California

California Divorce Lawyer Accused of Soliciting Wife’s Murder

A La Jolla, Calif., divorce lawyer has been arrested on charges that he tried to hire others to kill his wife. Lawyer Steven Robert Liss was arrested Monday and charged with solicitation to commit murder, false imprisonment and spousal battery, according to the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune.…

Jul 21, 2009 1:29 PM CDT

Probe of Michael Jackson’s Death Zeros In On Prescription Drug Issues

An ongoing investigation into the death of Michael Jackson may be focusing on his use of drugs prescribed under pseudonyms. Although it is illegal under state and federal law for a patient to be given drugs under a fictitious name, sources say the famous pop singer was prescribed medications under…

Jul 17, 2009 11:38 PM CDT

Lawyer Who Gave Up Law Practice Ready to Help Others Do the Same

University of California Hastings College of the Law graduate Casey Berman isn’t happy with law practice, and he’s hoping to make some money helping others who share his feelings. Berman has launched a consulting firm called Leave Law Behind to help lawyers who want to start their own businesses, the…

Jul 17, 2009 6:03 PM CDT

Former SEC Chair Christopher Cox to Join Bingham McCutchen

Former top securities regulator Christopher Cox is to join Bingham McCutchen as a partner in the firm’s Orange County, Calif., offices and a principal in its Bingham Consulting Group subsidiary. Cox, who left his post as chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in January, is a former Republican…

Jul 17, 2009 4:42 PM CDT

Los Angeles Courts Partly Close for First of 12 Furlough Days

On Wednesday, Los Angeles courts partly shut down for the first of 12 furlough days imposed to save an estimated $18 million. About 93 percent of the court’s employees took the day off without pay, but courts stayed open for emergency matters, the National Law Journal reports. Judges weren’t required…

Jul 17, 2009 11:25 AM CDT

AIDS Group Sues LA County to Enforce Porn Film Condom Regs

A prominent advocacy group that works to prevent the spread of AIDS has sued Los Angeles public health officials in an effort to force enforcement of regulations requiring actors in porn films to wear condoms. The Los Angeles County Superior Court suit filed today by AIDS Healthcare Foundation also seeks…

Jul 16, 2009 10:42 PM CDT

Cooley Partner’s ‘Long Goodbye’

In an interview earlier this month, a soon-to-be-former Cooley Godward Kronish partner said it had been a difficult decision to jump to Dewey & LeBoeuf’s office in Silicon Valley along with two other high-profile partners. But now it appears that Cooley’s parting with mergers and acquisitions star Richard Climan was…

Jul 14, 2009 8:39 PM CDT

Midsize Firms in California Mulling Associate Pay Cuts

Some midsize firms in California have already cut associate salaries, while others are thinking it over. The market rate for new associates at midsize firms is $160,000, and some firms claim they will continue to pay that amount, the Recorder reports. But some have already announced cuts. Howard Rice Nemerovski…

Jul 10, 2009 1:32 PM CDT

Suit Claims Thelen Partners Paid Themselves Instead of Employees

Former employees of the dissolved law firm Thelen have filed a lawsuit that claims they didn’t get the wages they deserved because some former partners paid themselves instead. The class-action suit says the partners paid themselves $25 million as the firm was dissolving, but failed to pay $18 million due…

Jul 8, 2009 3:38 PM CDT

Heller Estate Hires Counsel for Possible Suit Over Loss of IP Group

A law firm hired as special counsel for the estate of law firm Heller Ehrman is considering whether to pursue a lawsuit against Covington & Burling and the 14 Heller partners who jumped there. The Recorder reports on the potential suit, basing its story on bankruptcy court filings and other…

Jul 7, 2009 11:04 AM CDT

Appeals Court Rules MySpace Not Liable for Teens’ Rapes

A California appeals court has ruled that MySpace isn’t liable for the rapes of teenage girls who were assaulted by men they had met on the social networking site. The Second District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles ruled that MySpace is protected from liability by the federal Communications Decency…

Jul 2, 2009 4:38 PM CDT

Orrick Axes Lockstep Pay and Staffing, Amps Up Training in New Practice Model

In a press release posted on its website today, Orrick trumpets a new “talent model” that will, as the law firm puts it, “re-engineer the way the law firm delivers high-value legal service.” Central to the plan is the elimination of a so-called lockstep pay scale that ups the ante…

Jul 1, 2009 10:50 PM CDT

New Michael Jackson Child Custody Issue: He May Not Be Biological Dad

Complicating a potential legal battle over the custody of Michael Jackson’s children, it appears possible that none of the three may be biologically his. Additionally, Debbie Rowe, who is Jackson’s ex-wife and the mother of two of the children, may not be biologically related to any of them either, reports…

Jun 30, 2009 6:32 PM CDT

Calif. Lawyer Accused of Extortion Effort in Client Representation

A California lawyer has been criminally charged concerning his representation of a client in a civil harassment case. Attorney James Toledano, 65, of Costa Mesa, is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and attempted extortion by threat, reports the Orange County Register. Prosecutors say that while representing Michael Earl…

Jun 30, 2009 2:37 PM CDT

Michael Jackson Physician Says He Did Nothing Wrong; Other Docs Interviewed

Interviewed by police Los Angeles for about three hours on Saturday, Michael Jackson’s personal physician said he did nothing wrong concerning the famous pop singer’s sudden death last week, and there was “no red flag” indicating otherwise, an unidentified “source close to the investigation” tells the Los Angeles Times. Media…

Jun 29, 2009 4:58 PM CDT