News

Calif. Judge Grants Facebook's Crime-Fraud Exception Request for Opposing Counsel's Documents

Ross Todd| March 16, 2019

A California state court judge found that a litigation opponent of the social media giant had "utilized the services of counsel to aid in committing a crime or fraud" when handing over confidential documents to British Parliament and journalists.

News

Qualcomm Wins $31M Patent Verdict Against Apple

Scott Graham| March 15, 2019

The stakes will be much higher at next month's antitrust trial, but Friday's verdict shows that Qualcomm is capable of mounting a persuasive case against Apple.

News

'I’d Be Embarrassed:' 5th Circuit Shames Attorney in $18M Arbitration Appeal

Ellis Kim| March 15, 2019

Judge Jerry Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit lambasted Thompson Coe partner Kevin Risley for bringing what he saw as an effort to retry a case the company agreed to take into arbitration.

News

Experts Say Vance's Manafort Indictment Close to the Edge of NY's Double Jeopardy Cliff

Colby Hamilton| March 15, 2019

The Manhattan DA's indictment of Trump's former campaign chairman is the first test of state prosecutors' attempts to steer clear of New York's double jeopardy law, while holding the president's former aides accountable in the event of a pardon.

New Kavanaugh Ethics Claims Dismissals Divide 10th Circuit Panel

Marcia Coyle| March 15, 2019

"I am left to conclude that the entire council should be disqualified from participating in consideration of the current petitions for review," Judge Mary Beck Briscoe wrote in her dissent.

Commentary

And the LOTW Runners Up...

Jenna Greene | March 15, 2019

Honorable mention goes to litigators from Cozen O'Connor and Nixon Peabody.

Q&A

Litigator of the Week: Winston’s Jeffrey Kessler Scores for College Athletes

Jenna Greene | March 15, 2019

The co-executive chairman of Winston & Strawn represented student athletes in an antitrust class action against the NCAA and 11 of its conferences that stands to re-shape college sports.

News

DC Circuit Rejects Lawyer's Challenge to Trump's Financial Disclosures

Mike Scarcella and Nate Robson| March 15, 2019

The court said it has no power under federal law to compel now-President Donald Trump to amend the financial disclosures he filed as a candidate in 2016.

News

Southern Poverty Law Center Dismisses Co-Founder Morris Dees

The Associated Press| March 14, 2019

A statement by Richard Cohen, the president of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said Morris Dees' employment had been terminated, but it did not give a specific reason.

How Big a Blow Is Gordon Caplan's Leave From Willkie?

Dan Packel| March 14, 2019

What does Gordon Caplan's ouster mean for management of the Wall Street firm? And what are the lessons for other firms facing a sudden shakeup at the top?

News

Proposed Class Action Seeks $500B in College Admissions Scandal

Ross Todd| March 14, 2019

A proposed nationwide class action filed in California state court seeks "no less than $500,000,000,000" from defendants caught up in the college admissions scandal that has captured the nation's attention.

News

Building on Janus, Anti-Union Groups Bring Three New Supreme Court Petitions

Marcia Coyle| March 14, 2019

Three new petitions at the U.S. Supreme Court are tied to the justices' ruling last term against mandatory public-sector union fees.

News

2 Stanford Students Sue Over University Admissions Scandal

Ross Todd| March 14, 2019

Lawyers for Stanford students Erica Olsen and Kalea Woods claim that the value of their education has been tarnished by the scandal. Their lawyers are also pursuing class claims on behalf of applicants who were rejected by schools caught up in the scandal.

Sandy Hook Families Get Go-Ahead from State High Court to Seek Damages From Gun Makers

Raychel Lean| March 14, 2019

"There is no allegation in this case that there was any reason to expect that Lanza’s mother was likely to use the rifle in an unsafe manner," the opinion said.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Boies Schiller Alum Leads 3-Lawyer Start-Up to Pro Bono Win

Jenna Greene | March 14, 2019

The Norton Law Firm, which logged 593 hours of pro bono work on the case in 12 weeks, convinced a federal jury to find for a veteran whose trust was betrayed by a psychiatrist.

