News

E-Cigarette Maker Bums New CLO From Biopharma Celgene

Kristen Rasmussen| June 21, 2018

San Francisco-based JUUL Labs Inc. announced Thursday that Gerald “Jerry” Masoudi has been named chief legal officer, effective July 9. Most recently, Masoudi was executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at Celgene Corp. He once served as chief counsel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

News

Blame the Black Box? Jones Day Bias Suit Puts Spotlight on Compensation

Meghan Tribe | June 21, 2018

A gender bias lawsuit against Jones Day puts its compensation model under scrutiny, but the black box approach has its defenders.

Analysis

EU Copyright Directive Moves Forward: What Does It Mean for In House Lawyers in Silicon Valley?

Caroline Spiezio| June 21, 2018

"The only companies that are really going to be able to implement filtering on a wide scale are the big incumbent companies, like YouTube," said the former GC of the Wikimedia Foundation.

Analysis

What Happens When a Cryptocurrency Becomes a Security? Major Disruption

Rhys Dipshan | June 21, 2018

A class action lawsuit alleging that Ripple Lab’s XRP Cryptocurrency violates securities laws poses existential and potentially far reaching effects for a still-evolving market.

News

Sacramento Judge Puts the Jeff Sessions Suit Against California on Trial

Cheryl Miller | June 20, 2018

The hearing, more than five hours long, resembled a trial at times. Mendez dove into minute details of the case, asking lawyers for relevant case law, citing arguments in the numerous amicus briefs, questioning the severability of provisions in each statute and quizzing the sides with long lists of what appeared to be prepared questions.

Quick Takes

Tesla Brings on Former Enron Prosecutor to Go After Ex-Employee Accused of Hacking

Ross Todd | June 20, 2018

Tesla has brought on Hueston Hennigan's John Hueston to file a case against Martin Tripp, a former employee of the company's Nevada battery plant accused of stealing company data.

News

Mintz Levin Hires Morrison & Foerster Corporate Pro

Xiumei Dong | June 20, 2018

Scott Stanton, a former head of the corporate practice at Morrison & Foerster, has joined Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo as a partner in San Diego.

News

Former Joint Venture Partner Accuses SAP of Stealing Trade Secrets, Copyrights

Ross Todd | June 20, 2018

The lawsuit from Teradata Inc. also asks for treble damages under federal antitrust laws claiming SAP unlawfully tied sale of a product developed with alleged stolen trade secrets to its core enterprise resource planning applications.

Expert Opinion

Unanimous Calif. Supreme Court Finds Negligent Hiring and Supervision Invokes Coverage

JoLynn M. (Pollard) Scharrer and Jennifer Tung| June 20, 2018

It’s official: the negligent hiring and supervision of an employee who goes on to intentionally injure a third party may constitute an “occurrence” that triggers coverage under a general liability insurance policy.

News

Here's How Litigators are Pushing Back Against Trump's Border Policy

Jenna Greene | June 20, 2018

As everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the ACLU recoils at the separation of migrant children from their parents, the legal community is eager to fight.

News

‘We Are a Better Nation Than This:’ Tech’s In-House Leaders Share Views on Immigration Policies

Caroline Spiezio | June 19, 2018

Top in-house lawyers in the tech industry have taken to social media to discuss Trump's immigration policies.

News

DLA Piper Adds Partners in Silicon Valley, Los Angeles

Xiumei Dong | June 19, 2018

The global legal giant has bolstered its Golden State operations with new hires in two cities.

Disclosing and Withholding Attorney Work Product

Shari L. Klevens and Alanna Clairis| June 19, 2018

In evaluating requests for the production of work product materials—whether by clients or third parties—it is helpful to understand the basic parameters of the work product doctrine.

News

Cozen O'Connor Joins Pro Bono Fight Against New Clippers Arena in Inglewood

Ross Todd | June 19, 2018

Lawyers from the firm have teamed with Public Counsel and the Public Interest Law Project to challenge the city's deal to sell public land to the sports team rather than use it for affordable housing.

