Expert Analysis

• Don't Let Client Demands Erode Law Firm Autonomy

  

  As clients increasingly impose requirements for attorney hiring and retention related to diversity and secondment, law firms must remember their ethical duties, as well as broader issues of lawyer development, culture and firm integrity, to maintain their independence while meaningfully responding to social changes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

• Fla. Restaurants Need To Prep For Liquor License Changes

  

  As Florida restaurant operators face potential legislative changes to special food service liquor licenses, applicants should take care to ensure that their local zoning office will be able to issue clearance based on square footage and the number of people served at one time, says Grace Yang at GrayRobinson.

• Workers, Labor Take Center Stage At ABA Antitrust Meeting

  

  The American Bar Association’s antitrust spring meeting had a heavy emphasis on upstream markets affecting employees and talent, and prosecutors sent a clear message that they view no-solicitation, no-poach and no-hire agreements as criminal violations, even in the face of several jury trial setbacks, say attorneys at Perkins Coie.

• Opinion

  Federal Judge's Amici Invitation Is A Good Idea, With Caveats

  

  An Arkansas federal judge’s recent order — inviting amicus briefs in every civil case before him — has merit, but its implementation may raise practical questions about the role of junior attorneys, economic considerations and other issues, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation.

• Fox Ex-Producer Case Is A Lesson In Joint Representation

  

  A former Fox News producer's allegations that the network's lawyers pressured her to give misleading testimony in Fox's defamation battle with Dominion Voting Systems should remind lawyers representing a nonparty witness that the rules of joint representation apply, says Jared Marx at HWG.

• Opinion

  Stanford Law Protest Highlights Rise Of Incivility In Discourse

  

  The recent Stanford Law School incident, where students disrupted a speech by U.S. Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, should be a reminder to teach law students how to be effective advocates without endangering physical and mental health, says Nancy Rapoport at the University of Nevada.

• Dispute Prevention Strategies To Halt Strife Before It Starts

  

  With geopolitical turbulence presenting increased risks of business disputes amid court backlogs and ballooning costs, companies should consider building mechanisms for dispute prevention into newly established partnerships to constructively resolve conflicts before they do costly damage, say Ellen Waldman and Allen Waxman at the International Institute for Conflict Prevention and Resolution.

• What The 3rd McD's Ruling Means For Claims Against Officers

  

  The Delaware Chancery Court's third decision in the McDonald's stockholder litigation related to sexual harassment at the company indicates that plaintiff stockholders bringing Caremark claims against officers are not likely to be successful if the board acted properly, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

• Practical Skills Young Attorneys Must Master To Be Happier

  

  For young lawyers, finding happiness on the job — with its competitive nature and high expectations for billable hours — is complicated, but three skills can help them gain confidence, reduce stress and demonstrate their professional value in ways they never imagined, says career counselor Susan Smith Blakely.

• What Calif. Employers Need To Know About Wage Theft

  

  With the attention of the media, as well as California's state and local governments, now focused on wage theft, more Golden State employers face a dual threat of enforcement and negative publicity, so companies should take specific steps to make sure they don't find their name in the next story, say attorneys at Buchanan Ingersoll.

• ABA Opinion Should Help Clarify Which Ethics Rules Apply

  

  A recent American Bar Association opinion provides key guidance on interpreting ABA Model Rule 8.5's notoriously complex choice-of-law analysis — and should help lawyers authorized to practice in multiple jurisdictions determine which jurisdiction's ethics rules govern their conduct, say attorneys at HWG.

• 4 Ways To Reboot Your Firm's Stalled Diversity Program

  

  Law firms that have failed to see real progress despite years of diversity initiatives can move forward by committing to tackle four often-taboo obstacles that hinder diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, says Steph Maher at Jaffe.

• DOJ's Google Sanctions Motion Shows Risks Of Auto-Deletion

  

  The U.S. Department of Justice recently hit Google with a sanctions motion over its alleged failure to preserve relevant instant-messaging communications, a predicament that should be a wake-up call for counsel concerning the danger associated with automatic-deletion features and how it's been handled by the courts, say Oscar Shine and Emma Ashe at Selendy Gay.

• How Companies Can Use Gov't Funding Amid Bankruptcy

  

  As the risk of economic dislocation continues, a look back at four pandemic-era Chapter 11 cases — including their dismissal and eventual reinstatement — highlights a strategy businesses may use where government conditions financial assistance on an applicant not being in bankruptcy, say Matthew McGuire and Howard Robertson at Landis Rath.

• NY Hospitality Employers Face Lofty Compliance Burden

  

  As New York hospitality businesses have reopened over the last year, there are more employment compliance considerations now than ever before, including regulations and laws related to wage rates, tip credits, just cause and uniform maintenance pay, say attorneys at Reed Smith.