California Pulse


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    AI Native Firms Gain Foothold In Changing Legal Industry

    "AI native" law firms are a growing phenomenon sitting at the intersection of artificial intelligence and rising tide of outside investment in the legal industry, aiming to use legal technology to automate work and overhaul the law firm business model — while doing away with the billable hour in the process.

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    Barnes & Thornburg Lands Nixon Peabody Entertainment Trio

    Three entertainment attorneys from Nixon Peabody LLP have moved their practice to Barnes & Thornburg LLP in Los Angeles and Nashville, Tennessee, the firm announced Thursday.

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    Williams-Sonoma GC Earned $4.2M In 2025 Compensation

    The executive vice president, general counsel and secretary of Williams-Sonoma Inc., earned nearly $4.2 million in total compensation last year, according to a securities filing.

  • 'Wasn't A Hard Call': Jeffer Mangels Can't Arbitrate Atty's Suit

    A Los Angeles judge ruled at a Wednesday hearing that Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP can't arbitrate an ex-associate's lawsuit alleging she was harassed and fired due to her pregnancy, saying it "wasn't a hard call" because her sexual harassment claims are statutorily prohibited from being arbitrated.

  • Google Users Say DOJ Win 'Leaves Only Damages For Trial'

    Consumers want a California federal judge to go straight to trial over the amount of damages Google owes them for illegally monopolizing online search, arguing the company's violation of antitrust law "is now an undisputed fact as a matter of law."

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    DLA Piper Names 62 New Partners, Including 24 In US

    DLA Piper announced Wednesday that 62 attorneys have joined its global partnership ranks, as of May 1, with the U.S. logging more promotions to partner than other regions, with 24 total.

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    Which GCs Sold Stock In April? Venture Global And More

    April showered some legal chiefs with stock sale profits, and Keith Larson at Venture Global soaked up $13.9 million last month. Meanwhile, Paul Mahon at United Therapeutics wiped up $9.5 million, and Chevron's R. Hewitt Pate reported earning $8.57 on his sales.

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    Jeffer Mangels Brings On Raines Feldman Atty As IP Chair

    California firm Jeffer Mangels & Mitchell LLP has announced an experienced Los Angeles-based attorney has joined the firm from Raines Feldman Littrell LLP as a partner and chair of its intellectual property and media practice.

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    Agilent Taps Danaher Deal Lawyer As Chief Legal Officer

    Life sciences company Agilent Technologies Inc. has found a new top in-house attorney to lead its legal department after the recent resignation of its former chief legal officer.

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    Workday Legal Chief Sees Pay Drop For 2nd Year In Row

    The compensation of Workday Inc.'s legal chief declined for the second consecutive year to $7.8 million, according to a securities filing late Tuesday.

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    Feds Say Stolen BigLaw Deal Info Aided Huge Trading Scheme

    Federal prosecutors on Wednesday unveiled indictments outlining a massive insider trading scheme that allegedly netted tens of millions of dollars using nonpublic information about mergers and acquisitions worked on by some of the nation's biggest law firms.

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    The Law School Legal Industry Job Tracker: Class Of 2025

    Want to know which schools are sending the highest percentage of graduates to BigLaw? How big a slice are landing those prized clerkships in federal or state courts? Explore the ins and outs of law school graduate placement in our interactive graphic.

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    The Top Law Schools For Legal Industry Jobs: A Data Review

    A law degree can lead to careers across law firms, government, business and public interest, according to the latest ABA data. See which schools stand out for placing graduates in BigLaw, federal and state clerkships, public interest roles and more.

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    Aiming For BigLaw? These Schools Deliver

    Law school students continue to set their sights on law firm jobs post-graduation, with interest in BigLaw roles holding strong. Here's a look at how those preferences are playing out and which schools are sending the highest percentage of graduates directly to BigLaw.

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    Firm Leaders Report Rising Rates Fueling Client Churn

    While rate increases are the primary driver of law firm revenue, legal leaders also fear those price hikes are leading to client churn, according to a report released Wednesday by marketing technology platform Passle.

  • Womble Bond Picks Veteran Real Estate Atty As Partner In SF

    Womble Bond Dickinson has hired a real estate and land use attorney with more than 50 years of experience as a partner for its real estate team in San Francisco, the firm announced Tuesday.

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    Court Rule Changes Uncertain After Few Deepfake Challenges

    Very few federal judges have handled challenges to audiovisual evidence that litigants claim has been faked by artificial intelligence, raising questions about whether changes to the rules of evidence are actually necessary.

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    Norton Rose Grows In Calif., Ill. With 6-Atty DLA Piper Hire

    Norton Rose Fulbright announced Tuesday that the firm has grown its California and Illinois offices with a team of six litigation attorneys, including three partners, who were most recently with DLA Piper.

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    Ex-Sunrun Legal VP Joins Wilson Sonsini In San Francisco

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC announced Tuesday that the former vice president of legal at solar energy company Sunrun has joined the firm's San Francisco office as an energy and climate solutions partner.

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    Sunstone Hotel Cuts GC Role In Exec Restructuring

    Sunstone Hotel Investors Inc. announced the departure of its general counsel on May 5, saying that it is eliminating the position from its management structure amid a larger reshuffling.

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    Proskauer Lands Globetrotting Private Funds Atty In LA

    Proskauer Rose LLP announced Tuesday that it has brought on a former Allen Overy Shearman Sterling LLP partner in its private funds group in Los Angeles.

