Practice Management

Bonuses Bigger for Hardest-Working Patton Boggs Associates

Associates at the busiest Patton Boggs offices reportedly have been working harder than their counterparts where business is a bit slower. So the firm decided to recognize their extra work with supersize bonuses, reports Texas Lawyer in an article reprinted by New York Lawyer (reg. req.). Those in the Washington,…

Jan 17, 2008 10:47 PM CST

More Flex Options for BigLaw Women to Make Partner

Increasingly, BigLaw firms reportedly are offering a variety of flexible options to allow women lawyers to make special arrangements they may need during early child-rearing years, yet still stay on a pathway to partnership. For Gabrielle Higgins, for instance, that meant an 18-year partnership track, due to her decision to…

Jan 17, 2008 10:28 PM CST

Law Grad, 32: Don’t Do What I Did

A 32-year-old Boston University law graduate is on a one-woman crusade to save others from making the same mistakes she made. High on Kirsten Wolf’s list of don’ts is spending the time—and especially the money—she did to get a law degree. Now saddled with $87,000 in educational debt that she…

Jan 16, 2008 10:39 PM CST

Pa. Law Firms Swap Partners in N.J.

It’s something of a musical chairs situation in central New Jersey as Pennsylvania law firms strive to establish a significant presence in the booming corporate area by raiding one another’s attorney rosters. As detailed in an earlier ABAJournal.com post, 275-lawyer Saul Ewing was the victim of a December attack by…

Jan 16, 2008 7:20 PM CST

Md. Law Firm Office Mgr. Stole $700K

A too-trusted former office manager for a Maryland law firm pleaded guilty yesterday to stealing more than $700,000 from Nagle & Zaller over a six-year period. Authorities say Christine McClain-Sloane, 41, embezzled the money between 1998 and 2005 by fraudulently writing nearly 250 firm checks and making some 1,400 charges…

Jan 16, 2008 6:55 PM CST

US Jury Consultants Help U.K. Lawyers

It’s a relatively common practice in the United States for trial lawyers to seek help from jury consultants when preparing arguments and selecting jurors. But the idea is still a bit unusual in Britain. Now, however, an increasing number of lawyers in the U.K. are looking to consultants from the…

Jan 16, 2008 6:22 PM CST

Prominent Lawyer’s Steamy Affair Heats Up Legal Ethics Controversy

Newly publicized details of a prominent Canadian lawyer’s alleged steamy affair with a client are prompting renewed questions about whether an existing legal ethics rule concerning conflicts of interest is specific and stringent enough—as written, and as applied. George Hunter was sued in November along with his well-known law firm…

Jan 15, 2008 10:58 PM CST

Retire in Your 40s? Yes, at U.K. Megafirm

Retiring at age 40-something probably isn’t a realistic goal for most lawyers. But in a move that may be viewed with envy by partners at some U.S. firms, one of Britain’s biggest and best-known law shops has announced a new retirement plan that makes this possible for some. Prompted by…

Jan 15, 2008 10:06 PM CST

More Verrill Dana Fallout re Former Partner’s Alleged $400K Theft

The managing partner at one of Maine’s biggest and best-known law firms has resigned his post in the wake of a former partner’s alleged theft of just over $400,000 from the firm and some clients. David Warren, who is credited with leading a successful turnaround at Verrill Dana after it…

Jan 15, 2008 6:32 PM CST

Look, It’s a Home, or a New Bistro—No, It’s a Law Office!

If at first glance Kriss & Feuerstein’s sleek new law offices look like a high-end postmodern home or a trendy new bistro, that’s not surprising. The 10-attorney Manhattan real estate boutique intentionally set out to design a space that looks like the places where young clients choose to spend their…

Jan 14, 2008 6:04 PM CST

Oops. Lost Passbook Costs Utah Lawyer Up to $832,000

Back in the day when a savings account required a passbook in which the bank manually entered each deposit and withdrawal, a client of Ogden, Utah, attorney George B. Handy established one that named Handy as trustee and deposited $150,000. Then the client died in a plane crash. More than…

Jan 11, 2008 11:00 PM CST

Hynes Criticized in NY City Bar Prez Race Over Milberg Connection

A renowned trial lawyer running unopposed to serve as the president of the New York City Bar Association is being targeted for criticism because of her reluctance to discuss her longtime prior job at a law firm that is now under indictment. Patricia Hynes, a former federal prosecutor who is…

Jan 11, 2008 8:43 PM CST

The Tiger Woods Effect: Law Firm Superstars May Discourage Other Lawyers

Law firms that want to hire a few superstars to promote competition should consider the Tiger Woods effect, a researcher says. The superstars could actually spur other lawyers to reduce their efforts. Jennifer Brown of the University of California at Berkeley comes to this conclusion in a study (PDF) of…

Jan 10, 2008 1:25 PM CST

Local Officials Suggest New Ideas for Saving on Legal Fees

Local officials have advanced several cutting-edge concepts lately about how to save money on legal fees. However, the lawyers concerned may not be jumping for joy over the innovative ideas. In Milford, Ohio, a newly elected school board member suggested that the group could save money by eliminating their general…

Jan 10, 2008 12:05 AM CST

Lawyer Sues Fla. Bar Over Bad Ad

Five years ago, the Florida Bar reportedly OK’d attorney Bill Harrell’s use of the phrase “Don’t settle for less than you deserve” in his law firm advertising. But now it has determined that the slogan Harrell has been using since 2002 to “brand” his well-known Jacksonville law firm conflicts with…

Jan 9, 2008 9:32 PM CST