News

Atlanta Lawyer Convicted of Fraud for Taking $26M From His Firm

Meredith Hobbs| October 12, 2018

Federal jurors convicted the Atlanta lawyer on Friday of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 21 counts of wire fraud and one count of making false statements to federally insured banks.

News

Top Canadian Law Firm Names a New Leader

Meghan Tribe | October 12, 2018

Marc Barbeau, a longtime partner at Montreal-based Stikeman Elliott, has assumed leadership of the firm.

News

Ropes Reels in M&A Pro to Grow 2 Offices

Xiumei Dong | October 12, 2018

Matthew Jacobson, a veteran transactional lawyer, is returning to California after more than a decade away.

News

Dechert Keeps Up IP Growth With Hughes Hubbard Hire

Dan Packel | October 12, 2018

Stephen S. Rabinowitz is the firm's fourth senior hire in the practice in the last six months.

News

Ex-Polsinelli Partners’ Cannabis Company Sells for Record High

Roy Strom | October 12, 2018

The bud business has been good to a few former Big Law partners.

News

Paul Hastings Advises China Vanke on $1.3B Commercial Real Estate Deal

John Kang | October 12, 2018

The Chinese property giant acquired a portfolio of 20 shopping malls across 19 cities in China from Singaporean developer CapitaLand.

News

A Day of Reckoning for NY Law Firms When the Lease Expires

Susan DeSantis | October 12, 2018

Manhattan law firm offices are designed to dazzle clients with breathtaking views and the latest wizardry at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. But a decade later when the lease expires, law firms face a day of reckoning.

News

Kirkland Nabs New Partners From Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher

Brian Baxter | October 11, 2018

The world’s largest law firm by gross revenue has continued its lateral hiring spree on both coasts.

News

Boies Schiller in Spat With Billionaire Over Unpaid Legal Fees

Scott Flaherty | October 11, 2018

Boies Schiller Flexner withdrew from representing billionaire Alex Shnaider in September, citing irreconcilable differences and unpaid legal bills. Now Shnaider's arguing that the firm is improperly withholding a case file he needs for an upcoming trial.

News

'Ever Argue With a Woman?' Florida and Texas Lawyers Fight Over Trademarked Slogan

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | October 11, 2018

Florida lawyer Melissa Wilson sued San Antonio lawyer Heather Clement Tessmer and her firm over use of a slogan that's similar to the trademarked one that Wilson holds.

Merger Brings Boston Litigation Boutique to Tort-Rich St. Louis

Dan Packel | October 11, 2018

Manning Gross + Massenburg's tie-up with Kurowski Shultz will create a combined firm of over 100 attorneys in 14 offices spanning the country.

News

Death of Stanford Law Student, Wachtell Associate Ruled an Accident

Meghan Tribe | October 11, 2018

Leon Cain, a 3L at Stanford Law School who had recently signed on to begin his career at Wachtell, died last month from what a medical examiner described Thursday as "multiple blunt force injuries."

News

Cleary Adds Chief Talent Officer as Law Firms' C-Suite Shake-Up Continues

Meghan Tribe | October 11, 2018

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is the latest big firm to add an executive position with a talent management and diversity focus.

News

Think Big Law Is Your Ticket to Success? These 4 Big-Company GCs Came From a Midsize Firm in Texas

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | October 11, 2018

The general counsel of General Motors, Chevron Phillips Chemical, LyondellBasell Industries, and American Air Liquide Holdings all once worked at the now-shuttered litigation boutique Beirne, Maynard & Parsons.

News

Baker Donelson Swaps Leaders After Extended Growth Spurt

Ryan Lovelace | October 11, 2018

Birmingham-based Timothy Lupinacci will take over from Ben Adams as chairman and CEO of the firm, which ballooned to 750 lawyers and 22 offices during Adams' tenure.

Analysis

Seoul and Tokyo: A Tale of 2 Legal Markets

John Kang | October 11, 2018

South Korea has no plans to further open up its legal market to foreign law firms but liberalization continues in Japan.

