Class Action

Expert Analysis

• Q&A

  Back To School: Stanford's Jeff Fisher Talks Supreme Court

  

  In this series featuring law school luminaries, Stanford Law School professor Jeffrey Fisher discusses his motivation for teaching, arguing before the U.S. Supreme Court and what the court might look like if Judge Brett Kavanaugh is confirmed.

• Genetic Data Holds Opportunities And Risks For Litigants

  

  A recently published research paper concludes that a significant proportion of patients with malignant mesotheliomas carry inherited mutations in cancer-associated genes. Well-informed lawyers on both sides of the aisle can effectively use such data to materially alter the outcome of cases, say Kirk Hartley and David Schwartz of ToxicoGenomica.

• Opinion

  Orexigen Decision At Odds With High Court Jurisprudence

  

  The Ninth Circuit's decision last month in Khoja v. Orexigen Therapeutics — placing constraints on the record a court may consider in deciding falsity and scienter under the securities laws — countermands the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction to courts in Omnicare and Tellabs, say attorneys with BakerHostetler.

• Calif.'s New Rules For Lawyers Move Closer To ABA Model

  

  The first comprehensive overhaul of California's Rules of Professional Conduct in nearly 30 years becomes operational on Nov. 1. Some of the new rules mirror the model language used by the American Bar Association, but many continue to reflect California’s unique approach to certain ethical questions, says Mark Loeterman of Signature Resolution LLC.

• Know The Limits To Atty Public Statements During A Trial

  

  The balancing act between protecting attorneys’ speech rights and ensuring unbiased adjudications was highlighted recently in two cases — when Michael Cohen applied for a restraining order against Stephanie Clifford's attorney, and when Johnson & Johnson questioned whether a Missouri talc verdict was tainted by public statements from the plaintiffs' counsel, says Matthew Giardina of Manning Gross & Massenburg LLP.

• In Calif., Questions Remain On Law Firm Conflict Waivers

  

  In Sheppard Mullin v. J-M Manufacturing Co., the California Supreme Court ruled last month that a law firm's failure to disclose a known conflict with another current client did not categorically disentitle the firm from recovering fees. But the court didn’t provide hoped-for guidance on how to write an enforceable advance conflict waiver, says Richard Rosensweig of Goulston & Storrs PC.

• Q&A

  A Chat With Faegre Client Development Chief Melanie Green

  

  In this monthly series, Amanda Brady of Major Lindsey & Africa interviews management from top law firms about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here we feature Melanie Green, chief client development officer at Faegre Baker Daniels LLP.

• Setting A Framework For Disgorgement Insurance Disputes

  

  In TIAA-CREF Insurance Appeals, the Delaware Supreme Court struck a blow to insurers seeking to avoid responsibility for settlement payments made by policyholders. Though decided under New York law, this opinion opens the door to a fact-specific analysis that may help policyholders facing similar denials, say Catherine Doyle and Jan Larson of Jenner & Block LLP.

• To Stay Or Not To Stay: Considering The '5-Year Rule'

  

  In Martinez v. Landry Restaurants, a California state appeals court recently held that the time period during which a federal appeal from an order remanding a case to state court is pending should be included when calculating the “five-year rule” for bringing a case to trial. This shows that all counsel should consider whether to seek a stay of proceedings where the case crosses jurisdictional boundaries, says Karin Bohmholdt of Greenberg Traurig LLP.

• Opinion

  Court Doubles Down On Incorrect Right Of Publicity Ruling

  

  A California federal court's refusal last week to reconsider Davis v. Electronic Arts magnifies the manifest errors in its recent decision by ignoring the blatantly obvious identifiability of the former NFL players, says Ronald Katz of GCA Law Partners LLP.