In-house Counsel

Unemployed Lawyer Applies for 1,000 Jobs, Scores Zero Interviews

With 23 years of legal experience, Laurie-Allen Shumaker thought she would soon find another job when she was laid off in January 2009 from her position as a shopping center lawyer. But today, after applying for over 1,000 jobs—including positions as a clerk and a day care worker—Shumaker, who is…

Jul 13, 2010 10:45 PM CDT

Lawyer Loses Age Discrimination Case Over In-House Counsel Job Application Ding

First David Reeves lost the competition for an in-house counsel job, watching the post go to another labor and employment lawyer 16 years his junior. Now the 56-year-old lawyer has lost the age discrimination case he filed over the job application ding: A Solano County Superior Court grant of summary…

Jul 13, 2010 6:30 PM CDT

Blago Defense Plans to Blame Then-Gov’s Lawyers for Steering Him in Wrong Direction

To the extent that impeached former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich may admit any mistaken conduct on the stand if he testifies, as expected, in his ongoing political corruption trial, there is a ready-made target for blame: His lawyers. His criminal lawyers have notified the Chicago federal court in which his…

Jul 12, 2010 9:10 PM CDT

City Lawyer Under Fire for Sending $15K/Month in Legal Support Work to Own Firm

The city attorney for Chattanooga, Tenn., is under fire, after a state auditor’s report criticized him for contracting out some $15,000 per month in secretarial and legal support work from his own private law firm. But city attorney Mike McMahan—backed by the Chattanooga mayor—said he had done nothing wrong and…

Jul 12, 2010 4:50 PM CDT

Law Departments Hiring More Contract Lawyers, and the Pickings Are Good

An increasing number of corporate law departments are hiring contract lawyers and sending them more projects, according to two principals with Pennsylvania legal staffing firms. James LaRosa, an owner of JuriStaff in Philadelphia, told the Legal Intelligencer that legal departments are hiring contract lawyers for stints of six months to…

Jul 6, 2010 11:00 AM CDT

32-Year Cravath Litigator Is Tapped to Head Morgan Stanley Legal Dept.

A senior partner of Cravath Swaine & Moore will be departing after 32 years with the law firm to head the legal department of Morgan Stanley. Francis Barron, 59, will serve as the New York-based chief legal officer of the bank and will report to its CEO, James Gorman. He…

Jul 2, 2010 5:23 PM CDT

Gucci’s Perceptions About Inactive-Status GC Don’t Help Privilege Claim

Gucci America’s mistaken belief that its former top lawyer had an active license to practice law isn’t enough to shield documents from discovery based on attorney-client privilege, a magistrate judge has ruled. Magistrate Judge James Cott of New York City denied Gucci’s motion for a protective order Tuesday, the New…

Jun 30, 2010 12:09 PM CDT

Fired Top In-House Lawyer Testifies She Was Bullied by Underling

A London lawyer who headed the legal department at insurance giant Zurich UK Services claims in a lawsuit that bullying from an underling led to her mental breakdown and firing. Caroline Cowper, 53, says her company failed to support her, leading to her mental breakdown and dismissal after she took…

Jun 23, 2010 12:44 PM CDT

Lawyer, Other Execs, Board of Mining Co. Killed in Plane Crash

A New York lawyer serving as a corporate secretary for Sundance Resources was killed in a plane crash in Africa over the weekend, along with other executives, the mining magnate who owned the company and its entire board. The Sundance group was among 11 passengers and crew members on a…

Jun 22, 2010 6:34 PM CDT

HP Decides to Hire New Law Grads Rather than Law Firm Associates

Like most corporations, Hewlett-Packard hired its in-house lawyers after they got some experience at law firms. Now the company is trying a different tack. It is hiring four lawyers fresh out of law school and paying them $115,000 a year, plus a $15,000 hiring bonus, the Recorder reports. HP will…

Jun 21, 2010 10:29 AM CDT

73 Percent of In-House Lawyers Got Bonuses in Past Year, International Survey Says

Seventy-three percent of in-house lawyers around the globe got bonuses last year, and a third of them were higher than the year before, according to a new survey. Thirty-three percent of the lawyers surveyed said their bonuses were higher, about 40 percent said they were the same, and about 26…

Jun 18, 2010 12:08 PM CDT

Motion to Acquit Ex-Partner of Arent Fox in Obstruction Case Over Lawyer’s Death Is Denied

A judge hearing an obstruction of justice case against a former partner of Arent Fox and two other men involved with him in a three-way romantic relationship has dismissed some charges but denied a motion to acquit the defendants at the close of the prosecution’s case. Judge Lynn Leibovitz today…

Jun 17, 2010 7:14 PM CDT

Color-Blind Lawyer’s Retirement Dream: Work as a Sports Photographer for a Fla. Newspaper

Ludwig van Beethoven was deaf in the latter part of his life, when he composed his famous Ninth Symphony. So attorney Daniel Eidsmoe doesn’t see being color-blind as a significant barrier to his own retirement dream of working as a sports photographer for a Florida newspaper. Now 47, the Illinois…

Jun 15, 2010 5:04 PM CDT

New Internet Law Boutique Hires Yahoo Lawyer

A new Internet law boutique formed by two BigLaw refugees has hired Yahoo associate general counsel Elizabeth Banker. She will be of counsel at the D.C.-based firm, Zwillinger Genetski, beginning in July, according to The BLT: The Blog of Legal Times. She is one of three new hires that bring…

Jun 15, 2010 3:38 PM CDT

Lawyer Building Tree House Office in Pine Forest

It’s safe to say that lawyer Richard Russeth is a fan of tree houses. We’re not talking about the tree forts with rope ladders from childhood days. Russeth, an avid collector of books about tree house architecture, is taking on his own endeavor: building a sophisticated tree-office nestled 20 feet…

Jun 15, 2010 2:36 PM CDT