Legal Ethics

  • April 29, 2025

    No 'Hobson's Choice' For Foley & Lardner, Ex-Clients Say

    Two former Foley & Lardner LLP clients are slamming the law firm for telling a Texas appellate court it was faced with a "Hobson's choice" in their suit alleging the firm failed to disclose conflicts of interest.

  • April 29, 2025

    Holtec Embezzlement Suit Paused In NJ For Ohio Case

    A New Jersey state court froze energy technology company Holtec International's suit accusing its former general counsel and its one-time chief financial officer of tricking the firm into paying $700,000 to a consulting entity the duo owned so that a similar suit in Ohio can be resolved first.

  • April 29, 2025

    Opioid MDL Judge Won't Recuse Over Ex Parte Allegations

    An Ohio federal judge will not step aside from multidistrict opioid litigation after the plaintiffs' attorney, who had alleged the judge "regularly communicates" with other lawyers involved in the litigation, testified that there was no such communication after all, the judge ruled Tuesday.

  • April 29, 2025

    NJ Judge Apologizes Through Waylon Jennings Lyrics

    Clark Township, New Jersey, Municipal Judge Antonio Inacio said Tuesday that he isn't proud of all the things that led him to appear before a Garden State judiciary disciplinary committee, but he can say that he never intentionally hurt anyone by his conduct.

  • April 29, 2025

    Firm In Salmon Antitrust Case Owes Referral Fee, Suit Says

    A Boston law firm says another firm that served as co-lead counsel in a salmon purchaser antitrust case is refusing to honor a referral fee agreement for 15% of the attorney costs in the Florida litigation, according to a federal complaint filed Monday in Massachusetts.

  • April 29, 2025

    Judge Wants Discovery On Investigator In Buzbee-Jay-Z Feud

    A Texas federal judge is considering allowing limited discovery in an ongoing legal feud between Tony Buzbee and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter to determine whether an investigator named by the personal injury lawyer across three lawsuits exists.

  • April 29, 2025

    Doctors Want Stay Of DQ Bid Amid Spine Center ERISA Deal

    Doctors and other former employees of Atlanta-area Polaris Spine and Neurosurgery PC have agreed to settle their ERISA claims alleging the center botched the distribution of their retirement benefits, also seeking a stay of Polaris' bid to have their Holland & Knight counsel disqualified over an alleged conflict.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ramey IP Attys Pay Sanctions, But Defend Fed. Circ. Appeal

    Texas intellectual property lawyer Bill Ramey and two other attorneys informed a California federal court Monday that they have made payments toward fines totaling $64,000 and alerted disciplinary bodies that they were sanctioned, the same day they urged the Federal Circuit to keep alive their appeal of the sanctions.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ed Martin Turns In 100-Plus Pages Of Responses To Sens.

    Ed Martin, nominee for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has turned in his response to hundreds of questions from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and he largely sidestepped inquiries about currently serving in the role in an interim capacity.

  • April 28, 2025

    USPTO Discovery In VLSI Row Unlawul, PQA Tells Fed. Circ.

    A company that was sanctioned for flouting discovery while challenging the validity of a VLSI Technology LLC patent underpinning a since-vacated $1.5 billion infringement verdict told the Federal Circuit on Friday that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office director lacked the authority to order that discovery.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ga. Speaker Claims Immunity In Lawsuit Over Lawmaker Ban

    Georgia Speaker of the House Jon Burns has asked a federal judge to free him from a lawsuit lodged by the constituents of a lawmaker who was barred from the chamber in January after calling Burns' predecessor "one of the most corrupt Georgia leaders we'll ever see in our lifetimes."

  • April 28, 2025

    'Withdraw Your Accusation': Attys, Justices Clash In ADA Case

    U.S. Supreme Court arguments over the standard of proof students must meet to pursue Americans with Disabilities Act claims of discrimination in public schooling turned combative Monday when one veteran litigator accused another of lying to the justices, eliciting sharp rebukes from several members of the bench.

