Legal Ethics

  • June 30, 2025

    Philly-Area Law Firm's Bookkeeper Jailed For Embezzlement

    The former bookkeeper at a Bucks County, Pennsylvania, law firm has been sentenced to one to two years of incarceration for embezzling more than $820,000 from the firm, state prosecutors announced Friday.

  • June 30, 2025

    Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

    Delaware's Supreme Court was kept busy this past week with litigants' attempts to challenge its previous decisions, as well as those of Delaware's Court of Chancery, which included an argument that the state's high court incorrectly ruled in favor of energy company Boardwalk Pipeline Partners LP by rejecting the Chancery's decision upholding class claims branding the call-in of public shares unfair. In case you missed it, here's the latest from the Delaware Chancery Court.

  • June 30, 2025

    Ex-Defender Tells 4th Circ. Bias Hearing Would've Been Futile

    A former assistant public defender looking to revive her bias suit fought Monday to convince the Fourth Circuit that it would have been futile to wait for a final hearing on her sexual harassment claim through the judiciary's internal complaint process before quitting, citing in part her boss's alleged favoritism of the accused party.

  • June 30, 2025

    4 Mass. Rulings You May Have Missed In June

    A now-shuttered Boston firm scored a win in a legal malpractice lawsuit by a youth soccer program, while a securities brokerage found that the old adage "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" doesn't apply to litigation, among other recent noteworthy decisions in Massachusetts state court.

  • June 30, 2025

    Ga. Judge Can't Quash Ethics Charges, Watchdog Panel Says

    A Georgia superior court judge has lost her bid to quash the charges brought against her by the state's judicial watchdog, with the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission saying investigators' financial backing of one of her political opponents does not justify tossing the charges.

  • June 30, 2025

    Trump Admin Appeals Perkins Coie Case To DC Circ.

    The Trump administration announced in D.C. federal court on Monday that it's not giving up on its effort to punish Perkins Coie LLP through an executive order, even after losing four court rulings that found its actions in this and three similar cases are unconstitutional.

  • June 30, 2025

    Fla. Law Firm Accused Of Holding Deal Funds 'Hostage'

    Florida personal injury firm Brotman Nusbaum Ibrahim PLLC has been hit with a state court malpractice suit claiming it held a client's settlement funds "hostage" and then duped his daughter into signing a release to try to block him from suing a surgeon over an allegedly botched surgery.

  • June 30, 2025

    Law Firm Aims To Exit Lowenstein Sandler Suit Over Affidavit

    Trif & Modugno LLC asked a New Jersey state judge to dismiss Lowenstein Sandler LLP's claims against the firm as part of its legal battle with a cannabis dispensary, saying the claims fail because Lowenstein Sandler did not file an affidavit of merit.

  • June 30, 2025

    McCarter & English Says Developer Estate Suit Is A Duplicate

    McCarter & English LLP and the estate of a deceased attorney should not have to face a new lawsuit over the alleged mismanagement of a Connecticut retail developer's trust because it seeks to "derail" a pending case that is already teed up for trial, the defendants told a state court.

  • June 30, 2025

    Lin Wood Can't Avoid Legal Costs In Defamation Case

    A Georgia federal judge has found that retired attorney L. Lin Wood can't escape paying his former law partners $750,000 in attorney fees and costs related to a $3.75 million defamation verdict against him, rejecting his argument that the statute governing attorney fees was unconstitutional.

  • June 30, 2025

    Judge Hits Pause On Civil RICO Suit Against NJ Power Broker

    A New Jersey judge has entered a consent order pausing a real estate developer's civil racketeering suit against influential South Jersey businessman George Norcross III, holding the parties' dispute in stasis until an appeal over the dismissal of a related criminal indictment can be resolved.

  • June 30, 2025

    Calif. Panel Chides Attys Who Hid Opponent's Inactive Status

    In a precedential ruling, a California appellate panel found a party whose counsel's license was made inactive should have been treated as though the attorney had died or been suspended, overturning a $70,000 fee award levied against a woman who was not informed that her lawyer was inactive.