News

California Jury Hits J&J With $29M Talc Verdict

Amanda Bronstad| March 13, 2019

The verdict comes in the first mesothelioma trial in Alameda County Superior Court.

News

Foreign Lobbying Law Is No 'Pesky Regulation,' Manafort Judge Says

C. Ryan Barber and Ellis Kim| March 13, 2019

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson used forceful language to recognize FARA’s newly elevated status while sentencing Paul Manafort.

News

Willkie's Caplan May Face Legal Challenges From Regulators and His Own Firm

Roy Strom| March 13, 2019

A lapse in ethical judgment can quickly turn a Big Law leader into a target of an internal investigation, industry sources said.

Analysis

Boeing Likely to Face Legal Troubles Over 737 Max 8

Michael Riccardi| March 13, 2019

Boeing faces lawsuits from passengers, particularly since eight of them on the Ethiopian Air flight were Americans. But airlines also could bring legal actions over revenue losses incurred due to the grounding, according to lawyers who specialize in aviation.

News

Who Are the Big Law Alums Prosecuting the College Admissions Scandal?

Mike Scarcella| March 13, 2019

Meet the four assistant U.S. attorneys—some of them Big Law alums—who are assigned to the college admissions fraud case in Boston.

News

Atlanta Libel Lawyer Lin Wood Files $275M Defamation Suit Against CNN

R. Robin McDonald| March 13, 2019

The defamation suit was filed on behalf of Nicholas Sandmann, 16, in a MAGA hat whose visage went viral after an encounter with a Native American activist on the National Mall.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: For Willkie’s Gordon Caplan, a Tragic Downfall in College Admissions Scandal

Jenna Greene | March 13, 2019

If there’s one thing I believe as a mother, it’s this: Your kids are not there to validate you. They are not extensions of your wishes or objects to brag about. They are individuals who must ultimately find their own way.

News

How Securities Lawyers View Elon Musk's Latest SEC Clash

Caroline Spiezio| March 12, 2019

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's counsel claimed the SEC has "no basis to issue contempt sanctions against him" in a filing Monday, adding cited First Amendment concerns. But some lawyers said Musk's second round of incorrect, Tesla-focused tweets didn't meet the "low bar" the SEC agreement set.

News

First Roundup MDL Bellwether Trial Reaches End of Initial Science-Heavy Phase

Ross Todd| March 12, 2019

A San Francisco federal jury is considering whether Monsanto's Roundup weedkiller was a significant factor contributing to Edwin Hardeman's cancer diagnosis.

After Rebuke, Texas Federal Judge Slams 5th Circuit for 'Inaccurate' Statements

Erin Mulvaney| March 12, 2019

“In almost 20 years on the bench, this court has not had to issue any other writing like this one," U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison of the Southern District of Texas wrote in an order, responding to criticism from the Fifth Circuit.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Kirkland Lateral Star Sandra Goldstein Delivers a Storybook Ending for Barnes & Noble

Jenna Greene | March 12, 2019

The Second Circuit order made nary a ripple when issued. But it sealed a quietly emphatic victory for Kirkland & Ellis partner Sandra Goldstein.

Uber Reaches $20M Settlement With Drivers Over Classification Dispute

Raychel Lean| March 12, 2019

Uber Technologies Inc. and its former CEO have signed onto a $20 million agreement with 13,600 drivers in California and Massachusetts, settling claims that the company misclassified its employees as independent contractors to cut labor costs.

News

Divided Sixth Circuit Rules En Banc Against Planned Parenthood in Ohio Funding Fight

R. Robin McDonald| March 12, 2019

A split en banc ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit has cleared the way for Ohio to cut funding to health care groups that provide abortions.

News

Florida-Georgia Water War Flows On (And On. And On)

Jonathan Ringel| March 12, 2019

Florida estimates the water problem could be alleviated by $35 million a year spent by Georgia, which argues the fixes would cost "hundreds of millions—if not billions" of dollars.

News

Women's Soccer Gets Rematch With Unequal Pay Class Action

Amanda Bronstad| March 11, 2019

The class action, which alleged that the U.S. Soccer Federation pays women players less than their male counterparts, caps a lengthy feud over pay.

