circ. Told
New York urged the Second Circuit on Wednesday to find that stopping a nonprofit focused on bankruptcy education and the South Bronx pastor it's working with from advising low-income debtors represents a content-neutral regulation on who can practice law that does not violate the First Amendment.
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May 29, 2024
Ex-Calif. Atty Cops To Role In $9.5M Crypto Ponzi Scheme
A disbarred California attorney has pled guilty in federal court to his role in promoting a $9.5 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme.
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May 29, 2024
BakerHostetler, Crowell On Verge Of Settling Client Scam Suit
BakerHostetler and Crowell & Moring LLP appear close to settling a malpractice suit claiming the firms aided and abetted a network of predatory websites, just days after a Florida federal judge authorized discovery into the former client's Slack messages.
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May 29, 2024
Israeli Atty Cops To Aiding Convicted Ponzi Schemer In NJ
An Israeli attorney has admitted to conspiring to commit securities fraud, launder money and obstruct justice to aid alleged serial fraudster Eliyahu "Eli" Weinstein, who is facing new fraud charges just two years after then-President Donald Trump commuted Weinstein's 24-year prison sentence for previous fraud convictions amid a flood of last-minute pardons in January 2021.
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May 29, 2024
Weinstein Could Face Added Assault Charges In Retrial
New York prosecutors planning to retry Harvey Weinstein this fall after his rape conviction was overturned said Wednesday they may file an expanded indictment after hearing from new sexual assault claimants.
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May 29, 2024
NC House Advances Bill To Let Attys Expunge Ethics Records
The North Carolina House of Representatives on Tuesday voted in favor of a bill that would allow attorneys to clear certain disciplinary records, putting the proposal one step closer to becoming law.
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May 29, 2024
Contractor Talking To Juror Warrants Contempt, NC Panel Told
A general contractor interfered with the court when he spoke to a juror during a civil trial involving his company, state prosecutors told a North Carolina appellate court in seeking to have the contractor's contempt conviction upheld.
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May 29, 2024
Ga. Justices Reprimand Atty Over Flubbed Settlement
A Georgia solo practitioner was hit with a public reprimand by the state's highest court Wednesday after admitting that he bungled a personal injury settlement by delegating the negotiations to his assistant.
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May 29, 2024
Menendez Trial Judge Sticks With Order Barring Texts
The federal judge presiding over the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez announced Wednesday that he is holding firm to his decision barring prosecutors from using text messages to bolster their claims that the New Jersey Democrat took bribes in exchange for authorizing millions of dollars in aid for Egypt.
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May 29, 2024
Alito Won't Recuse From Jan. 6 Cases Over Flag Controversy
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito announced Wednesday that he will not recuse himself from deciding cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol or former President Donald Trump's criminal immunity following reports that two flags used by protesters of Trump's 2020 election loss were flown outside his houses.
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May 29, 2024
Whistleblower Counsel Can't Get 'Exorbitant' $11.5M Fee
A Boston federal judge slashed an "exorbitant" $11.5 million fee request made by counsel for a False Claims Act whistleblower in a case involving lab testing company Fresenius Medical Care, hammering the attorneys for inflated hourly rates, inflated time entries and a host of questionable billing practices.
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May 29, 2024
Coverage Recap: Day 1 Of Deliberations In Trump's NY Trial
Law360 reporters are providing live updates from the Manhattan criminal courthouse as Donald Trump goes on trial for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments ahead of the 2016 election. Here's a recap from the first day of deliberations Wednesday.
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May 28, 2024
Wash. Justices Doubt Atty's Response In Disbarment Case
Washington State justices were skeptical Tuesday of an appeal from an attorney facing disbarment who asserts that he did nothing wrong in response to misconduct allegations including that he embezzled from investors in a failed venture to build a cannabis industrial park.
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May 28, 2024
Trump Atty Calls Cohen 'MVP Of Liars' As NY Trial Closes
Donald Trump's counsel repeatedly assailed the credibility of star witness Michael Cohen Tuesday in a final pitch to the New York jury that will decide whether to convict the former president of falsifying business records, calling Cohen "an MVP of liars" and "the human embodiment of reasonable doubt."
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May 28, 2024
SEC Ordered To Pay $1.8M Over Crypto Case Sanctions
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is on the hook for more than $1.8 million in attorney and receiver fees arising from its allegedly ill-gotten temporary restraining order against crypto project Debt Box, though a Utah federal judge allowed the agency the opportunity to refile the enforcement case despite protests from the defendants.
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May 28, 2024
Colo. Justices To Mull Atty Advice Defense In Securities Cases
The Colorado Supreme Court has agreed to consider whether the advice a defendant's business attorney gave him is relevant to his state of mind in a securities fraud case, according to an order Tuesday granting the state's petition for appeal.
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May 28, 2024
Mich. Judge Tosses Ex-Prosecutor's Suit Over Firing
A Michigan federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a fired assistant prosecutor alleging he lost his job at the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office for speaking out about harassment and retaliation, after the county asked for sanctions because the plaintiff wasn't complying with discovery requirements and missed a deposition.