  • June 30, 2025

    Fox Rothschild Beats RICO Suit From 2 Former Clients

    A New Jersey federal judge has tossed federal racketeering and state law claims lodged against Fox Rothschild LLP by two former clients who accused the firm of "knowingly and willfully robbing their immigration clients."

  • June 30, 2025

    Conn. Firm Settles Ex-Client's Malpractice Suit Over Biz Sale

    Connecticut law firm Oberst DeFala Law PC and a former client have settled a malpractice lawsuit alleging attorney Sharon Oberst DeFala improperly represented both parties in a restaurant buyout and drafted an agreement that favored the seller, court records show.

  • June 27, 2025

    Trump's Susman Godfrey 'Sword Of Damocles' Order Tossed

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge Friday struck down as unconstitutional President Donald Trump's executive order targeting Susman Godfrey LLP, saying it was issued in retaliation for the firm's representation of clients and causes with which the president disagrees, while hanging "like the sword of Damocles" over the BigLaw firm.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ga. Panel Says Court's Tech Glitch Shouldn't Kill Appeal

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday revived a tenant's appeal of an eviction action, saying the trial court wrongly dismissed the matter when it failed to explain why evidence of a delay caused by the court's electronic filing system did not save the appeal.

  • June 27, 2025

    2nd Circ. Mulls Arguments In NY Atty Grievance Privacy Suit

    A Second Circuit panel has questioned whether a pathway exists to limit the scope of "presumptive public access" to attorney grievance documents in New York, as the panel considers the state's appeal of a federal district court ruling that would make records related to attorney misconduct cases public.

  • June 27, 2025

    Sunbeam Says 'Reptile Theory' Tactics Doom $8.8M Verdict

    Sunbeam Products Inc. and parent company Newell Brands Inc. want a new trial in a case where a woman won an $8.8 million verdict on claims that a slow cooker made by the companies left her with burns, asserting that her attorneys committed misconduct aimed at using "Reptile Theory" to inflame the jury.

  • June 27, 2025

    Court Urged To Push Ex-GC To Provide Co. Laptop Password

    E-commerce company Storehouse In A Box has asked a federal judge in Michigan to issue a preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order against its former general counsel and chief operating officer, arguing he refused to give the company access to a laptop that the company provided and used the company's trade secrets for his benefit.

  • June 27, 2025

    Calif. Panel Tosses Hacking Case Against Ex-LA Prosecutor

    A California state appeals court has ordered the dismissal of criminal claims against former Los Angeles Assistant District Attorney Diana Teran over her use of public sheriff's deputy files contained in a "confidential" database.

  • June 27, 2025

    Ga. Panel Fines Atty For 'Blatant Lack Of Professionalism'

    The Georgia Court of Appeals on Friday backed the dismissal of a lawyer's libel suit against opposing counsel over a discovery dispute in a personal injury case, going so far as to slap the attorney with a fine for wasting its time with the "frivolous" appeal.

  • June 27, 2025

    2 Firms Accused Of Vexatious Litigation Over Property Liens

    Law firms Neubert Pepe & Monteith PC and Cuddy & Feder LLP have been sued by a Greenwich, Connecticut, couple who claim the firms misused the court system in order to delay payouts they were owed by a property owner, including a stake in a $7.9 million judgment in New York.

  • June 27, 2025

    BNP Alleges 'Coaching' In Refugee Case Sanctions Bid

    BNP Paribas has asked a Manhattan federal judge to open a sanctions investigation into plaintiffs' attorneys leading a long-running suit alleging the bank had a hand in funding human rights violations perpetrated by the former Sudanese government, accusing the attorneys of "coaching" prospective class members to submit potentially falsified claims.

