New York

Stock characters and stories borrowed from popular sitcom don’t amount to copyright infringement

An off-Broadway play that seems to be inspired by the ABC sitcom Three’s Company does not infringe on the popular show’s copyright, a New York federal judge ruled earlier this week. The Southern District of New York action was brought by playwright David Adjmi, the New York Times reports. He…

Apr 2, 2015 10:17 AM CDT

April 1 joke banning late-night and vacation emails backfires on Weil Gotshal

An April Fools’ Day email to Weil Gotshal & Manges employees saying that electronic messages would not be transmitted late at night or to vacationing workers, was intended as a joke. But this year the firm’s traditional April 1 effort backfired. Hard-working associate attorneys didn’t find the message about the…

Apr 1, 2015 3:55 PM CDT

Feds charge former BigLaw attorney with aiding client’s fraudulent attempt to get money to buy Maxim

A former BigLaw attorney was arrested Wednesday for allegedly helping a client impersonate his wealthy father, in a fraudulent attempt to get financing to purchase the men’s magazine Maxim. Attorney Harvey Newkirk, 39, was charged with aggravated identity theft, conspiracy and wire fraud in a criminal complaint filed in federal…

Apr 1, 2015 3:30 PM CDT

Is time on homeowners’ side? Foreclosure case tossed without prejudice may not pause clock

Lawyers for homeowners in several states are arguing banks can’t foreclose on their clients’ homes because the statute of limitations has expired. An issue in the cases is when the clock begins to run and whether a tossed foreclosure case pauses the clock, the New York Times reports. Lawyers for…

Mar 30, 2015 7:21 AM CDT

Does your legal LinkedIn profile have off-base endorsements? Ethics opinion has a problem with that

Lawyers with LinkedIn profiles should monitor their endorsements and recommendations for accuracy, according to an ethics opinion by a New York bar group. Lawyers should exclude inaccurate recommendations and endorsements, according to the March 10 opinion (PDF) by the New York County Lawyers Association Professional Ethics Committee. The opinion provides…

Mar 30, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

New York lawyer charged for allegedly deceiving family over misplaced will

A New York estate lawyer has been arraigned on charges that he forged a fake receipt to hide the fact that he had misplaced a dead man’s will. James Robbins, 62, was arraigned Wednesday on one count of possessing a forged instrument and one count of offering a false instrument…

Mar 27, 2015 3:05 PM CDT

Federal judge scolds BigLaw lawyers for ‘behemoth pleadings’ and ‘prolixity’

A federal judge in Manhattan is ordering lawyers in a United Parcel Service lawsuit to file new pleadings that are short and plain, in keeping with Rule 8 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure. In a March 24 order (PDF), U.S. District Judge William Pauley III labeled the pleadings…

Mar 26, 2015 8:48 AM CDT

Heavy traffic? Out of town? Alleged inconsistent excuses add to lawyer’s troubles

A federal judge in Manhattan has fined a New York lawyer a minimum of $12,000 for alleged missteps that include missing court conferences and providing inconsistent excuses as to why. U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman imposed the latest sanctions on lawyer Carlos G. Garcia in a March 18 opinion, the…

Mar 24, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Considering a low-cost law school in your state? Pace has a deal for you

Pace Law School is taking a new strategy in an effort to lure students to enroll. Pace will cut its tuition to match the amount charged by a public law school in a student’s home state, the Wall Street Journal Law Blog reports. The school issued a press release on…

Mar 18, 2015 1:40 PM CDT

New York firms mull possible 300-attorney merger; they’re ‘dating’ but ‘not engaged,’ leader says

The managing partner of one of the largest law firms in upstate New York has confirmed that it is mulling a possible merger with Hiscock & Barclay, a 210-attorney regional firm that is also based in upstate New York. “I described it to our people the other day as, ‘yes,…

Mar 18, 2015 1:10 PM CDT

Average partner at Paul Weiss earns $3.85M; tops list of 17 financially outperforming firms

Seventeen elite New York law firms outpaced other top law firms in 2014, with increases of 4.5 percent in average revenue, 5.6 percent in average profits per partner and 2.7 percent in revenue per lawyer. Average revenue per lawyer was $1.2 million at these 17 firms, while average profits per…

Mar 17, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Following New York’s lead, California bar officials plan to require pro bono work for admission

Following New York’s lead, bar officials in California are in the process of developing a pro bono program for law students who plan to practice in the state. Like the policy adopted by the New York Court of Appeals, which took effect Jan. 1, the California plan requires 50 pro…

Mar 13, 2015 3:55 PM CDT

No defendant, no defense lawyer, no problem; trial is held and jurors convict

Prosecutors in Rochester, New York, were reluctant to try a man who didn’t show up for trial and didn’t have a lawyer there to represent him. But that didn’t stop Judge Francis Affronti from ordering the trial of Kody McKee, accused of threatening his girlfriend in text messages and phone…

Mar 13, 2015 8:08 AM CDT

Accused of stonewalling complaints, major credit agencies promise reform in pact with New York AG

Following claims that credit reporting agencies stonewall consumer complaints about inaccuracies, New York’s attorney general demanded reform and has now announced a settlement. Among other changes, the three major credit reporting agencies have promised to have trained employees review the specifics of complaints about alleged errors and will wait six…

Mar 9, 2015 4:20 PM CDT

2nd name partner exits Nelson Brown for Goldberg Segalla, along with 6 more attorneys in NC office

For the second time in less than a week, Goldberg Segalla has announced that a name partner is joining the New York-based firm from Nelson Brown Hamilton & Krekstein. The latest exit, by managing partner David Brown, along with the remaining four partners and two associates in Nelson Brown’s office…

Mar 9, 2015 2:55 PM CDT