Career & Practice

Law Exempting Lawyers from ‘Red Flags Rule’ Makes ABA Suit Moot, DC Circuit Says

An ABA suit challenging application of identity theft regulations to lawyers is moot as a result of an exemption granted by Congress last December, a federal appeals court has ruled. The ABA had lobbied hard for the congressional action. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled (PDF)…

Mar 4, 2011 4:52 PM CST

Bullivant Closes Calif. Office After Practice Heads Lead 12-Lawyer Leap to Locke Lord Bissell

After a dozen lawyers from the Sacramento office of Bullivant Houser Bailey jumped ship to Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell, the firm announced today that it is closing its 20-year-old office in California’s capital, effective March 1. The move leaves 100-lawyer Bullivant, which is based in Portland, Oreg., without a…

Mar 4, 2011 2:16 AM CST

Law Firm Facing High-Heels Injury Suit Is Now Gearing Up for E-Mail Discovery Dispute

A woman who sued claiming she was injured when the high heels she was required to wear at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn got caught in the law firm’s carpet is now launching a new attack on the discovery front. A lawyer for Denise Fitzhenry, who formerly worked as an…

Mar 4, 2011 12:53 AM CST

Former Head of ‘Closed’ Yoss Office: ‘I Left Because I Wasn’t Getting Paid’

A Florida law firm that has been struggling since the suspension last year of founding partner Henry “Hank” Adorno was reported earlier this week to be closing its West Palm Beach office as part of a restructuring. But the former head of that Yoss office, John Koenig, says he left…

Mar 3, 2011 10:42 PM CST

2 Howrey Partners Say They Waited As Long As They Could Before Heading for the Exits

Updated: Roger Klein had spent 35 years at Howrey. But about a month ago he decided to take his future into his own hands and began looking for a new job, he tells the Washingtonian’s Capital Comment Blog, when “it became clear to me that Howrey was not going to…

Mar 3, 2011 7:34 PM CST

Judge Refuses Class Action Status for Suit Claiming ‘Time Bomb’ in Law Firm Software

A federal judge in New Jersey has refused to grant class action status to a lawsuit that claims law firm management software contained a hidden “time bomb” that caused it to shut down. The suit by New York intellectual property law firm Kalow & Springut claimed that software made by…

Mar 3, 2011 5:23 PM CST

Defense Lawyer’s Effort to Discredit Informant by Arranging Drug Buy Gets Attorney Convicted

It may have seemed like a good idea at the time. But Indiana attorney David Schalk’s attempt to discredit an informant in a methamphetamine case against his client by proving that the informant was still dealing drugs apparently did not turn out as anticipated. The Indiana Court of Appeals has…

Mar 3, 2011 1:20 AM CST

DOJ Targets ‘Visionary Tax Attorney,’ Says Calif. Lawyer Is Promoting Illegal Tax Shelters

Add another California lawyer to the list of tax practitioners being pursued by the feds for allegedly promoting illegal tax shelters. Self-proclaimed “visionary tax attorney” Scott Waage of San Diego is being sued by the Department of Justice, along with his firm, the Strategic Law Group, reports the National Law…

Mar 2, 2011 8:41 PM CST

Administrator for Law Firm Portrayed in ‘Erin Brockovich’ Has 50K Twitter Followers

The Masry Vititoe law firm in California achieved fame after its portrayal in the movie about its persistent law clerk, Erin Brockovich. Now the law firm’s administrator, Christopher Levinson, is also attracting some attention. Levinson has more than 52,000 Twitter followers, according to the Larry Bodine Law Marketing Blog. The…

Mar 2, 2011 12:00 PM CST

Report: Prince Is ‘Purple Pain’ for NY Law Firm That Says He Owes a Lot of Green

The singer Prince has become a “purple pain” for the New York law firm that represented him in a divorce and other matters, reports the New York Daily News. Although he already paid around $125,000 to Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler, he owes another $700,000 or so, the firm says…

Mar 1, 2011 11:36 PM CST

Recruiter Got Zip, Sued for $100M, Is Awarded $365K re 12-Lawyer Leap to Lewis Brisbois

After being paid nothing for a 10-lawyer leap to Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, a legal recruiter sued the Los Angeles law firm for $100 million. A federal magistrate judge in Houston has now awarded $365,150 to Houston-based CB Legal Search, reports the Houston Business Journal. The recruiter contended its…

Mar 1, 2011 9:59 PM CST

Kirkland Hire of 2 Lawyers Leaves Howrey’s London Office with Only 1 Remaining Partner

One of the two remaining partners in Howrey’s London office is leaving to join Kirkland & Ellis, along with another lawyer who was of counsel but is joining Kirkland as a partner. Shaun Goodman, who was a partner at Howrey, and Sarah Jordan work together on mergers, antitrust and other…

Mar 1, 2011 7:49 PM CST

After Layoffs and Belt-Tightening, Law Firms Are Seeing Light at the End of the Tunnel

At Cobb Cole—where five attorneys were laid off or left of their own accord last year—the attorney roster decreased to 24, and there were staff layoffs as well. At Chiumento Guntharp & Selis, the number of lawyers working at the firm was cut from seven to three in 2009, and…

Mar 1, 2011 6:22 PM CST

Law Firm Worker Blew Through Most of the $2.7M She Stole, So Restitution Is Only $389K

In addition to being a thief who stole some $2.7 million in seven years from the United Kingdom law firm at which she was a longtime, trusted employee, Louise Martini also was apparently not a good manager of money. Having reportedly spent most of the moolah on living large (her…

Mar 1, 2011 5:55 PM CST

24/7 Work Atmosphere Makes Retaining Associates a Challenge, Hartford Law Firm Leaders Say

More clients want lawyers who are available 24/7, and the atmosphere is making it a challenge to retain associates. That’s the conclusion of some law firm leaders in Hartford, Conn., who spoke to the Hartford Business Journal. Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge wants to hire associates who are committed to…

Mar 1, 2011 12:58 PM CST