News

New Report Finds Female Path to Law Firm Partnership a Sluggish Crawl

Meghan Tribe | October 10, 2018

A survey found that given the legal industry's current growth rate, it would take nearly a century for women to make up half of the equity partnership tier.

Ex-Big Law Partner Ravelo Sentenced to 5 Years for Vendor Fraud Scheme

Christine Simmons | October 10, 2018

Prosecutors said former Hunton & Williams and Willkie Farr & Gallagher partner Keila Ravelo defrauded her law firms and client MasterCard out of $7.8 million to fuel a lavish lifestyle.

News

Leading Litigation Funder Sets Aside $50 Million for Women-Led Matters

Meghan Tribe | October 10, 2018

With Burford Capital "sitting atop a pile of money," the company thinks it's found a new way to help close the legal industry's gender gap.

Commentary

Listen Up, Counselor! Here’s How to Get What You Want From Clients

Alexander M. Geisler| October 10, 2018

Craving clear instructions? Wishing for repeat business? In three decades as a law firm partner, I’ve figured out it’s up to me to create the right conditions.

Commentary

Will You Report Sexual Harassment or Bullying? Be Honest.

Vivia Chen | October 10, 2018

A notable percentage of female lawyers experience harassment and bullying, yet the vast majority of them never report it, a recent study finds.

News

Senior SEC Attorney Lands at White & Case

Meghan Tribe | October 10, 2018

Era Anagnosti is joining the firm's Washington office amid a growth spurt and a doubling-down on its capital markets practice.

News

Boies Schiller Nabs Prominent Attorney Susan Estrich From Quinn Emanuel

Scott Flaherty | October 10, 2018

Estrich will be a Los Angeles-based partner in the appellate practice at Boies Schiller, which has made a string of recent hires in California.

Firms Vie for Top M&A Billing as Dealmakers Zero In on US

Dan Packel | October 10, 2018

Latham hits a trifecta, and other takeaways from Mergermarket, Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters' rankings for the first three quarters of 2018.

News

Ex-Big Law Associate Launches International Boutique in DC

Ryan Lovelace | October 10, 2018

After stints at Paul Hastings, Freshfields and Allen & Overy, Diogo Pereira is teaming up with a Brazilian colleague to launch his own cross-border shop.

News

Amid US Law Firm Merger Mania, an Interesting Tie-Up in the Old Soviet Space

Brian Baxter | October 09, 2018

While some global firms have struggled in the former Soviet Union, Asters has expanded by acquiring the Ukrainian operations of one of Russia’s largest law firms.

News

Dorsey & Whitney Taps Firm ‘Lifer’ as Managing Partner

Roy Strom | October 09, 2018

For the first time in six years, the nearly 500-lawyer Am Law 200 firm will have a new leader in January.

News

Victory in Case Against FTC Offers Glimpse Into Ropes & Gray’s Hourly Rates

Scott Flaherty | October 09, 2018

Although Ropes & Gray sought a discounted rate for its pro bono representation of LabMD in a data breach case, the firm's fee request provides insight into what one of the country's highest earning firms could charge per hour.

News

Ex-Big Law Partner to Be Sentenced Wednesday in $7.8M Law Firm Fraud Scheme

Charles Toutant | Christine Simmons | October 09, 2018

Lawyers for Keila Ravelo, a former Hunton & Williams and Willkie Farr & Gallagher partner who pleaded guilty last year to tax evasion and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, said she is "a true shell of her former self."

News

Allen & Overy Political Law Leader Jumps to Holland & Knight

Dan Packel | October 09, 2018

Charles Borden, who helped launch Allen & Overy's D.C. office in 2011, projects an "explosion" in his practice between now and the 2020 presidential election.

News

Women-Owned Law Firms Surge Amid Gender Disparity in the Profession

Angela Morris| October 09, 2018

By founding their own firms, women are crafting new game rules that provide for fair compensation, equal promotions, full inclusion and better career development opportunities.

Commentary

In Legal Marketing, Apathy Is the Enemy

Jennifer Scalzi| October 09, 2018

Firms looking to succeed must devote attention to the process of talent acquisition.