News

Ex-Partner Accuses Jones Day of 'Fraternity' Environment, Gender Bias

Scott Flaherty | June 19, 2018

Jones Day is the latest large law firm to face claims of gender discrimination. Wendy Moore, now a partner at Perkins Coie, alleges in a new suit that her former firm operates as a boys' club and marginalizes women.

News

Canadian Producer Claims Disney/Pixar's 'Inside Out' Ripped Off His Student Film

Ross Todd | June 19, 2018

Damon Pourshian, the Toronto-based creative director of the production company Deviate, has sued Pixar and Disney, claiming that their 2015 hit animated feature "Inside Out" infringed his copyrighted 2000 student film of the same name.

News

Let's Stay Together: Clients Angry About Associate Raises But Will Probably Keep Firms Anyway

Dan Clark | June 19, 2018

In-house leaders have expressed their ire about associate raises handed out by Milbank and other firms, but experts say they are still likely to stick with their outside counsel.

News

Yale and Stanford Law Journals Team Up for #MeToo Project

Karen Sloan| June 19, 2018

In what’s believed to be the first partnership between the journals at the nation’s top two ranked law schools, Yale and Stanford fast-tracked a joint symposium to help activists, lawmakers and scholars better understand the multifaceted nature of sexual harassment.

News

Lathrop Gage Bolts on Four-Lawyer Boutique for LA Growth

Xiumei Dong | June 19, 2018

Only a few months after seeking to rebuild a ravaged Los Angeles office, Lathrop Gage has acquired the Scheidemantle Law Group, a four-lawyer outfit based in nearby Pasadena.

News

USC Brings In Quinn Emanuel Team to Handle Gynecologist Scandal

Jenna Greene| June 19, 2018

Facing at least 20 lawsuits alleging that the school turned a blind eye to sexual abuse by campus doctor George Tyndall, the University of Southern California and its board of directors have retained lawyers from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.

News

Wilson Sonsini to Launch London Office

Ben Wheway| June 19, 2018

The firm, a longtime legal adviser to leading technology giants such as Google, LinkedIn and Twitter, is poised to open a London office on Aug. 1.

News

State AGs and Former U.S. Attorneys Urge Sessions to Stop Separating Families at the Border

Ellis Kim| June 19, 2018

Two letters, one signed by state attorneys general and one from former U.S. attorneys, urged the Trump administration to pull back from it's policy Tuesday.

News

Cooley Nabs McDermott’s LA Tax Head

Xiumei Dong | June 19, 2018

Alexander "Xander" Lee will now head Cooley's global tax practice on the West Coast.

News

To Expand in NY, Beverly Hills Firm Lures Blank Rome Partnership Expert

Christine Simmons| June 18, 2018

New York-based partnership expert Leslie Corwin is joining Southern California-based Eisner along with litigator Simon Miller.

News

Adobe's IP Leader Dana Rao Becomes Company's Top Legal Boss

Caroline Spiezio | June 18, 2018

Rao has been associate general counsel of intellectual property and litigation since April 2012 at Adobe. He succeeds Mike Dillon.

News

Government Ethics Office Says Executive Nominees Must Disclose Crypto Holdings

Ross Todd | June 18, 2018

In a legal advisory letter released Monday, the U.S. Office of Government Ethics clarified that virtual currency is “property held ... for investment or the production of income” and therefore must be disclosed by executive branch employees under the Ethics in Government Act.

News

Meet David Taylor, the Theranos GC and Former Munger Associate Who Just Became the Troubled Company's CEO

Caroline Spiezio| June 18, 2018

Taylor will have his work cut out for him, replacing former CEO Elizabeth Holmes at a company that has been stuck in a downward spiral of legal troubles and bad headlines.

Quick Takes

SCOTUS Takes Up Key Antitrust Case Over Apple’s 'App Store' Model

Mike Scarcella| June 18, 2018

U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco also urged the justices to grant review in the Apple antitrust case, which will be argued this fall. “The importance of the question presented will only grow as commerce continues to move online,” he wrote. The Apple dispute was one of five case the justices added to their argument docket for the 2018-2019 term.

