Expert Analysis

• 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

  

  As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

• How To Avoid Flopping When Flipping Fla. Real Estate

  

  As land prices rise, Florida real estate developers are increasingly contracting to flip property to other purchasers for a profit, and they should carefully consider the unique risks and issues associated with the different forms that the process can take, says Gary Kaleita at Lowndes.

• Opinion

  Congress Should Curb FTC Pattern Of Consent Order Abuse

  

  In upcoming hearings, Congress should recognize that the Federal Trade Commission’s intrusive investigation of Twitter is part of a growing pattern of consent order abuse, which will continue to harm consumers, companies and the agency itself unless lawmakers step in, says former FTC chief technologist Neil Chilson, now at the Center for Growth and Opportunity.

• Opinion

  Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

  

  After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.

• Opinion

  Antitrust Enforcers Must Have More Funding

  

  Over four-plus decades, funding for enforcement of antitrust laws has fallen, and Congress must recognize that these years of consolidation have damaged the competitive vitality of the U.S. economy while rewarding the few at the expense of the many, says Barry Barnett at Susman Godfrey.

• Slack Decision Adds Urgency For Finalized SPAC Rules

  

  The U.S. Supreme Court's Slack decision may have created new uncertainty around issuer liability for business combinations involving SPACs, hastening the need for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to finalize its proposed rules and ensure that IPOs and SPACs have similar liability regimes, say Douglas Paul and Ildefonso Mas at Akerman, and Craig Coben at SEDA Experts.

• Ghosting In BigLaw: How To Come Back From Lack Of Feedback

  

  Junior associates can feel powerless when senior colleagues cut off contact instead of providing useful feedback, but young attorneys can get back on track by focusing on practical professional development and reexamining their career priorities, says Rachel Patterson at Orrick.

• Steps To Success For Senior Associates

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Adriana Paris at Rissman Barrett discusses the increased responsibilities and opportunities that becoming a senior associate brings and what attorneys in this role should prioritize to flourish in this stressful but rewarding next level in their careers.

• Georgia-Pacific Ruling Furthers Texas Two-Step Challenges

  

  With its recent ruling in the case of Bestwall, barring asbestos injury litigation against nondebtor Georgia-Pacific, the Fourth Circuit joins a growing body of courts addressing the Texas Two-Step's legality, fueled by concerns over the proper use of bankruptcy as a tool for addressing such claims, says George Singer at Holland & Hart.

• Takeaways From DOJ's New Approach To Bank Mergers

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice's recently announced updates to its bank merger oversight framework will add to the current unpredictability in the regulatory review process for parties considering a merger, particularly with respect to the specific theories of competitive harm that the DOJ may ultimately focus on, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.

• Legal Profession Must Do More For Lawyers With Disabilities

  

  At the start of Disability Pride month, Rosalyn Richter at Arnold & Porter looks at why lawyers with disabilities are significantly underrepresented in private practice, asserting that law firms and other employers must do more to conquer the implicit bias that deters attorneys from seeking accommodations.

• Opinion

  Appellate Funding Disclosure: No Mandate Is Right Choice

  

  The Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules' recent decision, forgoing a mandatory disclosure rule for litigation funding in federal appeals, is prudent, as third-party funding is only involved in a minuscule number of federal cases, and courts have ample authority to obtain funding information if necessary, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

• Global M&A Outlook: Slow But Moving Along

  

  Global merger and acquisition markets had a tough start to the year, with inflation, rising interest rates and the Ukraine conflict knocking sentiment, but in the macroeconomic, deal makers have continued to unearth pockets of activity to keep deal volumes ticking over, say lawyers at White & Case.

• How NY Law Affects Scrutiny Of Health Care PE Transactions

  

  A recently passed New York law will strengthen pretransanction notification requirements for health care entities — particularly those backed by private equity — but contains several ambiguities that will hopefully be clarified before the law takes effect in August, say attorneys at Norton Rose.

• What To Know About FTC's Merger Filing Proposal

  

  Attorneys at Simpson Thacher dissect the Federal Trade Commission's recent proposal to overhaul the premerger notification process — discussing the proposal's requirements, comparing peer jurisdictions' premerger regimes, and reviewing the implementation process for a final rule change.