Contracts

BigLaw firm and client sanctioned nearly $275K after judge sees ‘nasty litigation tactics’

A federal judge in Colorado has ordered Seyfarth Shaw and its client, a subsidiary of the Stryker Corp., to pay nearly $275,000 as an additional sanction for improper discovery tactics.

May 29, 2024 10:16 AM CDT

Dentons and Boies Schiller face $300M racketeering suit after client loses international arbitration

A Massachusetts businessman has filed a $300 million racketeering lawsuit against Dentons and Boies Schiller Flexner alleging that the law firms failed to inform him that his contract to develop a power plant in Senegal, a country in West Africa, was invalid.

May 2, 2024 2:12 PM CDT

How to rid house of leavened products during Passover? Mormon law prof has contracts for that

A professor at the William & Mary Law School was acting as a “friendly gentile” when he helped draft contracts to purchase unused leavened foodstuffs and lease its storage locations from members of another law professor’s synagogue in suburban Philadelphia.

Apr 24, 2024 12:08 PM CDT

4 data security considerations for GCs when engaging contract lawyers

Contract management. Compliance updates. Discovery responses. Intellectual property portfolio management. These rote, often-time-consuming tasks can all be part of an in-house counsel’s day-to-day schedule. The problem? Many can devolve into costly time sinks for a legal department’s salaried talent.

Apr 17, 2024 3:08 PM CDT

Lawyer mistakenly filed ‘verbatim copy’ of opponent’s brief, leading to loss for Romantics band member

A trial court did not abuse its discretion when it required a member of the rock band the Romantics to pay triple damages after his new attorney filed a “verbatim copy” of the opponent’s brief by mistake, the Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled.

Mar 5, 2024 8:20 AM CST

Contracts imposing $50K in liquidated damages for lawyer departures lead to suspension recommendation

The founding partners of Tully Rinckey should each be suspended for 90 days because of employment and separation agreements that restricted departing lawyers’ right to practice, according to an ethics recommendation.

Feb 22, 2024 1:17 PM CST

10 Questions: In crafting a new career, this Texas contracts attorney created a community

The brainchild of Laura Frederick, a former in-house lawyer for Tesla, ContractsCon debuted in 2022. Her path from law practice to entrepreneurship began during the pandemic, and she’s since built a global community of contract law professionals via LinkedIn and created How to Contract, a successful online legal education platform.

Feb 1, 2024 1:10 AM CST

e-Sign on the Dotted Line: When it comes to using generative AI and contracts, the devil is in the details

Along with drafting and reviewing, generative AI can leverage contract datasets for strategic insights to help mitigate risk and negotiate, manage and assess contracts.

Feb 1, 2024 12:06 AM CST

Contract requiring exiting lawyer to pay fee for every client he takes can’t be enforced, top state court says

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that a law firm can’t enforce a contract provision that required departing lawyers to pay $1,052 for each client they take with them when leaving.

Jan 17, 2024 9:48 AM CST

These are the most notable legal terms of 2023, legal writing coach says

“Exploding offer” and “Texas two-step” are among the most notable terms of 2023, according to legal writing consultant Ken Bresler.

Jan 11, 2024 1:28 PM CST

Contractor or Employee? Labor Department changes the rules again

Bad news for employers that rely on the gig economy: It just got harder to run a business based on independent contractors.

Jan 11, 2024 11:58 AM CST

ABA seeks to toss suit over limited data breach, saying allegations based on ‘implausible assertion’

The ABA is seeking to dismiss a data-breach lawsuit filed against the association, saying the plaintiffs are relying on “the implausible assertion” that the March 2023 incident exposed the plaintiffs’ personal and financial data.

Nov 27, 2023 12:28 PM CST

Trying to kill ex-husband with hatchet violates separation agreement’s covenant of good faith, state appeals court says

Updated: A husband does not have to make continued payments to his ex-wife under a separation agreement after she tried to kill him with a hatchet, the Massachusetts Appeals Court has ruled.

Nov 27, 2023 8:42 AM CST

$175M suit accuses BigLaw firm of ‘critical drafting errors’ and ‘sloppy and imprecise’ contract language

Two energy companies allege that Winston & Strawn bungled two intertwined contracts involving the purchase of Southern California oil and gas wells, leading the two clients to give up a 25% equity stake in their businesses while receiving nothing in return.

Nov 9, 2023 10:24 AM CST

How generative AI is already changing contract review

The potential is there for lawyers to save tons of time when it comes to contract drafting, review and analysis. And as the technology continues to improve, who knows what it might be capable of?

Oct 18, 2023 8:10 AM CDT