News

For Third Time, Fitbit Employees Caught Up in Legal Action Over Jawbone Trade Secrets

Scott Graham | June 15, 2018

The six people indicted by a federal grand jury Thursday have been involved in proceedings at the International Trade Commission and California state court, but neither ended in a finding of trade secret theft.

News

White & Case Welcomes Back Senior In-House Technology Lawyer

Xiumei Dong | June 15, 2018

Howard Wettan, a former counsel at White & Case, has returned to the firm as a partner in Silicon Valley after serving as an associate general counsel at Visa Inc.

News

Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes Indicted in Alleged Wire Fraud Scheme

Ross Todd | June 15, 2018

The indictment alleges a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud investors, doctors and patients.

News

CLOC Survey Shows In-House Legal May Rethink Staffing After Associate Raises—Or Maybe Not

Dan Clark | June 15, 2018

A recent survey from the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium took its members' temperature on associate pay. There was frustration expressed about the Milbank raises, but some indicated they'd be understanding—as long as the costs didn't land on the corporate legal balance sheet.

Commentary

Prospering in the 'New Normal'

J. Mark Santiago| June 15, 2018

Raising Costs and Declining Demand are Sapping Profits

The “New Normal” of today is one in which raising operating costs, associate salary increases, and reduced realization rates coupled with AFAs and demands from corporate counsel for reduced rates are sapping firm profits and there is no relief on the horizon. Law firm leaders, seeing current conditions, should be asking if there is a better way.

Podcast

Landing Big Clients: Top Women Partners Reveal How It's Done

Leigh Jones | Vanessa Blum | June 15, 2018

The Careerist's interview with Robbie Kaplan and Sharon Nelles is the first in an occasional series focused on the struggles and successes of women and minority lawyers.

Slideshow

The Recorder's Top 5 Stories of the Week

Recorder Staff| June 15, 2018

A roundup of stories you might have missed.

Slideshow

Nonprofit Program Seeks to Mentor Next Generation of Women Lawyers

Xiumei Dong | June 15, 2018

Women leaders in technology law are trying to tackle a pipeline problem by hosting a two-day program to introduce 30 high school students and graduates to legal career opportunities in the Bay Area.

Expert Opinion

The Case for Revising California's Harassment-Prevention Training Law

Judith Droz Keyes| June 15, 2018

Employers should be free to cover what is most needed and appropriate at their workplace and should be held accountable for how effective the training is in preventing harassment—not for checking the boxes.

Expert Opinion

What's Market-Rate Compensation for a Midlevel Associate Heading In-House?

Julie Q. Brush| June 15, 2018

Moving in-house is an alluring proposition that has been a major driver for the exodus of today’s young law firm associates.

Quick Takes

On the Move: Tracking the Ins and Outs of California Lawyers

Pearl Wu | June 15, 2018

New hires, promotions, appointments and awards in-house, at firms and in government and academia.

Is the Associate Starting Salary Contagion Contained?

Hugh A. Simons| June 15, 2018

Three positive signs this week suggest an intelligent segmentation may be emerging

News

Judge Again Says She's 'Disappointed' in Plaintiffs Lawyers in Anthem Data Breach Case

Ross Todd | June 14, 2018

At a hearing on a special master's report on the firms' billings, U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh asked for more detailed records about who did what on discovery, deposition and settlement issues in the case.

News

Earthjustice Announces Abigail Dillen as Its New President

Caroline Spiezio | June 14, 2018

Dillen was managing attorney of Earthjustice’s coal program and, most recently, vice president of litigation for climate and energy, advocating for a shift toward renewable energy.

Analysis

3 Takeaways From SEC CorpFin Director's Big Crypto Speech

Ben Hancock | June 14, 2018

SEC Division of Corporate Finance Director William Hinman's remarks at the Yahoo Finance All Markets Summit offered some of the clearance indication to date of how the regulator analyzes initial coin offerings.

News

Latham Guides US to Winning 2026 World Cup Bid

Dan Packel | June 14, 2018

The firm has a long-standing relationship with the U.S. Soccer Federation, and also advised it on its unsuccessful 2022 World Cup bid.

