Legal Ethics

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-DOJ Attys Describe Fallout From Trump Takeover

    Former federal prosecutors who resigned or were fired from the U.S. Department of Justice over the last year spoke Tuesday of their dismay over political interference at the department by the Trump administration, but largely expressed confidence that the DOJ could recover in time.

  • January 20, 2026

    LA Judge Faces Ethics Probe Over 'Bizarre' Comments

    California's judicial ethics watchdog announced Tuesday it is looking into misconduct allegations against a Los Angeles judge whose "extreme and bizarre" comments led a state appeals court to reverse a $10 million sexual harassment verdict.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-Girardi Keese Atty To Take Plea Deal In Chicago Case

    Former Girardi Keese attorney Keith Griffin will take a plea deal in a case accusing him of helping Tom Girardi violate court orders and covering up the theft of client funds, according to a minute entry entered Friday in Illinois federal court.

  • January 20, 2026

    Atty Missteps Warrant New Criminal Trial, Conn. Justices Say

    The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a robbery and assault conviction must be reversed after the defense lawyer failed to investigate an avenue of reasonable doubt impacting "pillars" of the prosecution's case.

  • January 20, 2026

    Willkie Accused Of Aiding $735M Fraud In Buyout Deal

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP on Tuesday was accused of aiding a $735 million fraud carried out by an investment manager to secure financing for a 2023 take-private transaction involving Franchise Group Inc., which was then used to pay off the manager's personal debts.

  • January 20, 2026

    Goldstein Poker Pals Got Money From Firm, Witness Says

    A former office manager at Thomas Goldstein's law firm Tuesday told the jury in his tax fraud trial in Maryland federal court that hundreds of thousands of dollars in wire transfers sent to the U.S. Supreme Court lawyer's poker counterparts were classified as business transactions in documents used by the firm's tax accountants.

  • January 20, 2026

    American Bridge Owes $57M In Seattle Convention Center Suit

    American Bridge Co. has been hit with a $57 million judgment in Washington state court after a judge last month found the steel subcontractor on the hook for delays to a Seattle convention center project in a legal battle with a Clark Construction joint venture that served as the general contractor. 

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-Paralegal Can't Prove Disability In ADA Bias Suit, Firm Says

    A former paralegal was not substantially limited in her work at a law firm by her ovarian cancer and its later metastasis, and so can't legally meet the definition of disabled, the firm's counsel told a North Carolina federal court Tuesday.

  • January 20, 2026

    Plaintiffs Atty Who Disclosed Uber MDL Docs On 'Thin Ice'

    A California federal magistrate judge warned plaintiffs attorney Bret Stanley of Johnson Law Group during a hearing Tuesday that he's on "thin ice" after Uber argued he should be sanctioned for allegedly repeatedly using discovery in multidistrict litigation over sexual assault liability to litigate other cases against Uber.

  • January 20, 2026

    Law360 Names Firms Of The Year

    Eight law firms have earned spots as Law360's Firms of the Year, with 48 Practice Group of the Year awards among them, achieving milestones such as high-profile litigation wins at the U.S. Supreme Court and 11-figure merger deals.

  • January 20, 2026

    Jury Awards $120M In Defamation, RICO Suit Against Atty

    An Alabama federal jury has returned a $120 million verdict — which could increase to $256 million — against a former Conrad & Scherer LLP managing partner in Drummond Co. Inc.'s defamation and racketeering claims against the attorney.

  • January 20, 2026

    Zillow, Redfin Must Produce CEO Docs In FTC's Antitrust Case

    A Virginia federal magistrate judge gave the Federal Trade Commission a limited peek Tuesday into the communications between the CEOs of Zillow and Redfin over an alleged deal paying Redfin more than $100 million not to compete for rental listings, partially overriding Zillow's objections in a ruling from the bench.

