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Legal Ethics
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April 19, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Faces Class Action Over Fla. Fee Agreements
The wife of luxury home developer Nir Meir, who was charged with falsifying records and defrauding investors, is hoping to avoid paying more than $360,000 in attorney fees to Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP in a proposed class action, saying her husband forged her signature on a fee agreement with the firm.
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April 19, 2024
Del. Justices Revive Margolis Edelstein Malpractice Suit
Delaware's Supreme Court has reversed a lower-court decision that let Margolis Edelstein off the hook on claims that its incompetence caused GMG Insurance Agency to have to settle a case for $1.2 million, saying more consideration is needed to determine whether the firm was negligent.
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April 19, 2024
Gibbons Atty Won't Testify In Menendez Bribery Trial
A Gibbons PC lawyer who is counsel for one of U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez's co-defendants in his federal bribery trial set to start next month will not be called to the witness stand after defense lawyers and prosecutors agreed Friday to a stipulation about the facts that would have been part of his testimony.
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April 19, 2024
Lawyer Too Late To Collect Fees From Aretha Franklin Estate
Michigan appellate judges have upheld the denial of a bid for attorney fees for a lawyer who complained he was not properly paid for work he did for Aretha Franklin, with judges determining the claims were time-barred.
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April 19, 2024
Quinn Emanuel Fights Sanctions Bid Over Musk Deposition
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP has protested a move by a man suing Elon Musk for defamation to sanction partner Alex Spiro for his conduct during a deposition of Musk, telling a Texas state court Spiro was simply speaking up to protect Musk's interests and that the plaintiff was taking part in "school-yard antics."
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April 19, 2024
Ex-Defender Says High Court Ruling Backs Bias Claims
A former assistant federal defender urged a North Carolina district court to consider a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in her sexual harassment lawsuit, arguing the high court's decision backs her claims for employment discrimination against the federal judiciary.
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April 19, 2024
Paxton Can't Duck Ethics Suit Over 2020 Election Challenge
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton must face the State Bar of Texas' ethics lawsuit over his attempts to reverse the results of the 2020 presidential election since the suit is against Paxton in his personal capacity and does not violate the separation of powers, a Texas appellate court has ruled.
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April 19, 2024
Law Firm Warns Mich. Justices Of Malpractice Fee Deluge
A Michigan law firm has urged the state's Supreme Court not to lower the bar for seeking attorney fees as legal malpractice damages, saying doing so would invite clients to find reasons to sue their lawyers to recover fees even when they won the underlying case.
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April 19, 2024
Sills Cummis Aims To Sink Atty Depo In Rock Musician Suit
Sills Cummis & Gross PC fought back against a move to force the deposition of one of its partners in a malpractice suit this week, arguing the plaintiff, the former manager of musician Nile Rodgers, has "manufactured" the dispute by refusing to hold up his end of a deal to be deposed first.
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April 19, 2024
Atty In Tax Fraud Case Gets Supervised Release, $25K Fine
A former Houston lawyer whose conviction in connection with an $18 million tax scheme was overturned told a federal judge Friday that not testifying in his 2019 trial was "one of the worst mistakes" of his life as he was sentenced to a year of supervised release as part of a plea deal.
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April 19, 2024
Antitrust Case Judge Reveals Husband's Ties With Apple
A New Jersey federal magistrate judge assigned to the U.S. Department of Justice's recent iPhone antitrust case disclosed on Friday that her husband has ties to Apple, but told the parties she does not believe she needs to recuse herself.
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April 19, 2024
Hedge Fund Founder Fights Bid For Seward & Kissel Call Logs
The billionaire founder of hedge fund Two Sigma Investments LP told a New Jersey state court it should quash a subpoena his wife served on his phone provider for records of his calls to attorneys at Seward & Kissel LLP in the wife's suit accusing the firm of helping cheat her out of marital assets when she filed for divorce.
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April 19, 2024
Cohen Seglias Suit Says DOD Must Unblock Its Web Domain
Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman PC has sued a communications arm of the Department of Defense over claims a government software system mistakenly flagged the firm's web domain as malware, asking the agency to clear a "bureaucratic quagmire" and lift the block keeping DOD officials from contacting its lawyers.
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April 19, 2024
Self-Immolation Near Trump Trial Prompts Security Review
The New York Police Department is reviewing security protocols for former President Donald Trump's first criminal trial after a fatal incident in which a man set himself on fire across the street from the Manhattan courthouse where the proceeding was taking place Friday, underscoring safety concerns.
