Business of Law

Law Firm Pay Cuts, Layoffs Will Likely Multiply

As Cadwalader pauses partner distributions and cuts staff pay and Pryor Cashman furloughs associates, a slew of other firms are likely to follow suit as the legal industry goes into crisis mode to weather the economic storm caused by COVID-19.

Agile But Vulnerable, Smaller Firms Fight To Weather Virus

Many midsize and smaller law firms have an edge over BigLaw when it comes to transitioning to remote work, but the longer-term potential impact on business development is weighing heavily on them.

Will BigLaw Pass COVID-19's Test On Working From Home?

As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, law firms have rolled out policies to let their attorneys and staff work remotely. But in an industry that has traditionally relied on face-to-face communication, firms will face a major test in having much of their workforces at home for a long period of time.

EU Travel Bar Adds To BigLaw's COVID-19 Headaches

The government's new restrictions on travel from Europe due to the novel coronavirus outbreak are expected to add to the mounting logistical obstacles facing BigLaw attorneys and could impact key practice areas by adding to a larger cocktail of economic instability.

April 09, 2020
For Female Attys, Law Firm Diversity Initiatives Aren't Enough

More than diversity statistics, female lawyers are increasingly paying attention to law firms' workplace culture, seeking interesting and rewarding work that will provide more job satisfaction, panelists said Thursday during an American Bar Association webinar.
April 09, 2020
NJ Courts Expand E-Filing As COVID-19 Restrictions Continue

The New Jersey state court system has expanded its electronic filing options to ease the inconvenience of court restrictions for attorneys and pro se litigants during the COVID-19 pandemic, the judiciary announced Thursday.
April 09, 2020
The Term: Coronavirus No Panacea For High Court Division

This week, the team discusses the Supreme Court’s first coronavirus-related ruling in a case involving Wisconsin’s election, which highlighted how the court’s partisan division may play out through the deadly pandemic
April 09, 2020
Pierce Bainbridge Acting Head, 3 Name Partners Resign

Pierce Bainbridge’s acting leader has resigned along with three name partners and a rainmaker, part of what current and former attorneys describe as a cascade of departures in recent months that have left the litigation boutique reeling.
April 09, 2020
Law Firm Accused Of Aiding Producer's Alleged Spycam Plot

California-based law firm Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP has been hit with a lawsuit in Los Angeles court claiming one of its name partners was involved in Hollywood honcho Aaron Kaplan's alleged plot to plant spy cameras in the bedroom of his brother's widow.
April 09, 2020
Law Firms Brace For More COVID-19 Financial Woes

Many law firms are trying to financially prepare for the possible – and increasingly probable – likelihood that the pandemic will impact the economy for longer than six to nine months, necessitating further measures to secure their bottom line. Here’s what may be on the horizon.
April 09, 2020
New Wave Of Firms Roll Out COVID-19 Cost-Cutting Measures

At least five more law firms have decided to take cost-cutting measures to weather the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to announcements made public Thursday, adding to a growing list of shops around the world that have furloughed staff and slashed attorney pay in recent days.
April 09, 2020
Law360's Weekly Verdict: Legal Lions & Lambs

Irell & Manella and Jones Day top this week’s legal lions list with a $1.1 billion win for clients in a cancer immunotherapy patent fight, while plaintiffs firm Cory Watson PC ended up among the legal lambs after Pfizer beat product liability claims the firm brought on behalf of a class of consumers.
April 09, 2020
All Rise? How The UK Is Coping With Remote Hearings

With the fast spread of the coronavirus, courts across London are quickly moving legal proceedings out of the courtroom and into the virtual world in a remarkably speedy — though not gaffe-free — transition.
April 08, 2020
Buckley Atty Faces The Sugary Trials Of Netflix's 'Nailed It!'