News

Goodwin Procter Grabs 2 Gunderson Partners in San Francisco

Xiumei Dong | October 09, 2018

The firm hired Josh Cook, the former head of Gunderson Dettmer’s San Francisco office, and his colleague Jon Novotny.

News

Sidley Lands Life Sciences Licensing Pro From King & Spalding

Xiumei Dong | October 08, 2018

Thomas Duley, a well-regarded life sciences lawyer in the Bay Area, has joined Sidley in San Francisco.

News

The Cost of Free Wi-Fi Could Be Private Company Data

Caroline Spiezio | October 08, 2018

Lawyers seeking internet outside of company walls should steer clear of public Wi-Fi, highlighted by the Department of Justice's indictment of Russian hackers last week.

News

DC Circuit Vacancy Buzz Ramps Up After Kavanaugh's Elevation

C. Ryan Barber | Ellis Kim | October 08, 2018

Washington’s appellate bar was abuzz about who might be nominated to fill the newly vacant seat on the D.C. Circuit days after Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed the U.S. Supreme Court.

News

Dykema, Lewis Brisbois Expand Out West

Meghan Tribe | October 08, 2018

The two Am Law 200 firms have absorbed the bulk of smaller outfits in Minneapolis and Las Vegas, including one that once advised the inventor of the Tilt-A-Whirl theme park ride.

News

In Law Firm Battles Over Placement Fees, 2 Courts Side With Recruiters

Christine Simmons | October 08, 2018

The recent decisions show that courts are continuing to enforce recruiter contracts with firms, even if they are oral or do not include a signature.

News

After Kavanaugh's Confirmation, Feinstein Chief Counsel Jumps to Wiley Rein

Ryan Lovelace | October 08, 2018

Peter Hyun, a former Sidley Austin associate who spent more than three years as California Sen. Dianne Feinstein's top lawyer, is headed back to private practice.

Commentary

Trying to Get Pregnant? Management Would Like to Know.

Vivia Chen | October 08, 2018

The co-leader of Jones Day’s health care practice at a recent meeting apparently "encouraged" women to tell management if they were pregnant or planning on be. Is that so wrong?

News

China's Haiwen Lures Away Ropes & Gray Shanghai Partner

Anna Zhang | October 08, 2018

Corporate lawyer Jieni Gu is the latest global firm partner to join a Chinese firm.

Infographic

Data Snapshot: Is Big Law Boosting Its Pro Bono?

Nicholas Bruch, Director, ALM Intelligence | Ben Hancock | October 08, 2018

Attorneys at the nation's largest law firms gave more of their time to pro bono matters than ever. Jenner & Block led the way.

Meet Justice Kavanaugh's Four Female SCOTUS Law Clerks

Marcia Coyle | October 07, 2018

"I’ll be the first justice in the history of the Supreme Court to have a group of all women law clerks. That is who I am. That is who I was," Brett Kavanaugh said on Sept. 27, testifying after the emergence of sexual misconduct allegations.

News

Sidley, Kirkland Score Roles on Two Big Corporate Bankruptcies

Brian Baxter | October 05, 2018

American Tire and Mattress Firm have turned to both Am Law 100 firms for counsel on their restructuring efforts.

News

Winston & Strawn Adds DLA Piper's Fund Formation Head to Lead Venture Practice

Roy Strom | October 05, 2018

The Chicago-based legal giant has bolstered its venture capital group with a high-profile hire in Chicago from DLA Piper.

Commentary

The Trouble With Origination Credit

Blane R. Prescott| October 05, 2018

In many cases, credit systems work against much of what law firms are trying to accomplish.

Perkins Coie Takes In $1.4M For OSU Probe as Firms' #MeToo Work Piles Up

Dan Packel | October 05, 2018

Documents also show a Schiff Hardin partner's $500-an-hour billings for digging into harassment allegations in the Illinois Legislature.

Podcast

From Federal Judge to Private Practice: Why This Debevoise Partner Left His Ultimate Dream Job

Vanessa Blum | Leigh Jones | October 05, 2018

Serving as a federal judge in the Eastern District of New York was “the best job in the world,” says Debevoise partner John Gleeson. So why give it up?

