November 7, 2003

Labor Pains
Management at Ralphs Grocery Co. was not the only group to take note of a California appeal court decision last month that found that elements of the retailer's employee bonus system ran afoul of the law. "We started receiving cases against other employers the very next day," says Kirby Wilcox, a partner at Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. The burst of copycat suits represents the latest chapter in the wage-and-hour class action phenomenon.
--Alexei Oreskovic

Honeymoon Over for AG, Governor-Elect
The chummy relationship between Attorney General Bill Lockyer and Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger headed south Thursday when Schwarzenegger accused the AG of violating attorney-client privilege for talking about sexual abuse allegations against the actor-turned-politician. Lockyer discussed the alleged improprieties at a news conference Thursday morning. He said they would continue to be a problem and said he had advised Schwarzenegger to enlist an independent investigator to clear things up.
--Jeff Chorney

Brown Moves a Step Closer to Filibuster
By a party line vote Thursday, Janice Rogers Brown's nomination to the federal bench was sent to the full Senate, where it is all but certain she will become the fifth Bush nominee to face a filibuster. Democrats won't confirm a filibuster is in the works. But Capitol Hill sources note that every Bush nominee that has faced a filibuster so far was, like Brown, approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10-9 vote.
--Mike McKee

Golden Gate Taps Cleveland Professor to Head Law School
Golden Gate University School of Law ended its yearlong search for a new dean Wednesday, naming a Cleveland-based law professor, Frederic White Jr., to the post. White, who teaches at Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, will become one of the first African-American law school deans in California and the only one currently serving at a major Bay Area law school.
--Renee Deger

New Partners
Farella Braun & Martel announced its new partner class Thursday, promoting a trio of attorneys. The lawyers, who practice in the firm's intellectual property, real estate and securities groups, will officially join Farella's partnership Jan. 1.
--Alexei Oreskovic

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

November 6, 2003

Hallinan v. Harris
The Dec. 9 runoff for San Francisco DA will feature a pair of candidates with similar positions on issues from medical marijuana to the death penalty. Political strategists expect incumbent DA Terence Hallinan to attack Kamala Harris' political ties and Harris to fire back with charges that Hallinan has mismanaged his office. "If she can change the dynamic of the race from ideology to effectiveness ... that's the key to this election for her," said John Whitehurst, a San Francisco political consult
--Pam Smith

Lawyers Stump for End to Tough Patent Policy
Patent lawyers have long chafed under rules requiring them to relinquish attorney-client privilege in certain patent cases. But that may change. The Federal Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently announced it was reviewing its past opinions on the issue and has asked for public comment. Lawyers on Monday flooded the court with amicus briefs pleading for repeal of the rules. At issue are two Federal Circuit rulings that created a process to assess whether someone knowingly infringed a valid patent.
--Brenda Sandburg

Justices Look for Equity in Inheritance Case
As a foster child, Terrold Bean had been like a son to Arthur Ford for 45 years. But because he was never officially adopted, and Ford died without a will, a niece and nephew who hadn't seen Ford for 15 years claimed inheritance of his estate. During oral arguments at the California Supreme Court on Wednesday, the justices sounded eager to right what they saw as a great injustice. But they also seemed unsure what they could do legally on Bean's behalf, in light of statutes that favor biological inheritance.
--Mike McKee

November 5, 2003

Schwarzenegger Taps Lockyer Deputy
Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday appointed Attorney General Bill Lockyer's top lawyer -- Chief Deputy AG Peter Siggins -- to be his legal affairs secretary. Siggins, 48, has been with the AG's office for about 15 years. As Lockyer's day-to-day lieutenant, he oversees the thousands of criminal appeals, civil suits and other litigation that is handled by the 1,100 lawyers within the Department of Justice.
--Jeff Chorney

Mouth of the South Bay
Ask Richard Alexander about his practice, and he's quick to tell you where the justice system went wrong. "One thing that's quite clear is we've created a monster with the legal corporation. It's treated like a person for civil purposes, but it's exonerated from the application of the criminal law," he says. "Corporations that kill and maim ought to be treated like any other person who kills and maims." He sees the plaintiffs bar as "the last bastion representing the rights of the people."
--Shannon Lafferty