Banking law and baking don't seem to have much in common, but for a Buckley LLP lawyer who recently appeared on Netflix's "Nailed It!" baking contest show, there is more overlap than meets the eye.
April 08, 2020
Orrick Cuts Salaries, Delays First-Year Associate Start Dates

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is implementing a graduated salary reduction for all employees as the firm grapples with the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic, a move designed to save more jobs in the future, the firm confirmed Wednesday.
April 08, 2020
Hogan Lovells Shakes Up Firm Structures With CEO Change

Hogan Lovells is planning to reorganize its practice groups and reshuffle its international leadership when its next global CEO and deputy CEO take over in July, the firm said Wednesday.
April 08, 2020
One Thing Virus Won't Change: Deadlines To File Appeal

As they find the federal courthouse doors bolted and stay-at-home orders and staff quarantines trigger disruptions in their firms' usual work flow, lawyers all over the country are scrambling for reprieves to file key notices and briefs — and getting a bit more time more often than not. But they can't budge the legal deadline to file appeals.
April 08, 2020
Third-Party Funders' Business Is Booming During Pandemic

The economic turmoil unleashed by the COVID-19 pandemic has left few businesses throughout the world untouched, but for arbitration and litigation funders, the past few weeks may mark the beginning of a boom.
April 08, 2020
NJ Governor's Chief Counsel Tests Positive For COVID-19

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy's chief counsel Matt Platkin has tested positive for COVID-19, a Murphy representative confirmed Wednesday, hours after the governor somberly announced that the Garden State's death toll from the virus had reached 1,504.
April 08, 2020
Law Firm Leaders: Stoel Rives' Melissa Jones

Melissa Jones took the reins as managing partner of Stoel Rives LLP on Jan. 1. Needless to say, the first few months of her tenure have been eventful.
April 08, 2020
Duolingo Taps Ex-Yahoo, VMware Atty As 1st General Counsel

Language-learning company Duolingo said Wednesday it has hired as its first-ever general counsel a former Yahoo and VMware attorney.
April 08, 2020
Citing COVID-19, High Court Litigators Seek Extensions

Litigants petitioning for U.S. Supreme Court review are seeking additional time to file their reply briefs, citing the massive disruptions the ongoing COVID-19 crisis has caused for client consultations and remote work.
April 08, 2020
Wave Of BigLaw Pay Cuts, Furloughs Hits At Least 10 Firms

News flooded in Wednesday of at least 10 more large law firms implementing cost-cutting measures, such as furloughing staff or cutting attorney pay, as firms attempt to weather the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 08, 2020
Sweatshirts, Dogs, Babies: BigLaw Loosens Up On Video Chat

The coronavirus has forced attorneys out of their offices, bashing down the wall between their personal and professional lives as they visit one another's homes through video chat. Some lawyers suspect this might actually be a better way to connect and work with their colleagues.
April 07, 2020
COVID-19 Crisis Isn't Unifying Supreme Court

Any hopes that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic would bridge ideological differences on the U.S. Supreme Court were swiftly dashed Monday evening when the justices bitterly split 5-4 over emergency backup plans for Wisconsin's elections, potentially the first of several COVID-19 cases that could reach the high court.
April 07, 2020
Cahill Gordon Suspends 2020 Summer Associate Program

Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP has decided to suspend its summer associate program for 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the firm announced Tuesday though it says it will pay the associates who had been selected and will offer them full-time positions after graduation.
April 07, 2020
King & Spalding's Bid To Seal Rates Is 'Untoward,' Judge Says

A D.C. federal judge said Tuesday that there is something "untoward" about King & Spalding LLP requesting to seal information about its rates while seeking attorney fees in the form of public dollars, following the firm's win in a Freedom of Information Act dispute with the federal government.
April 07, 2020
Pierce Firm Says No Do-Over For Atty In 'Gears Of War' Case

A Pennsylvania lawyer who already lost a suit against trial firm Pierce Bainbridge over the alleged theft of a case involving the video game "Gears of War" shouldn't get a do-over in a second suit, the firm told a federal judge on Monday.
April 07, 2020
Counsel Who Care: How Attys Are Helping During Virus Crisis

As coronavirus cases have spiked, law firms across the nation have been stepping up to help, from providing pro bono legal assistance to fundraisers and donations. Here, Law360 rounds up some of the latest charity efforts from the legal community in response to the pandemic.

Editor's Picks

Law360 Names Practice Groups Of The Year

Law360 congratulates the winners of its 2019 Practice Groups of the Year awards, which honor the law firms behind the litigation wins and major deals that resonated throughout the legal industry in the past year.
Law360 MVP Awards Go To Top Attorneys From 76 Firms

The elite slate of attorneys chosen as Law360's 2019 MVPs have distinguished themselves from their peers by securing hard-earned successes in high-stakes litigation, complex global matters and record-breaking deals.
The 2019 Law360 Diversity Snapshot

U.S. law firms have long touted their commitment to diversity and inclusion. But those goals still seem far from being realized. Law360’s annual Diversity Snapshot indicates only marginal progress on racial and ethnic diversity in the attorney workforce from year to year, even as demands grow from clients expecting more diverse legal teams.

