International Arbitration

Expert Analysis

• A Likely Tipping Point For Nonlawyer Ownership Of Law Firms

  

  The Arizona Supreme Court's recent decision to eliminate prohibitions on nonlawyer ownership of law firms may show that the organized bar's long-standing rhetoric that such rules are essential to protecting the legal profession's core values is overblown, say Anthony Sebok at Cardozo School of Law and Bradley Wendel at Cornell Law School.

• A Road Map For Drafting Persuasive Discovery Motions

  

  Best practices that can help litigators write convincing discovery motions include thinking about the audience, addressing a few key questions, and leaving out boilerplate from supporting briefs, says Tom Connally at Hogan Lovells.

• How Congress Can Depoliticize The Supreme Court

  

  Congress has multiple means to take the politics out of federal judicial nominations and restore the independence of the U.S. Supreme Court — three of which can be implemented without a constitutional amendment, says Franklin Amanat at DiCello Levitt.

• Opinion

  The Case For A Nonpolitical Federal Judiciary

  

  For the last 20 years, at the insistence of both parties, U.S. Supreme Court nominations have been fierce ideological battles — which is bad for the country and bad for the public's perception of the legitimacy of the court, say Judge Eric Moyé, Judge Craig Smith and Winston & Strawn partner Tom Melsheimer.

• The Keys To A Better Privilege Logging Paradigm

  

  Current privilege logging practices to identify what information is being withheld from discovery often lead to costly disputes, so practitioners should adopt a system based on trust and good faith, similar to the presumptions embedded in the business judgment rule for corporate directors and officers, say Kevin Brady at Volkswagen and Charles Ragan and Ted Hiser at Redgrave.

• White House Due Process Memo Could Reform Enforcement

  

  A little-noticed memo recently issued by the Trump administration in response to the pandemic, directing federal agencies to provide greater due process to individuals and companies under regulatory investigation, represents a long-overdue sea change in the way justice is carried out in enforcement proceedings, say Joan Meyer and Norman Bloch at Thompson Hine.

• Law Firm Hiring Considerations In A COVID-19 Economy

  

  Financially robust law firms are entering the recruiting market aggressively knowing that dislocations like the COVID-19 crisis present rare competitive opportunities, and firms that remain on the sidelines when it comes to strategic hiring will be especially vulnerable to having their best talent poached, says Brian Burlant at Major Lindsey.

• Opinion

  Lawyers Must Act To Preserve Democracy This Election

  

  COVID-19 concerns and glaring gaps in registration threaten to dampen voter turnout in the 2020 election, so attorneys should take on the problem by leveraging their knowledge and resources in seven ways, says Laura Brill at Kendall Brill.

• How To Effectively Defend Witnesses In Remote Depositions

  

  When a witness is isolated from the defending lawyer during a remote deposition, carefully planning the logistics and building witness confidence are critical to avoiding damaging admissions, say Jessica Staiger at Archer Daniels and Alec Solotorovsky at Eimer Stahl.

• Whether And How To Compel Remote Arbitration

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  As the pandemic delays in-person arbitration hearings, mediator and arbitrator Theodore Cheng provides arbitrators with a checklist to examine the rationale and authority for compelling parties to participate in remote hearings.

• The Unique Challenges Of Protecting A Law Firm Brand

  

  Recent law firm trademark disputes highlight how the tension between legal ethics rules and trademark law can make it difficult for firms to select brands that are distinctive and entitled to protection, say Kimberly Maynard and Tyler Maulsby at Frankfurt Kurnit.

• What To Know When Making Dispositive Motions In Arbitration

  

  As practitioners increasingly turn to dispositive motion practice within arbitration, they should be aware of the underlying authority for these motions and consider practical guidance for their use, says arbitrator and mediator Janice Sperow.

• 4 Ways Amicus Briefs Can Support An Overall Legal Strategy

  

  The strategic use of amicus briefs can help an appellate court think about a case in a new way and lift an organization's own cause or reputation for legal thought, say Mark Chopko and Karl Myers at Stradley Ronon.

• Deciding Whether Co-Mediation Is Right For Your Case

  

  Not every case requires more than one mediator, but engaging two mediators with different perspectives or expertise can significantly enhance the settlement process in certain disputes — and parties can choose from several co-mediation approaches, say Gail Andler and Cassandra Franklin at JAMS.

• LCIA's 2020 Rules Play Catch-Up With Venue Rivals

  

  The London Court of International Arbitration's 2020 rules governing its processes and procedures include welcome improvements in the technological space, but may merely mimic what is already happening in tribunals across the globe, says Shantanu Majumdar at Radcliffe Chambers.