Legal Ethics

  • May 05, 2025

    7th Circ. Affirms Funder's Loss In Fraud Suit Against Law Firm

    The Seventh Circuit on Friday upheld an Illinois federal court's rulings ending a litigation funder's claims that a law firm illegally dropped the funder to represent a former employee and her competing venture, saying the lower court's detailed orders show it carefully resolved the issue.

  • May 05, 2025

    Ex-Seton Hall President Asks To Add Conspiracy Claim To Suit

    Seton Hall University's former president is seeking to add claims to his whistleblower suit against the school alleging that it conspired to "disparage" him in the press partly in retaliation for reporting sexual abuse-related allegations about the school's current president.

  • May 05, 2025

    Shutts & Bowen Takes Aim At Malpractice Suit Over Club Sale

    Florida firm Shutts & Bowen LLP and one of its partners pushed back against a real estate corporation's malpractice lawsuit alleging they sank the sale of a country club with a motion requesting the court either transfer or dismiss the case.

  • May 05, 2025

    Calif. Justices Adjust Bar Exam Passing Score Amid Turmoil

    In an en banc ruling, the California Supreme Court approved adjustments to the passing score for the state bar's embattled February bar exam in line with a formal request by the California Bar Association, resulting in the highest passing rates for the exam in close to five years.

  • May 05, 2025

    Morgan & Morgan Pushes To Arbitrate Malpractice Claims

    Morgan & Morgan is urging a Georgia federal court to send a former client's malpractice class claims into arbitration and reject his bid to move the case to state court, arguing the matter belongs there, and the client agreed to arbitrate such disputes.

  • May 05, 2025

    Justice Dept. Seeks To Nix ABA Suit Over Terminated Grants

    The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to throw out the American Bar Association's lawsuit over the termination of grants to the ABA's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, arguing the courts lack power to force the government to honor a contractual obligation.

  • May 05, 2025

    Agri Stats Wants Judge Recused From DOJ Case

    Agri Stats asked the Minnesota federal judge overseeing the government's case accusing the data firm of helping meat processors exchange sensitive information to recuse himself because one of his law clerks previously worked on the case for one of the state enforcers.

  • May 05, 2025

    Veterans Look To Bar Firm's Contacts With Potential Class

    Veterans urged a North Carolina federal judge to bar a consulting firm from contacting potential class members about litigation accusing the firm of charging illegal fees, saying it has emailed tens of thousands of them asking to help with the firm's defense.

  • May 05, 2025

    Justices Skip Recusal Case Over Fitbit Judge's Google Ties

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to consider a patent owner's argument that a California federal judge should have recused herself from an infringement suit against Fitbit due to her alleged financial ties to the wearable tech company's parent, Google.

  • May 02, 2025

    Judge Axes Trump's Perkins Order With Shakespearean Flourish

    A Washington, D.C., federal judge on Friday struck down as unconstitutional President Donald Trump's retaliatory executive order targeting Perkins Coie LLP, permanently blocking enforcement of the directive and likening the president's action to a Shakespeare character's suggestion that the way to amass power is to "kill all the lawyers."

  • May 02, 2025

    Omnitracs Alleges Religious Bias In IP Trial Tainted Outcome

    A fleet management company relied on making "improper religious and racial insinuations" to a jury, along with other concerning behavior, in order to beat a rival's infringement claims, the patent owner told a California federal judge.

  • May 02, 2025

    Plaintiffs Seek Redo Over Sterilization Co.'s Trial Tactics

    Four women who claimed a Colorado sterilization company caused their cancers asked a state court to order a new trial, arguing the business won a favorable verdict with prejudicial evidence about law firm ads and by suggesting the women are not "real victims but pawns in a scheme orchestrated by their lawyers."

  • May 02, 2025

    NY Officials Say Feds' Memo In Filing Mishap Is Fair Game

    New York officials told a federal judge on Friday that a mistakenly filed memo from the federal government detailing its weak rationale for trying to cancel Manhattan's congestion pricing program is fair game and cannot be shielded after media outlets widely reported on it.

