California Pulse


  • Employment Litigator Rejoins Ogletree In Calif. From Boutique

    Ogletree announced Monday the management-side labor and employment law firm has added to its roster of attorneys in Orange County, California, a new shareholder who is returning to the firm following a short time at employment boutique GBG LLP and several years practicing at Constangy.

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    The Firms That Won Big At The Supreme Court

    This U.S. Supreme Court term featured high-stakes oral arguments on issues including presidential power, immigration and voting regulations. Here's a look at the law firms that argued the most cases and how they fared.

  • Netflix Says 'Exceptional Misconduct' Merits $3M In Atty Fees

    Netflix urged a California federal judge on Thursday to order a Finnish national and his former Ramey LLP attorney to pay $3 million in legal fees due to "exceptional misconduct" and "fraud," saying both knew the plaintiff didn't own an asserted patent and so lacked standing to sue.

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    Breaking Down The Vote: The High Court Term In Review

    The U.S. Supreme Court's stark ideological divisions were on full display this term, particularly as it issued long-awaited rulings in the last few days of June. Here, Law360 dives into the numbers behind this court term.

  • Nelson Mullins Adds Yukevich Cavanaugh Litigator In LA

    Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP added a longtime attorney from California-based boutique Yukevich Cavanaugh to its Los Angeles office, adding an attorney with significant litigation skill.

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    World Cup Is 'Once In A Lifetime' Opportunity For Law Firms

    For some of the world's biggest law firms, the 2026 FIFA World Cup presents a profitable business opportunity.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, the Asian Law Caucus and the Democracy Defenders Fund lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump's bid to limit birthright citizenship.

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    Mid-Law Firms Flush But Cautious Halfway Through 2026

    Mid-Law firms have enjoyed strong demand and revenues in the first half of 2026, but concerns about a possible economic downturn, industry consolidation and the potential effect of artificial intelligence have those in the industry questioning if the second half of the year will look the same.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry began the second half of 2026 with another busy week as BigLaw firms merged and expanded their practice offerings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Hall Benefits Law Adds Exec Comp Pro From Trucker Huss

    Hall Benefits Law has hired an executive and equity compensation practice group leader from Trucker Huss, bringing in a practitioner with more than three decades of experience advising employers about benefit plan designs and their tax implications as the firm expands in Sacramento, California.

  • Davis Polk Promotes 8 Mostly NY-Based Attys To Partner

    Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP has elevated eight attorneys to partner roles effective at the start of this month across seven different practice areas, the firm announced on Wednesday.

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    The Creative Side Of Law Lured In This Chief Legal Officer

    From the dancing waters of the Bellagio hotel to the intricate inner workings of the latest video game, in-house lawyer Carla Bedrosian has sought out jobs that both fascinate and challenge her.  

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    Legal Sector Jobs Spike With Work 'Churning Right Along'

    The legal sector added 5,100 jobs in June, the largest increase the industry has seen in more than two years, according to preliminary, seasonally adjusted data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday.

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    Littler Adds Ex-Morgan Lewis Labor Litigator In California

    Littler Mendelson PC, which primarily deals in employment and labor law practice representing management, announced on Tuesday the hiring of a former Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP attorney as a shareholder in its Walnut Creek, California, office.

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    WilmerHale Trade Secrets Litigation Co-Lead Joins Debevoise

    San Francisco-based litigator Joshua H. Lerner has left his job as co-chair of WilmerHale's trade secrets litigation practice to join Debevoise & Plimpton LLP as a partner, the firm announced Wednesday.

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    Withers Promotes 12 Partners In US, UK, Singapore

    International law firm Withers has appointed a dozen new partners across three countries, nearly half of whom are based in the United States.

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    Law Firm Mergers Level Off As Risks Tick Up

    Despite two large law firm combinations closing this week, deal announcements flatlined to a near-decade-low in the first half of the year as law firms face a patchwork of risks including geopolitical volatility, private equity interest and uncertainty around artificial intelligence in law. However, activity is expected to pick up by year-end.

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    Hinshaw Taps Womble Bond Director To Lead Talent Efforts

    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP announced Tuesday that the former senior director of legal development, integration and technology training at Womble Bond Dickinson has joined the firm as its first chief talent officer.

  • Law Firm Permitted $63M Cannabis Ponzi Scheme, Suit Says

    The court-appointed receiver for a California cannabis cultivation company at the center of a $63 million Ponzi scheme has filed suit against Murchison & Cumming LLP in Los Angeles federal court, accusing the business litigation firm of looking the other way while a junior associate allowed the fraud conspiracy to continue by ignoring red flags.

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    Pierson Ferdinand Adds Partners In 4 Of Its U.S. Offices

    Pierson Ferdinand LLP announced Tuesday that it has added four partners to its corporate, intellectual property and litigation departments to bolster its capacity to handle corporate litigation, patent, bankruptcy and other matters.

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    Buchalter Real Estate Partner Joins Holland & Knight In LA

    Holland & Knight LLP announced that an experienced real estate finance attorney who most recently practiced at Buchalter PC has joined the firm's Los Angeles office as a partner.

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    Gordon Rees Adds 8 Partners In Northern California

    Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP has expanded its offices in Northern California with eight new partners who have expertise in multiple practice areas, a firm spokesperson told Law360 Pulse on Tuesday.

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    Squire Patton Names 2 New Global Managing Partners

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP announced Tuesday the managing partners of the firm's Columbus, Ohio, and Denver offices have been named global managing partners of the firm in the U.S.

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    Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Eyes Future As Elite Powerhouse

    Hogan Lovells Cadwalader launches on Wednesday, betting that regulatory expertise now matters as much as Wall Street finance work to global financial institutions, as chief executive Miguel Zaldivar said that the merger has created a firm that belongs among the global legal elite.

  • Calif. Firm Can't Arbitrate Ex-Clients' Sex-Abuse Deal Claims

    A California appellate court Monday said McGrath Kavinoky LLP can't arbitrate allegations it "bullied" two women into accepting a $374 million settlement for hundreds of clients claiming sexual abuse by a UCLA Health gynecologist, saying the firm's failure to obtain consent to the foreseeable conflicts made its engagement agreements unenforceable.

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Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Defining The Culture For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    We co-founded The International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators to connect leading trial lawyers, litigation experts and academics, and our experience has shown that embracing opportunity, responding fearlessly to market realities, and relentlessly defining the organization’s culture have all been integral to success, say Stéphane Bonifassi, Lincoln Caylor and Elizabeth Ortega.

  • 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.

  • Series

    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.

  • Series

    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.

  • Roundup

    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.

  • Series

    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.

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