Large Firm

Steptoe moves to compel arbitration in gender discrimination lawsuit

BigLaw firm Steptoe & Johnson has asked (PDF) a Los Angeles federal court to compel arbitration with a former associate suing for gender discrimination, Law.com reported.

Aug 14, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Report finds greater flow of ‘big-ticket’ work to the nation’s top law firms

Demand for legal services is increasing at the nation’s top 100 law firms, but not for others, according to the Thomson Reuters Peer Monitor Index. The top 100 firms had demand growth of 1.6 percent since the beginning of the year, while demand was down 0.5 percent for second hundred…

Aug 8, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Quinn Emanuel says it’s had ‘very preliminary’ merger talks with Williams & Connolly

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has had “very preliminary” talks of a potential merger with Williams & Connolly, according to Quinn Emanuel managing partner John Quinn. Quinn issued a statement following a report of merger discussions by Legal Business, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) reports. “It is true that…

Aug 1, 2017 11:00 AM CDT

BigLaw embraces the remote work trend

After a successful test, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius plans to allow its associates in the U.S. and the U.K. to work remotely up to two days a week. Jackson Lewis and Baker McKenzie have also launched new flexible work programs.

Aug 1, 2017 2:00 AM CDT

Stoel Rives laying off 17 staffers; about half of law firm leaders report staff layoffs

Stoel Rives is laying off 17 administrative staffers as it changes its staffing model. Its decision is by no means unusual, according to a survey (PDF) this year by Altman Weil, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) reports. The consulting firm’s survey found that 48 percent of the law firm…

Jul 27, 2017 12:32 PM CDT

Marc Kasowitz reportedly takes on reduced role amidst Trump defense team shakeup

The team of lawyers defending Donald Trump in the ongoing Russia investigation has undergone a major shakeup, according to multiple reports.

Jul 21, 2017 5:07 PM CDT

BigLaw partner managed to dial in to work conference call before his drug-related death

An intellectual property partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati continued to obsess over his work even as drug addiction took over his life.

Jul 19, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

General counsel will share data on their law firms; is it cause for BigLaw concern?

General counsel at more than 25 major companies plan to share data on their law firms in an effort to learn whether firm size and practices, such as value billing, have any effect on satisfaction and results.

Jul 14, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

Law firm leaders project increased demand, growth in associate hiring

Law firm leaders surveyed by Citi Private Bank expressed an optimistic outlook for the second half of the year, and that could be good news for associates. Fifty-one percent of those who participated in the survey (PDF) expressed confidence that the rest of the year will be somewhat or considerably…

Jul 13, 2017 12:28 PM CDT

Costs of malware attack on DLA Piper could be in the millions; does insurance cover it?

Appropriate insurance could cover many of the costs associated with the malware attack on DLA Piper last month, insurance experts say.

Cyberattack insurance could cover external support, loss of income and bringing computer systems back online, according to insurance experts who spoke with Legal Week (sub. req.).

Jul 10, 2017 9:38 AM CDT

Pay is up for summer associates, but the future job outlook is less than rosy

Average pay for summer associates working at the nation’s top 200 law firms has jumped more than 11 percent to $3,285 a week. But the news isn’t all good, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.) reports. Summer hires dropped by about 2 percent, according to the 92 law firms responding…

Jul 7, 2017 3:48 PM CDT

Clark Hill announces merger with West Coast law firm

Clark Hill is merging with West Coast law firm Morris Polich & Purdy, a law firm with about 100 lawyers. The combined law firm will have more than 450 lawyers in 16 offices in nine states, according to a press release. The Am Law Daily (sub. req.) had a story…

Jul 6, 2017 12:15 PM CDT

Lawyer attributes condo suit over Latham partner’s pit bull to ‘dog racism’

A Manhattan condominium association is suing a Latham & Watkins partner in an effort to evict her pit bull. The suit against lawyer Michelle Kelban-Carteron by the board of managers of the Chelsea Modern condo is citing condo rules that ban any pit bull and “other potentially dangerous dog” from…

Jul 6, 2017 11:21 AM CDT

Mayer Brown isn’t liable for $1.5B error that erased security interest in loan, 7th Circuit holds

Mayer Brown isn’t liable for a paralegal’s error that canceled a security interest in a $1.5 billion loan to General Motors because the law firm didn’t represent the lenders, according to a federal appeals court.

Jul 5, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Jones Day partner who defended companies in bias suits is tapped to be civil rights chief at Justice

A Jones Day partner who has represented companies in discrimination lawsuits has been nominated to be chief of the Justice Department’s civil rights division. Nominee Eric Dreiband, is among several Jones Day partners who have been picked to join the Trump administration, the National Law Journal reports. Others include White…

Jun 30, 2017 9:59 AM CDT