  • May 02, 2025

    Cannabis Drink Co. Accuses Stoel Rives Attorneys Of Fraud

    A startup that develops nonalcoholic cannabis beers has claimed in a California state court action that attorneys from Stoel Rives LLP and others conspired on a scheme to defraud the company out of millions by allegedly trying to sell an unlicensed marijuana business.

  • May 02, 2025

    A Look At Trump's Pick For The 6th Circuit

    President Donald Trump's first judicial nominee, Whitney Hermandorfer, who's been tapped for a seat Democrats tried to fill while Joe Biden was in the White House, has been part of litigation on several politically charged issues due to her job with the Tennessee Attorney General's office.

  • May 02, 2025

    FIFA Seeks Fees After Citation Mistakes In Antitrust Case

    FIFA is demanding attorney fees from plaintiffs for misusing artificial intelligence in an antitrust suit against the soccer federation in Puerto Rico, with a formatting error revealing that it is seeking more than $50,000 for work performed by Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and a local firm, according to court documents.

  • May 02, 2025

    JC Penney Says Emails Show Jackson Walker Hid Romance

    The wind down estate of J.C. Penney beefed up its allegations that Jackson Walker covered up a relationship between a former bankruptcy partner and Texas bankruptcy judge in an updated lawsuit to recover over $1 million in legal fees from its 2020 Chapter 11, shedding light on the firms emails with a public relations firm and outside ethics counsel.

  • May 02, 2025

    Connecticut Firm Can't Reargue Ruling In Lawsuit Over Scam

    Connecticut law firm Mancini Provenzano & Futtner LLC may not reargue an attorney fee and prejudgment interest awarded to a former client who was tricked by a fraudster into wiring $90,586 to an incorrect account due to the firm's lax security, a state superior court judge has ruled.

  • May 02, 2025

    NJ Atty Fights 'Over Punitive' DQ Ruling In Biz Dispute

    A New Jersey lawyer urged a federal court to undo a more than $63,000 sanction against him connected to his disqualification from a cosmetics business dispute on Friday, arguing that the decision to disqualify him failed to show that he acted in bad faith.

  • May 02, 2025

    Houston Atty Can't Beat Sanctions In Hospital Firing Suit

    A Texas state appellate court has said a Houston attorney is on the hook for more than $11,000 in fees for ignoring an area hospital's discovery requests and failing to appear in court in a wrongful termination lawsuit the attorney filed on behalf of a podiatrist.

  • May 02, 2025

    Ex-Aide Hits Morgan & Morgan With Disability, Age Bias Suit

    A former legal assistant for personal injury law firm Morgan & Morgan PA has launched a disability and age discrimination suit against the personal injury firm in Florida state court alleging she received more work than younger employees and was told to work on the weekends without overtime pay.

  • May 02, 2025

    Convicted Ex-Sacks Weston Atty Gets Early End To Probation

    A Pennsylvania federal judge has granted the request of a Philadelphia lawyer sentenced in 2023 to prison and supervised release for resolving cases behind the back of his former firm to be let out of probation early.

  • May 02, 2025

    3rd Circ. Says County Judges Need Notice To Pull Probation

    The Third Circuit on Friday partly revived claims from criminal defendants who said they were jailed for alleged probation violations too hastily and too long by Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Judges Jill Rangos, Anthony Mariani and Kelly Bigley, but the split panel declined to require more than "probable cause" for someone to be returned to jail.

  • May 02, 2025

    Ex-Litigator, Wilson Elser Plan To Drop Bias Suit

    An ex-Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP litigator who sued the firm for allegedly firing him over his disabilities appears to have settled with his former colleagues, with both parties telling a New York federal judge on Friday they plan to dismiss the case.

  • May 02, 2025

    Colorado Investor, Ex-Counsel Trade Blows In Malpractice Suit

    A Colorado real estate investor and Fox Rothschild LLP have filed a flurry of motions in a legal malpractice suit, with the investor requesting that the firm be found liable for damages amid its representation in an underlying fight over a soured development deal, and the firm contending the investor abandoned a claim over attorney fees.

