Large Firm

BigLaw firm threatened with sanctions for alleged discovery foot-dragging in Baylor litigation

The law firm that conducted a private investigation into Baylor University’s handling of sex assault allegations will tell a Texas federal judge next Monday why it shouldn’t be sanctioned for dragging its feet in discovery disputes. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman scheduled a June 17 show-cause hearing for the law…

Jun 12, 2019 11:15 AM CDT

Willkie Farr and Sidley lawyers evacuated after helicopter crashes atop their building

Lawyers and other workers at Sidley Austin and Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Manhattan were among the people evacuated Monday afternoon when a helicopter crashed on top of their Midtown building. Both law firms instituted emergency protocols, report Bloomberg Law and the New York Law Journal. The helicopter pilot died…

Jun 11, 2019 9:08 AM CDT

A curmudgeon’s tips for making it in BigLaw

For law grads and associates going into the world of BigLaw, the stakes have never been higher—and neither have the expectations. The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law explains how to succeed with a bit of snark and a whole lot of laughs.

Jun 5, 2019 6:30 AM CDT

DLA Piper lawyers in the UK are targeted in email scam

Scammers posed as DLA Piper lawyers in the United Kingdom to trick an entity into making a payment to a fraudulent bank account. The Solicitors Regulation Authority said in a recent press release that the scammers sent emails purporting to be from Alan Cunningham, a partner who leads the law…

Jun 4, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Kirkland & Ellis hires director of well-being and plans apps to help increase resilience

A lawyer who is also a licensed clinical professional counselor is the new firmwide director of well-being at Kirkland & Ellis. The new hire is Robin Belleau, the former executive director of the Lawyers’ Assistance Program in Illinois, according to a press release and stories by the American Lawyer and…

May 31, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Law firm 2019 diversity scorecard is released; which firms top the list?

The immigration law firm Fragomen has ousted White & Case from its position atop the American Lawyer’s diversity scorecard rankings. Fifty-five of the nation’s largest law firms had at least 20% minority lawyers in the latest scorecard, up from 43 the prior year, the American Lawyer reports. Three firms had…

May 30, 2019 7:30 AM CDT

Cases on BigLaw partner’s suicide, school’s trans bathroom policy turned down by Supreme Court

The U.S. Supreme Court has left intact a federal appeals court ruling against the widow of a Reed Smith partner who blamed antidepressant labeling for her husband’s suicide. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Chicago had overturned a $3 million award to Wendy Dolin, who alleged that GlaxoSmithKline…

May 28, 2019 1:16 PM CDT

Former Willkie co-chair pleads guilty in college admissions scandal

Gordon Caplan, the former co-chairman of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, pleaded guilty Tuesday to an accusation that he paid $75,000 to a college admissions consultant to have an exam proctor correct some of his daughter’s answers on the ACT. Caplan pleaded guilty in Boston federal court to a charge of…

May 22, 2019 10:30 AM CDT

Groping, extortion, litigation-funder fraud among claims in dueling suits by law firm, ex-partner

Updated: A court fight between Pierce Bainbridge Beck Price & Hecht and one of its former partners is airing allegations of financial misconduct, sexual assault, masturbation, retaliation and a $65 million extortion attempt. The dispute first received attention last Wednesday, when fired partner Donald Lewis sued Pierce Bainbridge in Manhattan…

May 21, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

Bullying and sexual harassment ‘are rife in the legal profession,’ global survey finds

One in three female lawyers have been sexually harassed in a work context, while one in two women have experienced bullying in the workplace, according to a recently released global survey of nearly 7,000 lawyers in 135 countries. The numbers were somewhat lower for male lawyers. One in 14 men…

May 16, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

BigLaw firm settles suit accusing it of ‘billing feeding frenzy’

Morrison & Foerster has reached a confidential settlement in a lawsuit accusing the law firm of “egregious overbilling” and a “billing feeding frenzy” after it was hired to help wind down several companies. The deal was reached in mediation, the Texas Lawyer reports. One of the plaintiffs in the case…

May 14, 2019 10:44 AM CDT

BigLaw firm’s new app for clients generates answers from database and on-demand lawyers

Littler Mendelson has unveiled a new app that its management-side clients can use to find answers to their employment questions, either through a database of previous attorney responses or a live on-call attorney. Clients submit questions through the Littler onDemand app and immediately receive prior attorney responses when the question…

May 10, 2019 2:09 PM CDT

Prosecutors drop case against BigLaw partner accused of leaving scene of boat crash

Prosecutors in Texas have dropped the case against Vinson & Elkins partner Douglas E. McWilliams, who was accused of disappearing after crashing a boat that carried five of his partners. Prosecutors in Travis County dropped the case Tuesday, report the Austin American-Statesman and the Wall Street Journal. The Texas Parks…

May 10, 2019 10:10 AM CDT

BigLaw firm donates $1M to civil rights group

Hogan Lovells has donated $1 million to the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to help advance its legal work against racial discrimination. The donation to the committee is the “largest donation from a law firm in modern times,” says Reynolds Graves, media relations manager for the group. The…

May 9, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

For law firms, the ampersand is a character worth saving

For more than two centuries, the ampersand flourished in its preferred environment: BigLaw titles. No one can dispute that the ampersand served BigLaw well, adorning the titles of virtually all the most prestigious members, says lawyer Norm Tabler.

May 9, 2019 6:00 AM CDT