California Pulse


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    Associates Eyeing BigLaw Exit Need A Financial Plan

    For young attorneys who view large law firm roles as a stepping stone to other legal passions, an austere financial plan is often needed to make exiting BigLaw viable. 

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    Michelman Robinson Drafts Writing Group To Build Business

    At Michelman & Robinson LLP, business development is very much woven into the fabric of the Los Angeles-founded Mid-Law firm.

  • Squire Patton Taps New Leaders Across 4 US Offices

    Squire Patton Boggs has appointed four leaders in U.S. offices on both coasts and has named a new head of the global environmental, safety and health practice group, the firm announced Wednesday.

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    AT&T Whistleblower Told To Cut Facts From Ethics Case Filing

    Former AT&T in-house counsel and whistleblower Theodore Marcus has been asked to delete part of his response to professional misconduct charges pending against him in Washington, D.C., because the filing allegedly contains privileged information.

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    Goodwin Grows Life Sciences Group With San Diego IP Hire

    Goodwin Procter LLP announced Monday that an experienced intellectual property attorney focused on life sciences matters has joined the firm's San Diego office as a partner from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC.

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    Lewis Brisbois Adds Medical Malpractice Team In LA

    Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP has brought on a medical malpractice practice team from La Follette Johnson DeHaas Fesler & Ames, including two partners each with more than 15 years of experience representing healthcare industry clients.

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    Otterbourg Unveils $20K Associate Bonuses

    Otterbourg PC said Tuesday that it will issue a one-time $20,000 payment to all of its full-time associates, just one day after Milbank LLP became the first to roll out midyear bonuses.

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    Tyson & Mendes Opens 7th Calif. Location

    California-based trial firm Tyson & Mendes LLP announced Monday that it has opened a seventh office in its home state following the hire of an experienced attorney who most recently had a stint in-house with insurance giant Allstate.

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    Houlihan Lokey GC Pocketed $500K Raise Last Year

    Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey Inc.'s general counsel and secretary saw his total compensation rise $500,000 to $3.25 million in fiscal year 2026, thanks to an increase in his nonequity incentive plan pay, according to a securities filing.

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    Milbank Issues Bonuses To Associates, Special Counsel

    Milbank LLP is continuing to lead the way on bonuses, confirming Monday it has issued a round of special bonuses ranging from $6,000 for the class of 2026 and 2025 associates to $25,000 for the class of 2021 associates and beyond.

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    Law Firms Expand AI Roles Beyond C-Suite To Lawyer Ranks

    BigLaw firms are expanding artificial intelligence-focused roles from the C-suite to associate and partner levels.

  • 'False Innuendo': Sanctioned Davis Wright Atty Rips Fee Bid

    A Davis Wright Tremaine LLP partner sanctioned for subpoena tactics is fiercely contesting a plaintiffs firm's six-figure fee bid, telling a California federal court that the request misleadingly cites alleged misconduct in separate litigation, reflecting a "naked attempt to prejudice the court's view of counsel."

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    Law Firms Face Hard Calls As Income Partner Ranks Swell

    Large law firms have grown their non-equity partner tiers at a relatively rapid clip in recent years, with some implementing the position for the first time. For many firms, that means hard decisions around how they will trim the ranks and remain profitable are on the horizon.

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    Ex-Sidley Insurance Atty Joins Hinshaw In LA

    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP said Thursday it has hired a former counsel in Sidley Austin LLP's insurance practice as a partner for its Los Angeles office.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and McGuireWoods LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fourth Circuit reversed class certification in an investor lawsuit against Boeing over the company's alleged concealment of safety issues with its 737 Max fleet.

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    RH Picks McKesson Exec As New Legal And Compliance Chief

    Luxury home furnishing company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has appointed a new top legal and compliance leader from McKesson Corp.

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    Gordon Rees Doubles Office Space With Fresno, Calif., Move

    To accommodate a rapidly growing roster, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP recently moved its Fresno, California, team to a new space in the city that is more than double the size of its prior location.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry marked another busy week with new insight into law school grads and expanded BigLaw firm offerings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Report Links Diversity To Financial Results, Warns Boards

    An analysis of nine years' worth of federal workforce data covering 1,482 public companies released Thursday links diverse management teams with companies that financially perform significantly better than Homogeneous ones, while all white male teams consistently underperformed.

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    Ex-McGuireWoods Chair Remembered As Brilliant, Fair Leader

    Former McGuireWoods LLP Chairman Robert L. Burrus, who helped expand the firm's global footprint and launch its government relations arm, is being remembered as a fair, kind and brilliant leader whose recent death leaves a long-lasting legacy at the firm and his alma mater, the University of Richmond.

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    FordHarrison Rehires Ex-Amazon Labor Exec In Los Angeles

    A former FordHarrison LLP attorney who worked in-house at Providence Health and Amazon has returned to private practice in the firm's Los Angeles office.

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    Sheppard Wants Attys To Treat AI Like A 2nd-Year Associate

    As some law firms are engrossed with adopting certain artificial intelligence tools, Sheppard believes greater gains can be achieved by focusing on a technology-based program that promotes behavioral changes in how attorneys and staff view AI tools.

  • Gov't Attys May Face Broader Duty To Report Misconduct

    Attorneys representing the government could face "more demanding" obligations to disclose misconduct by people within their client organizations than attorneys representing private entities, according to an ethics opinion issued Wednesday by the American Bar Association.

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    Jackson Lewis Names New Employment Litigation Co-Leaders

    Jackson Lewis PC announced the elevation of two office managers and longtime firm attorneys to co-leaders of the employment litigation group this week.

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    More Associates Are Leaving Their First Legal Jobs Early

    Nearly 12% of the class of 2024 have already left their first jobs at the top 50 firms, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP has taken in the most first-year laterals, according to new statistics from legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.

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Expert Analysis

  • Roundup

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month Author Photo

    This year, experts shared 12 actionable strategies on building business in today's competitive legal market, from prioritizing human connections to maximizing the impact of thought leadership.

  • Overcoming US Law Firms' Hesitancy To Enter Indian Market Author Photo

    Successful private equity exits with strong returns have solidified India's buyout market as an increasingly attractive destination for future investments, offering compelling reasons for the U.S. legal community to overcome its caution on the country's markets, says Vaishali Movva at Eimer Stahl.

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

  • Series

    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

  • Strategies For Successful Law Firm Mergers In 2025 Author Photo

    Law firms are expected to continue consolidating in the year to come, and because these mergers require a different kind of playbook, firm leaders must carefully consider office culture nuances, professional services economics and talent retention strategy before any merger, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Making Legal Cents: Winning More Work In A Crowded Market Author Photo

    In a market where clients have more options, tighter budgets and higher expectations, firms must figure out how to differentiate themselves without discounting their rates, and several practical strategies for pitching, pricing and early-engagement communication can help, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

  • Tips For Constructing Your Small-Law Exit Strategy Author Photo

    By initiating planning and processes to evaluate personal retirement goals and firm value early, longtime solo practitioners and small-firm owners can unlock a range of possibilities and potential buyers, setting up for a profitable exit and a rewarding transition, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Maximize My Pro Bono Impact? Author Photo

    Debbie Berman at Jenner & Block offers advice on how attorneys can make a meaningful impact on their communities through pro bono work while enhancing their professional development through strengthened client-facing skills, hands-on experience and more.

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