Expert Analysis

  • 9 Considerations For Orgs Using AI Meeting Assistants

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    When deciding to use artificial intelligence meeting assistants, organizations must create and implement a written corporate policy that establishes the do's and don'ts for these assistants, taking into account individualized business operations, industry standards and legal and regulatory requirements, say attorneys at Faegre Drinker.

  • A Reminder On Avoiding Improper Venues In Patent Cases

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    A Texas federal court's recent decision in the Symbology and Quantum cases shows that baseless patent venue allegations may be subject to serious Rule 11 sanctions, providing venue-vetting takeaways for plaintiffs and defendants, say attorneys at Bond Schoeneck.

  • 7 Tips For Associates To Thrive In Hybrid Work Environments

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    As the vast majority of law firms have embraced some type of hybrid work policy, associates should consider a few strategies to get the most out of both their in-person and remote workdays, says James Argionis at Cozen O’Connor.

  • Series

    Playing Beach Volleyball Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My commitment to beach volleyball has become integral to my performance as an attorney, with the sport continually reminding me that teamwork, perseverance, professionalism and stress management are essential to both undertakings, says Amy Drushal at Trenam.

  • How Law Firms Can Counteract The Loneliness Epidemic

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    The legal industry is facing an urgent epidemic of loneliness, affecting lawyer well-being, productivity, retention and profitability, and law firm leaders should take concrete steps to encourage the development of genuine workplace connections, says Michelle Gomez at Littler and Gwen Mellor Romans at Herald Talent.

  • 5 Keys To Building Stronger Attorney-Client Relationships

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    Attorneys are often focused on being seen as the expert, but bonding with clients and prospects by sharing a few key personal details provides the basis for a caring, trusted and profoundly deeper business relationship, says Deb Feder at Feder Development.

  • What SDNY Judge Can And Can't Do In Adams Case

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    The federal judge in the Southern District of New York overseeing the criminal case against New York City Mayor Eric Adams deferred making a decision on the government's motion to dismiss the indictment, and while he does have limited authority to deny the motion, that would ultimately be a futile gesture, says Ethan Greenberg at Anderson Kill.

  • Series

    Racing Corvettes Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The skills I use when racing Corvettes have enhanced my legal practice in several ways, because driving, like practicing law, requires precision, awareness and a good set of brakes — complete with the wisdom to know how and when to use them, says Kat Mateo at Olshan Frome.

  • Opinion

    Attorneys Must Act Now To Protect Judicial Independence

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    Given the Trump administration's recent moves threatening the independence of the judiciary, including efforts to impeach judges who ruled against executive actions, lawyers must protect the rule of law and resist attempts to dilute the judicial branch’s authority, says attorney Bhavleen Sabharwal.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises

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    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • How Design Thinking Can Help Lawyers Find Purpose In Work

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    Lawyers everywhere are feeling overwhelmed amid mass government layoffs, increasing political instability and a justice system stretched to its limits — but a design-thinking framework can help attorneys navigate this uncertainty and find meaning in their work, say law professors at the University of Michigan.

  • Series

    Competitive Weightlifting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    The parallels between the core principles required for competitive weightlifting and practicing law have helped me to excel in both endeavors, with each holding important lessons about discipline, dedication, drive and failure, says Damien Bielli at VF Law.

  • Opinion

    Inconsistent Injury-In-Fact Rules Hinder Federal Practice

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    A recent Third Circuit decision, contradicting a previous ruling about whether consumers of contaminated products have suffered an injury in fact, illustrates the deep confusion this U.S. Supreme Court standard creates among federal judges and practitioners, who deserve a simpler method of determining which cases have federal standing, says Eric Dwoskin at Dwoskin Wasdin.

  • In-House Counsel Pointers For Preserving Atty-Client Privilege

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    Several recent rulings illustrate the challenges in-house counsel can face when attempting to preserve attorney-client privilege, but a few best practices can help safeguard communications and effectively assert the privilege in an increasingly scrutinized corporate environment, says Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics.

  • Applying ABA Atty Role Guidance To White Collar Matters

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    The American Bar Association’s recently published guidance, clarifying the duties outside counsel owes to both organizational clients and those organizations' constituents, provides best practices that attorneys representing companies in white collar and other investigative matters should heed, say attorneys at MoFo.

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