  • January 20, 2026

    9th Circ. Revives Malpractice Suit Against Bankruptcy Atty

    The Ninth Circuit Tuesday reinstated a California woman's malpractice lawsuit against her bankruptcy attorney, but said the bankruptcy court needs to significantly narrow the permission to sue it granted to the debtor.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ill. Panel Scraps Ex-Smollett Attys' Malicious Prosecution Suit

    An Illinois appellate panel upheld a trial court's decision to permanently dismiss a malicious prosecution suit by the law firm that once represented Jussie Smollett, citing failure to allege special injury from the defamation lawsuit filed by the brothers accused of staging a hate crime with the "Empire" actor.

  • January 20, 2026

    Judge Tosses Ex-NJ Port Worker's Suit Against Maersk, Union

    A New Jersey federal judge tossed a former shipping and logistics company employee's suit alleging that he was unlawfully fired and misled by an International Longshoremen's Association local during the grievance process on Tuesday, ruling that his state law claims are preempted by federal law.

  • January 20, 2026

    Lindsey Halligan Out As US Atty As Judge Criticizes 'Charade'

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday that Lindsey Halligan's 120-day term as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia is over, the same day a Virginia federal judge criticized "this charade of Ms. Halligan masquerading" in a role in which she was not lawfully serving.

  • January 20, 2026

    McCarter & English Knocks Down Biotech Malpractice Appeal

    A New Jersey appellate court on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of a biotech company's malpractice and related claims against McCarter & English LLP, finding the biotech company was required to bring those allegations during the firm's earlier suit to recover more than $837,000 in unpaid legal fees.

  • January 20, 2026

    McDonald Hopkins Forms Practice Group For Law Firm MSOs

    Midwestern firm McDonald Hopkins LLC announced Tuesday that it has launched a practice group focused on handling deals between law firms and prospective private equity investors, which the firm said is a natural extension of its work on litigation funding deals and private equity investment in other professional services.

  • January 20, 2026

    Texas, Fla. AGs Pen Opinions On 'Unconstitutional' DEI Efforts

    The attorneys general of Florida and Texas both issued opinions calling diversity, equity and inclusion requirements and laws unconstitutional.

  • January 20, 2026

    Fulton County Says DA Should Foot Trump Election Case Bill

    Fulton County told a Georgia state court that a new state law requires the disqualified district attorney's office to pay for millions of dollars in legal fees requested by President Donald Trump and others after defeating election interference charges, pushing back on the argument that the fees would be paid from the county's own coffers.

  • January 20, 2026

    Ex-MSG Worker Says DQ Attempt Is 'Clear Misdirection'

    A former employee pursuing wrongful firing claims against Madison Square Garden Entertainment has asked a New York federal judge to reject the company's request to remove his counsel based on his potential need to testify, arguing that key facts are available from other sources and his lawyer will not need to take the stand.

  • January 20, 2026

    NJ Justices Sharply Limit Attorney Liability To Nonclients

    The New Jersey Supreme Court adopted a formal framework on Tuesday for determining when attorneys owe a duty of care to nonclients, affirming that estate lawyers generally cannot be sued for malpractice by disappointed heirs without clear proof the lawyer was engaged to benefit them directly.

  • January 16, 2026

    Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year

    Law360 would like to congratulate the winners of its Practice Groups of the Year awards for 2025, which honor the attorney teams behind litigation wins and significant transaction work that resonated throughout the legal industry this past year.

  • January 16, 2026

    'Egregious' Judge Shopping Sanctioned In Ill. TM Case

    An Illinois federal judge has permanently thrown out a "Schedule A" trademark case, chastising the plaintiff for once again trying to lump together defendants that multiple judges have already held cannot be lumped together in one suit, calling it "an egregious form of forum shopping."

  • January 16, 2026

    4th Circ. Won't Rethink Toss Of Prosecutor's Fraud Conviction

    The Fourth Circuit won't revisit a split decision tossing a mortgage fraud conviction brought against former State's Attorney of Baltimore Marilyn Mosby, despite the government's claims the ruling hinged on a decades old ruling that has been criticized as a "relic."

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating Arbitration Confidentiality Challenges In Age Of AI

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    Artificial intelligence is already significantly involved in various aspects of arbitration and posing challenges for maintaining confidentiality, but relatively quickly implementable practices can be utilized as safeguards as AI tools continue to be integrated, says David Coher at CoherADR.