News

Elite Boutiques Quick to Match Milbank on Associate Pay

Lizzy McLellan| June 14, 2018

Several litigation boutiques, including Hueston Hennigan and Irell & Manella in Southern California, are keeping pace with salary increases at Milbank and Cravath.

News

USC is the Latest Top Law School to Embrace the GRE

Karen Sloan | June 14, 2018

With the University of Southern California Gould School of Law now accepting GRE scores from applicants, nearly half of the country's top 20 ranked law schools have embraced the alternative exam.

News

Alex Kozinski Pays Tribute to Late Colleague Stephen Reinhardt

Tony Mauro| June 14, 2018

From his essay, posted to the Concurring Opinions blog, it appears retired judge Alex Kozinski and Stephen Reinhardt kept up their friendship of more than three decades until Reinhardt died.

News

Wilson Sonsini Lands Global Dealmaker, Elevates Associate to Innovation Role

Xiumei Dong | June 14, 2018

Squire Patton Boggs corporate and securities partner Kenji Funahashi has joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati in Los Angeles, as the latter has also promoted associate David Yi Wang to a new role in Silicon Valley.

News

PTAB Chief Accusing Former Employer Medtronic of Sexual Orientation, Disability Bias

Scott Graham| June 13, 2018

Chief Judge David Ruschke alleges he was laid off from Medtronic's in-house department for pretextual reasons in 2015 in a lawsuit playing out in Oakland federal court.

News

Norton Rose Fulbright Nabs Katten Muchin's M&A Co-Head

Xiumei Dong | June 13, 2018

S. Ward Atterbury, co-head of M&A at Katten Muchin Rosenman in New York, has joined the global legal giant along with Blank Rome corporate partner Mark Greenfield in Los Angeles.

News

Steptoe & Johnson Lawyer Moves In-House as Vote.org's First GC

Caroline Spiezio | June 13, 2018

Steptoe & Johnson litigator Sarah Jackel has come aboard to help the online voter registration nonprofit navigate state laws to help citizens sign up to vote digitally.

Expert Opinion

On Appeals: Statutes in Wonderland

Charles Kagay| June 13, 2018

It is hard to say what this Airs Aromatics v. CBL Data Recovery Technologies decision teaches about determining when the Legislature means what it says or says what it means.

News

Senate Committee Questions Judiciary's Anti-Harassment Efforts After Kozinski Scandal

Ross Todd | June 13, 2018

"The judicial branch has a problem," said Sen. Charles Grassley at the beginning of Wednesday's Senate judiciary hearing. "They have to deal with it or Congress will have to do it for the courts."

News

How to Succeed In-House (While Really Trying): 5 Tips From Legal Leaders

Caroline Spiezio | June 13, 2018

In-house lawyers from Pinterest, Microsoft, Sophos and more shared their advice for success at a Stanford University conference this week.

News

Court Reveals $120K Judicial Misconduct Settlement Following Rule Change

Cheryl Miller | June 12, 2018

California's judiciary paid a Tulare County Superior Court clerk $120,000 to settle claims that a judge—now removed from the bench—harassed her over several months in 2013. The court released the five-page settlement document in response to a newly amended Rule of Court that requires the disclosure of any agreement in which taxpayer money was spent to resolve misconduct allegations against a judge.

News

Scooter Company Bird Names Deputy GC at Time of Major Growth, Government Tensions

Caroline Spiezio | June 12, 2018

And the new deputy GC, Wendy Mantell, likes the product. “The moment I saw a Bird sitting outside of my office, I had to try it. I was hooked after just one ride,” she said in a statement.

News

Manatt Taps Cybersecurity Chair Donna Wilson as Next Firm Leader

Dan Packel | June 12, 2018

Wilson will take the reins at the Los Angeles-based firm in July 2019.

News

At Stanford Conference, In-House Leaders Discuss 'Delicate Tension' Between Legal Obligations, Consumer Demands

Caroline Spiezio | June 12, 2018

Companies are increasingly being asked to take political stands, which can make life a bit more complicated for in-house lawyers, according to speakers on a Monday panel at the 15th annual Stanford E-Commerce Best Practices Conference.

