Business of Law

News

Norris McLaughlin Names New Chairman, Makes Other Leadership Moves

Michael Booth | August 02, 2018

Norris McLaughlin & Marcus has elected John Vanarthos, a longtime partner who has served four years on the management committee, as the firm's new chairman, and made changes at other leadership posts.

Conversation

Stressed Out? Tell Us About It

David Gialanella | July 31, 2018

Publications from around the ALM family are engaging readers on the important issue of stress in the workplace, and we want to hear from you.

News

Norris McLaughlin Gets Share of $504K Fee Award in Case of Corporate Power Struggle

David Gialanella | July 26, 2018

New Jersey law firm Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, in a long-running dispute in which it once was sued itself, was awarded $254,201 in fees based on what the court called "unacceptable" and "shocking" conduct by one of the parties.

News

Ex-Mercedes-Benz Litigation Counsel Moves From Duane Morris to Cozen O'Connor

Lizzy McLellan | July 24, 2018

Miguel Pozo, who joined Duane Morris' Atlanta office in August of last year, is now a partner at Cozen O'Connor.

News

Summer Associate Pay Rises, as 2 NJ Firms Bring Back Programs

David Gialanella | July 19, 2018

With two firms relaunching their programs after yearslong layoffs, the market for summer associates would appear to be primed for something of a renaissance. But overall it's been a slow build in recent years, according to the Law Journal's 2018 survey of summer associate programs.

News

Princeton Human Rights Blockchain Startup Hires Former McGuireWoods Partner as GC

Dan Clark | July 19, 2018

Kathleen Dooley, who dealt with numerous types of litigation at McGuireWoods, is stepping up to lead legal at a Princeton-based organization with big ambitions around developing personal privacy.

News

McCarter & English Launches Fellowship to Represent Newark Residents

David Gialanella | July 17, 2018

"I think McCarter & English wants to be a good neighbor," Newark Mayor Baraka said. "We're developing a relationship, and we want to create that kind of relationship with all the institutions in the city."

News

Where Did NJ Law Firms Land on the NLJ 500?

David Gialanella | July 10, 2018

Here's how each New Jersey firm, in order of firmwide head count, stacked up.

Analysis

New Jersey Sits Out Associate Pay Race—Mostly

David Gialanella | July 02, 2018

"I really think the firms we're reading about are a relatively small group of firms serving a different type of client than we are," said W. Raymond Felton of Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis. "And by 'we,' I don't mean just Greenbaum—I mean most law firms in New Jersey."

News

Supreme Court Won't Take Up Avvo Ethics Case

David Gialanella | June 04, 2018

An opinion by New Jersey legal ethics authorities that deemed Avvo off-limits to lawyers in the state will not be reviewed by the state Supreme Court.

Analysis

Summer Hours to Family Leave, Work-Life Balance Gets Top-Down Approach at NJ Firms

David Gialanella | June 01, 2018

Many firms see striking an effective work-life balance as a matter of competition, insofar as it serves as a recruiting tool.

News

Which New Jersey Firms Cracked the Am Law 200?

David Gialanella | May 22, 2018

It was a familiar picture for New Jersey firms on the Am Law 200 this year, with moves up and down the board, but one firm joined the list for the first time.

Analysis

No Legalization Yet, But 'Shift' Sees NJ Firms Firing Up Cannabis Practices

David Gialanella | May 16, 2018

As the dialogue about possible legalization of marijuana in New Jersey once again ramps up, a number of firms have announced the formation of cannabis law practice groups.

News

Court Remands $166K Fee Award to Greenbaum Rowe for Receiver Work

Michael Booth | May 09, 2018

A state appeals court on Wednesday ordered further review of more than $166,000 in receivership fees awarded to New Jersey firm Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis, issuing an "admonition [that] has been repeated time and again" to trial courts that don't put reasons for their rulings on the record.

News

Weber Gallagher's NJ Office Nabs 5 Med Mal Laterals From Wilson Elser

Lizzy McLellan | April 30, 2018

"I really didn’t need a national platform and all that came with that, so Weber was a nice fit," partner Ken Brown said.

Analysis

Firms Careful About Geographic Expansion, but Pioneers Claim Success

David Gialanella | April 24, 2018

"Expansion is not something you decide overnight," according to Sanjay Ibrahim. "It's got to be part of a macro-level plan."

