http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-25T20:18:00-06:00 http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/carlton_fields_partners_prep_to_vote_on_jorden_burt_merger_reports_business/ The Daily Business Review (sub. req.) reported that there is a pending merger vote by Carlton Fields partners to join insurance firm Jorden Burt and create a 310-lawyer firm, citing sources with knowledge of the discussions. Although Gary Sasso, president and CEO of Carlton Fields, and… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms Fri, 24 May 2013 16:43:46 -0500 44359.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/a_year_after_fitzgerald_resigns_obama_nominates_candidate_for_us_attorney/ Zachary Fardon, a Latham & Watkins partner who chairs its Chicago litigation department, was nominated Thursday to serve as the Northern District of Illinois U.S. attorney. Previously a federal prosecutor who worked on the corruption trial of former Illinois governor George Ryan, Reuters and… Criminal Justice, Prosecutors, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, States, Illinois Fri, 24 May 2013 13:46:05 -0500 44351.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_cuts_unconscionable_estate_legal_bill_from_44m_to_2m/ Citing an "unconscionable" retainer agreement, a New York appeals court has reduced an estate's legal bill from $44 million to what a lawyer for the winning side estimates will be a $3 million final tally. It also is requiring three members of Graubard Miller to return $5 million in gifts… Contracts, Elder Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, Verdicts & Settlements, States, New York Fri, 24 May 2013 11:35:48 -0500 44349.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/around_the_blawgosphere_in-person_networking_summer_reading/ Late last week, Philadelphia law partners Jordan Rushie and Leo Mulvihill at Philly Law Blog and Lawyerist, respectively, wrote about "the hustle" that goes along finding clients for their small law practice. Rushie wrote about his unpaid professional / networking activities, which includes heavy… ABA Journal, @BlawgWhisperer, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Marketing & Consulting, Careers, Work/Life Balance, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms Fri, 24 May 2013 08:29:12 -0500 44344.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/bvideo_deweys_bankruptcy_lawyer_more_large_law_firms_will_fail/ While failed law firms make for notoriously difficult bankrupty cases, Dewey & LeBoeuf's time in bankruptcy court was quicker and easier than other notable law firms. Joe Samet, head of restructuring at Baker & McKenzie, and Al Togut, founding partner at Togut, Segal &… ABA Journal, Business of Law (Video), ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Bankruptcy Law, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Large Firm Thu, 23 May 2013 10:40:44 -0500 44333.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/8_arrested_in_lobby_of_covingtons_dc_office_during_mortgage_foreclosure_pro/ Eight individuals were arrested Wednesday as they protested the U.S. government's lack of prosecution of bank mortgage foreclosure activities in the lobby of Covington & Burling's office building in Washington, D.C. Seven were charged with unlawful entry and one was charged with assaulting a police officer, reports Banking Law, Criminal Justice, Executive Branch, Law Firms, Large Firm, Real Estate & Property Law, States, District of Columbia Thu, 23 May 2013 09:47:11 -0500 44330.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lead_partner_rallied_star_wars_fans_at_skadden_to_help_with_4b_disney_deal_/ Due diligence for last year's $4 billion acquisition by Walt Disney Co. of Lucasfilm required the purchaser to check that George Lucas did, in fact, own the rights to some 10,000 characters and elements from his six Star Wars movies. So Brian McCarthy, who heads the Los Angeles office of… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Corporate Law, Entertainment & Sports Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Mergers & Acquisitions, States, California Thu, 23 May 2013 08:45:58 -0500 44329.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/paradigm_shift_is_here_to_stay_law_firm_leaders_say_in_altman_weil_survey/ Law firm leaders say the paradigm shift is here to stay, according to a new Altman Weil survey. Yet surprisingly they don't put concerns such as delivering value to clients and improving efficiency at the top of the list when asked an open-ended question about the biggest challenges they will… Business of Law, Corporate Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Midsize Firm, Partners Wed, 22 May 2013 06:59:34 -0500 44301.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/adams_and_reese_to_acquire_a_23-attorney_firm/ For the second time this year, New Orleans-based Adams and Reese is expanding its attorney roster by acquiring another legal partnership. This time it's 23-attorney Ellis Lawhorne. The Columbia, S.C., firm is expected to tie the knot with Adams and Reese on June 1, reports the Advocate. Together,… Business of Law, Law Firms, Midsize Firm, Partners, States, Louisiana, South Carolina Wed, 22 May 2013 05:29:57 -0500 44297.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/switching_law_firms_be_sure_you_take_these_steps_partners_caution/ More lawyers are at risk for bad career jumps as lateral movement is expected to continue its upward trend, two BigLaw partners say. Activity among Am Law 200 firms reached a 3-year high in 2012, according to the American Lawyer. “The worst of all worlds is for an attorney to… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Careers, Law Firms, Partners, Legal Ethics Tue, 21 May 2013 13:35:13 -0500 44293.