Partners

Death of King of Torts Threatens Ohio Law Firm’s Lush Life

The untimely death of one of Cleveland’s best-known plaintiffs lawyers has sparked an ugly court spat that could require dissolution of his super-profitable firm and the sale of its private jets and arena football team. The widow of Michael Kelley, known locally as the King of Torts, has filed suit…

Feb 5, 2008 9:51 PM CST

Three Firms Try Taming the Billable Beast

By David Gialanella The billable hour is the dandelion of law practice: pervasive and not so popular. So, when seeking to avoid the negative effects of a system that provides the profits for many a firm, there can be as many approaches as there are landscapers in the phone book.…

Feb 5, 2008 4:28 PM CST

Greenberg Traurig Freezes Equity Partner Pay, Cites Cost-Conscious Clients

Equity partners at Greenberg Traurig won’t be getting an immediate pay raise because of a $10 million shortfall in year-end collections, driven in part by clients who want legal bills reduced. A memo from chief executive officer Cesar Alvarez said the salaries would remain “at present levels until we get…

Feb 5, 2008 12:09 PM CST

$5K DePaul Student Award Honors Slain IP Lawyer

A $5,000 award has been established in memory of a Chicago intellectual property lawyer who was murdered in a shooting rampage at his law firm in late 2006. The scholarship will be awarded to a third-year student at DePaul University College of Law who is “expected to make the greatest…

Feb 5, 2008 12:39 AM CST

Authorities Say Lawyer & Family Slain By Son, 15

A 15-year-old Maryland teen allegedly shot his father, mother and two younger brothers to death as they slept, then spent more than 12 hours with his friends before calling 911. Among those found dead in the suburban Baltimore home over the weekend is attorney John Browning, 45, who was a…

Feb 4, 2008 10:50 PM CST

The G-Man

A week in the life of a $1,000-per-hour lawyer

Feb 1, 2008 4:14 PM CST

Taming the Billable Beast

Three firms take different approaches to change by-the-hour billing

Feb 1, 2008 3:33 PM CST

‘Abysmal’ Associate Attire Leads to Fashion Counseling

The generational divide is playing out in law firm fashion wars, with younger lawyers favoring business casual and even yoga pants and older lawyers tending to wear more traditional business attire. Some associates are resisting suggestions to improve their attire, with career ramifications, the Wall Street Journal reports. Other firms…

Jan 31, 2008 1:05 PM CST

Associate Pay Hikes Create New Problem: Lower-Paid Partners

Some senior associates are making more money than nonequity partners, forcing law firms to re-evaluate—and in some cases boost—partner pay and bonuses. Legal Times cites pay at Arent Fox to illustrate the problem. Senior associates there can earn up to $280,000 in base pay and $100,000 in bonuses, for a…

Jan 30, 2008 12:43 PM CST

Lawyer Jokes No Laughing Matter for This Partner/Comedian

By night and on weekends, one might find Nuzzo & Roberts senior partner Rick Roberts doing stand-up comedy at a fundraiser or charity event. But you won’t hear Roberts cracking jokes about lawyers. That’s because he keeps his day job—doing insurance defense, product liability, employment litigation and commercial litigation at…

Jan 28, 2008 6:32 PM CST

Facing Prison, Prominent Fla. Lawyer Still Has Many Friends

Disbarred and facing a prison sentence, a once-prominent member of Palm Beach County’s political structure still had a significant team of well-wishers in his corner as he was sentenced today to a two-year federal prison term in a corruption case . William Boose III, 63, kissed his former law partner,…

Jan 25, 2008 11:00 PM CST

Women Lawyers Bill at Lower Rates, Compared to Men, Survey Says

Updated: A survey of a little over 5,000 small and midsize law firms found that women attorneys, regardless of experience and practice area, bill at lower rates than men. “The average billing rate for women was $224 per hour, compared with $245 per hour for men. The highest hourly rate…

Jan 25, 2008 6:38 PM CST

‘Woman Thing’: Some Attire is Career-Limiting

As Hillary Clinton’s presence in the presidential race is once again demonstrating, far more attention often is paid to the way women in positions of power dress, compared to their male counterparts. A woman who fails to dress to impress will pay a high price in politics, just as she…

Jan 24, 2008 9:21 PM CST

Law Firm Mentor: Friend or Foe?

To a starry-eyed new associate or young partner, a law firm mentor can be one of the big benefits of starting out in practice with far more seasoned colleagues. However, not every mentor is an associate’s friend. And, from the mentor’s standpoint, too, having an associate as a protege may…

Jan 23, 2008 6:33 PM CST

Another New Ogletree Office Opens In San Francisco

A fast-growing Atlanta-based employment boutique is opening a new office in San Francisco, raiding two local law offices for top talent. Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart has lured Douglas Farmer from Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton to serve as managing partner of the new office, and Thomas McInerney has…

Jan 23, 2008 12:47 AM CST