Event

Inaugural 'Jersey Dealmakers of the Year' Recognizes Excellence in Transactional Practice

David Gialanella | April 18, 2018

Perhaps there's nothing differentiating a "Jersey deal" from any other, aside from a hint of swagger, but in the first installment of "Jersey Dealmakers…

Q&A

Technology 'a Blessing and a Curse,' New Mandelbaum Salsburg CEO Says

David Gialanella | April 11, 2018

Planning for the future is, or should be, a common priority for midsize firms, and Mandelbaum Salsburg of Roseland put its succession plan in motion…

News

McCarter & English Tops Rotation For Pro Baseball Union, Federal Filing Shows

Brian Baxter | April 06, 2018

While snow and other inclement weather in certain parts of the country scuttled the home openers of several Major League Baseball teams, the league’s player’s union marked the start of a new league year with a filing listing a long lineup of legal bills.

News

Gibbons, Fighting 'Down' Demand, Sees Revenue Recede, Plans New Partner Crop

David Gialanella | April 04, 2018

The Newark-based firm's $99.4 million in firmwide gross revenue was a 2.9 percent decrease from $102.4 million in fiscal 2016.

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

Connell Foley Launches Franchise Practice With LeClair Laterals

David Gialanella | March 29, 2018

The addition of 11 LeClairRyan lawyers weeks ago has done more than boost Connell Foley's head count—it has also allowed the firm to launch a franchise and distribution practice group.

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.

Analysis

For Midsize Law Firm Leaders, 'It Takes Dollars' to Tackle Tech Initiatives

David Gialanella | March 21, 2018

Vendors are one thing. But many more costs are internalized, and law firm technology spending is a growing part of the budgetary discussion.

News

'Bittersweet' Move Brings 20 Graham Curtin Laterals to McElroy Deutsch

David Gialanella | March 19, 2018

The move brings 20 lawyers, including firm founder and former State Bar President Thomas Curtin, to McElroy Deutsch, while another contingent of Graham Curtin lawyers have launched its own firm, Gimigliano, Mauriello & Maloney.

Analysis

Revenue Up 7 Percent for NJ Lawyer-Lobbyists in 2017

Michael Booth | March 09, 2018

The top 10 law firms that lobby the state government in Trenton saw a year-over-year revenue increase in 2017, according statistics from state elections regulators.

News

Gross Revenue Dips Slightly, PPP Shrinks for Partner-Replenished McElroy Deutsch

David Gialanella | March 07, 2018

"It was a disappointing year because our productivity was up. The billable hours of the average lawyer was up. And the rates were up," managing partner Edward Deutsch said. "But I think everybody's got a problem with slow-paying clients."

News

Financial Metrics Hold Steady for McCarter & English in '17

David Gialanella | February 27, 2018

Firm leaders, meanwhile, say an ongoing emphasis on efficiency and profit margins have set up the firm well in the competitive market for legal services.

Analysis

Law Firm GC a Role for the Seasoned, but That Means Grooming a Successor

David Gialanella | February 21, 2018

To fill the role of general counsel, law firms typically look for someone with the years of experience needed to confront difficult and potentially costly issues in an unflinching way.

News

Tyrrell's Litigation Group Bolts Locke Lord for Sills Cummis

David Gialanella | February 21, 2018

"I could have returned to New York where I started, but I didn't want to do that. I did not want to be at a firm that had a short-term interest in New Jersey," Tyrrell said.

Slideshow

Lateral Groups, New Practices, Going Bicoastal: NJ's Splashiest Law Firm Moves

David Gialanella | February 16, 2018

It's been an eventful time in New Jersey for law firms adding lateral hires, opening new offices, hiring prominent former public officials, and otherwise pushing to maintain an upward trajectory in a competitive legal market.

Video

Former Judges Marie Lihotz and Raymond Batten on Building an ADR Practice

David Gialanella | February 16, 2018

Lihotz and Batten discuss challenges in transitioning from the bench to law firm life, and the considerable task of building an alternative dispute resolution practice.

News

Lowenstein's Gross Revenue Up 5.5 Percent; PPP Jumps 12.9 Percent

David Gialanella | February 13, 2018

Following incremental growth in fiscal year 2016, Lowenstein Sandler saw marked increases in its financial metrics last year, and did so without lawyer population growth.

News

Connell Foley Builds in Newark With 11 From LeClairRyan

David Gialanella | February 12, 2018

The additions push Connell Foley's firmwide attorney head count to the 140-lawyer mark and its Newark head count above 20.

