Expert Analysis

• How AI Can Transform Crisis Management In Litigation

  

  Attorneys should understand how to use rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology to help clients prepare for potential catastrophic events and the inevitable litigation arising from them, from predicting crises before they occur to testing legal theories once they arise, say Stratton Horres at Wilson Elser and David Steiger.

• Supervisor Relationships Are Key To Beating Atty Burnout

  

  In order to combat record attorney turnover and high levels of burnout, law firm partners and leaders must build engaging relationships with supervisees, fostering autonomy and control, enabling expression of values, and building a sense of community and belonging, says Anne Brafford at the Institute for Well-Being in Law.

• Drug Patent Suits' Novel Theory Tests False Claims Act Limits

  

  Three recent False Claims Act cases in federal district courts, pursuing the novel theory that pharmaceutical companies defrauded the government by charging inflated drug prices based on invalid patents, could set federal appellate courts on a collision course and create new risks for patent holders, say attorneys at Williams & Connolly.

• The Rising Demand For Commercial Litigators In 2022

  

  Amid broken supply chains, pandemic-induced bankruptcies and a rise in regulation by litigation, strong commercial litigators — strategists who are adept in trying a range of tortious and contractual disputes — are becoming a must-have for many law firms, making this year an opportune moment to make the career switch, say Michael Ascher and Kimberly Donlon at Major Lindsey.

• Exculpation Ruling Shows Danger Of Overbroad Clauses

  

  A New Jersey bankruptcy court’s recent decision in BAK Advisors v. Sax, holding that an accounting firm’s exculpation clause was too broad and contrary to public policy, should urge accountants and advisers to narrow and specify liability limitation language in agreements, and to carefully consider the timing of dismissal motions, says Kenneth Rosen at Lowenstein Sandler.

• How In-House Counsel Can Make The Case For Settling Early

  

  Following the recent settlement in McDonald's v. Easterbrook, in-house counsel should consider decision-tree analyses and values-driven communications plans to secure effective, early resolutions in litigation, saving time and money and moving the company mission forward, say Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein and Richard Torrenzano at The Torrenzano Group.

• To Retain Talent, GCs Should Prioritize Mission Statements

  

  With greater legal demands and an increasing number of workers resigning during the pandemic, general counsel should take steps to articulate their teams' values in departmental mission statements, which will help them better prioritize corporate values and attract and retain talent, says Catherine Kemnitz at Axiom.

• DOI's Vision For Offshore Wind: Obstacles And Opportunities

  

  The U.S. Department of Interior's recent announcement of its intent to open the U.S. coastline to large-scale offshore wind projects is promising, but wind developers must be ready to confront distinct technical and regulatory challenges in each coastal region, say attorneys at Holland & Knight.

• How State High Courts Are Ruling On Consent To Jurisdiction

  

  Recent state supreme court decisions from New York, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Georgia implicate whether a corporate defendant will be subject to suit for claims unconnected to a state merely for registering to do business there, and the tension between the Georgia Supreme Court's decision and settled precedent means the issue may be before the U.S. Supreme Court soon, say Jayne Risk and Neal Kronley at DLA Piper.

• 8th Circ. Ruling Sets Road Map For Disability Benefit Reviews

  

  A recent ruling from the Eighth Circuit in Roehr v. Sun Life Assurance reinstated the plaintiff's disability benefits, demonstrating that while an initial approval is not a guarantee of ongoing payment, insurers need to tread carefully when they terminate benefits in the absence of new findings, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Sherman.

• Recent Bias Suits Against Law Firms And Lessons For 2022

  

  2021 employment discrimination case filings and developments show that law firms big and small are not immune from claims, and should serve as a reminder that the start of a new year is a good time to review and update salary, promotion and leave policies to mitigate litigation risks, says Hope Comisky at Griesing Law.

• Associate Hiring Outlook At Law Firms Is Bright For 2022

  

  After a year of extraordinary signing bonuses, nearly instantaneous offers and flexible work arrangements, strong demand for talented law firm associates will continue into 2022 — with some differences between East and West Coast markets — and junior attorneys should take steps to capitalize on the opportunity, say Ru Bhatt and Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Roundup

  The Most-Read Legal Industry Guest Articles Of 2021

  

  Popular legal industry guest articles this year included commentary on the admissibility of video depositions, an unusual U.S. Supreme Court citation, the perils of lawyer perfectionism, and more.

• Injunctions May Only Pause Gov't Contractor Vaccine Mandate

  

  Notwithstanding a string of recent decisions enjoining implementation of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for government contractors, it would be prudent for contractors to keep compliance infrastructure in place as litigation continues, says Richard Arnholt at Bass Berry.

• A Law Firm Leader's Guide To Seeking Effective Feedback

  

  Law firm leaders often claim to have their fingers on the pulse of the people in their firms, but perspectives can be heavily weighted toward certain partners, so leaders should take certain steps to ensure they receive well-rounded feedback that helps them make more informed decisions, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Legal.