News

Meet Orrick's Brian Moran, Trump's Pick for Seattle US Attorney

Cheryl Miller| June 12, 2018

Moran's publicly filed financial disclosure, released Tuesday, reveals counsel income and a top-name client list of household U.S. companies.

Expert Opinion

Proactive Trade Secret Protection: Your Company’s Best Investment?

Jordan Grotzinger| June 12, 2018

Do companies do enough to proactively protect what often is their most valuable asset—their trade secrets? Inevitably, for many businesses, the answer is probably not.

Analysis

Seasoned Women Lawyers Gaining Leverage in Salary Talks

Miriam Rozen| June 12, 2018

“I felt very comfortable in negotiations that I wasn’t being treated unfairly and I wasn’t leaving money on the table,” said patent litigator Esha Bandyopadhyay, who recently joined Fish & Richardson in Silicon Valley. She also said that women should think about asking for leadership positions as they join new firms.

Commentary

Law and Lemmings: Associate Salary Increases Are a Mass Act of Self-Harm

Hugh A. Simons| June 12, 2018

By matching Milbank’s pay raise, firms in the middle of the Am Law 200 are paving a path to ruin.

News

Two Munger Tolles Associates Are Heading to SCOTUS for Clerkships

Tony Mauro | June 12, 2018

Celia Choy and Dahlia Mignouna, both Yale Law School graduates, will continue in their practice in the firm's 12-lawyer Washington, D.C., office until they head to the court in the summer of 2019 to clerk for Justice Stephen Breyer. More than half of the lawyers in Munger's office here are women, and a third are racial or ethnic minorities.

News

Facebook Fires Back at BlackBerry, Says Messaging Patents Aren't Eligible

Scott Graham | June 11, 2018

The social media giant lambastes BlackBerry's patents as "ancient concepts" applied on generic computers.

Judicial Performance Agency's Budget Won't Be Slashed by $500K After All

Cheryl Miller | June 11, 2018

The $500,000 slashed from the Commission on Judicial Performance's budget by lawmakers has been restored in a spending deal approved by the governor and legislative leaders.

News

Female Legal Leaders From eBay, Udacity and More Discuss Best Practices for the Era of #MeToo

Caroline Spiezio | June 11, 2018

At the 15th annual Stanford E-Commerce Best Practices Conference, a group of powerful female attorneys, including in-house lawyers from the tech world, weighed in on diversity and #MeToo.

Analysis

As Big Law Floods the California Market, Will Local Firms Sink or Swim?

Lizzy McLellan| June 11, 2018

According to the ALM Intelligence report, titled "Barbarians at the Gate," Los Angeles and San Francisco have seen more than 40 market entries since 2001. San Diego, meanwhile, has seen the number of law firms present there more than double. Still, the report finds there is room for regional firms to compete.

News

Tesla Investor Suit Targets Musk's Pay Package Valued at $2.6 Billion

Tom McParland| June 11, 2018

A Tesla Inc. investor has sued over Elon Musk's $2.6 billion-valued pay package in the Delaware Court of Chancery, calling the stock option a "massive, unfair and unprecedented" gift that would make the car manufacturer's CEO one of the richest public-company executives in the world.

Expert Opinion

Q&A: Title IX in the Wake of the USC Physician Sexual Misconduct Scandal

Ryan Whitacre, Major, Lindsey & Africa| June 11, 2018

"Remember that Title IX cases that make the news—like Larry Nassar’s unspeakable criminal sexual assaults at Michigan State—are outliers and the vast majority of educational institutions work really hard to maintain a healthy and safe environment," said Natalie Brouwer Potts in a Q&A with Ryan Whitacre of Major, Lindsey & Africa.

Best Practices

How to Execute a Legal Project

Lean Adviser Legal| June 11, 2018

Establish what's critical, and then focus on that, applying the appropriate resources to every necessary task.

Slideshow

10 Cities with Legal Tech Scenes to Watch

Ian Lopez | June 11, 2018

Who said there's only one hub of innovation? These international cities are spawning their own legal technology scenes.