Analysis

Diversity More Than Numbers Game, But Midsize Law Firms Must Play to Win

David Gialanella | February 07, 2018

Creating a firm environment that truly prioritizes diversity means more than hitting a magic number or following an exact formula, attorneys at New Jersey midsize firms have said.

Analysis

Millennials Get 'Bad Rap,' NJ Firms Say (But Seriously, Put Down the Phone)

David Gialanella | January 18, 2018

When Eric Alvarez moved to Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus in Bridgewater a little less than a year ago, his reasons were of a reputedly common refrain…

News

Princeton's Smith Stratton Acquired By Dilworth Paxson

Lizzy McLellan | January 16, 2018

CEO Ajay Raju said his firm needed a presence along the New York-Philadelphia corridor and found an opportunity in Princeton's Smith, Stratton, Wise, Heher and Brennan.

Q&A

Porzio MP: 'If I Were a Millennial, I Would Want to Work at a Midsize Firm'

David Gialanella | January 16, 2018

"Our upcoming talent has options that don't exist at larger firms including the ability to experience multiple areas of practice and truly develop a niche that works best for them."

News

AG Porrino Returning to Lowenstein to Head Litigation Practice

David Gialanella | January 11, 2018

Christopher Porrino, a legal adviser to outgoing Gov. Chris Christie in three different positions over the course of the administration, is returning to Lowenstein Sandler as partner and chairman of the litigation department.

News

Mandelbaum Salsburg Adds Four, Including Two Practice Leaders

Lizzy McLellan | January 08, 2018

The firm is adding a securities practice and getting a new IP leader.

News

AFAs Heavily Used by NJ Midsized Firms, But Still 'Out of Comfort Zone' for Some

David Gialanella | December 29, 2017

"AFAs are outside of the comfort zone for many law firms. They don't think in terms of the project cost," said Donald Scarinci of 66-lawyer Scarinci Hollenbeck in Lyndhurst.

Q&A

Connell Foley's McGovern Talks Nonlawyer Chiefs, Collaboration and 'Continuous' Revenue Challenge

David Gialanella | December 28, 2017

McGovern credits technology, a change of scene and "goal-oriented" nonlawyer staff for a firm he says is well-prepared for the future.

News

As Name Partner Heads to Scarinci Hollenbeck, Schwartz Simon Resets

David Gialanella | December 19, 2017

With the new year comes a new name for the New Jersey education law firm long known as Schwartz Simon Edelstein & Celso, as name partner Nathanya Simon has moved to Scarinci Hollenbeck.

Ranking

Top New Jersey Verdicts and Settlements of 2016

New Jersey Law Journal | December 13, 2017

Welcome to New Jersey’s Top Settlements of 2016, a special supplement of the New Jersey Law Journal in partnership with VerdictSearch. The following pages represent the passion, determination and skillful expertise of your colleagues with favorable verdicts, settlements, mediations, arbitrations and decisions. Our list of high-ranking settlements was obtained from VerdictSearch in August and reflect cases that were reported and finalized as of that date.

News

Florio Perrucci Name Partner, Top Lobbyist Leaves Firm

Lizzy McLellan | November 30, 2017

Days after he was named to Gov.-elect Phil Murphy's transition team, name partner Paul Fader has left Florio Perrucci.

The New Jersey Top 40

New Jersey Law Journal | November 21, 2017

A listing of the state's highest-earning firms and branches, based on fiscal 2016 revenue. var divElement = document.getElementById('viz1511294117694');…

Largest Law Firms

New Jersey Law Journal | November 21, 2017

A listing of more than 100 firms and branches in the state, with information about office locations and leadership. …

News

Jury Won't Hear About Allegations of Witness Tampering in High-Stakes Dallas Hip Implant Trial

Brenda Sapino Jeffreys | November 14, 2017

U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade questioned a lawyer for defendant DePuy Orthopaedics and a company sales rep before issuing his finding that the jury would not hear about the witness tampering allegations.

News

Former NJ Prosecutor Joins Ballard Spahr With Pharma Focus

Lizzy McLellan | November 13, 2017

Fast-growing Ballard Spahr added white-collar veteran R. Stephen Stigall.

News

Obermayer Hires Rutgers Alumni Director As CMO

Lizzy McLellan | November 10, 2017

Dineo Mpela-Thompson, who started her career as a lawyer, plans to focus more on digital media marketing.