News

Legal Sector Adds Jobs in September After Two Months of Decline

Scott Flaherty | October 05, 2018

The uptick in legal services employment comes as the U.S. economy as a whole added jobs and unemployment dropped to its lowest level in decade.

News

Japan Leads Asia M&A Activity Amid Strongest Year in Nearly 4 Decades

Anna Zhang | October 05, 2018

Deals involving Japanese companies totaled $290.5 billion during the first nine months of this year—the strongest showing since 1980.

News

US Lawyers Spend Only 30 Percent of Workday on Billable Hours, Report Says

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | October 05, 2018

So what are they doing the rest of the day?

News

Can New Leave Policies Help Big Law Escape the Parent Trap?

Meghan Tribe | October 05, 2018

Facing frustration—and sometimes litigation—over their approach to motherhood and parental leave, law firms are wrestling with how far to go to support new parents.

News

Appellate Lawyers Who Backed Kavanaugh Say He's Still Their Man

Ellis Kim | October 04, 2018

With a final vote on Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination looming, several appellate lawyers say they’re still backing the U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

News

Lawyers Maintain an Edge in Rising Billing Rates, Study Finds

Dan Packel | October 04, 2018

Average law firm billing rates are keeping pace with inflation, a report found, but the picture is worse for nonlawyers.

Q&A

Partner Suing Ogletree for Gender Bias Tells Her Story

Scott Flaherty | October 04, 2018

Dawn Knepper, a former nonequity shareholder at Ogletree Deakins, opened up about her gender bias lawsuit against her prior firm.

Commentary

By Failing to Collaborate, Law Firms Are Leaving Money on the Table

Heidi Gardner| October 04, 2018

Firms are letting down clients and losing revenue.

As Partners Come Forward, Law Firms Walk Fine Line in Kavanaugh Controversy

Christine Simmons | October 04, 2018

An effort by an Akin Gump practice leader to provide information to the FBI highlights how major law firms are navigating the unusually controversial confirmation fight.

News

Sedgwick Demise Highlights Challenges GCs Face When Outside Law Firms Dissolve

Phillip Bantz | October 04, 2018

“It’s in the best case somewhat disruptive and in the worst case extraordinarily disruptive to the lawyers and their clients,” said one consultant.

News

UK M&A Activity Plummets as Brexit Effect Begins to Take Hold

Hannah Roberts| October 04, 2018

Total deal value fell 66 percent on Q2 after the quietest quarter for U.K. M&A activity since 2012.

News

These Big Law Firms Are Backing an App Store for Legal Tech Products

Roy Strom | October 04, 2018

Legal tech companies, listen up. Big Law wants “containerization.”

News

Big 4 Dominate as Law Firm Alternatives Press Their Brands

Dan Packel | October 04, 2018

PwC landed in the No. 1 spot in a new ranking of alternative legal services providers' brand strength, and its peers were all in the top five.

News

Quinn Emanuel Adds Irell & Manella Entertainment Litigator in LA

Xiumei Dong | October 03, 2018

The firm hired Bobby Schwartz, a prominent trial lawyer who previously spent more than 30 years at O'Melveny & Myers.

Commentary

How Marketing and Business Development Can Unite Business and Law

Jill Huse| October 03, 2018

Law firms need to find a way to bridge the gap.

News

Ogletree, Ex-Partner in Gender Bias Case Spar Over Arbitration Pact

Scott Flaherty | October 03, 2018

Dawn Knepper, a former nonequity shareholder at Ogletree, argues that the firm shouldn't be able to invoke an arbitration agreement in light of several flaws. Ogletree, meanwhile, argues Knepper knew plenty about the agreement when it took effect.

News

Upstart Law Firm Lands Seasoned Litigator’s Co-Counsel From ‘Pink Slime’ Trial

Roy Strom | October 03, 2018

Benesch has hired a pair of Winston & Strawn partners looking to build their own reputations at a growing firm.

News

Alleged Co-Conspirator a No-Show as Hardwick Prosecution Rests

Meredith Hobbs | October 03, 2018

Asha Maurya, the former controller for Morris Hardwick Schneider who pleaded to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, will not take the stand at Nat Hardwick's trial.