Alameda DA Will Retry Riders Case
Alameda County District Attorney Tom Orloff announced Tuesday that he will retry the historic "Riders" case that accused three Oakland police officers of using illegal tactics to crack down on West Oakland drug dealers. "I believe that the probability of convictions in this case justifies a retrial," Orloff said, adding that he "wrestled with the decision." Following the announcement, during a session in Judge Jon Rolefson's courtroom, attorneys for the accused officers called the retrial "irresponsible."
--Jahna Berry

State Justices Asked to Draw Line on Defamation Lawsuits
When Jill Shively discovered defamatory remarks about herself in a 1996 book on the O.J. Simpson trial, she sued not only the author and publisher, but also the deputy DA who was the source of the comments and his employer, the county of Los Angeles. A state appeal court let the Brentwood woman's case proceed, but the California Supreme Court, during oral arguments Tuesday, seemed uncomfortable with the idea of letting Shively sue over comments made in private and republished more than two years later.
--Mike McKee

November 4, 2003

Trio of Davis Aides Set to Take the Bench
Gray Davis is set to make a final round of judicial appointments, with a trio of his top officials in line to take superior court seats. Sources said the Davis aides likely to make it to the bench before the governor leaves office are: Burt Pines, the judicial appointments secretary; Barry Goode, Davis' legal affairs secretary; and state Inspector General Stephen White.
--Jeff Chorney

A (Poorly) Hidden Gem
Allen Ruby steps into the ring with Silicon Valley's biggest firms. But don't expect an army of associates to follow him into court -- he heads a four-lawyer firm. And if you're looking for him at lunchtime, try his car out in the parking lot. He uses the backseat as an office. "He's there eating his sandwich and reading a brief," says class action lawyer Joseph Cotchett. After the break, "the brief may have ketchup on it, but he's written it, he's read it and it's brilliant."
--Shannon Lafferty

Ryan's Fraud Unit Snares Lawyer Slots
The Department of Justice is giving U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan four new assistant U.S. attorneys to combat corporate and securities fraud. The new slots, announced Monday, bring the number of federal prosecutors investigating corporate crime in the Northern District from nine to 13. The DOJ is also funding five new staff positions, including forensic accountants and investigators. The additions will focus on accounting fraud, insider trading, obstruction of justice and SEC investigations.
--Shannon Lafferty

New Partners
Gordon & Rees has elevated eight attorneys to its partnership, with five of the new partners at the firm's San Francisco office. The 210-attorney firm announced its new partner class at its 29th anniversary party Saturday evening at San Francisco's Palace Hotel.
--Alexei Oreskovic

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

November 4, 2003

U.S. Formally Joins Madrid Trademark Pact
On Sunday the United States officially joined the Madrid Protocol, a treaty that allows trademark owners to file a single application to register a trademark in dozens of countries. The system has been touted as a way to save lots of money and speed up trademark registration overseas. But lawyers say the procedure has some disadvantages, and it's unclear whether it will live up to its hype. "It is definitely creating a stir," said Sally Abel, head of Fenwick & West's trademark practice.
--Brenda Sandburg

Mr. San Jose
With a carefully cultivated reputation as the ultimate insider, McManis is Mr. San Jose. He has a knack for landing in the middle of whatever legal sideshow sets up tent, and he's known to everyone at the courthouse. "He knows the court very well and the judges really well, almost in an uncomfortable way," said one attorney. "You can be in chambers with the judge, and for all you know, he could be playing poker or having a drink with the judge afterward."
--Shannon Lafferty

Changes Ahead at Santa Clara's Juvenile Hall
Santa Clara County's troubled juvenile hall is in for some changes. On Friday, the county's embattled chief of probation, John Cavalli, announced he'll retire. His departure gives the county's superior court bench, which oversees probation, the chance to overhaul management at the juvenile facility, where allegations of physical abuse led to a federal probe earlier this year.
--Shannon Lafferty

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 31, 2003

Lawyers Watching Lab Case
The sports world is abuzz with speculation that a grand jury investigation will link a steroid-like substance dubbed THG with some of the world's most accomplished athletes. But defense lawyers retained in connection with the probe of Burlingame's Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative haven't been circling wagons -- partly because they can't find each other. "If counsel in these cases aren't talking to each other, that's pretty crazy," said Michael Rains, an attorney for San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds.
--Jason Hoppin

