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Legal Ethics
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June 07, 2024
Arizona GOP Fights Claims of Ethical Issues In Voting Dispute
The Arizona Republican Party has every right to intervene in a challenge to a 2022 voting rights law that is headed to the Ninth Circuit, the party told a federal court, arguing that ethical concerns about its counsel raised by the state and its attorney general are "baseless" and "procedurally deficient."
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June 07, 2024
Mich. Atty Convicted Of Client's Murder Gets License Pulled
The Michigan Attorney Discipline Board has suspended the license of a lawyer recently convicted of plotting to kill two of his clients, a jeweler and his wife, and of killing the jeweler, allegedly to gain access to their trust.
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June 07, 2024
Calif. Atty Faces Hacking Charge In Utility Billing Scandal
A San Fernando Valley attorney accused of scheming with lawyers representing the city of Los Angeles to settle a customer billing class action favorably for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power also plotted to access the email and phone accounts of the judge overseeing the litigation, the State Bar of California asserted in an additional disciplinary charge filed Thursday.
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June 07, 2024
Atty Comms Are Fair Game After NJ Guilty Plea, Feds Say
Prosecutors told a New Jersey federal court Friday that communications between convicted and later pardoned fraudster Eliyahu Weinstein and Shlomo Erez, his Israeli attorney, must be turned over in Weinstein's new fraud case as Erez pled guilty to involvement in the alleged scheme in late May.
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June 07, 2024
Southwest Attys Get Pause On 'Punitive' Religious Training
In finding Friday that an order for several in-house Southwest Airlines attorneys to undergo "religious liberty training' should be permanently placed on hold while an appeal of a flight attendant's Title VII trial win is pending, the Fifth Circuit said the district court had likely exceeded "the scope of the court's civil-contempt authority."
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June 07, 2024
Woman Sues Atty After Colo. Justices Tossed Tardy Suit
A woman whose personal injury suit was recently found to be untimely by the Colorado Supreme Court — which admitted case law in her circumstances is "confusing" — is now suing her former lawyer, alleging his delay cost her the case.
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June 07, 2024
Fla. Builder's Former In-House Atty Beats DQ Bid In Firing Suit
A Florida federal judge has rejected a development company's bid to disqualify the Boatman Ricci law firm from representing the company's former in-house counsel in his wrongful termination lawsuit.
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June 07, 2024
Calif. Ex-Atty Beats $330K Malpractice Judgment On Appeal
A former attorney escaped more than $300,000 in damages when a California appellate court ruled Friday that his former client didn't follow the proper procedure before receiving a default judgment in a case that's more than a decade old.
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June 07, 2024
Carhartt Heir's Atty Cleared On 2 Counts; Deadlock On Rest
A Michigan state jury in Detroit on Friday partially cleared a Michigan attorney accused of stealing millions of dollars from his wealthy client, the late Carhartt company heiress Gretchen Valade, but jurors could not agree on two of four charges.
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June 07, 2024
Lewis Brisbois Wants Ex-Partner's Pay Bias Suit In Arbitration
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has asked a Los Angeles court to force arbitration of claims lodged by a former partner in a suit accusing the firm of gender discrimination in pay and retaliation for raising concerns over its "unethical billing practices."
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June 07, 2024
Baker Donelson Can't Ax Ponzi Scheme Suit, Receiver Says
A federal receiver has urged a Mississippi federal judge to reject Baker Donelson's summary judgment bid seeking a pretrial win on civil conspiracy claims the firm allowed a nine-figure timber business Ponzi scheme to unfold,
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June 07, 2024
Emboldened SEC Spells Double Trouble For Defense Bar
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division has taken an increasingly aggressive stance in recent years thanks in part to an influx of federal prosecutors joining the agency and court decisions that have gradually become more permissive on parallel civil and criminal investigations, defense lawyers say.
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June 06, 2024
'Any Judge' Should Have DQ'd In Romance Case, Attys Told
A Texas federal judge was adamant Thursday that a former bankruptcy judge should have recused himself from an engineering company's Chapter 11 proceeding because of his relationship with a then-Jackson Walker LLP partner, but seemed torn over whether a lawsuit from a former shareholder over the secret relationship had a leg to stand on.
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June 06, 2024
White Collar Boutique Sued By Ex-Client Over Representation
White collar boutique Clark Smith Villazor LLP and one of its name partners is facing a lawsuit from a former client, a convicted securities fraud defendant who claims the firm caused him to be arrested by the FBI and face millions of dollars in fines.
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June 06, 2024
Roundup MDL Judge Worries Plaintiffs Firms Overstretched
A California federal judge presiding over multidistrict personal injury litigation over Monsanto's Roundup weed killer expressed concerns Thursday that plaintiffs firms may be taking on "a whole bunch of cases" they don't have the ability to prosecute just to settle "on the cheap," calling the prospect "a little bit disturbing."
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June 06, 2024
Media Matters Wants Order Blocking Missouri AG's X Probe
Media Matters for America returned to D.C. federal court on Thursday to seek a court order barring Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey from investigating the progressive media watchdog over its reporting on X Corp., roughly two months after a D.C. federal judge barred Texas' attorney general from doing the same.
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June 06, 2024
In 13-Year Trademark Fight, Chicago Judge Says No More
A Chicago federal judge brought to a close a trademark fight between two vaping companies surrounding the phrase "21st Century Smoking" that has stretched on for over a decade and led to millions of dollars in sanctions over thousands of deleted emails and long-hidden documents.