  • June 27, 2025

    NC Biz Court Bulletin: Last-Minute Settlements Head Off Trials

    Untouched by the summer slump, the North Carolina Business Court kicked off June with a sanctions order against a biogas company caught spurning court orders and a new complaint by a former NFL player accusing his longtime financial adviser of defrauding him for decades.

  • June 26, 2025

    Kirkland Stops Repping Novartis After Regeneron Sought DQ

    A New York federal judge accepted the withdrawal Thursday of the entire Kirkland & Ellis LLP team that recently joined Novartis Pharma's legal team battling antitrust allegations over the eye medication Eylea, just a week after plaintiff Regeneron Pharmaceuticals sought their disqualification over an "unthinkable" conflict of interest by the lawyers, whose firm previously represented Regeneron.

Expert Analysis

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Key Ethical Issues For Gov't Attys Moving To Private Practice

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    Transitioning from government service to private practice presents complex ethical challenges for attorneys, including navigating conflicts of interest, confidential information rules and post-employment restrictions, say attorneys at HWG.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Series

    Exercising On My Peloton Bike Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While I originally came to the Peloton bike for exercise, one cycling instructor’s teachings have come to serve as a road map for practicing law thoughtfully and mindfully, which has opened opportunities for growth and change in my career, says Andrea Kirshenbaum at Littler.

  • Exploring Venue Strategy For Trump-Era Regulatory Litigation

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    Litigation will likely play a prominent role in shaping policy outcomes during the second Trump administration, and stakeholders have several tools at their disposal to steer regulatory litigation toward more favorable venues, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Series

    Playing Esports Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Competing in a global esports tournament at Wimbledon last year not only fulfilled my childhood dream, but also sharpened skills that are essential to my day job, including strategic thinking, confidence and networking, says AJ Schuyler at Jackson Lewis.

  • An Associate's Guide To Career Development In 2025

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    As the new year begins, associates at all levels should consider establishing career metrics, fostering key relationships and employing other specific strategies to help move through the complexities of the legal profession with confidence and emerge as trailblazers, say EJ Stern and Amanda George at Fractional Law Firm.

  • Series

    Fixing Up Cars Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    From problem-solving to patience and adaptability to organization, the skills developed working under the hood of a car directly translate to being a more effective lawyer, says Christopher Mdeway at Kaufman Dolowich.

  • Making The Pitch To Grow Your Company's Legal Team

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    In a compressed economy, convincing the C-suite to invest in additional legal talent can be a herculean task, but a convincing pitch — supported by metrics and cost analyses — may help in-house counsel justify the growth of their team, say Elizabeth Smith and Roger Garceau at Major Lindsey.

  • The Implications Of 2024's AI Rules And Regs For Patent Attys

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    Christina Huang, John Smith and Devin Stein at Faegre Drinker review this year's new rules and regulations on the development and use of artificial intelligence — from the Biden administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the American Bar Association and various states — as they apply to patent attorneys.

  • When US Privilege Law Applies To Docs Made Outside The US

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    As globalization manifests itself in disputes over foreign-created documents, a California federal court’s recent trademark decision illustrates nuances of both U.S. privilege frameworks and foreign evidentiary protections that attorneys must increasingly bear in mind, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • What 2024 Trends In Marketing, Comms Hiring Mean For 2025

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    The state of hiring in legal industry marketing, business development and communications over the past 12 months was marked by a number of trends — from changes in the C-suite to lateral move challenges — providing clues for what’s to come in the year ahead, says Ben Curle at Ambition.

  • Series

    Group Running Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The combination of physical fitness and community connection derived from running with a group of business leaders has, among other things, helped me to stay grounded, improve my communication skills, and develop a deeper empathy for clients and colleagues, says Jessica Shpall Rosen at Greenwald Doherty.

  • How White Collar Defense Attys Can Use Summary Witnesses

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    Few criminal defense attorneys have successfully utilized summary witnesses in the past, but several recent success stories show that it can be a worthwhile trial tactic to help juries understand the complex decision-making at issue, says Jonathan Porter at Husch Blackwell.

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