Contracts

Imprecise Contract Costs Thelen Reid $450K

A law firm’s failure to specify a requirement for minimum billings in an employment contract has cost it a $450,000 arbitration award. A New York judge has upheld the award to a former partner of Brown Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner who was fired in violation of his employment contract,…

Oct 15, 2007 11:28 AM CDT

Bondage Case to Define Too-Unsafe Sex?

Both the victim and the perpetrator are dead. But the estates of two men who died as a result of a dangerous sexual practice are involved in a cutting-edge tort case that could help define what adults can and cannot consent to do. Adrian Exley, a 32-year-old British stripper known…

Oct 11, 2007 9:39 PM CDT

Families of Dead Iraqis Sue Blackwater

In an unusual effort to hold a private military contractor in Iraq civilly liable for alleged wrongdoing, the families of three dead Iraq civilians and one survivor of a recent Baghdad shooting sued Blackwater USA and its affiliates in federal court in Washington, D.C., this morning. Filed by the Center…

Oct 11, 2007 7:13 PM CDT

Survey: Lawyers Split on Required Retirement

Although half of the law firms discussed in a recent survey have mandatory retirement policies, only a little more than one-third of the responding lawyers agree with such policies. That suggests it may be time for law firms to rethink mandatory retirement, says James Cotterman, a principal of the Altman…

Oct 11, 2007 5:57 PM CDT

New Vows for Dozens in PA Marriage Mess

A first-of-a-kind case in Pennsylvania has called the validity of an untold number of marriages into question, prompting many committed couples to resolve the issue by simply re-taking their vows even though it hasn’t yet been upheld on appeal. Those who don’t redo their original ceremony face troubling questions about…

Oct 10, 2007 11:15 PM CDT

Internet Contracts Restrict Speech

After several recent attempts by major companies to restrict speech they don’t like, some folks are reading the fine print on their consumer contracts. And a number do contain clauses that say companies can do so, reports the Los Angeles Times. Although apparently legal, since they don’t involve government restriction…

Oct 10, 2007 5:03 PM CDT

Parties Lawyer Up in Sallie Mae Case

As litigation looms between the now-reluctant buyer of a student loan provider and the willing bride, spectators are looking to see who weighs in as lead counsel in a lawsuit to enforce the $25 billion deal—or at least obtain a promised $900 million breakup fee. In Sallie Mae’s corner, heavyweight…

Oct 9, 2007 11:04 PM CDT

Anger, Lawsuits Over Disney Star Tickets

“I will meet you at a neutral location. I will pay you cash.” No, these words from a self-described San Antonio aunt of two little girls are not part of a negotiation session with kidnappers. They’re part of the ticket-resale frenzy sparked by the unexpected—at least to many adults—national sensation…

Oct 8, 2007 4:46 PM CDT

Sidley to Pay $27.5 M in EEOC Partner Case

Updated: In a settlement that should send shock waves throughout many of the nation’s major law firms, Sidley Austin has agreed to pay $27.5 million to resolve a landmark federal case alleging that the law firm discriminated against 32 of its own partners. The 1,700-lawyer Chicago-based firm also agreed in…

Oct 5, 2007 5:17 PM CDT

Dems Seek Czar, Cite Mortgage ‘Katrina’

Democratic members of Congress called today for President George W. Bush to appoint a “mortgage czar,” among other measures suggested to deal with record-setting numbers of home mortgage foreclosures resulting from risky lending in recent years. The mortgage czar would coordinate a federal response to the mortgage crisis, which should…

Oct 3, 2007 9:07 PM CDT

Judge Sanctions Lawyers Up to $5 Million

In a blistering rebuke of some of Philadelphia’s most prominent lawyers and law firms, a federal judge has sanctioned them—and their clients—for failing to cooperate with discovery in a medical insurance coverage class action. Among those being required to pay up to $5 million in plaintiffs costs by U.S. District…

Oct 3, 2007 5:15 PM CDT

Top India Law Salary: $7K + Stock Options

The starting annual salary for a graduate of one of India’s top law schools working in an outsourced position for a major U.S. law firm is less than an American counterpart earns in a single month if employed by the firm directly. But the job has some nice benefits, at…

Oct 1, 2007 9:51 PM CDT

NY AG to Facebook: Consumer Fraud?

The social networking site Facebook reportedly has been warned by the New York attorney general’s office to stop overstating the safety of the site for youngsters. Claims by Facebook administrators that Facebook is safer for minors than other online sites don’t appear to be true, and may give parents a…

Oct 1, 2007 3:58 PM CDT

OJ Simpson Book, ‘If I Did It,’ a Best-Seller

It couldn’t have been O.J. Simpson’s plan, since he doesn’t get any of the profits. But the former superstar’s arrest earlier this month has helped launch his new book, If I Did It, to the top of the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list. It is now No. 2, according…

Sep 28, 2007 4:13 PM CDT

Five Firms in Attorney Fee Free-for-All

After fighting together to win a settlement in a class action over mortgage lender closing costs, a group of Illinois plaintiffs lawyers squared off for a new battle—fighting with each other about how to divide the $1.6 million attorney fee. It appears that a badly drafted attorney fee letter agreement…

Sep 27, 2007 9:23 PM CDT