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/kasowitz_opens_new_calif._office_with_two_jenner_insurance_recovery_partner/ Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman has opened a new office in Century City, Calif., with two partners from Jenner & Block. They are Jerold Oshinsky and Linda Kornfeld. Both represent businesses and university policyholders in insurance coverage disputes with their carriers, and Oshinsky had co-chaired the practice group at Jenner.… Business of Law, Insurance Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, States, California Tue, 21 May 2013 05:30:36 -0500 44282.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/never_take_a_case_because_you_have_nothing_better_to_do_and_other_small_fir/ Attorneys who make money don’t waste their time accepting bad cases just because it’s a slow day, Joseph Spiegel says. Getting stuck on huge cases that squander time and money is the biggest mistake the Ann Arbor, Mich., attorney sees lawyers make. "The bigger the case, the greater the risk,"… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms Mon, 20 May 2013 16:54:58 -0500 44277.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/circulating_law_student_interns_horror-film_clip_gets_ex-partner_suspended_/ Updated: A former partner of a well-known Indiana law firm has been suspended from practice for three years for persuading his paralegal to impersonate that firm's managing partner and send an email attaching a horror-film clip in which a new hire seemingly was onscreen in a state of undress. Arthur… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Associates, Midsize Firm, Paralegals, Partners, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Evidence, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Indiana Mon, 20 May 2013 11:49:06 -0500 44269.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/leading_ip_partner_leaps_from_steptoe_to_sheppard_mullin/ An intellectual property litigator who was one of the founders of Steptoe Johnson's office in Century City, Calif., has leapt to the local office of Los Angeles-based Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton. Partner Michael R. "Mike" Heimbold began work there on Friday, Reuters reports. He said he made… Business of Law, Intellectual Property Law, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, States, California Mon, 20 May 2013 09:50:54 -0500 44266.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/top_state_court_says_couple_must_pay_disputed_94_plus_5k_more_to_law_firm/ Sued by a Montana law firm over an unpaid legal bill, Daniel and Valery O’Connell anted up some $3,000 to satisfy the 2010 judgment but disputed $93.99 of the total. The result was another lawsuit, a default judgment and an eventual determination by the state's highest court earlier this month… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Consumer Law, Contracts, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Montana Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:38 -0500 44262.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/seyfarth_and_ex-partner_face_tax-shelter_suits/ A former partner of Seyfarth Shaw and the law firm itself are facing some two dozen Illinois lawsuits over distressed-asset tax shelters the plaintiffs contend they collected "exorbitant" fees by promoting. The ex-partner, John E. Rogers, left Seyfarth several years ago and is now in practice in his own firm.… ABA Journal Production, Weekly Newsletter Stories, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, Tax Law, Trials & Litigation, States, Illinois Mon, 20 May 2013 05:55:08 -0500 44260.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/fired_former_female_partner_settles_ropes_gray_age_and_gender_discriminatio/ A fired female intellectual property partner has settled her federal employment discrimination suit against Ropes & Gray on undisclosed terms. Patricia Martone, who was 63 when she was fired by the firm in 2010, lost out on lucrative retirement benefits to which she would have been entitled at age 65… Careers, Women in the Law, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Large Firm, Partners, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Fri, 17 May 2013 13:20:34 -0500 44236.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/borrow_a_brolly_campaign_by_linklaters_reaches_soccer_players_wife_and_dail/ Linklaters got some free publicity when the wife of soccer player Wayne Rooney sported an umbrella with the logo of the British-based law firm at a Manchester United home match. The Daily Mirror ran photos of Coleen Rooney to show her “baby bump” at the match in… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Legal Marketing & Consulting, Law Firms Fri, 17 May 2013 06:15:49 -0500 44223.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/love_of_classics_led_to_second_career_for_retired_dewey_partner/ When Jack Kaufmann retired from law practice in 2002, his firm was known as Dewey Ballantine. Today Kaufmann is 71 years old and back at work, but his employer is the elite Hewitt School in Manhattan, the New York Times reports. Kaufmann took college classes after… Careers, Law Firms, Partners Thu, 16 May 2013 06:35:00 -0500 44199.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_sponsors_guns-for-groceries_buyback_program/ A personal injury law firm in Michigan is sponsoring a gun buyback program this Saturday at a Detroit church. The Southfield personal injury law firm Goodman Acker is backing the “guns for groceries” program, report MLive.com, the Associated Press and Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, States, Michigan Thu, 16 May 2013 05:35:39 -0500 44194.abajournal.com