Dropping Maduro, Venable Retreats in Venezuela Fight in DC Circuit

Dylan Jackson| March 11, 2019

Venable, representing Nicolas Maduro, and Arnold & Porter, representing Juan Guaido, disagreed over which leader represents Venezuela in U.S. courts and which law firm should therefore be counsel.

Analysis

March Madness: 3 Takeaways From Latest NCAA Basketball Antitrust Ruling

Ross Todd| March 11, 2019

U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken in Oakland on Friday issued an injunction barring the NCAA and its member schools and conferences from capping education-related benefits such as computers, science equipment, postgraduate scholarships, and aid to study abroad to Division I women's and men's basketball players and football players at schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

News

Second Circuit Revives IBM Licensing Contract Breach Suit

Colby Hamilton| March 11, 2019

The technology company saw its $10 million IP contract breach win over United Microelectronics Corp. remanded to the district court for further review.

News

Selendy & Gay Adds Former NY Solicitor General from Gibson Dunn Appellate Practice

Scott Flaherty| March 11, 2019

The firm, which just entered its second year, has added Caitlin Halligan, a former New York State Solicitor General who had been co-leading Gibson Dunn's appellate and constitutional law practice.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: If Only Adnan Syed Was a Kennedy Cousin Like Michael Skakel

Jenna Greene | March 11, 2019

In challenging their murder convictions, both men claimed ineffective assistance of counsel. The results send a discomforting message about equal treatment under the law.

News

Georgia Court of Appeals Green-Lights Class Action Against SunTrust for Overdraft Fees

Katheryn Tucker| March 11, 2019

Bickerstaff has alleged that the bank's $36 overdraft fee for sometimes tiny debits amounts to unreasonably high interest rates on small loans. As many as 400,000 customers could be class members, the lawsuit says, potentially costing the bank tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars.

News

Ninth Circuit Bout Over Boxing Fans' Fraud Claim in Mayweather-Pacquiao 'Fight of the Century'

Amanda Bronstad| March 08, 2019

In a case that intertwined the unpredictability of sports with how much fans needed to know about an athlete's injuries, Ninth Circuit Judge Jacqueline Nguyen asked: “Where do you draw the line?”

News

Georgia Appeals Judge Tosses Suit Against Rapper T.I. Over Attack at Record Studio

Katheryn Tucker| March 08, 2019

“What started off as a jam-packed week of parties, concerts, and watching renowned rappers mixing new music tracks in the waning days of summer abruptly ended with Norris Gresham being dragged down a flight of 30 stairs and viciously pistol whipped in front of a crowd of onlookers,” Chief Judge Stephan Dillard began.

News

DOJ's Benczkowski Pledges ‘Fair Shake’ for Cooperating Companies

C. Ryan Barber| March 08, 2019

"Aggravating factors like high-level executive involvement in the misconduct will not necessarily preclude a declination," Brian Benczkowski, who leads the Justice Department's criminal division, said at a white-collar conference in New Orleans.

Cruising for a Bruising: Passenger Personal Injury Suits Flow, But Tide Changes on Crew Member Litigation

Raychel Lean| March 08, 2019

While passengers serve cruise companies with lawsuits on a daily basis, crew members don't, thanks to widespread arbitration clauses. Could that change?

Why 'Laughter Is a Blood Sport' at the Supreme Court

Marcia Coyle| March 08, 2019

Humor at the U.S. Supreme Court is less an "indication not of lighthearted, good-natured jesting" than a "rhetorical weapon," legal scholars Tonja Jacobi and Matthew Sag contend.

Commentary

And the LOTW Runners Up...

Jenna Greene | March 08, 2019

We had some stellar nominations for Litigator of the Week. Here's a shout-out to the runners up from Kaplan Hecker & Fink; Covington & Burling; Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; WilmerHale; and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Q&A

Litigator of the Week: A Shocking Win for Terwilliger in Ex-Congressman’s Corruption Case

Jenna Greene | March 08, 2019

In convincing the feds to drop all criminal charges against former Rep. Aaron Schock, McGuireWoods partner George Terwilliger III scored a win that the Washington Post described as a “stunning."