Expert Analysis

Don't Forget Firm Culture When Adapting To Remote Work

While law firms suddenly pivoting to remote work due to coronavirus restrictions are busy dealing with logistical challenges, an equally pressing and perhaps more difficult task may be adjusting a long-standing brick-and-mortar culture to working remotely for the first time, say Heather Clauson Haughian and Grant Walsh at Culhane Meadows.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: Goulston & Storrs' Josh Davis

With distancing and isolation the new norm amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from Boston-based Josh Davis, an employment lawyer and litigator at Goulston & Storrs.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: Crowell's Michelle Coleman

With distancing and isolation now the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from Washington, D.C.-based Michelle Coleman, counsel in the government contracts group at Crowell & Moring.
Conducting Court Hearings Remotely: 12 Considerations

As more courts begin to explore remote hearings during the COVID-19 crisis, attorneys and courts should be aware of some of the common concerns accompanying video- and teleconferencing technology and make allowances to avoid these issues, say Attison Barnes III and Krystal Swendsboe at Wiley Rein.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: Trial Lawyer Mark Geragos

With self-isolation and social distancing now the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from Los Angeles-based trial lawyer Mark Geragos.
The Era Of Video Mediation Is Here — Or Is It?

Mediator Jeff Kichaven has heard from several first-chair trial lawyers and senior claims executives that they are reluctant to adopt online video mediation even during the COVID-19 crisis, and says this reluctance is grounded in reality.
COVID-19 Highlights BigLaw Need For Emotional Intelligence

The formula for making decisions at BigLaw firms has historically been rooted in IQ-based factors, but with the ongoing pandemic, lawyers and firm leaders are increasingly dealing with issues that require emotional intelligence — from establishing effective virtual offices to retaining firm morale and client confidence, say Jolie Balido and Tina van der Ven at NewStar Media.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: ABA President Judy Perry Martinez

With self-isolation and social distancing now the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from New Orleans-based Judy Perry Martinez, president of the American Bar Association.
Opinion

Judicial Shaming Of Attys Is Troubling Even During Pandemic

Judges have recently rebuked attorneys for wasting judicial resources to resolve minor issues during the COVID-19 crisis, including in a trademark lawsuit over unicorn drawings. But it is unfair to publicly flog lawyers for doing what they are trained to do, says Ronald Minkoff, chairman of Frankfurt Kurnit's professional responsibility group.
Don't Be Social Media Distancing: LinkedIn Tips For Lawyers

While we need to be physically apart at this time, lawyers and firms should be leaning into social media to reinforce and build relationships, and help guide clients through the coronavirus crisis, says marketing consultant Stefanie Marrone.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: Nossaman's Patrick Harder

With self-isolation and social distancing now the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from Patrick Harder, a Los Angeles-based partner at Nossaman and chairman of the firm’s infrastructure group.
Q&A

Coping With A Pandemic: ECOStrats' Elizabeth Ortega

As self-isolation and social distancing become the norm during the COVID-19 pandemic, Law360 is sharing reactions from around the business and legal community. Today's perspective comes from Miami-based Elizabeth Ortega, principal of legal industry consulting firm ECO Strategic Communications.
Remote Depositions: Coming To A Home Office Near You

Recent Texas state court orders indicate judges are increasingly requiring parties and nonparties to submit to remote depositions amid the pandemic. However, there are inherent drawbacks to such depositions, including limitations on attorneys’ ability to assess witness credibility, says Edward Duffy at Reed Smith.
Ways Lawyers Can Support The Most Vulnerable Right Now

In this global health and economic crisis, it is essential that lawyers recommit to inclusion, and fight for colleagues, clients, community members and friends who are most at risk, says Dru Levasseur, head of the National LGBT Bar Association's inclusion coaching and consulting program.
Confronting The Challenges Of Virtual Mediation

Conducting mediation via videoconference amid the ongoing pandemic poses significant challenges, including the difficulty of reading people when you are not with them in person. Daniel Garrie at JAMS shares six tips to overcome the limitations.