The Race for S.F. District Attorney
Since June, four polls have shown incumbent District Attorney Terence Hallinan and third-time candidate Bill Fazio swapping the lead in the DA race, with newcomer Kamala Harris consistently in third place but gaining ground. Heading into the home stretch before the general election Tuesday, the candidates are feverishly campaigning to capture a share of the roughly one-quarter to one-third of likely voters who remain undecided, according to two October polls.
--Pam Smith

Grand Jury Clears San Jose Officer in Shooting Death
After an unusual eight-day public hearing, a Santa Clara County grand jury cleared a San Jose police officer in the fatal shooting of a 25-year-old Vietnamese woman that outraged many in the region's Vietnamese community. Minutes after the decision was announced, the attorney representing the family of victim Cau Bich Thi Tran said the legal battle has just started. The family has already filed an administrative claim with the city alleging excessive force.
--Shannon Lafferty

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 30, 2003

A Slow Road To Patent Reform
Congress may have its eye on some aspects of patent law, but don't expect the most controversial proposals by the FTC to reform the patent system to be taken up any time soon. In fact, if history is any guide it may take several years for major patent legislation to wind its way through Congress. While most expect Congress to maintain its glacial pace on the more controversial proposals, a few pieces of the FTC program could be implemented within the next year, members of the patent bar say.
--Brenda Sandburg

Pillsbury to Start Vote on Management
Nearly three years after the cross-country merger that created 750-attorney Pillsbury Winthrop, the firm's partners are preparing to vote on whether to stick with the management team that has led the firm so far. While the firm's current management team, with Mary Cranston as chair and Marina Park as managing partner, has been the subject of some criticism, it appears that the two partners will stay on at the top two spots under a slate proposed by the 15- member nomination committee.
--Alexei Oreskovic

Rostoker Sues his Attorneys From Jailhouse
Once-renowned patent attorney Michael Rostoker, convicted last year of traveling to Vietnam to have sex with a 13-year-old girl, apparently hasn't given up faith in the judicial system. Rostoker, who was sentenced to 15 months in prison in October 2002, has sued attorneys Thomas Nolan Jr. and Edward Swanson in Santa Clara County Superior Court for legal malpractice, intentional infliction of emotional distress and a host of other claims. Rostoker also filed suit against his former assistant, Tanya Allred.
--Shannon Lafferty

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 29, 2003

Across Party Lines
When Arnold Schwarzenegger toured the capital last week, slapping backs with Republicans and making nice with Democrats, he spent some extra time on the 17th floor of the attorney general's I Street headquarters. Schwarzenegger had dinner with Bill Lockyer -- take-out, just the two of them, in a conference room for an hour or so. It was one of the longest of any of the governor-elect's midweek meetings with Sacramento leaders.
--Jeff Chorney

FTC Floats Controversial Patent Plan
The Federal Trade Commission is calling for Congress to enact legislation that would make it easier to prove a patent is invalid. Under the FTC proposal, the burden of proof required to invalidate a patent would be reduced from a "clear and convincing evidence" standard to a "preponderance of the evidence." The recommendation is included in a 315-page report, issued Tuesday, in which the FTC attempts to ease conflicts between patent and antitrust laws.
--Brenda Sandburg

Fight Over Bar's Election Rules is Mostly Academic
It was professor against professor Tuesday in a State Bar voting case during a special appeal court session. If success is related to who fielded the fewest questions, James Wagstaffe, an adjunct professor at Hastings College of the Law, just might have prevailed over Boalt Hall School of Law professor Stephen Barnett. Barnett represents Louis Hoffman, a solo practitioner in Scottsdale, Ariz., who contends that the California Bar's voting rules violate his equal protection and free speech rights.
--Mike McKee

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 28, 2003

Smoke Chokes Southern California Firms
Fires raging out of control in Southern California on Monday closed airports, government offices -- including some courts -- and many businesses. For lawyers, the biggest problems appear to have been in San Diego. San Diego's largest hometown firm, Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps, kept a skeleton crew of computer technicians and security staff. But everyone else was told to stay home. Other firms like Heller, Cooley Godward and Latham & Watkins closed their San Diego offices.
--Renee Deger