News

New Study Finds Most Law Firms Mum on Mandatory Arbitration for Summer Associates

Meghan Tribe| June 11, 2018

At least five notable firms, including Cooley; Knobbe, Martens, Olson & Bear and Paul Hastings, will require their 2019 summer associate classes to agree to mandatory arbitration provisions, according to a new survey released Monday by students from the nation's top law schools. Nearly half of firms surveyed remained silent about whether they would ask their young talent to assent to such obligations.

News

How Courts Are Responding to New Rule on Settlement Transparency

Cheryl Miller | June 08, 2018

Two appellate courts and more than half of the trial courts had responded by Friday afternoon that they had no responsive records to release. Alameda County Superior Court unveiled a page on its website that contains links to what court officials said are all "documents reflecting the resolution of claims or litigation."

News

Fisher Phillips Names SoCal Partner as Firm's First Chief Diversity Officer

Ross Todd | June 08, 2018

The national labor and employment law firm, which ranked 116th out of 227 firms on The American Lawyer’s most recent Diversity Scorecard, announced Friday that it had named Southern California-based partner Regina Petty as the firm's first chief diversity officer.

‘The Tone Deafness Is Astounding': Clients Unhappy About Milbank Associate Raise Announcement

Caroline Spiezio | Dan Clark | June 08, 2018

In-house leaders didn't pull punches in their evaluation of Milbank's big associate raises.

Commentary

This Firm Has Gender, Diversity Problems. But It Isn't Hiding Them.

Vivia Chen | June 08, 2018

Dickinson Wright says it's determined to make progress following a report by the University of Michigan that shed light on its numbers.

Podcast

This Big Law Leader Decided to Match Milbank. Why?

Leigh Jones | Vanessa Blum | June 08, 2018

Winston & Strawn Chairman Tom Fitzgerald discusses the reasons behind his firm's move to boost associate salaries. Plus, Law.com senior editor Brian Baxter shares what's buzzing in the legal community about the increases and how they stack up to previous salary hikes.

Expert Opinion

Connecting With a Recruiter to Keep Your Options Open

Julie Brush| June 08, 2018

I have a great job, in a good location with good people. But I don’t want to discourage recruiters from thinking of me for special opportunities. What is the best way to do this?

Quick Takes

On the Move: Tracking the Ins and Outs of California Lawyers

Pearl Wu | June 08, 2018

New hires, promotions, appointments and awards in-house and at law firms in the California legal market.

Analysis

Persky Recall Was a 'Perfect Storm.' But Did It Give Future Recall Advocates a Road Map?

Ben Hancock | Hank Grezlak | June 07, 2018

Many things were unique about the recall of Judge Aaron Persky. But some lawyers and experts worry it could still embolden others unhappy about judicial decisions to try something similar.

News

SoCal Lawyer Facing Fraud Case Sentencing Files for Bankruptcy

Brian Baxter | June 07, 2018

Bruce Haglund, who is awaiting sentencing on charges that he helped perpetrate a $5 million Ponzi scheme, filed for Chapter 7 in late May.

News

Brooklyn Judge Denies Uber’s Bid to Arbitrate Disabled Rider's Case

Andrew Denney | June 07, 2018

In a ruling that advocates say could open Uber Technologies Inc. up to additional litigation over providing service to disabled people, a New York state court judge in Brooklyn found that the ride-sharing company’s arbitration clause was too ambiguous to move a disabled woman’s suit against the company into arbitration.

News

Ripple Labs Hit With New California Class Action Claiming Its XRP Tokens Are Securities

Ross Todd | June 07, 2018

The suit, brought under the California Corporations Code on behalf of a proposed class of California purchasers, seems designed to avoid the fate of a previously filed suit against Ripple which was removed to federal court this week.

Video

Video: Louise Pentland of PayPal is a Legal Leader, and a Business Boss Too

Rebekah Mintzer| June 07, 2018

In a one-on-one interview, Corporate Counsel spoke to Pentland about how she found a role at the payment transfer company that stretches far beyond just legal.

News

Norton Rose Fulbright Rebuilds Cybersecurity Group With New Practice Leaders

Miriam Rozen| June 07, 2018

San Francisco-based partner Jeewon Serrato, most recently counsel and head of the global privacy and data management practice at Sherman & Sterling, is among the three lawyers brought on to bolster the practice.

