Expert Analysis

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  Building With Lego Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Building with Lego has taught me to follow directions and adapt to unexpected challenges, and in pairing discipline with imagination, allows me to stay grounded while finding new ways to make complex deals come together, says Paul Levin at Venable.

• The Rise Of Trade Secret Specificity As A Jury Question

  

  Recent federal appellate court decisions have clarified that determining sufficient particularity under the Defend Trade Secrets Act is a question of fact and will likely become a standard jury question, highlighting the need for appropriate jury instructions that explicitly address the issue, says Amy Candido at Simpson Thacher.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Networking 101

  

  Cultivating a network isn't part of the law school curriculum, but learning the soft skills needed to do so may be the key to establishing a solid professional reputation, nurturing client relationships and building business, says Sharon Crane at Practising Law Institute.

• Calif. Employer Action Steps For New Immigrant Rights Notice

  

  There are specific steps California employers can take ahead of the Feb. 1 deadline to comply with California’s new employee rights notification requirement, minimizing potential liability and protecting workers who may be caught up in an immigration enforcement action at work, says Alexa Greenbaum at Fisher Phillips.

• Defeating Estoppel-Based Claims In Legal Malpractice Actions

  

  State supreme court cases from recent years have addressed whether positions taken by attorneys in an underlying lawsuit can be used against them in a subsequent legal malpractice action, providing a foundation to defeat ex-clients’ estoppel claims, says Christopher Blazejewski at Sherin and Lodgen.

• A Look At State AGs' Focus On Earned Wage Products

  

  Earned wage products have emerged as a rapidly growing segment of the consumer finance market, but recent state enforcement actions against MoneyLion, DailyPay and EarnIn will likely have an effect on whether such products can continue operating under current business models, say attorneys at Quinn Emanuel.

• Employer Considerations After 11th Circ. Gender Care Ruling

  

  The Eleventh Circuit's en banc decision in Lange v. Houston County, Georgia, finding that a health plan did not violate Title VII by excluding coverage for gender-affirming care, shows that plans must be increasingly cognizant of federal and state liability as states pass varying mandates, say attorneys at Miller & Chevalier.

• Trade Secret Rulings Reveal The Cost Of Poor Preparation

  

  Two recent federal appellate decisions show that companies must be prepared to prove their trade secrets with specificity, highlighting how an asset management program that identifies key confidential information before litigation arises can provide the clarity and documentation that courts increasingly require, say attorneys at Mintz.

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  The Biz Court Digest: How It Works In Massachusetts

  

  Since its founding in 2000, the Massachusetts Business Litigation Session's expertise, procedural flexibility and litigant-friendly case management practices have contributed to the development of a robust body of commercial jurisprudence, say James Donnelly at Mirick O’Connell, Felicia Ellsworth at WilmerHale and Lisa Wood at Foley Hoag.

• Viral 'Brewers Karen' Incident Teaches Employers To Act Fast

  

  An attorney who was terminated after a viral video showed her threatening to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on an opposing team's fan at a Milwaukee Brewers game underscores why employers must take prompt action when learning of viral incidents involving employees, says Joseph Myers at Mesidor.

• Why Appellees Should Write Their Answering Brief First

  

  Though counterintuitive, appellees should consider writing their answering briefs before they’ve ever seen their opponent’s opening brief, as this practice confers numerous benefits related to argument structure, time pressures and workflow, says Joshua Sohn at the U.S. Department of Justice.

• FTC Focus: M&A Approvals A Year After Trump's Election

  

  The Federal Trade Commission merger-enforcement regime a year since President Donald Trump's election shows how merger approvals have been expedited by the triaging out of more deals, grants for early termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period, and zeroing in on preparing solutions for the biggest problems, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• Strategic Use Of Motions In Limine In Employment Cases

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Because motions in limine can shape the course of employment litigation and ensure that juries decide cases on admissible, relevant evidence, understanding their strategic use is essential to effective advocacy and case management at trial, says Sara Lewenstein at Nilan Johnson.

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  Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

• Lessons From 7th Circ. Decision Affirming $183M FCA Verdict

  

  The Seventh Circuit's decision to uphold a $183 million False Claims Act award against Eli Lilly engages substantively with recurring materiality and scienter questions and provides insights into appellate review of complex trial court judgments, say Ellen London at London & Naor, Li Yu at Bernstein Litowitz and Kimberly Friday at Osborn Maledon.