News

Manafort Gets 47 Months, But Second Sentencing Awaits

C. Ryan Barber and Ellis Kim| March 07, 2019

The term is more than 15 years short of the minimum recommended by the special counsel.

News

Trio of Lawyers Sue Over 'Coerced' Mandatory Texas Bar Membership

Greg Land| March 07, 2019

Three Texas lawyers say they have no desire to be members of the State Bar of Texas and do not support its "diversity" initiatives or other programs aimed at assisting immigrants who have crossed the border illegally or those based on lawyers race, gender and sexual orientation.

Labor Judge Warns Lawyers About 'Tone' in Oracle Discrimination Case

Erin Mulvaney| March 07, 2019

“I remind the government particularly that, ‘counsel for the government has an interest only in the law being observed, not in victory or defeat in any particular litigation,’” a U.S. Labor Department judge wrote in a new ruling in the agency's long-running case against Oracle.

Yet Another Jones Day Alum Snags Sixth Circuit Seat

Raychel Lean| March 07, 2019

The U.S. Senate confirmed Eric E. Murphy for the Sixth Circuit bench, voting 52-46 Thursday.

News

Michael Cohen Sues Trump in State Court Seeking Recovery of Legal Fees and Costs

Andrew Denney and Colby Hamilton| March 07, 2019

In his suit, Michael Cohen alleges that he has incurred millions in attorney fees for ongoing investigations and litigation, including the investigation by Special Counsel Robert Mueller III and numerous hearings before Congress.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: ACTL Adds 73 New Members—Here’s Who Made the Grade

Jenna Greene | March 07, 2019

The newest members of the elite group include some familiar names.

News

Seyfarth Names New Litigation Chair

Jenna Greene | March 07, 2019

Four years after he joined the firm as a lateral, James McGrath has been named global litigation chair.

News

Shout-Out: Akin Team Secures Repatriation of Stolen Kyrgyz Assets

Jenna Greene | March 07, 2019

It’s a feel-good ending to a complicated story stemming from corruption in the Central Asian nation.

News

Huawei Picks Jones Day, Morgan Lewis in Challenge to US Defense Law

Dan Packel| March 07, 2019

In challenging a section of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, the Chinese telecom giant has turned to two firms with close ties to the Trump administration.

News

Amid Bankruptcy Whispers, Purdue Pharma Seeks Delay of Okla. Opioid Trial

Amanda Bronstad| March 06, 2019

Purdue Pharma has sought to delay a May 28 trial against the Oklahoma AG, citing a “belated tidal wave of documents,” but the move comes amid reports of its possible Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

News

Failure to Depose Rapper Rick Ross Could Cost Reed Smith in 50 Cent Malpractice Case

Roy Strom| March 06, 2019

The judge said 50 Cent still has a long road in front of him to win a malpractice claim against Reed Smith.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Zuckerman Star Teams with Lawyer/Psychotherapist to Take Down UnitedHealthcare in SF Trial

Jenna Greene | March 06, 2019

Over the last five years, the duo in a series of class actions may single-handedly have done more to force insurers to comply with their mental health and substance use disorder coverage obligations than anyone else in the country.

News

Second Federal Judge Bars Trump Administration's Census Citizenship Question

Ross Todd| March 06, 2019

U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California found that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's decision to add a citizenship question to the 2020 census violated the Administrative Procedure Act, a similar conclusion that a judge in New York reached in a January in a similar legal challenge to the question's inclusion.

News

Drinker Biddle Takes 17 Litigators From Carlton Fields

Lizzy McLellan| March 06, 2019

Five years after the merger that created Carlton Fields Jorden Burt, Washington-based James Jorden and Frank Burt are betting on Philadelphia’s Drinker Biddle.

News

Female Lawyers Secure Record Number of Lead Counsel Appointments in MDLs in 2018

Amanda Bronstad| March 06, 2019

According to Law.com data based on federal court records, women took 31 percent of the top MDL positions, both executive committee member and lead counsel combined, compared to 23 percent in 2017.

