New York

Crowell & Moring Sued; Ex-Client Claims $15M Lost Due to Embezzlement by Then-Associate of Law Firm

A former real estate client has sued Crowell & Moring for malpractice, contending that it lost $15 million as a result of the actions of an inadequately supervised New York associate who jumped off the tracks of standard law practice. In addition to the $15 million it could cost to…

Apr 13, 2012 11:25 AM CDT

NY Appeals Court OKs $12K Divorce Award for Value of Spouse’s Notre Dame Law Degree

A New York trial court did not abuse its discretion in awarding a husband only 10 percent of the value assigned to his wife’s law degree from Notre Dame University despite his contributions as the family’s primary wage-earner and the child care he provided while his wife was in law…

Apr 13, 2012 10:36 AM CDT

2 Top Real Estate Partners Exit Herrick Feinstein in NY for Hunton & Williams

Two top real estate partners have left Herrick Feinstein in New York for Hunton & Williams. Carl Schwartz, who worked on some of the city’s biggest deals as chair of his now-former law firm’s real estate practice group, will now chair his new firm’s New York real estate practice group.…

Apr 13, 2012 10:08 AM CDT

Kelley Drye Settlement with EEOC Offers No Guidance On When a Partner May Be Deemed an Employee

A consent decree (PDF) filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan resolved a more than decade-old pay dispute between Kelley Drye & Warren and one of the New York-based law firm’s older partners. In addition to a $574,000 payment by the firm to Eugene D’Ablemont, covering work he performed from…

Apr 12, 2012 4:19 PM CDT

Reuters Lists ‘Linchpin’ Partners Still at Dewey & LeBoeuf Who Are ‘Critical to the Firm’s Future’

Despite the departure of approximately 50 partners since the beginning of 2012 and an effort to deal with a high debtload and lower-than-expected revenue that reportedly has led the law firm to defer a portion of compensation to some partners, Dewey & LeBoeuf is still on a viable business course,…

Apr 11, 2012 6:18 PM CDT

Nail Salon Workers Win $240K in Labor Standards Case

Workplace rights advocates are citing a verdict last month as evidence that nail salon workers are becoming more assertive. Jurors awarded six New York nail salon workers $240,000 for violations of labor laws, the New York Times reports. Workers said they made less than the $7.25 an hour, and worked…

Apr 11, 2012 3:30 PM CDT

Kelley Drye Settles EEOC Suit re Alleged Partner Age Discrimination, Will Pay $570K to One Partner

Settling an age-discrimination lawsuit brought on behalf of a partner by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a well-known 350-attorney New York law firm has agreed not to reduce its partners’ pay based on their age. In an April 3 consent decree that was signed Tuesday by a federal magistrate judge…

Apr 10, 2012 11:18 PM CDT

Judge Fines NY Lawyer $500 for ‘Premeditated, Blatant and Willful’ Tardiness

Warned that it was critical to be on time for a 9:30 a.m. trial on March 5, a New York lawyer pushed a state-court judge one time too man. Arriving at 10 a.m., attorney Douglas G. Rankin then left immediately to talk on his cell phone. When he returned, said…

Apr 10, 2012 4:36 PM CDT

Dewey Structured Finance Chief to Join Mayer Brown; He Is the 47th Partner to Exit Firm

Another partner of Dewey & LeBoeuf has given notice, bringing to at least 47 the number who have headed for the exit in 2012. Stephen Rooney, who heads the firm’s structured finance practice, is the ninth partner to announce his exit this week. He will soon join Mayer Brown, which…

Apr 6, 2012 5:59 PM CDT

Litigation Funding Loan of $1.2M to Law Firm at 40 Percent Interest Not Usurious, Court Rules

Nixing a New York law firm’s apparent effort to reduce what it contractually owed a litigation funding company, a state-court judge has ruled that the 40 percent interest rate charged by Quick Cash on total advances of $1.2 million didn’t violate usury law. Although New York criminal law restricts interest…

Apr 5, 2012 6:27 PM CDT

Mom Charged with Second-Degree Murder for Giving M&Ms to Allergic Daughter

Prosecutors have upgraded the charge against a New York mom accused of giving her allergic child M&Ms with traces of peanuts. The woman, Veronica Cirella, has been charged with second-degree murder, report the Associated Press and WABC. She was previously accused of manslaughter in the death of her 8-year-old daughter,…

Apr 5, 2012 12:02 PM CDT

Six More Dewey & LeBoeuf Partners Exit, Bringing Total Departure Tally in 2012 to 46

Another six partners of Dewey & LeBoeuf have announced that they are leaving the law firm, bringing to 46 the total number of partner departures in 2012. Among those leaving are James R. Woods, who co-chaired the firm’s global insurance practice. He joined Mayer Brown on Wednesday, the Wall Street…

Apr 4, 2012 11:00 PM CDT

Paul Weiss Partner Can’t Get Divorce Deal Do-Over Because of Madoff Losses, NY Top Court Says

A partner at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison can’t revise his divorce settlement because his proceeds included $5.4 million invested with Ponzi schemer Bernard Madoff, New York’s top court has ruled. The decision by the New York Court of Appeals reverses a January 2011 ruling allowing a do-over for…

Apr 4, 2012 12:08 PM CDT

Docs in EEOC Case Detail 12-Year Pay Battle Between Onetime ‘Life Partner’ and Kelley Drye

As a pay battle between an 81-year-old labor and employment partner of Kelley Drye & Warren and the law firm nears its 12th anniversary, documents released Monday pursuant to a federal court order detail some of the issues in the age discrimination case. Arguing that he was being treated unfairly…

Apr 3, 2012 9:55 PM CDT

4-Lawyer M&A Team Exits Dewey for DLA Piper; Leader Will Co-Chair US Finance Practice There

Updated: A four-lawyer mergers and acquisitions team is exiting Dewey & LeBoeuf for megafirm DLA Piper, bringing to 40 the number of partners known to have left Dewey since the beginning of 2012. The team, which practiced in Dewey’s office in New York, joined DLA Piper on Tuesday and is…

Apr 3, 2012 6:34 PM CDT