Alameda PJ Clears Judge of Wrongdoing in Tenant Cases
Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman isn't biased against tenants, according to the results of an internal court investigation made public Monday. "The evidence does not support the complaints presented in this matter and are in fact contrary to the evidence," wrote Presiding Judge Harry Sheppard in a letter to renters' advocates.
--Jahna Berry

1st District Vacates Rulings Because Judge Owned Stock
A state appeal court pulled the rug out from under Citicorp on Monday by disqualifying a trial court judge in a high-stakes battle with Old Oakland developers. The First District Court of Appeal ruled that Alameda County Superior Court Judge James Richman should have recused himself from the case because he owned between $10,001 and $100,000 in stock in Citigroup Inc. Citigroup is the parent company of Citicorp Real Estate Inc. and Citibank N.A., which were defendants in the case.
--Mike McKee

Contested Elections Look Unlikely in S.F.
Sitting judges aren't bowing out to make room for newcomers on the San Francisco Superior Court bench in March. All of the 16 judges whose seats are up for election in 2004 are already indicating they'll run. Monday was the first day would-be judicial candidates could file a declaration stating their intent to run for a six-year term on the March 2 ballot.
--Pam Smith

Former Stanford Law Dean and Professor John Hart Ely
John Hart Ely, a leading constitutional law scholar and former Stanford Law School dean, died Saturday at his Coconut Grove, Fla., home after a long fight with cancer. He was 64. Ely authored three books but was best known for 1980's "Democracy and Distrust: A Theory of Judicial Review." In his writings and teaching, Ely espoused universal access to the courts for minorities and populations of people historically barred from political participation.
--Renee Deger

October 27, 2003

Litigation Refined
It wasn't hard for Charles James to set his cost-cutting sights on litigation when he became general counsel of ChevronTexaco Corp. 10 months ago. Litigation consumes the biggest chunk of Chevron's annual spending on outside counsel. The San Ramon-based oil giant shells out more than $60 million annually to litigators to handle the thousands of active matters the company has at any one time. What's not so easy is figuring out how to actually trim the litigation budget.
--Renee Deger

George's Son Seen as Likely for Legal Team
Speculation over whom Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger will select to be his judicial appointments and legal affairs secretaries has narrowed to a short list that is topped by Eric George, the son of Chief Justice Ronald George. Schwarzenegger's transition team has not announced any candidates for either position. Numerous sources said they did not base their speculation on information from inside the governor-elect's camp. Rather, George and others just seem like logical choices, the sources said.
--Jeff Chorney

Panel Reins in Judge Outraged By Retainers
A South Bay judge's attempt to stamp out a fee arrangement commonly used by private defense lawyers was itself stamped out by a state court of appeal panel Friday. After taking over as supervisor of the criminal courts in January, Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy refused to allow defense lawyers to withdraw at the conclusion of the preliminary examination. South Bay defense lawyers often accept retainers to represent criminal defendants only through the arraignment and preliminary exam.
--Shannon Lafferty

Complaint Filed Over Hallinan, Prop H Sign
Assemblyman Mark Leno and a San Francisco woman are the latest to file ethics complaints over the San Francisco district attorney election. Both filed allegations Oct. 20 against San Franciscans for Fair & Honest Government, a group that's put up an estimated 750 signs touting incumbent District Attorney Terence Hallinan and Proposition H. The group says it's separate from the campaigns for Hallinan and the local ballot measure.
--Pam Smith

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 24, 2003

Clifford's Game of Chance
London's Clifford Chance marched into California in June 2002 with a swagger. The world's highest-grossing law firm hired one of the state's biggest legal stars, who in turn brought 16 Brobeck partners to the firm and 30 associates. But 16 months later the firm is struggling with lateral hires due to what some attribute to a combination of laborious hiring process, a lockstep compensation system that stifles earning power, and the aura of controversy surrounding the Brobeck defection.
--Brenda Sandburg

Incoming PJ Shakes Up Alameda Bench
Alameda County's incoming presiding judge is shaking up the court's leadership, putting more rookie judges in supervisory posts. Barbara Miller, who will take over as presiding judge in January, says she made a special effort to give rising stars supervisory opportunities when she crafted the 2004 assignments, which she announced Thursday. She also consolidated civil law and motion.
--Jahna Berry