News

Trump Organization's Insurance Broker Subpoenaed by NY's Department of Financial Services

Dan M. Clark| March 05, 2019

The subpoena was issued less than a week after Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal attorney, testified before members of Congress that the Trump Organization had previously provided inflated assets to an insurance company.

Expert Opinion

When Suing a Dead Person, Timing Is Everything

Brian S. Kabateck and Stephanie Charlin| March 05, 2019

The death of a defendant before a lawsuit is filed or during the pendency of a lawsuit creates very complex issues and is procedurally taxing for any plaintiff lawyer.

News

On a Roll: The IRS Keeps Winning Marijuana Cases in US Appeals Courts

Cheryl Miller| March 05, 2019

The Tenth Circuit ruling was the latest blow for marijuana-related businesses seeking to take the full range of tax deductions available to other companies.

News

Williams & Connolly Partner Allison Rushing Is Confirmed to 4th Circuit Seat

Nate Robson| March 05, 2019

Rushing, who was confirmed in a vote of 53-44, is one of the youngest judges President Donald Trump has gotten on the bench.

News

Judge Rebukes Roger Stone’s Defense Team Over 'Unexplained Inconsistencies'

Nate Robson| March 05, 2019

Judge Amy Berman Jackson scolded Stone and his legal team for their delay in notifying the court that the former Trump adviser planned to re-publish and sell a book with a new introduction critical of the special counsel.

News

Second Circuit Upholds $93M Securities Civil Penalty Against Rajaratnam

Colby Hamilton| March 05, 2019

Former hedge fund manager Raj Rajaratnam was convicted in 2011 of securities fraud, and was later subjected to the hefty civil penalty by U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff in a parallel case brought by the SEC.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: An Awkward Moment for Winston’s Abbe Lowell in Kushner Security Clearance Flap

Jenna Greene | March 05, 2019

Based on a review of dozens of published decisions involving security clearances by the Defense Office of Hearings and Appeals, there's no way Kushner would have gotten a top-secret clearance if he was a normal person.

News

SCOTUS Will Decide if USPTO Can Collect Legal Fees

Scott Graham| March 04, 2019

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office did not go after attorneys' fees in special district court proceedings for more than a century but recently changed its policy.

Trump Labor Dept. Attorney Sanctioned for ‘Bad Judgment’ in Litigating Private Suit

Erin Mulvaney| March 04, 2019

Career ethics officials at the US Labor Department determined Michael Avakian, the associate deputy secretary, had "not knowingly violated a criminal statute or particular ethics rule" in filing papers on behalf of a private client while serving in the government.

News

Another MoFo Lawyer Joins Lawsuit Alleging 'Mommy Track' Bias

Scott Flaherty| March 04, 2019

A new complaint includes new claims under New York law and features a seventh onetime Morrison & Foerster lawyer accusing the firm of bias against pregnant women and mothers.

News

Goodwin Nabs Paul Hastings Securities Litigation Co-Chair in NYC

Meghan Tribe| March 04, 2019

With a stable of financial industry clients over the years, Douglas Flaum is a former practice leader at both Paul Hastings and Fried Frank.

News

SF Judge Acquits Barclays Trader of Fraud Charges in HP Deal

Ross Todd| March 04, 2019

A federal judge in San Francisco has cut short the criminal trial against Barclays foreign exchange trader Robert Bogucki, finding that no reasonable juror could find him guilty.

News

Sweeping Trump Probe Means Busy Times for These Big Law Partners

Mike Scarcella| March 04, 2019

The committee, led by U.S. Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-New York, sent more than 80 letters and document demands as part of an investigation "into the alleged obstruction of justice, public corruption, and other abuses of power by President Trump, his associates, and members of his administration."

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Why Michelle Obama Disliked Working at Sidley—and the Lessons That Still Apply

Jenna Greene | March 04, 2019

In her autobiography, Michelle Obama offers a dismal depiction of the three years she spent as an associate at Sidley Austin, in part because there were so few other minority lawyers at the firm. But she didn't just complain--she tried to change things.

News

A Flood of Litigation for Ohio National After Axing Life Annuity Commissions

Greg Land| March 03, 2019

At least 10 federal lawsuit claim Ohio National Life Insurance and its affiliates terminated contracts and stopped paying commissions to thousands of broker-dealers who sold its variable annuities.

News

Giuliani, Mocked as 'Trump's TV Lawyer,' Strikes Back at Michael Cohen, Lanny Davis

Ryan Lovelace| March 01, 2019

The former New York mayor and federal prosecutor called Cohen "poorly prepared" and predicted new witnesses would soon come forward against him.

News

Jonathan Boies, Son of Litigator David Boies and Early Firm Recruit, Dies Unexpectedly

Scott Flaherty| March 01, 2019

A burial and small, private service for close friends and family are scheduled for Sunday, March 3 in Westchester County, where Jonathan Boies lived.

News

AG Barr Fills Front Office With Trump White House Lawyers

C. Ryan Barber| March 01, 2019

The personnel moves within Attorney General William Barr's front office further spotlight the key roles former Kirkland & Ellis lawyers are playing.

Q&A

Litigators of the Week: First Amendment Heroes at Davis Wright Tremaine Save Greenpeace from Existential Threat

Jenna Greene | March 01, 2019

Davis Wright Tremaine's Lance Koonce, Laura Handman and Lisa Zycherman defended Greenpeace in a pair of cases that could have criminalized organized protest and severely chilled the speech of everyone.

Commentary

And the LOTW Runners Up...

Jenna Greene | March 01, 2019

Take a bow: Lawyers from Simpson Thacher; Beveridge & Diamond and Kobre & Kim are runners up for Litigator of the Week.

News

Banks Hit With Class Action Over Bond Market Manipulation

Colby Hamilton| February 28, 2019

The suit claims traders at the banks looked to rig the system that provided generous profits during the run-up to the housing bubble bursting last decade, according to the filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

News

As Trump Pursues Border Wall, South Texas Lawyers Ready for Eminent Domain Battles

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys| February 28, 2019

Lawyers anticipate numerous eminent domain matters will arise in the wake of President Donald Trump's emergency declaration on the U.S.-Mexico border.

News

In Mueller Mystery Case, Newly Unsealed Orders Reveal Judge's Observations

ALM Staff| February 28, 2019

Courts have unsealed some pleadings and orders that provide clues to the contours of a special counsel dispute involving a foreign company.

News

Switching Sides, Quinn Emanuel Sues Utility Over 2018 Wildfire

Amanda Bronstad| February 28, 2019

The firm, which has represented PG&E and San Diego Gas & Electric, filed a lawsuit this week against Southern California Edison on behalf of former U.S. Congressman David Dreier.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Kasowitz Team Scores $179M Award Against Fox, But Can O’Melveny’s Petrocelli Stop Runaway Arbitrator?

Jenna Greene | February 28, 2019

When can an arbitrator award punitive damages? That’s the $128 million question for 21st Century Fox, which was socked with a massive punitive penalty in a licensing dispute over the television show “Bones.”

News

Patriots Owner Robert Kraft Retains Ex-Epstein Lawyer for Prostitution Case

Raychel Lean| February 28, 2019

Meet the attorneys fighting for and against New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who has hired billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's former lawyer Jack Goldberger to defend him against two counts of soliciting prostitution in Jupiter, Florida.

News

Fox Rothschild Partner Sanctioned in Porn Copyright Cases

Roy Strom| February 28, 2019

In one set of cases, Fox Rothschild’s Lincoln Bandlow owes $750. In another, the head of his uber-litigious, pornography-producing client seeks to avoid a deposition.

Analysis

How a Major SCOTUS Decision in Favor of Arbitration Is Shaping the Landscape for Workplace Lawsuits

Erin Mulvaney and Ben Hancock| February 28, 2019

“[Epic] changes the dynamics in a profound way,” said Gerald Maatman, a partner at Seyfarth Shaw in Chicago. “It’s one of the most important decisions from the Supreme Court that impacts workplace issues.”

News

Kramer Levin Butts Heads With Trump Organization, Republicans Over Barry Berke Hire

Ryan Lovelace| February 27, 2019

An alleged conflict of interest involving New York partner Barry Berke of Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel became a flash point as Congress probes the president and his businesses.

News

Cohen Hearing Spotlights Trump's ‘Fixer’ and Whisperer

C. Ryan Barber| February 27, 2019

Cohen’s corporate engagements created controversy for his clients and were cited by critics as examples of shadow lobbying.

Chief Justice Roberts Joins Liberal Wing in Snubbing Alabama Court in Death Case

Tony Mauro| February 27, 2019

Wednesday's decision was the latest in several recent instances in which Roberts has sided with the liberal justices.

News

No Expert? No Problem for this Nonpracticing Entity in SF Patent Trial

Scott Graham| February 27, 2019

Friedman, Suder & Cooke partner Jonathan Suder of Texas is feeling pretty good about San Francisco judges and juries after winning a $6.6 million verdict for OptiCurrent LLC.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: Groundhog Day for Goldman Sachs in $13B Securities Suit

Jenna Greene | February 27, 2019

A slew of new, high-powered amicus briefs underscores why this case is so important.

News

Georgia Jury Awards $33M in Motorcycle Death

Katheryn Tucker| February 27, 2019

“This was a tragic case of a driver who turned left directly in front of a motorcyclist that she failed to see approaching,” said Ben Brodhead of Brodhead Law.

News

Now a Year Old, Selendy & Gay Tells the Tale of a Big Law Spinoff

Scott Flaherty| February 27, 2019

After breaking off from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan last winter, Selendy & Gay is eschewing the Big Law model.

News

On Day 2 of Roundup Bellwether, Judge Says Plaintiff Lawyer Has Shown 'Bad Faith'

Ross Todd| February 26, 2019

U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria held a hearing Tuesday afternoon at the end of second day of the first bellwether trial targeting Monsanto Co. with claims that its herbicide Roundup causes cancer to consider whether to sanction Aimee Wagstaff of Andrus Wagstaff for defying his orders to stick to science during opening statements.

News

Perkins Coie’s Eric Miller Approved for 9th Circuit--Without Backing by Home State Senators

Ellis Kim| February 26, 2019

Miller is the first appeals court nominee to be confirmed without the “blue slip” consent of either home state senator.

News

9th Circuit Upholds Much of Former Bio-Rad GC's $11M Whistleblower Verdict

Ross Todd| February 26, 2019

In a mixed ruling, the Ninth Circuit found a problem with the jury instructions in former Bio-Rad general counsel Sanford Wadler's whistleblower trial. The court, however, upheld Wadler's win on California public policy grounds, leaving in place $5 million in punitive damages and $2.96 million in compensatory damages.

News

Appeals Court Tosses Defamation Suit by Lawyer-Judge Couple Against New York Post

Jason Grant| February 26, 2019

The married lawyer and longtime judge’s suit was lodged against the New York Post after it published an article about the lawyer using his wife's judicial license plates to wrongfully park behind the Queens Supreme Court building.

News

As Biometric Privacy Cases Surge, Shook Hardy Nabs 2 Laterals From Baker & Hostetler

Roy Strom| February 26, 2019

Illinois employers are getting in trouble for scanning their employees' fingerprints, and Shook, Hardy & Bacon is building a team to handle the cases.

Commentary

Daily Dicta: How Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz Partners Shredded Witnesses in $600M Save for Bayer

Jenna Greene | February 26, 2019

If cross-examination is an art form, then Wilkinson Walsh + Eskovitz name partners Alexandra Walsh and Sean Eskovitz are masters, leading a trial team defending Bayer AG against a $600 million class action over its One A Day multivitamin.

Dialing a Victory for AT&T, Sidley's Peter Keisler Beats DOJ Antitrust Newcomer

C. Ryan Barber| February 26, 2019

A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel, led by Judge Judith Rogers, upheld Washington federal trial judge Richard Leon's ruling against the Justice Department's antitrust lawsuit.