Contracts

Lawyer and startup resort to mass filings to fight company bans on class arbitration

A startup called FairShake and a lawyer from Chicago are challenging corporate bans on classwide arbitration by filing a deluge of arbitration claims against companies.

Apr 13, 2020 10:37 AM CDT

Lawyers and Atlanta Opera team up to create covers for N95 masks for local hospital

“We put together this team of attorneys from Carlton Fields and Troutman Sanders to start looking at how we could protect the opera and allow us to mobilize to get as many of these masks produced as possible,” said Micah Forston, managing director of the Atlanta Opera.

Apr 9, 2020 3:17 PM CDT

Ethics and civil procedure are most important knowledge areas for new lawyers, survey says

A survey of nearly 15,000 lawyers sought to determine what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed by newly licensed attorneys.

Mar 12, 2020 12:04 PM CDT

Top tips to secure legal tech investors in 2020

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Jerry Ting, the CEO and co-founder of Evisort, an artificial-intelligence-powered contract-analysis system based in San Mateo, California.

Feb 21, 2020 9:38 AM CST

Judge tosses law firm’s suit alleging rival’s ads inflated recoveries

A Kansas law firm that claimed that a competitor was inflating client recoveries in its advertising won’t be able to pursue its lawsuit.

Feb 18, 2020 10:37 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Utah allows bar admission for DACA immigrants; first openly gay federal judge dies

Utah allows bar admission for DACA immigrants The Utah Supreme Court has approved a new rule that allows immigrants brought to the country illegally as children to gain admission to the state bar. The U.S. Department of Justice had opposed the move, citing the Trump administration’s decision to rescind the…

Feb 4, 2020 3:14 PM CST

Boies Schiller partner testifies at Harvey Weinstein trial about contract with investigative firm

A Manhattan judge allowed a Boies Schiller Flexner partner to testify at Harvey Weinstein’s sexual assault trial on Thursday despite objections that the testimony violated attorney-client privilege.

Jan 31, 2020 12:19 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: California bar seeks proposals on nonlawyer practitioners; online ‘sneak-in’ contracts abound

California bar working group to consider licensing nonlawyer practitioners The State Bar of California is forming a working group to make recommendations on the licensing of nonlawyers to perform some legal services. The move follows the bar’s request for comment last year on proposals allowing legal technicians to offer legal…

Jan 28, 2020 4:01 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Teen blogger denied murder case evidence; Aerosmith drummer loses comeback case

Judge denies 16-year-old aspiring lawyer’s request for murder evidence A 16-year-old aspiring lawyer and true crime blogger lost a bid Thursday to access evidence in the Texas murder case that that put Darlie Routier on death row. Ryan Kester thinks Routier is innocent in the killings of her two children.…

Jan 24, 2020 3:48 PM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Alex Kozinski returns as litigator; judge blocks firm’s defamation suit against ex-partner

Alex Kozinski returns to the 9th Circuit on the other side of the bench After retiring in 2017 amid allegations of sexual misconduct, former Judge Alex Kozinski is returning to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco to argue a copyright case. Kozinski will contend that the…

Dec 6, 2019 4:20 PM CST

Can ‘SNL’ star Pete Davidson really collect $1M from fans who violate his nondisclosure agreement?

Saturday Night Live comedian Pete Davidson may scare fans into keeping quiet with a $1 million nondisclosure agreement, but it’s unlikely he will be able to enforce the contract in court, legal experts say.

Dec 4, 2019 4:47 PM CST

The role of counsel in preserving and protecting a closely held business

Many lawyers, accountants and business consultants advise closely held and family businesses. A critical time for these counselors occurs when the founder and sole owner starts to consider the role and responsibilities of the next generation, particularly if some of those adult children are employees of the business. There are…

Nov 26, 2019 10:22 AM CST

Afternoon Briefs: Madonna sued over late start time of concert; unusual bar ceremony goes viral

Fan sues Madonna for pushing back start time of her concert A Florida man who spent more than $1,000 on three tickets to see singer Madonna in concert at her “Madame X Tour” has sued because she pushed back the start time of her upcoming Miami Beach show from 8:30…

Nov 12, 2019 3:20 PM CST

Agreement to destroy frozen embryos upon divorce is enforceable, top state court rules

The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that an agreement to destroy frozen embryos upon divorce is a contract that can be enforced by one of the parties.

Nov 1, 2019 10:18 AM CDT

Afternoon Briefs: Judge bans trick-or-treat warning signs; Johnny Depp settles fee dispute

Federal judge sides with sex offenders in battle over trick-or-treat warning signs A federal judge in Macon, Georgia, has granted a request by three sex offenders to stop a county sheriff from placing signs in the front of their homes warning trick-or-treaters to stay away. U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell…

Oct 31, 2019 4:22 PM CDT