Harris Outpaces Rivals In DA Race Fund Raising
DA candidate Kamala Harris' campaign spending is approaching the $500,000 mark, outpacing incumbent District Attorney Terence Hallinan and criminal defense attorney Bill Fazio by a ratio of more than 2-to-1, according to new campaign finance statements. A flap over whether Harris broke the spending limit also appears resolved. The First District Court of Appeal on Wednesday denied Hallinan's attempt to force the city to impose higher fines on Harris for breaking the limit.
--Pam Smith

Scramble For Open Seats Kicks Off In Santa Clara
San Jose's independent police auditor and a deputy public defender are saying they will run for what are expected to be two open seats on the Santa Clara County Superior Court bench. San Jose Police Auditor Teresa Guerrero-Daley and Deputy Public Defender Enrique Colin said they will be on the March ballot to replace retiring Judges Richard Turrone and Jerald Infantino.
--Shannon Lafferty

Yuba County Judge Agrees To Censure
Yuba County Superior Court Judge David Wasilenko has agreed to be censured by the Commission on Judicial Performance for the way he handled several traffic matters. Wasilenko's lawyer in the case, James Murphy of San Francisco's Murphy, Pearson, Bradley & Feeney, said the judge agreed to the deal with CJP lawyers, which will allow him to remain on the bench but that the commission still needs to approve it.
--Jeff Chorney

October 23, 2003

Hostile Reception
Senate Democrats showed no mercy for California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown Wednesday, pounding her with hostile questions about her record on affirmative action, abortion and other issues and accusing her of being an extremist with views far outside the mainstream. "Your record is that of a conservative judicial activist -- plain and simple," proclaimed Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., during a bifurcated, three-hour confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
--Mike McKee

Tort Reformers Want Voters to Remake Unfair Competition Law
After years of defeat in a plaintiffs-friendly state Legislature, a coalition of tort reformers and business interests said Wednesday they will take their fight to revamp California's unfair competition law directly to voters. The groups released initiative language they will try to qualify for the November 2004 ballot that would limit the ability of plaintiffs attorneys to file suits under Business & Professions Code § 17200.
--Jeff Chorney

Owen Jameson, 90, Top McCutchen Partner
Owen "Jamie" Jameson, who managed McCutchen, Doyle, Brown & Enersen's corporate group for more than 20 years, died Monday. He was 90. A 1937 Harvard Law School alumnus, Jameson joined McCutchen after law school. He took a five-year hiatus during World War II, doing stints on the Manhattan Project and at the U.S. Office of Price Administration, which was established during the war to control inflation.
--Renee Deger

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 22, 2003

Going Public
The Recorder
For a few days in September, the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals building was one of the most photographed in the West. What happened over the next week could be a blueprint for other courts dealing with high-profile cases. Accustomed to intense media interest in its rulings, the 9th Circuit was ready for the recall case. The response underscored how the traditionally reclusive judiciary's attitude toward the press is changing. These days, courts and judges are showing ever-greater media savvy.
--Jason Hoppin

Allegations Raise Stakes in DA Race
The Recorder
Allegations that the San Francisco district attorney's chief investigator has behaved inappropriately toward female employees are roiling Terence Hallinan's re-election campaign just as a new poll indicates he is falling behind one of his rivals. Hallinan's campaign says the allegations are being dealt with appropriately and have been blown out of proportion by the politics of the DA race. His opponents say the most recent complaint once again underscores his poor leadership of the office.
--Pam Smith

Chief Justice to Talk Shop With Schwarzenegger
The Recorder
Chief Justice Ronald George and Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger plan to meet for the first time in person today. No. 1 on George's agenda for the meeting is protecting the judicial branch's budget. The courts suffered severe cuts this year because of California's dire budget situation, and judicial administrators are already bracing for more bad news later this year and next.
--Jeff Chorney

Lawyer Vivian Hannawalt, 72, Graduated Stanford Law in '50s
The Recorder
Vivian Chaya Hannawalt, a longtime BART in-house attorney and one of the few women to graduate from Stanford Law School in the 1950s, died Monday after battling cancer. She was 72. "She was one of the few women who passed the bar" in 1956, said Hannawalt's son, James. The State Farm in-house attorney recalled that these early accomplishments generated a newspaper story. "She was always proud that she was able to do that."
--Jahna Berry

News Briefs
The Recorder
A roundup of legal news items.

