California Pulse


  • iStock-2167202461.jpg

    4 Skills Gen Z Associates Need To Close The Generation Gap

    As they enter the legal workforce in increasing numbers, Generation Z lawyers need to hone certain skills to thrive in multigenerational law firms, experts say, in many cases shifting how they communicate and build relationships in order to adapt to earlier generations' preferences.

  • California Judge Loses Pay After Conviction For Murdering Wife

    The California Commission on Judicial Performance formally suspended a California judge without pay after a state jury found him guilty of second-degree murder last week for shooting his wife to death in their Anaheim Hills home on Aug. 3, 2023, following a heated argument. 

  • iStock-1337999185.jpg

    Large Law Firm Revenues Climb Despite Dip In Demand

    Even as the demand for legal services fell short of industry expectations, U.S. law firms entered 2025 on solid financial footing, with steady rate hikes fueling an 11.3% jump in first-quarter revenues, according to survey results released Tuesday by Wells Fargo Private Bank.

  • Laura E. Devane.png

    Littler Brings Back Arbitration Pro In Calif.

    Labor and employment firm Littler Mendelson PC is expanding its California arbitration team, announcing Tuesday that it is welcoming back an employment attorney who left briefly to join Whitney Thompson & Jeffcoach LLP.

  • stretch_chris_web2025.png

    Pillsbury Litigator Jumps To Benesch In San Francisco

    Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP announced that an experienced corporate litigator has joined the firm's fast-growing San Francisco office as a partner from Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP.

  • Hillier_Kate Eliza_03_SV_MIT.jpg

    Cooley Life Sciences Ace Rejoins Latham In Bay Area

    Latham & Watkins LLP has welcomed back an intellectual property attorney who spent the past nine years at Cooley LLP to bolster its healthcare and life sciences practice, including advising clients about licensing and transactional matters.

  • Edward Lee.png

    Luxury Furniture Co. RH Seeks New Top Atty As CLO Resigns

    The longtime chief legal and compliance officer at RH, formerly Restoration Hardware, plans to step down for a similar job elsewhere, and the luxury home furnishings company is now searching for his replacement, according to a recent securities filing.

  • Kevin Iredell.png

    Hughes Hubbard Selects Marketing Chief From Ropes & Gray

    Hughes Hubbard & Reed has tapped a former Ropes & Gray LLP marketing director and Legal Marketing Association president to serve as its chief marketing and business development officer, the firm announced Monday.

  • iStock-2156153890.jpg

    Lawyers Worry About Financial Stability Of Their Careers

    In 2025, even lawyers are feeling anxious about their bottom lines: Only 44% of attorneys described their financial stability as "excellent" in a recent Law360 Pulse survey.

  • satis_Ts

    What Attorneys Really Think About Their Profession

    Law360 Pulse asked respondents to our Lawyer Satisfaction Survey for their thoughts on misconceptions about being a lawyer, what the best parts of the job are and what they would tell newer lawyers. Here's what they said.

  • iStock-2173205310.jpg

    How Happy Are Attorneys At Work Now?

    In a time of rising uncertainty and stress, there are signs that spirits are sagging in the legal profession compared with recent years, according to a new Law360 Pulse survey.

  • 2_up_Bowman and Brooke.png

    New Bowman And Brooke DEI Chairs Talk Diversity In 2025

    Trial firm Bowman and Brooke LLP has named two partners based in Philadelphia and Columbia, South Carolina, as the new heads of its diversity, equity and inclusion committee.

  • iStock-675073328.jpg

    Law Schools Admit More Men, But More Women Are Applying

    Among law school applicants, women have far outpaced men over the past 10 years, yet the admission rate for men has remained higher, according to the nonprofit AccessLex Institute's Legal Education Data Deck released Tuesday.

  • Class Attys Seek $6.5M Cut In $29.5M Plantronics Settlement

    Lead counsel for Plantronics investors who secured a $29.5 million deal resolving claims the company used "channel stuffing" tactics to bolster revenue are seeking $6.5 million in fees, telling a California federal judge Friday the request is reasonable, given the strong recovery and their track record successfully prosecuting similar securities cases.

  • Former Docusign Leader Hired To Succeed Ironclad CEO

    Contract management software company Ironclad Inc. announced Monday that its co-founder and chief executive, Jason Boehmig, will move into an executive chairman role and former Docusign chief executive Dan Springer will join Ironclad as Boehmig's successor.

  • Robins Kaplan Names Business Litigation, LA Office Leaders

    Robins Kaplan LLP announced that the firm has named a new deputy chair of the national business litigation group and new deputy managing partner of its Los Angeles office.

  • iStock-1580483076.jpg

    Beveridge & Diamond Grows In Calif. With 7-Atty Firm Tie-Up

    National environmental firm Beveridge & Diamond PC is absorbing San Francisco firm Barg Coffin Lewis & Trapp LLP, with Beveridge & Diamond saying in a Monday announcement that the move is part of its effort to enhance its capabilities in the Golden State.

  • iStock-1617383361.jpg

    Magna Legal Services Acquires Litigation Support Co. E-Legal

    National litigation support services company Magna Legal Services inked its second tie-up of the month, announcing Monday the acquisition of California-based e-Legal.

  • kent-walker.jpg

    Alphabet, Google CLO's Comp Climbed Past $30M In 2024

    Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer at Alphabet and Google, may have received the largest pay for an in-house lawyer in 2024, raking in nearly $30.2 million for the year, a recent securities filing showed.