  • Calif. Firm Accused Of Withholding Fees From Dying Partner

    The wife of a late Carpenter & Zuckerman LLP partner says the firm withheld hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees from her husband before he died of cancer, claiming he spent his final months "pleading for funds" and living in "constant fear" that he would die without securing financial security for his family.

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    Orrick Partner Jumps To Pillsbury IP Team In LA

    A longtime Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP partner has joined the Los Angeles office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, bringing years of experience in intellectual property litigation and expertise in the Copyright Act and Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

  • Attys Defend $85M Fee Bid Blasted By Judge In Google Deal

    Consumers who pursued an antitrust class action against Google urged the California federal judge who criticized their 98,000 hours billed as "grotesquely bloated" to approve their $85 million fee request, emphasizing Friday that they filed suit a year before state attorneys general joined the case and maintained a leading role in the litigation.

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    Davis Polk Lands Skadden's LA Leader To Launch New Office

    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is opening an office in Los Angeles and is bringing on the former leader of Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's office in the city.

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Expert Analysis

  • 5 Emerging Themes Shaping Lateral Partner Moves This Year Author Photo

    A few key trends have arisen in partners’ lateral movements in the first half of 2025, reflecting a legal market defined by macroeconomic uncertainty, shifts in firm structures and rising scrutiny of firm affiliations, say legal recruiters at Macrae.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Be A Mentor Or Mentee Author Photo

    Mentorship is a powerful tool for business development when both mentors and mentees approach their relationships with strategic purpose, ensuring professional success while supporting broader business goals, say Angela Liu at Dechert and Jessica Lewis at WilmerHale.

  • 4 Biz Dev Steps For Attys Who Don't Know What They Want Author Photo

    Junior attorneys are increasingly expected to start building books of business while they are still figuring out their long-term career goals, but a few pointers can help young lawyers develop business even when they’re uncertain about their future direction, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Protecting Client Funds From Cyberattacks Author Photo

    As cyberattacks on law firms continue to escalate, bar associations, law firms and individual lawyers must all take steps to protect client funds in attorney trust accounts — from imposing cyber hygiene mandates to reimagining malpractice coverage — because once that money is gone, it’s generally gone for good, says Michael Epstein at The Epstein Law Firm.

  • Making Legal Cents: For Billing, Think Value, Not Time Author Photo

    Pricing strategy is one of the most consistently discussed but underleveraged tools in a firm's arsenal, and rather than keeping hourly billing because it's easy, firms should consider their differentiators when structuring more effective fee models, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

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    Achieving Organic Growth For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    We started Law Rocks to promote music education for underprivileged youth and raise funds for local nonprofits, and our 15-year journey has shown that enthusiasm, persistence and a great network can lead to a surprising amount of organic growth, say Nick Child and Ted Scott at Secretariat.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Engage With The Media Author Photo

    Business development is all about awareness — and by taking existing skills and adapting them to build media relationships and thereby address today's audiences, lawyers can expand their outreach and use thought leadership to build a more complete, compelling personal brand, says Michael Goodwin at Stanton PR.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Habits Of Great Relationship Partners Author Photo

    When seeking outside legal advisers, general counsel want commercially savvy lawyers who cultivate relationships of trust with their in-house counterparts, back up the GC's authority and focus on actionable advice instead of abstract legal analysis, say Andrew Dick at The L Suite and Rob Morvillo at Olo.

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    Nonprofit Launch Tips From Founders In The Legal Industry Author Photo

    In this season of giving, take a look back at this Law360 series featuring legal professionals who have founded industry-related nonprofits. They discussed the biggest challenges to getting started, and how to balance the launch and management of an organization along with the demands of their primary work.

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    Generating Confidence In A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I started LawWithoutWalls to change the way legal professionals see and think about their world, and it taught me the importance of giving people a reason to believe in your nonprofit mission, as well as how to achieve work-life integration, says Michele DeStefano at the University of Miami.

  • Nonequity Partner Frustrations Reflect Erosion Of Opportunity Author Photo

    Nonequity partners report the lowest satisfaction, highest stress and poorest financial outlook of any group of lawyers, highlighting a growing structural disconnect that leaves attorneys at many firms feeling like the ladder has been pulled up behind those who already ascended, says Jake Carroll at Nelson Mullins.

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    Building Brand Awareness For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I co-founded the Bridging the Gap Scholarship as a way to increase minority representation in BigLaw, and my advice for other legal professionals starting a nonprofit is to focus on building brand awareness early on, and to get comfortable delegating work to a dedicated team, says Imani Maatuka at Sidley.

  • Learn Your Colleagues To Cross-Sell Their Services Fearlessly Author Photo

    Understanding where colleagues in other practice areas shine can help attorneys confidently cross-sell each other's services and bring in business to keep the firm afloat in hard times, says Joe Calve at Calve Communications.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Advertise Ethically Author Photo

    Business development in the legal industry is about building authentic connections and showcasing expertise in a way that reflects reality, and, when done right, it can elevate a practice, establish credibility and bring in clients without risking an ethics violation, says Melody Jackson at Robinhood.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Help After Mental Health Leave? Author Photo

    Molly Ranns at the State Bar of Michigan suggests five ways to smooth a colleague's return to practice after short-term mental health leave, while creating a firm culture that protects employees’ emotional health.

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