http://www.abajournal.com/news/ en Copyright 2013 2013-05-23T05:39:09-06:00 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/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… Consumer Law, Contracts, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, Verdicts & Settlements, States, Montana Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:54 -0500 44262.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/lawyers_who_didnt_notify_insurance_carrier_of_nuisance_case_lose_coverage/ Husband-and-wife West Virginia lawyers who practiced together in the same Charleston firm initially didn't report to their insurance carrier what they subsequently described as a pro se "nuisance case" over a $290,000 check that the plaintiff said was wrongfully issued to one of the firm's attorneys. But after the plaintiff,… Appellate Practice, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Contracts, Insurance Law, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, States, West Virginia Mon, 13 May 2013 12:00:56 -0500 44152.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/criminal_defense_lawyer_says_clients_can_pay_him_in_bitcoins/ A Houston criminal defense lawyer has announced that he will accept bitcoins from clients in payment of legal bills, saying that he is one of the first attorneys in the state of Texas to do so. However, being willing to accept cash alternatives in payment of legal fees is standard… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, States, Texas Wed, 01 May 2013 15:52:00 -0500 43997.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/aba_helps_lawyers_thrive_by_being_at_the_forefront_of_new_practice_areas/ Alternative Dispute Resolution, Bar Associations, ABA, Business of Law, Careers, Cybersecurity, Elder Law, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, President's Message Wed, 01 May 2013 04:50:06 -0500 43791.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/law_school_friends_score_a_reality_tv_show/ Alternative Dispute Resolution, Business of Law, Careers, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Law in Popular Culture, Opening Statements Wed, 01 May 2013 04:40:06 -0500 43785.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/article/mentors_can_help_fledgling_solos/ Careers, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Business of Law Wed, 01 May 2013 02:30:19 -0500 43755.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/appeals_court_oks_lawyers_fine_for_asserting_slapp_shield_against_tort_case/ A California law that offers lawyers a shield against tort claims concerning their litigation activities has been limited by a California appeals court and might even be eliminated entirely by a federal appeals court. The state's so-called anti-SLAPP statute is intended to offer an early exit for small parties targeted… Appellate Practice, Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, First Amendment, Consumer Law, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Verdicts & Settlements, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:23:56 -0500 43904.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/bar_cites_email_from_missing_lawyer_in_emergency_suspension_case_over_missi/ Email messages sent by a missing Florida attorney who has been accused of taking up to $6 million from his law firm were revealed Tuesday in a state bar application for an emergency suspension of his law license. “You are all victims of my very bad business decisions,” Timothy McCabe… Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Real Estate & Property Law, States, Florida Tue, 16 Apr 2013 17:40:08 -0500 43766.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/rejected_client_bit_law_firm_intake_worker_before_partner_broke_up_office/ Corrected: Rejected for representation by an Indianapolis law firm after completing an intake form, a would-be client allegedly became furious Monday afternoon and started a fistfight when the unidentified firm refused to return his paperwork. Guillermo Trujillo had been assured by law office manager William Gutierrez that he would not… Criminal Justice, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, States, Indiana Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:30:49 -0500 43754.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_grad_paralegal_says_partner_asked_her_to_be_his_third_wife_made_her_fee/ A recent law graduate working as a paralegal says a New York attorney talked to her about pornography, repeatedly pitched her on the benefits of polygamy, asked her to become his "third wife" and insisted that she feed him with chopsticks at a restaurant. Sarbrina Rafi makes the allegations against… Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Paralegals, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Fri, 12 Apr 2013 12:52:42 -0500 43706.