Top 10 news stories of 2023
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Every year, we like to take a look back at the news events and stories that most resonated with our online readers. Law firm legal drama, disciplinary cases, a mysterious U.S. Supreme Court case and Barbie lawsuits took the honors in 2023.
Baker McKenzie can be sued for malpractice in Chicago for work in Russia on behalf of a client seeking to reclaim a Siberian coal mine said to be worth more than $200 million, a Cook County, Illinois, judge has ruled.
2. “Lawyer is ‘shaken’ and ‘humiliated’ after her slur and obscenity are heard by others in Zoom hearing” (Jan. 9)
A Chicago lawyer accused of using a racial slur and an obscenity while unmuted on Zoom told a judge Friday that she is “shaken” and “humiliated” by the incident.
3. “BigLaw partner resigns after terminally ill ex-wife posted videos of his tirades” (June 13)
A Greenberg Traurig partner has resigned from the law firm following its investigation into a situation arising from a four-year divorce and custody battle.
4. “Leaders of Lewis Brisbois rebellion sent emails with ‘unacceptable, prejudiced language,’ law firm says” (June 5)
Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith appears to be fighting back after two lawyers left with more than a hundred others last month to form their own law firm.
5. “Law prof curses student on hot mic after she asks him to slow down his lectures” (Jan. 30)
An adjunct professor at Columbia Law School has apologized after he was heard muttering “F- - - you” on a live microphone last week, after a student asked him to slow down his lectures.
6. “Law is the most stressful profession, newspaper’s analysis finds” (Jan. 24)
The most stressful occupation in the United States is being a lawyer, according to an analysis by the Washington Post of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
7. “Did 1 contract clause cause Proskauer client’s $636M loss? Judge refuses to toss malpractice suit” (May 17)
A Massachusetts judge has refused to toss a $636 million malpractice lawsuit contending that a botched contract drafted by Proskauer Rose caused its client’s loss of a minority interest in a hedge fund.
8. “BigLaw associate’s admonition to be available 24/7 with ‘no exceptions, no excuses’ goes viral” (April 6)
A Paul Hastings associate’s best-practices advice to junior colleagues in an internal presentation wasn’t that far off the mark, legal observers told Law.com. But its tone was lacking.
9. “Supreme Court will consider ‘huge’ attorney-client privilege case” (Jan. 5)
The case has an air of mystery about it. Many documents have been filed under seal. A federal appeals court referred to the central entities only as “company” and “law firm.” In the U.S. Supreme Court, redacted copies of briefs reveal that that “law firm” is one specializing in international tax law, and the owner of “company” is an “early promoter of bitcoin” who “expatriated from the United States in 2014.”
10. “Meet Lawsuit Barbie: She’s been busy at Barbie’s courthouse” (July 25)
Spoiler alert: Barbie has been living in the real world for a long time. Because of the doll’s colossal success since its introduction in 1959, countless lawsuits … have gone through the courts as the doll’s maker has sought to enforce its rights and protect her image. When Mattel sees Barbie under attack, it is not beyond its ken to know what to do about it.
