Large Firm

41 Law Firms Vie for Top Honors in Annual Contest to Give the Most to Local Food Bank

A battle between Toronto law firms to come out on top in an annual competition to see who can donate the most to a local food bank is expected to raise nearly $250,000 in cash and food donations this year. A winner among the 41 competing law firms will be…

Dec 12, 2012 5:09 PM CST

Video: Will Congress Garnish Paychecks to Repay Student Loans?

Editor’s Note: We’re experimenting with using more video on ABAJournal.com and will be bringing you this short weekly legal news brief from Bloomberg Law for the next few weeks. Thanks for the feedback so far. Please note that adding video would not mean eliminating text-based stories. Rather, we’re exploring adding…

Dec 6, 2012 7:47 PM CST

California Lawyer Accused of Lying to Get More Time to Take Bar Exam

A California lawyer who was granted more time for the state bar exam based on a false statement has agreed to cancellation of her law license. Leah Harmuth was granted time and a half and given a semi-private room to take the July 2009 bar exam because of an asserted…

Dec 6, 2012 2:37 PM CST

K&L Gates to Merge with Australian Law Firm Middletons

K&L Gates and Australian law firm Middletons will merge in January, creating a firm of more than 2,000 lawyers. Partners unanimously approved the combination, according to a press release. The merged firm will have the K&L Gates name. Legal Week and the Wall Street Journal Law Blog have stories. According…

Dec 4, 2012 12:33 PM CST

Prudent or Plentiful? How Law Firms Decide Year-End Associate Bonuses

Higher associate bonuses came from Cravath Swain & Moore in 2012. Naturally other firms that see themselves–or want to see themselves–as competitors with the Wall Street firm followed suit. For the most part partners and associates are happy with the numbers, guests tell ABA Journal Podcast moderator Stephanie Francis Ward, but there could be big changes in the future.

Dec 3, 2012 2:30 PM CST

Kirkland Is World’s Most Valuable Law Firm, According to New Calculation

Kirkland & Ellis has a valuation nearing $4 billion, putting it at the top of a new ranking of the world’s most valuable law firms. The American Lawyer used a “classic investment banking technqiue of developing cash flow multiples” to determine each firm’s actual worth. The article details the formula.…

Dec 3, 2012 1:07 PM CST

Judge OKs Suit by More Dewey Creditors, But Insurance Might Not Pay

Although U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn approved a suit for millions by unsecured creditors against former leaders of the now-defunct Dewey & LeBoeuf, it’s unclear whether the firm’s $50 million management policy will cover them. Glenn didn’t address the substance of the claims of the official committee of unsecured creditors…

Nov 30, 2012 10:05 PM CST

Tis the Season: Skadden and Simpson Thacher Match Cravath Year-End Bonuses of $10K to $60K

Two other major New York-based law firms have followed the lead of Cravath Swaine & Moore, increasing end-of-year bonuses for associates to a range of $10,000 to $60,000. Both Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett made the announcement on Wednesday, reports Reuters. Annual salaries for…

Nov 29, 2012 5:30 PM CST

Partners OK Latest Mega-Merger; Dentons Will Have Nearly 2,500 Attorneys, Be Set Up as Swiss Verein

A three-way merger of major law firms was approved Wednesday by the partners involved, setting the stage for SNR Denton, Salans and Fraser Milner Casgrain to combine early next year. The new megafirm, which will be known as Dentons, will have more than 2,500 attorneys and professionals, making it the…

Nov 28, 2012 8:25 PM CST

Federal Judge Gives Civ Pro Lesson, Sanctions Ex-Client for Mistaken Claim Dickstein Missed Deadline

Warning a former client of Dickstein Shapiro that future sanctions could be forthcoming if continues to disregard local discovery rules in Washington, D.C., before making dubious motions, a federal judge on Monday quickly disposed of the company’s motion for partial summary judgment against the law firm in a $250 million…

Nov 27, 2012 9:28 PM CST

Attorney Who Gave Up City Job for Kids Forms ‘Top Brain’ Law Firm With Other Stay-at-Home Moms

A former London lawyer who gave up a lucrative legal job in the global financial center after she had her first child is now challenging the traditional idea that skilled corporate attorneys have to work at traditional BigLaw firms if they want a challenging legal career. Eve King joined with…

Nov 27, 2012 7:03 PM CST

Ex BigLaw Partner Who Lied on Child’s School Financial Aid Applications Is Disbarred

An Illinois lawyer has been disbarred by the state supreme court for misrepresenting his income on his child’s private school financial aid applications, in order to qualify for $22,830 in assistance over an approximately four-year period. In addition to providing falsified copies of his tax returns to the Francis W.…

Nov 27, 2012 6:22 PM CST

Cravath Boosts Year-End Bonuses, Will Pay $10K to $60K; Last Year’s Ceiling Was $37.5K

In happy holiday news for BigLaw associates, Cravath Swaine & Moore announced on Monday that it will pay associates a year-end bonus ranging from $10,000 to $60,000. That’s a substantial increase from last year’s range of $7,500 to $37,500, reported the New York Times’ DealBook blog, which obtained a copy…

Nov 26, 2012 9:44 PM CST

Amidst Tight Market for Legal Work, Houston Attorneys and Law Firms Have Struck Oil

As the legal economy overall continues to sputter and lawyers in many practice areas are aggressively looking for work, there’s no need for a number of attorneys and law firms in Houston, Texas, to step on the gas. Thanks to their energy law expertise and clients in a region known…

Nov 19, 2012 3:46 PM CST

Women’s Initiatives in BigLaw Are Abundant and ‘Woefully Underfunded,’ Report Says

In the last decade, women’s initiatives and women’s affinity groups have become a staple of BigLaw culture. The idea is to retain and advance women lawyers, who currently make up only about 15 percent of equity partners. Are the efforts working? According to a new report (PDF) by the National…

Nov 19, 2012 11:30 AM CST