October 21, 2003

Liberals Gather to Blast Brown
Representatives of 11 liberal groups vowed Monday to do everything in their power to block California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown's confirmation to the federal bench. The common theme on Monday was that Brown is a conservative extremist with an atrocious record on civil rights who injects her own conservative political opinions into her rulings. Gillian Small, president of the black lawyers association, compared Brown to conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
--Mike McKee

Judicial Council Mulls Plan to Slow Speedy Fast Track
The Judicial Council is expected to approve new rules today that would relax the fast-track standards that are designed to quickly resolve civil cases. Lawyers have complained for years about the rules, which were implemented in 1986. James Sturdevant, who in 2004 will become president of the Consumer Attorneys of California, said plaintiffs and defense lawyers were able to agree on how to change the rules because both sides were hurting.
--Jeff Chorney

With a 6-5 Split, 9th Circuit Treads Familiar Ground
A sharply divided 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals overturned a California death sentence Monday, just hours after the Supreme Court summarily reversed the court for not deferring to state court rulings. In a 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court said a lawyer's negative description of a client wasn't per se ineffective assistance of counsel. But in a 6-5 ruling written by Judge Richard Paez, an en bancNinth Circuit overturned a 5-2 death penalty affirmance by the California Supreme Court.
--Jason Hoppin

Economic Espionage Case Could Turn on Trade Secret Tussle
U.S. District Judge James Ware said Monday he'd consider the unusual step of allowing expert depositions in a criminal trade secrets case. His comments threw a new wrinkle into the government's second-ever prosecution under the 1996 Economic Espionage Act. Though depositions are rarely used in criminal cases, Ware suggested that they may be the best way to sort through a 3,200-page document in which the government outlines the trade secrets it says were stolen.
--Shannon Lafferty

Disabled Clerk Sues Court in S.F., Alleges Discrimination
A court clerk is accusing San Francisco Superior Court and three of its employees of discriminating against her because of her physical disabilities. Maria Gonzalez-Malik filed suit in Alameda County Superior Court on Sept. 5 against the San Francisco court, Chief Executive Officer Gordon Park-Li, Human Resources Director Cheryl Martin, and Pat Hammermaster, court manager of the civil courtroom clerks.
--Pam Smith

Eric Sutcliffe, 94, Name Partner Atorrick, Herrington
Eric Sutcliffe, the last surviving name partner of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, died Sunday at his home in Oakland. He was 94. "He was a lawyer's lawyer," said Orrick, Herrington partner Cameron Wolfe Jr. "He understood, with a wonderful legal mind, how to approach any legal project or issue." Sutcliffe joined Orrick in 1932 upon graduating from Boalt Hall School of Law. In the early 1960s, he became a name partner -- joining William Orrick and George Herrington.
--Brenda Sandburg

New Partners
Fenwick elevates four associates to partner.

News Briefs
A roundup of legal news items.

October 20, 2003

The Mating Game
A Recorder special report on law firm mergers examines the current state of courtship among California firms, as well as the 15 biggest mergers since January 1, 2000. Poring over their ledgers and worrying about the unrelenting growth of competitors, firms around the country are looking for a mate that will boost their standing with clients. But despite the constant courtships, the number of U.S. law firm mergers has fallen off since the record high of 75 domestic unions in 2001.
--Brenda Sandburg

Texas Partner Fires Back in Brobeck Fight
The squabbling among former Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison partners has intensified, as five from San Diego are demanding that their one-time colleagues fork over $14.5 million to cover "injury and damages" they incurred following Brobeck's collapse. They have sent a letter to an unspecified group of ex-Brobeck partners demanding the cash. Though the entire list is unclear, one of the partners singled out in the June 13 letter is Steven Zager, one-time managing partner of Brobeck's Austin, Texas, office.
--Brenda Sandburg

Four Outsiders Vying for Top Boalt Hall Job
The UC-Berkeley committee charged with finding a new dean for Boalt Hall School of Law has announced a short list of four candidates from outside the university under consideration for the job. The school is seeking a replacement for John Dwyer, a longtime Boalt professor who abruptly resigned the dean's post in November 2002 in the wake of sexual harassment allegations involving a student.
--Renee Deger