Corporate Law

Following pay changes with Idaho public defender’s office, agency saw more than 1,000 withdrawals

Updated: Recent Idaho public defender pay rate changes led to many counsel heading for the exits, and the Idaho State Bar issued a formal ethics opinion due to concerns. It recognizes financial hardships can cause conflicts in legal representation but notes that counsel cannot leave a case without the court’s approval.

Nov 13, 2024 9:07 AM CST

Law firm profitability is at near-record high, new report says

Law firm financials have improved for seven consecutive quarters, leading to a profitability score that is the second highest on record for the Law Firm Financial Index since its inception more than 15 years ago.

Nov 11, 2024 12:02 PM CST

Supreme Court appears split in Facebook lawsuit tied to data breach

The Supreme Court on Wednesday appeared closely divided over whether to allow shareholders to proceed with a lawsuit accusing Meta’s Facebook of misleading investors about risks from a massive data privacy breach.

Nov 7, 2024 10:00 AM CST

Dentons, Boies Schiller call lawsuit claims against them ‘literally incoherent’ and ‘utterly implausible’

Dentons and Boies Schiller Flexner are asking a New York City federal judge to toss a racketeering lawsuit against them in legal briefs that deride the allegations by its former clients as “literally incoherent” and “utterly implausible.”

Nov 5, 2024 3:27 PM CST

BigLaw firm sanctioned for ‘flagrant violations of a protective order’

Latham & Watkins and its client must pay an attorney-fee sanction for “flagrant violations of a protective order,” according to a federal judge in California.

Nov 4, 2024 2:36 PM CST

Copyright decision is a win for milkshake lovers and the right to repair

The Library of Congress—which houses the Copyright Office—has ruled that any technician can repair some commercial food preparation equipment, including the McDonald’s ice cream machines. The decision could decrease the amount of time McDonald’s restaurants have to wait for an expert to fix the devices.

Nov 1, 2024 2:15 PM CDT

Google fined $20 decillion by Russian court

U.S. tech giant Google has closed up shop in Russia, but that hasn’t stopped a court there from leveling it with a fine greater than all the wealth in the world.

Nov 1, 2024 11:05 AM CDT

Kirkland partner can’t present argument or evidence because he ‘crossed the lines’ of court orders, judge says

A Missouri judge has sanctioned a Kirkland & Ellis partner after finding the lawyer “acted in bad faith on several occasions” and tried to inflame the jury during a civil trial targeting the makers of baby formula.

Oct 31, 2024 8:45 AM CDT

4th Circuit upholds $1M sanction for law firm that tried to ‘sabotage’ federal court’s authority

Updated: A federal judge had inherent power to impose a $1.05 million sanction against a national law firm for asking state courts to order an end to U.S. district court litigation, a federal appeals court ruled last week.

Oct 29, 2024 3:50 PM CDT

Inspired by a movie, this attorney then made herself indispensable

An ’80s movie was the unlikely inspiration for one partner who took its message to heart. Erika Gasaway heard the message and adapted it when she became a lawyer: “If you think like a partner, you’ll be a partner.” But it was many years later when that missive would become her reality.

Oct 29, 2024 1:06 PM CDT

DOJ reaches $100 million settlement in Baltimore bridge collapse

The owner of the Dali container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge earlier this year, collapsing the span and killing six people, has agreed to pay more than $100 million in damages to resolve a Justice Department lawsuit, authorities said Thursday.

Oct 25, 2024 9:00 AM CDT

Your lawsuit against X is required to be filed in Texas, according to new terms of service

Lawsuits filed against X, formerly known as Twitter, have to be filed in federal court for the Northern District of Texas or in state court in the state’s Tarrant County, according to the social media company’s new terms of service.

Oct 23, 2024 9:11 AM CDT

Unbeknownst to corporate lawyer, scammers used her name to file thousands of trademark applications

Ana Belén Vinueza isn’t the only lawyer to have her identity stolen to file trademark applications. Scams involving stealing attorney identities and bar credentials specifically to file trademark applications are apparently becoming increasingly common.

Oct 22, 2024 1:38 PM CDT

DOJ announces $3B in fines for landmark money-laundering case

TD Bank pleaded guilty to federal money laundering charges Thursday, agreeing to pay more than $3 billion in fines for enabling drug traffickers and other criminals to open accounts and transfer money through the bank. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the agreement and said the bank is the first in American history to plead guilty to conspiring to laundering money.

Oct 11, 2024 9:56 AM CDT

Former CFO at Tom Girardi’s law firm reaches plea deal, agrees to $3.1M forfeiture

The former chief financial officer at disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi’s law firm has reached a deal to plead guilty to two counts of wire fraud that caused losses of at least $3.5 million.

Oct 10, 2024 9:18 AM CDT