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ex-partner_sues_thompson_wigdor_for_600k_firm_calls_him_disgruntled_and_des/ A former partner who left Thompson Wigdor in 2011, after the firm was sanctioned over an employment case in which he was involved, has sued for $600,000 he says he is still owed. Scott Gilly says he is owed the money under the firm's 2008 partnership agreement and a separation… Careers, Lawyer Pay, Contracts, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:37:41 -0500 43658.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/south_dakota_lures_lawyers_to_rural_areas_with_annual_subsidies/ Rural law practice will become more lucrative for some South Dakota lawyers under a new law passed last month. Lawyers participating in the pilot program will be paid $12,000 a year to work in rural areas, the New York Times reports. The lawyer will have to… Bar Associations, Business of Law, Careers, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms, States, South Dakota Tue, 09 Apr 2013 07:43:12 -0500 43644.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/tips_for_the_frugal_solo_or_small_firm_practitioner/ Think you've got a frugal firm? The frugal firm, according veteran solos Patrick J. Crowley of Okemos, Mich., and Marc W. Matheny of Indianapolis, is not a "cheap" firm or one that cuts corners unnecessarily. It is a firm with limited resources or one that makes a conscientious decision to… Bar Associations, ABA, ABA Techshow, Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Solos/Small Firms Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:14:01 -0500 43608.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_mergers_hit_four-year_high_in_1st_quarter_2013/ Law firm merger activity hit a four-year high in the first quarter of 2013. All of the 20-plus law firm weddings listed by the Altman Weil Mergerline, however, involved the acquisition of smaller—and often much smaller—legal shops. “Firms are picking up specialty practices, expanding in strong… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Large Firm, Midsize Firm, Solos/Small Firms Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:50:11 -0500 43599.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/forced_out_of_small_firm_he_founded_after_leaving_biglaw_partner_72_gets_a_/ A well-known employment and civil rights litigator says he was forced out of the law firm he founded in 2003 after a nearly 23-year career at Paul Hastings. But Lawrence Ashe, 72, is now starting a new job, as senior counsel, at another firm, Parker, Hudson, Rainer… Careers, Labor & Employment, Law Firms, Large Firm, Midsize Firm, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, States, Georgia Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:12:07 -0500 43556.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/sued_by_ex-associate_partner_and_law_firm_file_defamation_claim_portray_pla/ Sued last month for alleged sexual harassment by a former associate, a prominent plaintiffs class action lawyer and his firm have fired back. In addition to answering the complaint brought by Alexandra Marchuk in federal court in Manhattan, Juan E. Monteverde and Faruqi & Faruqi have filed counterclaims alleging defamation,… Law Firms, Associates, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Media & Communications Law, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, 2nd Circuit Court, States, New York Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:55:35 -0500 43531.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/west_coast_litigation_boutique_markun_zusman_opens_office_in_boston/ An 18-attorney West Coast litigation boutique has opened an office in a Boston suburb. New name partner David Freniere, who focuses his practice on securities matters, will head the new Wellesley office of Markun Zusman Freniere & Compton, the Boston… Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, States, California, Massachusetts Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:20:04 -0500 43526.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/law_firm_sues_ex-partner_says_he_took_over_1m_in_unauthorized_compensation/ A suburban Chicago law firm has sued a former name partner, contending that he took over $1 million in unauthorized compensation and made personal use of Dommermuth, Cobine, West, Gensler, Philipchuck, Corrigan & Bernhard credit cards to pay gambling and vacation expenses. Ex-partner Bill Brestal, 71, has been in practice… Business of Law, Law Practice Management, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Tort Law, Trials & Litigation, States, Illinois Fri, 29 Mar 2013 11:20:03 -0500 43479.abajournal.com http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/slapped_with_67k_sanction_lawyer_calls_9th_circuits_action/ Ordered by a federal appeals court to pay $67,495 in legal fees to the companies involved in an airline merger he contested on antitrust grounds, a longtime San Francisco lawyer says he will have to pay the money of his own pocket. But Joseph Alioto said the sanction by the… Antitrust Law, Appellate Practice, Law Firms, Partners, Solos/Small Firms, Legal Ethics, Trials & Litigation, Attorney Fees, 9th Circuit Court, States, California Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:28:00 -0500 43435.abajournal.com