  • April 28, 2025

    2nd Circ. Upholds Clinic Manager's Repeat Charges For Fraud

    A decision that allowed the federal government to reindict a health clinic manager for a Medicare and tax fraud scheme can stand, a Second Circuit panel found Monday, agreeing with the lower court that his offenses were serious enough to permit it.

  • April 28, 2025

    Trump Must Face Copyright Claim Over Isaac Hayes Song Use

    A Georgia federal judge refused to free President Donald Trump from a copyright infringement claim levied against him over his election campaign's use of artist Isaac Hayes' song "Hold On, I'm Coming" at rallies.

  • April 28, 2025

    Fla. Referee Recommends Suspension For Former Trump Atty

    Kenneth Chesebro, a former attorney for President Donald Trump and one of his co-defendants indicted in Georgia over alleged efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, is facing a recommended 30-day suspension of his attorney's license in Florida.

  • April 28, 2025

    Accuser Seeks $630K Sanction For Wright Defamation Suit

    A Freshfields LLP counsel who claimed she had been pressured into engaging sexually with her George Mason University law professor Joshua Wright — and who subsequently was hit with a $108 million defamation suit in Virginia state court — is seeking more than $630,000 in sanctions for his allegedly "costly yearslong baseless litigation" against her.

  • April 28, 2025

    MyPillow Attys Blame Filing Error After Judge Suspects AI Use

    Attorneys representing MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in a defamation lawsuit from a former Dominion Voting Systems Corp. executive have told a Colorado federal judge that a February brief the court suspected of being written with AI was a rough draft filed by mistake.

  • April 28, 2025

    Ex-Womble Bond Atty Alleges Race And Gender Bias

    A former corporate and securities partner for Womble Bond Dickinson's Houston office has sued the firm in Texas state court alleging she faced discrimination due to her identity as a Hispanic woman and that, after she reported issues to human resources, she was retaliated against and eventually felt forced to resign.

  • April 28, 2025

    Texas Law Firm Beats Sanctions Ruling In Barratry Suit

    A Lone Star State appellate court has tossed a $240,000 sanctions order for a Houston personal injury firm accused of leveling unfounded barratry claims against a client's former firm, finding that the trial court's order was issued after its jurisdiction had expired.

  • April 28, 2025

    NJ Atty Loses Social Media Defamation Case For Now

    A New Jersey attorney lost a federal court ruling dismissing without prejudice his defamation lawsuit against a social media personality — who advocates for alleged victims of revenge porn — with the judge granting permission to refile with more specific claims.

  • April 28, 2025

    Saltz Mongeluzzi Hit With 2nd Suit On Heels Of Wage Suit Win

    Days after a civil suit claiming Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky PC violated fair labor standards ended with a jury verdict in favor of the firm, a former paralegal filed a complaint in Philadelphia federal court alleging she was subjected to harassment and discriminating comments up until her resignation.

  • April 28, 2025

    Pardoned NJ Atty Gets $431K Ruling Overturned In Loan Case

    A suspended New Jersey attorney and current chair of the Ocean County Republican Organization — who was pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2021 for a conviction on failure to pay payroll taxes — secured a state appellate ruling Monday that reversed a $431,000 judgment against him over an allegedly unpaid loan.

  • April 28, 2025

    Feds No Longer Want Convicted Ex-Ill. Speaker To Forfeit $3M

    The federal government has reversed course on a bid for former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan to forfeit more than $3 million in the wake of his partial conviction on public corruption, saying it stands by its legal arguments but was backing off as "a matter of discretion."

  • April 28, 2025

    'Give Me A Break': Judge Questions DOJ On Jenner Order

    The Department of Justice on Monday argued for the dismissal of Jenner & Block LLP's lawsuit against the federal government over an executive order targeting the law firm for its selection of clients, with the judge on the case commenting "Give me a break" at one point during the DOJ's turn to speak.

  • April 25, 2025

    Ramey Loses Last-Minute Attempts To Avoid Sanctions

    Texas attorney Bill Ramey and two others will have to pay more than $64,000 and alert disciplinary bodies that they have been sanctioned by Saturday, after a California federal court and the U.S. Supreme Court refused a last-minute stay on the sanctions.