  • matt-tweedie.jpg

    DLA Piper Hires New CFO From Knight Frank

    DLA Piper said Monday that it has appointed Knight Frank's group chief financial officer to take on a similar role as it looks to achieve its goals for growing the business.

  • 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.

  • Live Nation Investors Get 1st OK For $20M Eras Tour-Tied Deal

    Event ticketing giant Live Nation and its shareholders on Friday secured a California federal judge's initial green light for their proposed $20 million deal to end proposed class action claims alleging the company misled shareholders in the face of anticompetitive allegations involving its Ticketmaster subsidiary following its missteps selling tickets for pop star Taylor Swift's Eras Tour.

  • LegalLions.png

    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Ballard Spahr LLP and WilmerHale lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Manhattan federal jury rejected former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's libel claims against The New York Times over a 2017 editorial linking her to political violence.

  • fire.png

    Attorney Ignites Curiosity With Family-Run History Podcast

    They didn't start the fire — but this former BigLaw partner and her family hope to ignite curiosity with their children's history podcast inspired by the Billy Joel tune.

  • Roger Theodoredis.jpg

    Chipotle's Legal Chief Saw Close To $11M In Comp Last Year

    The chief legal officer and general counsel of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. received roughly $10.7 million in total compensation for 2024, according to a public filing from Friday.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California Pulse archive.

Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Ace My Upcoming Annual Review? Author Photo

    Jennifer Rakstad at White & Case highlights how associates can emphasize achievements and seek support before, during and after their annual review, despite the pandemic’s negative effects on face time with colleagues and business development opportunities.

  • How Your Law Firm's Brand Can Convey Prestige Author Photo

    In order to be perceived as prestigious by clients and potential recruits, law firms should take their branding efforts beyond designing visual identities and address six key imperatives to differentiate themselves — from identifying intangible core strengths to delivering on promises at every interaction, says Howard Breindel at DeSantis Breindel.

  • How Dynamic Project Management Can Help Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms looking to streamline matter management should consider tools that offer both employees and clients real-time access to documents, action items, task assignee information and more, overcoming many of the limitations of project communications via email, says Stephen Weyer at Stites & Harbison.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can I Successfully Switch Practices? Author Photo

    Associates who pivot into new practice areas may find that along with the excitement of a fresh start comes some apprehension, but certain proactive steps can help tame anxiety and ensure attorneys successfully adapt to unfamiliar subjects, novel internal processes and different client deliverables, say Susan Berson and Hassan Shaikh at Mintz.

  • A Road Map For Creating Law Firm Sustainability Programs Author Photo

    Amid demands from clients and prospective hires for greater sustainability efforts, law firms should think beyond reusable mugs and create programs that incorporate clear leadership structures, emission tracking and reduction goals, and frameworks for reporting results, says Gayatri Joshi at the Law Firm Sustainability Network.

  • Why Firms Should Help Associates Do More Pro Bono Work Author Photo

    Associates may hesitate to take on the added commitment of pro bono matters, but such work has tangible skill-building benefits, so firms should consider compensation and leadership strategies to encourage participation, says Rasmeet Chahil at Lowenstein Sandler.

  • Confronting The Stigma Of Alcohol Abuse In Legal Industry Author Photo

    The pandemic has likely exacerbated the prevalence of problem drinking in the legal profession, making it critical for lawyers and educators to address alcohol abuse and the associated stigma through issue-specific education, supportive assistance and alcohol-free professional events, says Erica Grigg at the Texas Lawyers' Assistance Program.

  • Opinion

    Lawyers Have Duty To Push For Immigration Court Reform Author Photo

    Attorneys must use their collective voice to urge federal lawmakers to create an Article I immigration court outside executive branch control, helping address the conflicts of interest, political influence and lack of adjudication consistency that prevent migrants from achieving true justice, say Elia Diaz-Yaeger and Carlos Bollar at the Hispanic National Bar Association.

  • Series

    ​​​​​​​Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work? Author Photo

    First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.

  • 5 Ways To Lead Lawyer Teams Toward Better Mental Health Author Photo

    Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.

  • How Your Summer Associate Events Can Convey Inclusivity Author Photo

    As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Negotiate Long-Term Flex Work? Author Photo

    Though the pandemic has shown the value of remote work, many firms are still reluctant to embrace flexible working arrangements when offices reopen, so attorneys should use several negotiating tactics to secure a long-term remote or hybrid work setup that also protects their potential for career advancement, says Elaine Spector at Harrity & Harrity.

  • What I Wish Law Schools Taught Women About Legal Careers Author Photo

    Instead of spending an entire semester on 19th century hunting rights, I wish law schools would facilitate honest discussions about what it’s like to navigate life as an attorney, woman and mother, and offer lessons on business marketing that transcend golf outings and social mixers, says Daphne Delvaux at Gruenberg Law.

  • 4 Ways To Break Down Barriers For Women Of Color In Law Author Photo

    Female lawyers belonging to minority groups continue to be paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts, so law firms and corporate legal departments must stop treating women as a monolithic group and create initiatives that address the unique barriers women of color face, say Daphne Turpin Forbes at Microsoft and Linda Chanow at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.

  • Opinion

    We Need More Professional Diversity In The Federal Judiciary Author Photo

    With the current overrepresentation of former corporate lawyers on the federal bench, the Biden administration must prioritize professional diversity in judicial nominations and consider lawyers who have represented workers, consumers and patients, says Navan Ward, president of the American Association for Justice.

×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

NEWLeaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact