News

Evan Greebel Shouldn't Go to Jail, His Former Law Partners Say

Christine Simmons | July 17, 2018

The former Big Law partner and lawyer to imprisoned ex-pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli "had a terrible encounter with the devil incarnate," one of his former law firm partners told a judge.

News

3 NY Boutiques Among Those Matching Milbank on Associate Pay

Lizzy McLellan | June 15, 2018

Several elite litigation boutiques are keeping pace with salary increases at Milbank and Cravath. One hints it's about to go even higher.

News

Sidley Private Equity Practice Head Jumps to Willkie in NY

Dan Packel | June 12, 2018

Matthew Rizzo, who formerly led Sidley Austin's private equity practice, has joined Willkie Farr & Gallagher in New York, while Jessica Sheridan has come aboard in Texas.

News

Partnership for Children's Rights Merges With Mobilization for Justice

Susan DeSantis | June 07, 2018

Partnership for Children’s Rights, a not-for-profit law firm, is merging with Mobilization for Justice Inc., an anti-poverty organization.

News

Greenberg Traurig Shareholder in NY Helps Defendants Beat Back Securities Fraud Charges in Connecticut

Robert Storace | June 07, 2018

Greenberg Traurig's Marc Mukasey leads a team of white collar defense attorneys who successfully represented two traders charged with crimes.

2018 Attorneys’ Guide to Civil Practice in the New York County Supreme Court

Peter McGowan | June 05, 2018

For the past 22 years, NYCLA's Committee on the Supreme Court has published its annually updated Attorneys’ Guide to Civil Practice in the New York County Supreme Court, which is an exceptional guide book covering all aspects of litigating in Manhattan. And once again the 23rd edition of the Attorneys’ Guide does not disappoint.

Michael Miller Addresses NYSBA as Its President

Michael Miller | June 04, 2018

"Members of this great profession of ours, particularly the members of the organized bar, stand on the front lines protecting, defending—and yes, even expanding—our precious civil liberties and the administration of justice."

News

Nassau Bar President Wants to Reach New Lawyers

Susan DeSantis | June 01, 2018

Elena Karabatos is a partner in the matrimonial practice of Schlissel Ostrow Karabatos.  She is the immediate past president of the New York Chapter…

News

Facing Increased Competition, NY Bar Associations Reveal New Incentives

Susan DeSantis | June 01, 2018

The New York City Bar is set to announce today that most of its hundreds of CLE classes will be free for new graduates, newly admitted lawyers, in-house/corporate counsel, academics, nonprofit lawyers, judges and their staffs.

News

New State Bar Association President Sees Tremendous Opportunity for Growth

Susan DeSantis | May 31, 2018

"There are a lot of lawyer jokes, but when people are in trouble and need help, they don’t call comedians – they call us."

News

Behind the Law Firm Brawl That Could Cost Michael Avenatti Millions

Christine Simmons | May 25, 2018

Avenatti’s firm and his former colleagues there paint very different pictures of the events that led to a $10 million judgment this month.

Commentary

Are Law Firm Bonuses Considered 'Wages'?

Arthur J. Ciampi | May 24, 2018

Whether bonus payments to employees are “wages” under the New York Labor Law is an oft-litigated issue in employment disputes.

News

Fast-Growing Kobre & Kim Adds Lawyers in NY, Asia, London, DC

Dan Packel | May 24, 2018

A key part of the firm's model is finding former federal prosecutors eager to work on the ground in foreign jurisdictions.

News

Abbe Lowell, Counsel to Kushner, Joins Winston in NY and Washington, D.C.

Ryan Lovelace | May 23, 2018

Lowell is just the latest Norton Rose Fulbright partner to join Winston & Strawn over the past year.

News

Manhattan Lawyer's Racist Rant, Other Events Show Social Media's Power Over Lawyers

Scott Flaherty | May 22, 2018

A racist rant. Scrutiny over prolific billable hours. Controversy over arbitration pacts. All three have made news in the legal world in the past few months, and all were thrust into the spotlight through social media.

News

ABA 'Furiously Working' to Craft Proposal on Lawyers' Mental Health

Ryan Lovelace | May 22, 2018

Ahead of the American Bar Association's annual meeting this summer, an ABA working group is debating a proposed resolution to help lawyers and law firms deal with problems of mental illness and impairment.

Letter to the Editor Commentary

Justices in Town and Village Courts Should be Lawyers

Thomas F. Liotti | May 18, 2018

The New York Law Journal’s article entitled Are Times Changing For Old-School Town and Village Courts In New York? is rhetorical. It answers the question…

News

$1,745 Hourly Rate in the Toys R Us Bankruptcy Sparks Debate

Ryan Lovelace | May 18, 2018

It's easy to be impressed by individual partner rates approaching $2,000 an hour, but the widening gap between whole categories of law firms may mean more for the industry's future.

News

Big Law Vets Target Buzzy Blockchain for Growing Boutique

Dan Packel | May 17, 2018

A pair of former partners at Reed Smith and Hogan Lovells launched DLx Law earlier this month. They've now named their first new attorney who will split his time between Delaware and New York.

News

Judge Leticia Astacio Appeals Her Removal From the Bench

Susan DeSantis | May 17, 2018

Leticia Astacio was suspended from office last month after she was arrested for allegedly attempting to make an illegal firearms purchase at a Dick’s Sporting Goods in Henrietta.

News

Power Sharing: Law Firms Say It Can Be Nirvana but Experts See Pitfalls

Susan DeSantis | May 15, 2018

Experts aren't fond of the idea: two co-managing partners or a committee of equals running a law firm. But the leaders of some of New York's midsize firms swear by it.

Profile Q&A

An International Arbitration Star With NY Roots: A Q&A with Wilmer’s Gary Born

Jenna Greene | May 14, 2018

One of the world's top arbitration experts, Wilmer Hale's Gary Born shares how he got his start, his goals as chair of the 70-lawyer practice, the benefits of "double-hatting"--and why he likes planes without wifi.

News

Columbia, Cornell Law Among Schools Asking Firms to Disclose Summer Associate Arbitration Agreements

Meghan Tribe | May 14, 2018

Yale Law School and 13 other top law schools are issuing a survey to law firms asking them to disclose whether or not they require summer associates to submit to forced arbitration agreements and related nondisclosure deals.

News

Big Law Sports Deal Vet From NY Takes a Turn as Team Owner

Meghan Tribe | May 10, 2018

Irwin Raij, an O'Melveny & Myers partner known for handling high-profile sports transactions, recently saw his four-year wait finally end for the debut of a new professional soccer team that he co-owns in Los Angeles.

News

Lawrence Randolph Bailey, the First African-American Equity Partner at Eckert Seamans, Dies

Susan DeSantis | May 07, 2018

Lawrence Randolph Bailey Jr., the first African-American attorney to become an equity partner at Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott, died May 2 in Westchester at the age of 68.

News

NY Firm Opens Office in Houston 2 Months After Austin Move

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | May 03, 2018

The launch had been delayed by Baker Botts' 90-day hold on partners. Shearman & Sterling hired partners from Baker Botts, Thompson & Knight and Jones Day to launch its Houston office, which will bolster the firm's oil and gas practice.

Live Coverage News

Jed Rakoff: Only the "Relatively Rich" Can Afford to Hire a Lawyer

Jed Rakoff | May 03, 2018

Judge Rakoff, in his Learned Hand Award speech at the Federal Bar Council's Law Day dinner, said: We cannot blind ourselves to the failure of our profession to provide affordable legal services to what is probably a majority of our fellow Americans. What is needed is a global solution.

News

How the GC of TED Talks in NY Is Battling the Problem of Sexual Harassment After Complaints at Group's Conferences

Stephanie Forshee | May 03, 2018

In a recent interview with Corporate Counsel, Nishat Ruiter of TED provided a rare look into how a GC has handled harassment issues in the era of #MeToo.

News

White & Wiggins Adds NYC Office, Four Laterals and New Name

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | May 02, 2018

The Dallas minority-owned firm expands with the addition of an international practice that focuses on the energy and entertainment sectors in Africa.

Best Practices Commentary

Why Lawyers Need to Learn to Write Clearly

Gerald Lebovits and Cynthia R. Moore | May 01, 2018

Many factors cause lawyers to write turgidly, including a limited knowledge of how to write in plain English and a belief that readers prefer dense writing to simple, interesting, easy-to-understand writing.

News

3 Latham Partners in NY Among Candidates to Replace Bill Voge

Scott Flaherty | April 30, 2018

Partners in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and London are vying to lead the 2,400-lawyer firm following Voge's ouster in March.

News

Proceed With Caution: Geographic Expansion Carries Risks for NY's Midsize Law Firms

Susan DeSantis | April 15, 2018

"f you have 50 lawyers spread over a dozen practice areas, it’s hard to persuade clients you have the bench strength to become a powerhouse.”says Jon Lindsey, managing partner for Major, Lindsey & Africa.

News

Wilson Sonsini Partner Talks About Other Kozinski Clerks 'Waiting, Dying' to Testify in Aborted Investigation

Ross Todd | April 12, 2018

Katherine Ku spoke as part of a discussion called "Making the Future #NOTMeToo" about how women can ward off and respond to sexual harassment in the legal profession.

Q&A

KBR: Keeping Millennials' Careers on Track in a Collegial Atmosphere

Susan DeSantis | April 04, 2018

Julianna Ryan of Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan says the biggest threat to the defense bar, generally, is the trend toward commoditization of legal services that fails to account for the quality of the service and case results. All firms do not deliver the same results, says Ryan.

News

Waffle House Exec’s Wife Defends Husband in Sex Tape Trial

R. Robin McDonald | April 03, 2018

The judge earlier in the day tossed out the conspiracy charge against the attorneys and their client.

Letter to the Editor Commentary

ABA President Sees Call to Action in Quinn Emanuel Partner's Story of Depression

Hilarie Bass | March 30, 2018

Sadly, our profession is falling short when it comes to well-being. Law firms need to emphasize that mental health is an indispensable part of a lawyer’s competence and work to educate lawyers on mental health and addiction issues.

Commentary

Quinn Emanuel Partner Suffers From Depression and He Wants Everyone to Know

Joseph Milowic III | March 28, 2018

Struggling to find meaning in your work? Lacking motivation? Thinking about quitting? Please read this first.

Commentary

Symptoms of Depression

Colin Jamron | March 28, 2018

Depression is a mental condition that affects millions of Americans each year. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, over 16 million Americans have suffered at least one major depressive episode in 2016.

News

White & Case Grabs Houston M&A Partner from Paul Hastings

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | March 27, 2018

Steven Tredennick joins White & Case's new Houston office in the firm's global M&A practice.

Commentary Q&A

Former Justices on the Appellate Division, 1st Department, Reflect on Careers and Friendships

David B. Saxe | March 22, 2018

The New York Law Journal asked if these former colleagues and friends would welcome an intrusion into a recent get-together and they were happy to share some of their thoughts about things past and present at the Appellate Division, First Department.

News

What It's Like to Be Ben Brafman: Confessions From a Big-Time Criminal Defense Lawyer

Susan DeSantis | March 14, 2018

"People ask how I spend my days," criminal defense lawyer Ben Brafman said. "They think I’m clubbing with Puff Daddy or throwing passes to Plaxico Burress in my backyard. I'm not."

Q&A

Tarter Krinsky & Drogin: How to Stay True to Entrepreneurial Roots

Susan DeSantis | March 13, 2018

"As we change, we are very conscious to stay true to our values and maintain our close-knit and collaborative culture," says Alan Tarter, managing partner of Tarter Krinsky & Drogin, in describing how his young, midsize firm strives to stay true to its entrepreneurial roots while continuing to grow.

News

Orrick Continues Lateral Hiring Spree in California, New York

Xiumei Dong | March 12, 2018

The firm, which saw its gross revenue rise last year, has hired a founder of Silicon Valley's Edgewood Law Partners and added a pair of intellectual property experts in New York.

News

Cybersecurity: NY's Midsize Law Firms to Face Increased Scrutiny

Susan DeSantis | March 08, 2018

Big banks put the pressure on Big Law first when concerns about cybersecurity came to the forefront, experts say. But now, midsize law firms that have successfully competed for some of that business will lose those clients if they don't meet the same cybersecurity standards as the big firms do.

Q&A: Jim Walden on His 'Icarus' Cameo, Creating a No-Drama Law Firm

Christine Simmons | March 05, 2018

Walden, who left Gibson Dunn to start a boutique where partners all bill the same rate, appeared in the Academy Award-winning"'Icarus" and was portrayed by Idris Elba in the Oscar-nominated "Molly's Game."

News

Shearman & Sterling Opens Austin Office with Eight Lawyers from Andrews Kurth

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | Christine Simmons | March 01, 2018

The firm will also open an office in Houston in a few months.

News

Latham Tunes in for Spotify IPO

Xiumei Dong | March 01, 2018

The global legal giant and two leading European firms are advising the music streaming service on an unconventional direct listing that will have no underwriters.

In Brief News

DLA Piper Adds Partners in NY, California

Xiumei Dong | February 28, 2018

The firm's lateral recruitment surge continued this week with raids on Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer, Jenner & Block and a boutique formed by former DLA Piper lawyers.

News

Retired Dow Jones GC Returns to Cornell to Train 1st Amendment Lawyers

Susan DeSantis | February 27, 2018

The Cornell Law School clinic is hoping to have a national impact on First Amendment law although it will primarily represent clients in upstate New York, western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio.

News

White & Case Adds Another Oil and Gas Partner in its New Houston Office

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | February 26, 2018

After hiring laterals from Andrews Kurth Kenyon and Vinson & Elkins, White & Case adds an oil and gas partner from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld for its Houston office.