News

Kirkland Touts Largest-Ever Global Promotions Round

Hannah Roberts | October 03, 2018

A total of 122 associates have been made up globally, including 37 new partners in the firm's Chicago headquarters.

Commentary

Rachel Mitchell: Mean Girl, Victim or Both?

Vivia Chen | October 03, 2018

Mitchell's folksy, disarming approach to questioning Christine Blasey Ford didn't mask her motives—or the GOP's—for long.

Commentary

Pay Raises Can Be a Bittersweet Bump for Big Law Associates

The Young Lawyer Editorial Board| October 03, 2018

Associate raises have side effects that firms should acknowledge and address.

Law Firms Are More Profitable Than Ever. How are They Doing It?

Nicholas Bruch, Director, ALM Intelligence | October 03, 2018

Given the obstacles law firms are facing, profitability shouldn't be increasing. A look at how firms are doing it.

News

Once Storied Sedgwick Files for Bankruptcy as Wind-Down Fails

Roy Strom | October 02, 2018

The firm's insolvency comes after a broad expansion effort, practice groups that sparred with each other and an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to stabilize an institution rocked by the financial uncertainty that comes with Big Law's free agent era.

News

Mid-Market Moves, 'Serial Acquirers' Drive Law Firm Merger Mania

Dan Packel | October 02, 2018

"Almost every law firm we work with is actively considering its merger options in 2018," said Altman Weil consultant Eric Seeger.

Analysis

How Law Firms Are Capitalizing on the Private Equity Boom

Roy Strom | October 02, 2018

The biggest private equity shops are predicted to double in size over the next seven years. Catching a piece of their deals is a recipe for Big Law success.

News

Susman Godfrey to Give All Associates Unlimited Paid Parental Leave

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | October 02, 2018

The firm, which often has led Big Law with its generous wage and benefit plans, is now offering associates a longer paid parental leave policy that is gender-neutral.

News

After $250M Stock Sale, Litigation Funding Giant Plans to Raise More Capital

Roy Strom | October 02, 2018

Money keeps flowing into the litigation finance market, as Burford Capital announced a major share placement Tuesday.

News

Baker McKenzie Again Tops Global Brand Rankings

Dan Packel | October 02, 2018

Clifford Chance and DLA Piper were runners-up in the latest survey of law firm brand strength from Acritas.

Analysis

Labor Department Filing Reveals Big Sidley Payday in Basketball Dispute

Brian Baxter | October 01, 2018

The firm received $3.43 million from the National Basketball Players Association last year after representing its former executive director in a settlement with the high-profile labor union.

News

Dechert's US Staffers to Share in New Parental Leave Policy

Dan Packel | October 01, 2018

Chief talent officer Alison Bernard said the firm wanted to move past "antiquated" distinctions between lawyers and business support staff, and also between genders.

Commentary

Women Are Getting Hung Up on Housework and Leaving Law Firms

Vivia Chen | October 01, 2018

Women's law firm careers are being slowed by their second job: homemaker.

News

Law Firm Mergers Continue at Record Pace Through Third Quarter

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | October 01, 2018

Consulting firm Fairfax Associates said the increase in merger activity stems from law firms seeking to improve their market position amid heightening competition.

News

Sidley Austin Snags Private Equity Rainmakers From Akin Gump

Christine Simmons | October 01, 2018

The departing Akin Gump partners, Adam Weinstein and Tony Feuerstein, have advised on deals totaling tens of billions of dollars in value over the last five years.

News

For New IP Deals Group, Kramer Levin Nabs Practice Leader From Ropes & Gray

Scott Flaherty | October 01, 2018

Harry Rubin has joined Kramer Levin, giving the firm an experienced transactional lawyer who has done deals in several countries and for companies ranging from startups to multinationals.

Allen & Overy Global Employment Head Quits in 2nd Recent Senior German Departure

Rose Walker| October 01, 2018

The departure follows that of Germany dispute resolution head Daniel Busse. Both departures come after senior figures from Allen & Overy met with O'Melveny & Myers in Frankfurt last month to discuss a potential trans-Atlantic merger.

