Business of Law

June 03, 2024
Catching Up With Delaware's Chancery Court

Delaware's Court of Chancery pushed out tons of decisions last week, along with a second round of new rules and letters of concern over pending changes to the state's corporate law code. The court's docket was as busy as ever, with new cases involving Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FTX cryptocurrency claims, and more. In case you missed it, here's the latest from Delaware's Chancery Court.
June 03, 2024
TikTok Snags Ex-Warner Bros. GC To Lead Legal

TikTok and parent company ByteDance picked a former Warner Bros. top lawyer to be its next global general counsel, the company said Monday, after the most recent leader in the position stepped down to fight a new federal law affecting the social media giant.
June 03, 2024
Standards Are Murky As Legal Employers Vet Protesters

As violence in Gaza rages on, law firms have vowed not to employ lawyers whose activism for Palestinian rights they deem unacceptable. But "unacceptable" is in the eye of the beholder, and that makes it difficult for law students and lawyers who advocate for a ceasefire to navigate the workplace and the job market.
June 03, 2024
Tubi Accuses Keller Postman Of Filing Frivolous Arbitrations

Streaming service company Tubi Inc. is going after a plaintiffs firm in Washington, D.C., federal court, alleging it has engaged in a mass arbitration scheme in which the firm has filed more than 23,000 allegedly frivolous or fraudulent demands for arbitration in attempts to force the company to settle.
June 03, 2024
Jury Trials Dwindle In State Courts; Fall Started Before COVID

Jury trials have continued to "vanish" from state courts, despite seeing a slight bump following the pandemic shutdowns, with 2021 seeing fewer than half the number of jury trials as 2019 and one-third the number held in 2007, according to a new report from the National Center for State Courts.
June 03, 2024
Atty May Face Suspension In State Street Billing Row

A Massachusetts disciplinary committee has recommended a six-month suspension for the former managing partner of Thornton Law Firm LLP for his alleged neglect in signing an inflated attorney fees declaration in a class action against State Street.
June 03, 2024
Justice Gorsuch Calls Colleagues 'Best Writers' In History

Justice Neil Gorsuch recently sat down for a keynote conversation during the 25th annual Burton Awards in Washington, D.C., where he reflected on his approach to writing opinions, his originalist method to interpreting the Constitution and the civility that exists between his fellow justices.
June 03, 2024
DC White Collar Atty Leaves Baker Botts To Launch Solo Firm

After a career that has so far spanned government service, BigLaw and academia, Washington, D.C.-based white collar attorney Steve Solow is setting up his own shop.
June 03, 2024
Paul Hastings Adds 11-Partner King & Spalding Finance Team

Continuing its hiring in the finance and restructuring space, Paul Hastings LLP announced Monday that it is bringing on a team of 11 partners from King & Spalding LLP, including the co-head of the global finance and restructuring practice.
June 01, 2024
Blockbuster Summer: 10 Big Issues Justices Still Must Decide

As the calendar flips over to June, the U.S. Supreme Court still has heaps of cases to decide on issues ranging from trademark registration rules to judicial deference and presidential immunity. Here, Law360 looks at 10 of the most important topics the court has yet to decide.
May 31, 2024
In Case You Missed It: Hottest Firms And Stories On Law360

For those who missed out, here's a look back at the law firms, stories and expert analyses that generated the most buzz on Law360 last week.
May 31, 2024
Girardi Not Famous Like Avenatti, Feds Say In Panning Jury Form

Prosecutors pushed back Friday on Tom Girardi's request to ask prospective jurors in his California federal fraud trial if they have seen his wife's television show or reports about his law firm's scandal, saying Girardi's fame is not similar to convicted attorney Michael Avenatti's, whose case included a written juror questionnaire.
May 31, 2024
Orrick's $8M Deal To End Data Breach Claims Nears Prelim OK

A California federal judge indicated Friday that she'll preliminarily approve Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP's $8 million deal to end putative class claims over a 2023 data breach that purportedly exposed personal information for 638,000 individuals, but said the "very broad" scope of the settlement's release "raised my eyebrows."
May 31, 2024
DOJ Looks To End A Legacy Of Bias In Sex Assault Cases

The U.S. Department of Justice says that legal fallacies and misogynistic stereotypes often lead prosecutors to decline to charge alleged perpetrators of sexual violence, but new guidance from the department is pushing prosecutors to give more credence to victims and see that their claims are more thoroughly investigated.
May 31, 2024
Ore. Watchdog Says Open Discipline Makes 'Stronger' Attys

An Oregon attorney watchdog group said Friday that the state's radical transparency in attorney disciplinary proceedings makes for "stronger lawyers," arguing largely open access to records and trials has combated misconceptions that regulators are there to protect lawyers.
May 31, 2024
How Trump's Hush Money Sentencing Could Get 'Dicey'

Now convicted of nearly three dozen felonies, former President Donald Trump must move through the machinery of the New York state court system's sentencing process, which involves sitting down for an interview with a probation officer and a chance to directly address a judge he's called biased and "corrupt."
May 31, 2024
Off The Bench: NCAA Transfers Freed, Atty Plays Cards Right

