In-house Counsel

Lawyers Say Embarrassing Voice Mail of Marvell GC May Have Been Edited

A voice mail message by lawyers on a speakerphone that didn’t get disconnected before some embarrassing discussions took place is being challenged by a company that wants to keep the recording out of an upcoming trade secrets trial. Lawyers for Marvell Semiconductor say the tape should be tossed because it…

May 7, 2009 12:05 PM CDT

Judge Rebuffs Request for 230-Year Sentence for Ex-Gen Re Lawyer

A former assistant general counsel at General Re Corp. was sentenced yesterday to a year and a day in prison for his role in a scheme to manipulate financial statements, a sentence far lower than the 230 years in prison sought by prosecutors. Lawyer Robert Graham had been accused of…

May 1, 2009 1:48 PM CDT

Another Layoffs Downside: Loss of Personal Info on Work Computer

Lawyers, in particular, should know better. But like everybody else, many hardworking attorneys who spend a lot of time at the office probably have personal material on their work computers. And, in a time of stunning layoffs, both in the legal industry and elsewhere, that can result in the loss…

Apr 30, 2009 6:30 PM CDT

Survey Confirms It: GCs Dislike Billable Hours System

A survey of general counsel and chief legal counsel confirms dissatisfaction with billable-hour billing used most often by large law firms. The survey by the Association of Corporate Counsel found that 77 percent of respondents would like to increase the percentage of work handled by outside counsel using alternative fees,…

Apr 28, 2009 4:18 PM CDT

Ex-Chief Counsel Censured After Camera Catches Cafeteria Food Theft

The former chief counsel at nylon and spandex maker Invista has received a public censure after a camera caught him stealing food from his company cafeteria. Troy Ellis was disciplined by the Kansas Supreme Court for the 2007 cafeteria caper at Invista’s Wichita office, the National Law Journal reports. Ellis,…

Apr 20, 2009 1:10 PM CDT

Company Won’t Reinstate In-House Lawyer; How Much Will That Add to $1.6M Award?

In an unusual decision that could be persuasive in other courts, a Wisconsin appellate panel has recognized the power of an arbitration panel to order reinstatement of an in-house lawyer in an employment discrimination case. Although Menard Inc. argued that it could not be required to employ legal counsel not…

Apr 15, 2009 9:10 PM CDT

As 4 GCs Fight Backdating Charges, Others at Risk in Mortgage Fraud Cases

Former McAfee general counsel Kent Roberts successfully fought off charges alleging his participation in improper backdating, but four other general counsel are still in the government’s crosshairs. Meanwhile, at least one expert questions whether general counsel will be at risk in mortgage fraud cases, the National Law Journal reports. Roberts…

Apr 14, 2009 5:48 PM CDT

What White House Attorneys Earned in Practice and as Law Profs

Financial disclosure forms filed by the many lawyers newly appointed by President Barack Obama to White House jobs provide a motherlode of information about what they were earning in their former BigLaw, in-house counsel and law professor gigs. Among the financial info provided, according to the Blog of Legal Times:…

Apr 9, 2009 11:17 PM CDT

UK Hedge Fund Raises Another $47M to Invest in US Commercial Litigation

A hedge fund based in the United Kingdom has just raised another $47 million that may now be invested in commercial litigation cases in the United States. Juridica Investments Limited helps fund only major commercial litigation, and was behind 17 large cases, mostly in the U.S., as of last year,…

Apr 9, 2009 9:52 PM CDT

Lawyer May Be Next in Line to Head Bank of America

The lawyer who is leading Merrill Lynch & Co. could end up replacing Bank of America Corp. chief executive Kenneth Lewis. Lawyer Brian Moynihan took over at Merrill Lynch in January after the ouster of John Thain, and he has managed to hold on to the job despite some clashes…

Apr 8, 2009 2:06 PM CDT

DuPont Shifts From BigLaw Model, Hires More Smaller Firms

Not that long ago, the in-house legal department at DuPont Co. was implementing an efficiency strategy concerning outside counsel that called for the corporation to use a smaller number of large global law firms. But now, DuPont—which is viewed by other corporations as a bellwether on legal cost-cutting—is reversing course,…

Apr 7, 2009 12:51 AM CDT

How Taser Jolted its Law Firms into Keeping Fees Low

New practices adopted by Taser International Inc. illustrate how companies are holding the line on fees for outside counsel. Taser adopted its new approach last year, the National Law Journal reports. General counsel Doug Klint capped outside counsel fees in litigation, grouped in several phases such as motions, discovery and…

Apr 6, 2009 11:12 AM CDT

Law Firm Leaders to Corporate Clients: Help Us Implement Flex Time

Law firm leaders are looking to their clients for affirmation that flex-time and part-time programs aren’t a liability. At a meeting sponsored by the Project for Attorney Retention, top law firm managers talked about fears that their in-house clients view flex- and part-time lawyers as a threat to responsiveness or…

Apr 3, 2009 12:48 PM CDT

Top Google Lawyer Earned More Than You in 2008

Google’s chief legal officer made a salary of $450,000 last year, but the number is misleading. The pay check for top lawyer David Drummond dwindles in comparison to his total compensation of $5.12 million for the year, which includes a $1.38 million bonus and $3.29 million in stock and option…

Mar 26, 2009 6:26 PM CDT

Lawyer Layoff Surge is Hitting In-House Counsel Hard, Too

It isn’t just BigLaw private practitioners who are getting the ax as corporations struggling to cope with the dismal economy cut legal expenses. Many in-house corporate lawyers are being laid off, too, reports the National Law Journal. “Name an industry where you’ve seen a significant problem, and attorneys are experiencing…

Mar 23, 2009 11:41 PM CDT