Expert Analysis

  • 4 Ways To Refresh Your Law Firm's Marketing Strategy

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    With many BigLaw firms relying on an increasingly obsolete marketing approach that prioritizes stiff professionalism over authentic connection, adopting a few key communications strategies to better connect with today's clients and prospects can make all the difference, say Eric Pacifici and Kevin Henderson at SMB Law.

  • What Law Firms Should Know Amid Rise In DQ Motions

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    As disqualification motions proliferate, law firms need to be aware of the types of conflicts that most often lead to disqualification, the types of attorneys who may be affected and how to reduce their exposure to these motions, says Matthew Henderson at Hinshaw.

  • Data Protection Steps To Consider After Biden Privacy Order

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    A recent White House executive order casts a spotlight on the criticality of securing sensitive content communications, presenting challenges and necessitating a recalibration of practices, especially for lawyers, says Camilo Artiga-Purcell at Kiteworks.

  • Surveying Legislative Trends As States Rush To Regulate AI

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    With Congress unlikely to pass comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation any time soon, just four months into 2024, nearly every state has introduced legislation aimed at the development and use of AI on subjects from algorithmic discrimination risk to generative AI disclosures, say David Kappos and Sasha Rosenthal-Larrea at Cravath.

  • How Duty Of Candor Figures In USPTO AI Ethics Guidance

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    The duty of candor and good faith is an important part of the artificial intelligence ethics guidance issued last week by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and serious consequences can visit patent and trademark applicants who violate that duty, not just their attorneys and agents, says Michael Cicero at Taylor English.

  • Series

    Whitewater Kayaking Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Whether it's seeing clients and their issues from a new perspective, or staying nimble in a moment of intense challenge, the lessons learned from whitewater kayaking transcend the rapids of a river and prepare attorneys for the courtroom and beyond, says Matthew Kent at Alston & Bird.

  • This Earth Day, Consider How Your Firm Can Go Greener

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    As Earth Day approaches, law firms and attorneys should consider adopting more sustainable practices to reduce their carbon footprint — from minimizing single-use plastics to purchasing carbon offsets for air travel — which ultimately can also reduce costs for clients, say M’Lynn Phillips and Lisa Walters at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Weisselberg's Perjury At Trial Spotlights Atty Ethics Issues

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    Former Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg’s recent guilty plea for perjury in the New York attorney general's civil fraud trial should serve as a reminder to attorneys of their ethical duties when they know a client has lied or plans to lie in court, and the potential penalties for not fulfilling those obligations, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.

  • Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

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    This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

  • Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

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    The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

  • Series

    Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

  • For Lawyers, Pessimism Should Be A Job Skill, Not A Life Skill

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    A pessimistic mindset allows attorneys to be effective advocates for their clients, but it can come with serious costs for their personal well-being, so it’s crucial to exercise strategies that produce flexible optimism and connect lawyers with their core values, says Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Trump's NY Civil Fraud Trial Spotlights Long-Criticized Law

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    A New York court’s recent decision holding former President Donald Trump liable for fraud brought old criticisms of the state law used against him back into the limelight — including its strikingly broad scope and its major departures from the traditional elements of common law fraud, say Mark Kelley and Lois Ahn at MoloLamken.

  • Opinion

    Requiring Leave To File Amicus Briefs Is A Bad Idea

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    A proposal to amend the Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure that would require parties to get court permission before filing federal amicus briefs would eliminate the long-standing practice of consent filing and thereby make the process less open and democratic, says Lawrence Ebner at the Atlantic Legal Foundation and DRI Center.

  • 4 Ways To Motivate Junior Attorneys To Bring Their Best

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    As Gen Z and younger millennial attorneys increasingly express dissatisfaction with their work and head for the exits, the lawyers who manage them must understand and attend to their needs and priorities to boost engagement and increase retention, says Stacey Schwartz at Katten.

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