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May 28, 2024
Absent Atty Irks Judge In Girardi-Linked Bar Corruption Case
A California judge on Tuesday chastised a lawyer representing former clients of Tom Girardi accusing the state bar of "rampant corruption," telling the attorney over the phone that he is "nonplussed" as to why he attempted to skip the hearing on the bar's motion to toss the case.
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May 28, 2024
High Court Passes On Collection Firm's CFPB Funding Fight
The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday that it won't take up a now-shuttered debt collection law firm's fight against an investigative demand by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, turning down a case that covered the same constitutional ground as one that the justices recently decided in the agency's favor.
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May 28, 2024
Int'l Judge Pushes Back Against Russia Amicus Allegations
Prominent arbitrator and international Judge Charles Brower is pushing back against claims from the Kremlin that conflicts of interest should bar his amicus brief to the D.C. Circuit in support of Yukos Oil Co. shareholders' $50 billion arbitration enforcement.
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May 28, 2024
Colo. Justices Say Actual Bias Not Needed To Recuse Judges
Colorado justices on Tuesday said that litigants don't need to prove actual bias to disqualify a judge but still need to get pretty close to that standard, finding a judge who was shot at in her car did not need to step down from a road rage case.
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May 28, 2024
Ex-Florida Atty Accused Of Failing To Deliver Condo Proceeds
A disbarred attorney was sued in Florida state court by a client who alleged fraud and breach of fiduciary duty in a Miami Beach condominium foreclosure action, saying he misappropriated more than $68,000 in proceeds.
Expert Analysis
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Perspectives
6 Practice Pointers For Pro Bono Immigration Practice
An attorney taking on their first pro bono immigration matter may find the law and procedures beguiling, but understanding key deadlines, the significance of individual immigration judges' rules and specialized aspects of the practice can help avoid common missteps, says Steven Malm at Haynes Boone.
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Lessons From Country Singer's Personal Service Saga
Recent reports that country singer Luke Combs won a judgment against a Florida woman who didn’t receive notice of the counterfeit suit against her should serve as a reminder for attorneys on best practices for effectuating service by electronic means, say attorneys at Jenner & Block.
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Series
Baking Bread Makes Me A Better Lawyer
After many years practicing law, and a few years baking bread, I have learned that there are a few keys to success in both endeavors, including the assembly of a nourishing and resilient culture, and the ability to learn from failure and exercise patience, says Rick Robinson at Reed Smith.
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Federal Courts And AI Standing Orders: Safety Or Overkill?
Several district court judges have issued standing orders regulating the use of artificial intelligence in their courts, but courts should consider following ordinary notice and comment procedures before implementing sweeping mandates that could be unnecessarily burdensome and counterproductive, say attorneys at Curtis.
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Wachtell-X Ruling Highlights Trend On Arbitrability Question
A growing body of case law, including a California state court's recent decision in X Corp. v. Wachtell, holds that incorporation of specific arbitral body rules in an arbitration provision may in and of itself constitute clear and unmistakable evidence of delegation of arbitrability to an arbitrator, and thus such clauses should be drafted carefully, say attorneys at Norton Rose.
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7 E-Discovery Predictions For 2024 And Beyond
The legal and technical issues of e-discovery now affect virtually every lawsuit, and in the year to come, practitioners can expect practices and policies to evolve in a number of ways, from the expanded use of relevancy redactions to mandated information security provisions in protective orders, say attorneys at Littler.
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On The Edge: Lessons In Patent Litigation Financing
A federal judge's recent request that the U.S. Department of Justice look into IP Edge patent litigation, and that counsel be disciplined, serves as a reminder for parties asserting intellectual property rights — and their attorneys — to exercise caution when structuring a litigation financing agreement, say Samuel Habein and James De Vellis at Foley & Lardner.
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5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2024
Over the next year and beyond, litigation funding will continue to evolve in ways that affect attorneys and the larger litigation landscape, from the growth of a secondary market for funded claims, to rising interest rates restricting the availability of capital, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.
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Opinion
Stronger Attorney Rules Are Needed To Avoid A Jan. 6 Repeat
Given the key role lawyers played in the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, the legal profession must shore up its rules before this year’s presidential election to make clear that lawyers who undermine the rule of law will face severe penalties, including disbarment, says Ray Brescia at Albany Law School.
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4 Legal Ethics Considerations For The New Year
As attorneys and clients reset for a new year, now is a good time to take a step back and review some core ethical issues that attorneys should keep front of mind in 2024, including approaching generative artificial intelligence with caution and care, and avoiding pitfalls in outside counsel guidelines, say attorneys at HWG.
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What The Law Firm Of The Future Will Look Like
As the legal landscape shifts, it’s become increasingly clear that the BigLaw business model must adapt in four key ways to remain viable, from fostering workplace flexibility to embracing technology, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.
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4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News
Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
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Why Fed. Circ. Affirmed Attorney Fee Award In PersonalWeb
A recent Federal Circuit decision to leave a $5.2 million fee award in place in the PersonalWeb patent case underscores district courts' discretion to sanction unreasonable arguments and litigation tactics under the U.S. Code's attorney fee provision, say attorneys at Shearman.
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Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends
Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
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The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023
A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.