In this week's Off the Bench, the NCAA agrees to more historic rule changes while experts examine its post-House settlement future, and a patent lawyer looks back at his transformation into a poker champion.
May 31, 2024
Trump's New York Prosecutors Called To House Hearing

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chair of the House Judiciary Committee and its Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, demanded on Friday that Manhattan prosecutors appear for a hearing on June 13 on the prosecution of former President Donald Trump, who was convicted on Thursday of 34 felonies.
May 31, 2024
Illinois Strengthens Atty Ethics Rules For Harassment, Bias

The Illinois Supreme Court has announced that the state's professional conduct rules for attorneys have been amended to deem the act of engaging in harassment or discrimination as professional misconduct, and not just in the event a court or administrative agency finds that a lawyer violated a law prohibiting such actions.
May 31, 2024
WDTX Chief Adds New Hurdle For Patent Attys Eyeing Albright

The Western District of Texas' chief judge has made it harder for parties to have their patent cases end up in U.S. District Judge Alan Albright's court by refusing to automatically connect related litigation.
May 31, 2024
GC Cheat Sheet: The Hottest Corporate News Of The Week

Consumers have asked a federal judge to sign off on their $197 million class action settlement with Visa and Mastercard over claims the companies conspired with banks on ATM access fees. And Microsoft's President Brad Smith is going to tell Congress about what the company is doing to upgrade cybersecurity, including linking executive pay to it.
May 31, 2024
Lambda Legal To Expand With $180M Campaign

Lambda Legal, a national nonprofit focused on the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV, announced on Friday a $180 million fundraising campaign, along with an organizational strategy that aims to expand its legal team significantly by 2026.
May 31, 2024
Smith Gambrell Faces Slimmed Data Breach Suit

A California federal judge has trimmed the claims a proposed class of data breach victims brought against international law firm Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP, leaving the firm to face claims of negligence, invasion of privacy and violation of the California Unfair Competition Law.
May 31, 2024
Orrick Leads List Of Top Law Firms For Women, Diversity

Talent strategies firm Seramount released its latest list of the 45 best law firms for women and diversity this week, with the 2024 cohort of winners showing strides over previous years in representation, advancement and benefits for lawyers who are women or from other underrepresented groups.
May 31, 2024
Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

Brewer Attorneys & Counselors, the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation and attorneys Eugene Volokh and Alan Morrison lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the National Rifle Association can proceed with certain claims in the gun rights group's lawsuit against a former New York state official.

Expert Analysis

Legal Practice In The AI Era: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Guest columnists explored the possibilities and challenges for the legal profession amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence, including privilege complications, demands for new types of legal skills, and the ethics of a ChatGPT-authored motion.
AI In Employment Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

This year, the most popular employment law topics related to artificial intelligence in Law360's Expert Analysis section included ChatGPT, new AI legislation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
AI In Health Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

As the use of artificial intelligence accelerated this year, Expert Analysis writers examined AI's significant impact on the healthcare sector, ranging from key compliance considerations for companies utilizing AI tools to regulators' efforts to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.
AI In IP Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Keeping up with generative artificial intelligence was the name of the game for intellectual property lawyers in 2023 as the government worked to determine whether AI-generated output is protectable under the law and guest writers assessed the technology's risks and rewards.
The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

Securities guest article topics that piqued reader interest this year include how the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission utilized seldom-used rules to go after bad actors, and how Delaware courts increased scrutiny on boards of directors — sometimes in surprising ways.
The Most-Read Employment Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

This year, some of the most popular employment topics in articles written for Law360's Expert Analysis section focused on workplace diversity, equity and inclusion, new unionization rules from the National Labor Relations Board, and proposed regulations for implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
Managing AI Risks: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Amid the rapidly developing legal landscape around artificial intelligence, Law360 Expert Analysis writers tackled a range of compliance and litigation challenges, providing insights on privacy in the age of AI, the role of class actions in AI risk mitigation, and the creation of corporate AI policies.
The Most-Read Law360 UK Guest Articles Of 2023

Benefits of the new EU Unified Patent Court, artificial intelligence regulation and M&A trends amid rising inflation were among the hot topics U.K. Expert Analysis articles explored this year.
The Most-Read IP Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office incentives and restrictions, Federal Circuit decisions on exact meaning, and lessons from the comedic whodunit “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” were among popular intellectual property topics guest authors tackled this year.
The Most-Read Trials Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

Law360 guest columnists provided a number of tips and insights for trial attorneys this year, including pitfalls to avoid in witness preparation, color psychology pointers that can enhance trial graphics, and strategies for excluding expert testimony.
The Most-Read Access To Justice Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

In their commentary on emerging access to justice issues this year, Law360 guest experts covered the importance of tiered legal assistance in eviction cases, the evolution of financial bail conditions, and the role of public defenders in addressing the root drivers of crime.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
So You Want To Write A Guest Article?

If your New Year's resolution is to spend more time writing, here's everything you need to know to pitch guest article ideas to Law360.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.