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April 19, 2024
Ex-Pharma Exec Says Judge 'Coercive' In SEC Contempt Case
A former pharmaceutical executive facing criminal contempt charges for using an alias to flout a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ban says a Massachusetts federal judge was "coercive" in suggesting he might avoid prosecution if he cooperated with the agency.
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April 18, 2024
Ex-BigLaw Atty Can Stay Free During OneCoin Fraud Appeal
A Manhattan federal judge Thursday granted a former Locke Lord LLP partner's motion for bail pending appeal of his 10-year prison sentence after he was found guilty of laundering around $400 million in proceeds from the global OneCoin cryptocurrency scam, saying he does not pose a flight risk given his medical conditions.
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April 18, 2024
SEC Faces $1.8M Atty Fee Bid After Sanctions In Crypto Case
A court-appointed receiver and defendants in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's case against crypto project Debt Box requested Wednesday that the regulator pay roughly $1.8 million in sanctions to cover the fees incurred by an allegedly ill-gotten temporary restraining order and receivership.
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April 18, 2024
State Sen. Tells Ga. Judge It's 'Fact' He Was 2020 Elector
Georgia state Sen. Shawn Still, who was indicted alongside former President Donald Trump and over a dozen others last August, urged the judge overseeing the state's election interference case to accept as fact that he was an "elected and qualified" Republican presidential elector from Georgia during the 2020 presidential election.
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April 18, 2024
Dunn Can't Nix Fiduciary Breach Charge As Ethics Trial Wraps
A California state bar judge denied Joseph Dunn's bid at the close of his disciplinary trial Thursday to toss a fiduciary breach charge, rejecting the former state bar executive director's argument that no evidence had been introduced to support the allegation.
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April 18, 2024
Perkins Coie 'Beating A Dead Horse' To Duck Case, Judge Says
An Illinois judge on Thursday refused to reconsider his decision to let an investment company move ahead with its lawsuit accusing Perkins Coie of helping the company's former investment manager steal $12 million and opted not to certify questions raised by the firm about his reasoning to the Illinois Supreme Court.
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April 18, 2024
Fed. Circ. Maintains Newman Can't Invalidate Disability Law
Suspended U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman has still not proven that the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act has no constitutional uses and should therefore be invalidated, the Federal Circuit's judicial council told a D.C. federal judge Thursday.
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April 18, 2024
Trump Again Seeks Delay In Fla., Says Attys Tied Up In NY
Counsel for Donald Trump in the ex-president's federal classified documents case in Florida again asked on Thursday to extend disclosure deadlines, contending that their client would be prejudiced without more time while some of them defend Trump in his hush money case in New York.
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April 18, 2024
Tully Rinckey Fights Suspension Bid In Atty Contract Dust-Up
An attorney for Tully Rinckey PLLC's two founders told a D.C. legal ethics board on Thursday that a proposal to suspend his clients over restrictions the firm placed on departing lawyers was "a totally disproportionate response" to the allegations against them.
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April 18, 2024
Dems Propose Inspector General For High Court, Judiciary
Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that would create an inspector general's office for the judicial branch to investigate and report on allegations of misconduct lodged against U.S. Supreme Court justices, as well as judges throughout the federal judiciary.
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April 18, 2024
Ousted Clerk Was A 'Loose Cannon,' NC Justices Told
An attorney who started proceedings that led to the ouster of former Franklin County Clerk of Court Patricia Chastain urged the North Carolina Supreme Court to keep her out of office, arguing that she undermined judicial authority through a series of incidents, including a "vulgar" accidental call to a magistrate judge.
Expert Analysis
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Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials
As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.
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Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions
The U.S. Department of Justice recently published several redacted advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, clarifying its current thinking on when a person or entity is required to register as a foreign agent under the statute, and when they may qualify for an exemption, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley Rein.
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The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms
In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.
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Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary
The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.
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AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier
Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.
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Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World
As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.
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General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI
With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.
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Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information
As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.
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Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD
Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.
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Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence
Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.
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1st Tax Easement Convictions Will Likely Embolden DOJ, IRS
After recent convictions in the first criminal tax fraud trial over allegedly abusive syndicated conservation easements, the IRS and U.S. Department of Justice will likely pursue other promoters for similar alleged conspiracies — though one acquittal may help attorneys better evaluate their clients' exposure, say Bill Curtis and Lauren DeSantis-Then at Polsinelli.
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Tips For Litigating Against Pro Se Parties In Complex Disputes
Litigating against self-represented parties in complex cases can pose unique challenges for attorneys, but for the most part, it requires the same skills that are useful in other cases — from documenting everything to understanding one’s ethical duties, says Bryan Ketroser at Alto Litigation.
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Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys
Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.
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Series
Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.
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Series
The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'
The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.