Expert Analysis

• The Fastest Federal Trial Courts: A Look At Virginia, Florida

  

  The Eastern District of Virginia rocket docket and the Northern District of Florida were last year’s fastest civil trial courts in the nation, and interviews with two of their judges reveal they have some of the same practices to keep litigation moving efficiently, says Robert Tata at Hunton.

• Private Insurers Must Watch Out For Medical Equipment Fraud

  

  Recent trends indicate that it is extremely rare for the government to prosecute those involved in health care fraud against private insurers, especially in cases involving durable medical equipment, so private insurers must take steps to investigate and detect fraudulent schemes, says Michael Vanunu at Rivkin Radler.

• Tips For Evaluating Machine Learning For Contracts Review

  

  Law firms considering machine learning and natural language processing to aid in contract reviews should keep several best practices in mind when procuring and deploying this nascent technology, starting with identifying their organization's needs and key requirements, says Ned Gannon at eBrevia.

• How To Efficiently Deploy Your Professional Growth Strategy

  

  Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners discusses how time-strapped legal professionals can efficiently implement a professional growth framework by focusing on only the most effective actions to build the reputation and relationships key to their ideal practice.

• 4th Circ. ERISA Ruling Shows Plan Discretion Is Not Limitless

  

  The Fourth Circuit’s recent decision in Garner v. Central States, holding that a benefit plan had abused its discretion in denying a claim for surgery, clarifies that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act's review standard is not a rubber stamp of plan determinations, and shows where the outer limits of discretion end, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Sherman.

• A 6-Step Framework For Legal Industry Professional Growth

  

  Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners discusses how implementing a professional growth framework will help legal professionals gain expertise in a relevant niche to build credibility, focus marketing efforts and build an ideal practice.

• Why Contempt May Be Apt Punishment For High Court Leaker

  

  Contempt of court is an overlooked but potentially effective tool to punish whoever leaked the draft opinion overruling Roe v. Wade and protect the integrity of the U.S. Supreme Court, says Michael Zuckerman at Zuckerman Dispute Resolution.

• Opinion

  Clients' Diversity Mandates For Law Firms Are Necessary

  

  Coca-Cola recently scrapped its proposed diversity staffing requirements for outside counsel, and other companies may be reassessing their mandates due to external pressures, but it is important to remember the myriad factors supporting these policies and why they are more important now than ever before, says David Hopkins at Benesch Friedlander.

• 5 Questions That Can Help Law Firms Win RFPs

  

  As the volume of matter-specific requests for proposals continues to increase in the legal market, law firms can take some new steps to fine-tune their RFP response-drafting process and strategy, says Matthew Prinn at RFP Advisory Group.

• How Law Firms Can Employ More Veterans

  

  Hiring attorneys who are veterans is often overlooked in law firm diversity, equity and inclusion plans, even though it generates substantial benefits, but partnering with like-minded organizations and having a robust and active veterans group will go a long way in boosting a firm's ability to recruit and retain veterans, say Daniel Sylvester and Nicholas Hasenfus at Holland & Knight.

• Enviro Assessment Rule May Help Lower Buyers' PFAS Risks

  

  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's new rule incorporating the latest American Society for Testing and Materials standard for Phase I environmental site assessments should be helpful for purchasers of real property seeking greater protection against liability for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• Associates, Look Beyond Money In Assessing Lateral Offers

  

  In the face of high demand for corporate legal work and persistent staffing constraints, many law firms continue to offer sizable signing bonuses to new associates, but lateral candidates should remember that money is just one component of what should be a much broader assessment, says Stephanie Ruiter at Lateral Link.

• 1 Year Shows Ford Ruling Didn't Change Personal Jurisdiction

  

  Federal decisions issued in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court's Ford Motor v. Montana opinion support Justice Elena Kagan's insistence that the ruling simply applied precedent and did not create a new standard for evaluating specific personal jurisdiction as some feared, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

• Preventing Impermissible Client Solicitation After ABA Opinion

  

  Following the American Bar Association's recent opinion on the limitations on client solicitation, attorneys at Harris Wiltshire examine the principal rules that govern a lawyer's ethical duties with respect to solicitation, explain how those rules vary by jurisdiction, and provide some practical tips for ensuring compliance.

• Opinion

  SEC's Climate Rules Promote Compliance, Not Real Change

  

  Compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s proposed new rules requiring corporate disclosures of activities and risks associated with climate change will be performative, and the flawed rules will fail at their primary purpose — giving investors and stakeholders actionable information, say Nir Kossovsky and Denise Williamee at Steel City Re.