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June 06, 2024
Election Officials Blasted For Not Stopping Suspended Judge
A Michigan state judge has said that election officials had abdicated their responsibility to keep "patently ineligible" candidates off the ballot, ordering them to stop former Detroit Judge Kahlilia Davis from running again after the state Supreme Court suspended her for six years for misconduct.
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June 06, 2024
Kline & Specter Calls Ex-Client's Suit A 'Sham'
Kline & Specter PC and its founders have called a suit alleging they retaliated against an ex-client for dropping them to go with former firm associate Tom Bosworth a "sham" and a misuse of legal proceedings.
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June 06, 2024
Paxton Blasts Firing Suit Probe As 'Lobbying' Move
The Texas Attorney General's Office has asked the state's Supreme Court to shut down whistleblowers' attempt to depose Attorney General Ken Paxton and several high-ranking staffers, saying the tactic is designed to persuade lawmakers to fund a judgment in the case when he is not contesting their claims.
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June 06, 2024
Some Colo. Justices Call For Nixing Peremptory Strikes
Three Colorado Supreme Court justices said this week that eliminating peremptory challenges would help remove "the taint of impermissible discrimination" from the jury selection process, writing in two cases involving the dismissal of Black jurors that the strikes often facilitate racism that can be near impossible for a court to address.
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June 06, 2024
Fla. Justices Won't Undo DeSantis' Suspension Of Prosecutor
State prosecutor Monique Worrell lost her bid to be reinstated to her post in the Ninth Judicial Circuit after a split Florida Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Gov. Ron DeSantis' executive order suspending her passed muster.
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June 06, 2024
Biote Investors Sue Cooley, SPAC After Huge Merger Loss
Family trust investors in Biote Corp. have sued Cooley LLP and the "hormone optimization" company's top brass over the $700 million merger Biote completed with a special purpose acquisition company, saying the deal was a "disastrous transaction to divert approximately $70 million of merger consideration to themselves and gain control of an enterprise they did not build."
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June 06, 2024
Judge Who Took Israel Trip Recuses Self From Gaza Case
A Ninth Circuit judge on Thursday recused himself from a case over the Biden administration's support for Israel's military efforts in Gaza, suggesting he disagreed with Palestinian rights activists' claim that a sponsored trip to Israel disqualified him but nevertheless would step aside "out of an abundance of caution."
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June 06, 2024
NJ Law Firm Ducks Malpractice Judgment Against Ex-Atty
New Jersey appellate judges upheld a decision that found that Javerbaum Wurgaft Hicks Kahn Wikstrom & Sinins can't be held responsible for a $378,000 legal malpractice suit judgment against one of its former attorneys for actions prior to joining the firm and in a suit where it was not a party.
Expert Analysis
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E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Text Message Data
Electronically stored information on cellphones, and in particular text messages, can present unique litigation challenges, and recent court decisions demonstrate that counsel must carefully balance what data should be preserved, collected, reviewed and produced, say attorneys at Sidley.
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'Fat Leonard' Case Shows High Bar For Rescinding Guilty Plea
Prosecutors’ recent move in the “Fat Leonard” bribery case, supporting several defendants’ motions to withdraw their guilty pleas, is extremely unusual – and its contrast with other prosecutions demonstrates that the procedural safeguards at plea hearings are far from enough, says Sara Kropf at Kropf Moseley.
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Series
Swimming Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Years of participation in swimming events, especially in the open water, have proven to be ideal preparation for appellate arguments in court — just as you must put your trust in the ocean when competing in a swim event, you must do the same with the judicial process, says John Kulewicz at Vorys.
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As Arbitrator Bias Claims Rise, Disclosure Standards Evolve
The growth in post-award challenges based on arbitrators' alleged conflicts of interest has led to the release of new guidance and new case law on the topic — both supporting the view that professional familiarity alone does not translate to a lack of impartiality, say attorneys at Skadden.
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Don't Use The Same Template For Every Client Alert
As the old marketing adage goes, consistency is key, but law firm style guides need consistency that contemplates variety when it comes to client alert formats, allowing attorneys to tailor alerts to best fit the audience and subject matter, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.
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Series
Walking With My Dog Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Thanks to my dog Birdie, I've learned that carving out an activity different from the practice of law — like daily outdoor walks that allow you to interact with new people — can contribute to professional success by boosting creativity and mental acuity, as well as expanding your social network, says Sarah Petrie at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.
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Think Like A Lawyer: Follow The Iron Rule Of Trial Logic
Many diligent and eager attorneys include every good fact, point and rule in their trial narratives — spurred by the gnawing fear they’ll be second-guessed for leaving something out — but this approach ignores a fundamental principle of successful trial lawyering, says Luke Andrews at Poole Huffman.
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The Art Of Asking: Leveraging Your Contacts For Referrals
Though attorneys may hesitate to ask for referral recommendations to generate new business, research shows that people want to help others they know, like and trust, so consider who in your network you should approach and how to make the ask, says Rebecca Hnatowski at Edwards Advisory.
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Series
Being An Equestrian Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Beyond getting experience thinking on my feet and tackling stressful situations, the skills I've gained from horseback riding have considerable overlap with the skills used to practice law, particularly in terms of team building, continuing education, and making an effort to reset and recharge, says Kerry Irwin at Moore & Van Allen.
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4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy
With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.
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What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions
As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.
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Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order
A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.
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Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI
With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.
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How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance
The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.
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Series
Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.