News

Lawyers in Stormy Daniels Case Battle Over Attorney-Client Privilege

Ryan Lovelace | June 07, 2018

A former lawyer for the porn actress, Keith Davidson, claims Michael Avenatti "can't use attorney-client privilege as a sword and shield.” Avenatti says it's Davidson who doesn't understand the law.

News

Class Actions Targeting Facebook, Cambridge Analytica Sent to Northern District of Calif.

Amanda Bronstad | June 06, 2018

A federal judicial panel has ordered that 30 class actions brought against Facebook and Cambridge Analytica be coordinated into multidistrict litigation…

News

Cisco Urges Federal Circuit to Double Down on 'Oracle v. Google'

Scott Graham | June 06, 2018

During Wednesday's appellate showdown with rival Arista Networks, the networking giant repeatedly invoked the court's controversial copyrightability case.

News

Six Election Threads Lawyers Are Talking About: What to Know

Cheryl Miller | June 06, 2018

As California's notoriously long ballot-counting process continued Wednesday, here are six results the legal community is talking about.

Profile

Dream of Leaving Big Law to Launch a Litigation Boutique? These Two Lawyers Made it Work

Jenna Greene| June 06, 2018

“Lawyers are risk-averse by nature, but I knew if I didn’t give this a try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life,” said Randolph Gaw, whose litigation boutique Gaw Poe celebrated its fourth birthday with a pair of wins.

News

Lionsgate Casts Corii Berg of Sony Pictures as New General Counsel

Sue Reisinger | June 06, 2018

It's lights, camera, action for Corii Berg at Lionsgate. He is a 20-year veteran of Sony Pictures Entertainment.

News

In Sheppard Mullin Fee Case, California Justices Question Undisclosed Conflict

Ross Todd | June 06, 2018

Justice Ming Chin asked "when you find out that you’re representing two parties in a litigation … isn’t there a duty to give notice rather than hiding it under all this complexity?"

News

Your Law Firm is Paying You $190K Right Out of Law School. Now What?

MP McQueen | June 06, 2018

Even as associate salaries climb, lawyers are seeing pensions shrink and the promises of partnership fade.

News

Bruising Primary Drives Wedge Between UC Irvine Law Prof Candidates

Karen Sloan | June 06, 2018

Katie Porter and David Min, both law professors at the University of California, Irvine, entered the race for a congressional seat within days of each other, but the heated campaign created fissures in their relationship.

Be Aware of the Risks of Serving on Outside Boards

Shari L. Klevens and Alanna Clair| June 06, 2018

Before agreeing to serve on an outside board, it is helpful to first consider how some of the risks can be mitigated.

Analysis

California Supreme Court Finds Valid Insurance Coverage Claim Even If Employee Intentionally Caused Injury

Steven A. Meyerowitz| June 06, 2018

The court found that an employee who intentionally injures a third party can amount to an “occurrence” under an employer’s commercial general liability insurance policy when the third party sues the employer.

News

Deloitte Will Acquire Part of US Law Firm in New Legal Venture

Dan Packel | June 06, 2018

The Big Four are continuing their march into the legal services realm. In addition to an alliance with Berry Appleman & Leiden's U.S. operations, Deloitte UK will acquire the firm's eight overseas offices.

News

Voters Remove Santa Clara Judge Aaron Persky From Bench, First in 80 Years

Cheryl Miller | June 06, 2018

The election results close the book on a divisive campaign that raised difficult questions about how the judicial system handles violence against women, how the public views judicial decision-making and independence and how judges under political fire should respond.

News

Durie Tangri Dodges DQ Motion, Snuffs Out Trademark Suit for Twitter

Scott Graham | June 05, 2018

The TWiT Netcasting Network accused Twitter of breaking a promise to stay out of audio and video and of unfairly retaining its former counsel. Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley disagreed on both counts.

News

Another Lateral Joins Alston & Bird's California Party

Miriam Rozen | June 05, 2018

Steven Selna is leaving after 17 years at Drinker Biddle & Reath, where he served as regional partner in charge of the firm’s San Francisco office and vice chairman of its products liability and mass tort group.