Analysis

Big Law Leaders Say Stress Is Main Cause of Addiction and Mental Health Problems

Patrick Krill| October 01, 2018

Stress is a common experience for lawyers, and if the go-to solution for coping with it is drinking or using drugs, they are setting themselves up for trouble.

News

White & Case Swells in Chicago With 13-Lawyer Real Estate Group

Meghan Tribe | October 01, 2018

With six partners and a national practice, the group gives White & Case a bigger Chicago presence and a deeper real estate bench.

PwC, Fragomen Leaders Discuss Why They Joined Forces

Ben Wheway | October 01, 2018

PwC's Julia Onslow-Cole and Fragomen's Austin Fragomen discuss the Big Four’s latest step into law.

News

Microsoft Seeks Diversity in Its Outside Counsel

Caroline Spiezio | October 01, 2018

The company provides strong financial incentives for its outside firms to staff its matters with minority lawyers.

News

Delta's GC Advocates for Project-Based Billing

Kristen Rasmussen | October 01, 2018

Peter Carter predicts that in 10 years, firms that have moved away from the billable hour are going to be market leaders.

News

Former FINRA Exec and Chief Counsel Susan Light Joins Katten in NY

MP McQueen | October 01, 2018

Light's career at FINRA spanned 30 years, multiple economic cycles and a bevy of financial scandals.

Infographic

Data Snapshot: Big Law Made Millions in Foreign Lobbying Last Year

Ben Hancock | October 01, 2018

Newly aggregated data show that two dozen firms in the Am Law 200 raked in big sums lobbying for Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and entities from a host of other countries.

News

Morgan Lewis Lands MoFo Tokyo Duo

John Kang | October 01, 2018

Motonori Araki, who returns to the firm after more than a decade at Morrison & Foerster, also will become its new Tokyo office managing partner.

Analysis

King & Spalding's Long Battle to Overcome the Odds

Meredith Hobbs | Dan Packel | September 30, 2018

Ten years ago, the Atlanta-based firm set out to scale the Am Law 50 and become an ultra-profitable, international law firm. So far, it’s working.

News

From 'He Is Innocent' to 'She Was Authentic,' Kavanaugh Hearings Divide Attorneys

Christine Simmons | September 30, 2018

Litigators, naturally inclined to assess witness credibility, found plenty to analyze. And with televisions tuned in to the spectacle at firms across the country, one law firm leader said "billions of dollars" in billable hours were probably lost.

News

Icahn's CVR Vows Appeal After Wachtell Defeats Malpractice Claims

Christine Simmons | September 28, 2018

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz has been battling CVR Energy’s malpractice lawsuit for close to five years.

Podcast

Beyond the Buzzwords: Getting Real About Law Firm Innovation

Leigh Jones | Vanessa Blum | September 28, 2018

Law.com senior reporter Karen Sloan talks with Michele DeStefano, author of  “Legal Upheaval: A Guide to Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation in Law," about the ways that law firms need to evolve, and how they can get there.

Commentary

Brett Kavanaugh Is Scary

Vivia Chen | September 28, 2018

I knew it was a long shot, but I hoped that Kavanaugh might be more forthcoming about his youth—the hard drinking, the hard partying and the consequences that can result.

News

Did Goldman Sachs Get a Jones Day Lawyer Fired?

Roy Strom | September 28, 2018

Jones Day is caught up in a dispute between the financial services giant and a hedge fund.

News

Sullivan & Cromwell Partner Apologizes for 'Rot in Hell' Tweet After Kavanaugh Hearings

Christine Simmons | September 28, 2018

Prominent M&A partner Frank Aquila deleted his Twitter account after telling White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders she should "Rot in Hell You B!tch" for defending Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Commentary

Becoming a Trusted Adviser in the Age of Disruption

Joseph Altonji and Kate Sweetman| September 28, 2018

In a world changing rapidly for clients, law firms must find ways to adapt their own practices to keep up.

News

Davis Polk, Clifford Chance on Cryptocurrency Mining Giant’s Hong Kong IPO

John Kang | September 28, 2018

BitMain could raise as much as $3 billion. Smaller rivals Canaan and Ebang filed for Hong Kong IPOs earlier this year.