Law Firms

Ex-Latham Partner Headed to Slammer

A retired Latham & Watkins partner has given up his law license after pleading guilty to tax evasion. Francis K. Decker agreed to serve 45 days in jail and pay $1.5 million in back taxes for failing to file New York state and city returns in 2003 and 2004, the…

Oct 2, 2007 1:46 PM CDT

Covington Poised to Grow With New Chairman

Covington & Burling has a new chairman who is touting an expansion program for the law firm. Antitrust litigator Timothy Hester is the firm’s new chairman, Legal Times reports. Hester told Legal Times to watch for a big expansion in a few of the law firm’s offices. “We’re especially focusing…

Oct 2, 2007 12:29 PM CDT

Ex-Associate’s Gay-Bias Suit Partly Tossed

Sullivan & Cromwell has succeeded in narrowing a former associate’s gay-bias lawsuit against the law firm. Manhattan Judge Bernard Fried dismissed two claims by ex-associate Aaron Charney on Friday, the New York Law Journal reports. Fried ruled Charney could not pursue a claim for intentional infliction of emotional distress since…

Oct 2, 2007 12:07 PM CDT

Manhattan Work at Mumbai Prices

Inside India’s hottest legal outsourcing team

Oct 1, 2007 8:43 PM CDT

NY 1st-Year Pay Plan: $250K, But No Jobs

Observers are waiting to see what the next salary move will be in New York City, where law firms that tried to surge ahead on first-year pay are now neck-and-neck with competitors from other major cities. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett’s move earlier this year to raise starting pay to $160,000…

Oct 1, 2007 7:41 PM CDT

Surveillance Backlash in Britain

The U.K.’s famously state-of-the-art national surveillance system (at least compared to the U.S.), is suddenly taking it on the chin. A blog post today by the Pinsent Masons law firm says up to 95 percent of the closed-circuit television systems in Britain and Wales are illegal—and that may soon be…

Oct 1, 2007 6:50 PM CDT

Such a Deal

Does Perkins Coie have the best time-money solution?

Oct 1, 2007 6:12 PM CDT

Lending to Lawyers—At 18 Percent-Plus

Once upon a time, plaintiffs lawyers had to front their own litigation costs. Today, companies lend them the money—at a price. A retired New York judge, for instance, runs Counsel Financial Services, reports the Buffalo News. It loans lawyers money to fund litigation at annual interest rates ranging from 18…

Oct 1, 2007 5:30 PM CDT

Lerners Goes Luxe

When Janet Stewart joined Lerners, in London, nearly 40 years ago, she was one of seven lawyers there. Today, the law firm has 100 attorneys in London and Toronto, and she is managing partner. Lerners has long since gotten used to making do with smaller-than-optimum space, but moved this week…

Oct 1, 2007 5:04 PM CDT

Age Shouldn’t Matter

ABA urges firms to nix mandatory retirement policies

Oct 1, 2007 4:01 PM CDT

MO Firms Talk Merger

Two Missouri law firms are discussing a merger that would create the state’s second largest firm. Blackwell Sanders and Husch & Eppenberger are discussing a combination that would produce a 630-lawyer firm, the National Law Journal reports. With 800 lawyers, Bryan Cave is the state’s largest law firm. Husch has…

Oct 1, 2007 12:07 PM CDT

Partnership Harder to Get, Easier to Lose

Just in case associates at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner haven’t already noticed, the Washington, D.C.-based intellectual property boutique called a meeting recently to announce that it’s harder than it used to be to make partner. Among other changes that are now being formally codified, the partnership track is…

Sep 28, 2007 7:18 PM CDT

Survey: Skadden #1 in Corporate Realm

In the corporate arena, one law firm clearly is the top of the list, a survey says: Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. There isn’t a category where Skadden isn’t a lead player,” Michael Rynowecer, president of BTI Consulting Group, tells Legal Times, in a story reprinted by New York…

Sep 28, 2007 6:52 PM CDT

Akin Gump Narrows Malpractice Claims

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has fewer claims to defend in a $4.4 billion suit filed against the law firm by former hedge fund managers. Judge Bernard Fried of Manhattan dismissed five causes of action in the suit because they duplicated legal malpractice claims, the New York Law Journal…

Sep 28, 2007 2:19 PM CDT

Ex-Managing Partner Joins Girl Scouts

The former managing partner of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is leaving the law firm to join the Girl Scouts. Marina Park will become CEO of the Northern California Girl Scouts, the Recorder reports in a story republished by New York Lawyer (reg. req.). Park says she will take lessons learned…

Sep 28, 2007 12:31 PM CDT