  • The 7th Circ.'s Top 10 Civil Opinions Of 2024

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    Attorneys at Jenner & Block examine the most significant decisions issued by the Seventh Circuit in 2024, and explain how they may affect issues related to mass arbitration, consumer fraud, class certification and more.

  • Mentorship Resolutions For The New Year

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    Attorneys tend to focus on personal achievements or career milestones when they set yearly goals, but one important area often gets overlooked in this process — mentoring relationships, which are some of the most effective tools for professional growth, say Kelly Galligan at Rutan & Tucker and Andra Greene at Phillips ADR.

  • What Insurers Should Know About AI Use In Litigation

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    As the use of artificial intelligence in litigation evolves, insurers should note standing court orders, instances of judges utilizing AI to determine policy definitions and the application of evidentiary standards to expert evidence that incorporates AI, says Sarah Abrams at Baleen Specialty.

  • Series

    Coaching Little League Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    While coaching poorly played Little League Baseball early in the morning doesn't sound like a good time, I love it — and the experience has taught me valuable lessons about imperfection, compassion and acceptance that have helped me grow as a person and as a lawyer, says Alex Barnett at DiCello Levitt.

  • 5 Litigation Funding Trends To Note In 2025

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    Lawyers and their clients must be prepared to navigate an evolving litigation funding market in 2025, made more complicated by a new administration and the increasing overall cost of litigation, says Jeffery Lula at GLS Capital.

  • Despite Political Divide, FEC Found Common Ground In '24

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    The Federal Election Commission, although evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, reached consensus in consequential advisory opinions, enforcement actions and regulations last year, offering welcome clarity on some key questions facing campaigns, PACs and parties, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Rethinking Litigation Risk And What It Really Means To Win

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    Attorneys have a tendency to overestimate litigation risk before summary judgment and underestimate risk after it, but an eight-stage litigation framework can clarify risk at different points and help litigators reassess what true success looks like in any particular case, says Joshua Libling at Arcadia Finance.

  • Public Corruption Enforcement In 2024 Has Clues For 2025

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    If 2024 activity is any indication, the U.S. Supreme Court will likely continue to rein in expansive prosecutorial theories of fraud in the year to come, but it’s harder to predict what the new administration will mean for public corruption prosecutions in 2025, says Cathy Fleming at Offit Kurman.

  • Series

    Playing Rugby Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experience playing rugby, including a near-fatal accident, has influenced my legal practice on a professional, organizational and personal level by showing me the importance of maintaining empathy, fostering team empowerment and embracing the art of preparation, says James Gillenwater at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Opinion

    No, Litigation Funders Are Not 'Fleeing' The District Of Del.

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    A recent study claimed that litigation funders have “fled” Delaware federal court due to a standing order requiring disclosure of third-party financing, but responsible funders have no problem litigating in this jurisdiction, and many other factors could explain the decline in filings, say Will Freeman and Sarah Tsou at Omni Bridgeway.

  • 5 E-Discovery Predictions For 2025 And Beyond

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    In the year to come, e-discovery will be shaped by new and emerging trends, from the adoption of artificial intelligence provisions in protective orders, to the proliferation of emojis as a source of evidence in contemporary litigation, say attorneys at Littler.

  • Key Ethical Issues For Gov't Attys Moving To Private Practice

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    Transitioning from government service to private practice presents complex ethical challenges for attorneys, including navigating conflicts of interest, confidential information rules and post-employment restrictions, say attorneys at HWG.

  • 7 Ways 2nd Trump Administration May Affect Partner Hiring

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    President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House will likely have a number of downstream effects on partner hiring in the legal industry, from accelerated hiring timelines to increased vetting of prospective employees, say recruiters at Macrae.

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Rulings On Custodian Selection

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    Several recent rulings make clear that the proportionality of additional proposed custodians will depend on whether the custodians have unique relevant documents, and producing parties should consider whether information already in the record will show that they have relevant documents that otherwise might not be produced, say attorneys at Sidley.

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