Partners

Judge delays fraud trial of former Sutherland partner to determine competency

A federal magistrate judge has delayed the criminal fraud trial of a former partner at Sutherland Asbill & Brennan to determine whether he is competent. U.S. Magistrate Judge Linda Walker ordered the delay to allow for the selection of a physician who will examine the former partner, 76-year-old Bennett Kight,…

Apr 13, 2017 4:56 PM CDT

Former Hunton partner is arrested in Florida after disappearing nearly 20 years ago

A former Hunton & Williams partner who disappeared nearly 20 years ago before he was charged in an alleged Ponzi scheme has been arrested in Delray Beach, Florida. The arrest of the former partner, 67-year-old Scott Wolas, was based on allegations of a more recent investment fraud, report the Am…

Apr 10, 2017 4:20 PM CDT

Chadbourne plans vote on ouster of partner who filed $100M gender bias suit

Chadbourne & Parke is scheduling a vote on whether to oust a partner who filed a $100 million class action claiming the law firm has “a culture of discrimination against female attorneys.” Chadbourne announced plans for a vote Wednesday, the Am Law Daily (sub. req.), Bloomberg Big Law Business and…

Apr 6, 2017 3:08 PM CDT

Law firms use data to judge lateral hires’ potential success

Many law firms are turning to statistics and performance analytics to help them determine which of their laterals are delivering and which are not.

Apr 1, 2017 2:10 AM CDT

Former BigLaw partner says he felt like a pawn in securities fraud case after judge tosses claims

A former BigLaw partner says the Securities and Exchange Commission went beyond overzealous enforcement when it filed a civil suit against him that was tossed on Monday by a federal judge. U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel in his opinion (PDF) dismissed civil securities fraud and aiding and abetting claims…

Mar 29, 2017 2:31 PM CDT

Lawyer is surprised by vitriol over her representation of Trump’s son-in-law and daughter

The lawyer considered to be a front-runner for attorney general in a Hillary Clinton administration is now representing President Trump’s daughter and son-in-law, to the consternation of some Democrats. Jamie Gorelick has represented Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, to help them determine compliance with federal ethics laws, Politico…

Mar 27, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

Former BigLaw partner is convicted of insider trading

A partner at Arent Fox has been convicted of insider trading for tipping his investment adviser about a pending pharmaceutical merger when he was a lawyer at Hunton & Williams. Robert Schulman was convicted by a Brooklyn federal jury on Wednesday, report the New York Law Journal (sub. req.) and…

Mar 16, 2017 2:37 PM CDT

Heads of over 150 law firms warn Trump administration against defunding Legal Services Corp.

The heads of more than 150 U.S. law firms, including several of the largest firms in the world, have written a letter to the Trump administration expressing concern regarding a reported proposal to eliminate funding for the Legal Services Corp. The Am Law Daily reported yesterday that the law firm…

Mar 10, 2017 5:30 PM CST

White House counsel’s office is staffing up team of lawyers, with 26 total so far

The Office of the White House Counsel so far has hired 26 lawyers as ethics and policy issues grow, the Associated Press reports. The list of lawyers who work for White House Counsel Don McGahn includes four who have followed him from the Jones Day law firm. The office oversees…

Mar 7, 2017 2:01 PM CST

Gibson Dunn partner says he would turn down a solicitor general nomination

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher partner Miguel Estrada doesn’t intend to go through another bruising confirmation battle. Estrada was said to be a top possible nominee for solicitor general, but Estrada told the National Law Journal (sub. req.) that he would turn down the nomination. “I have only respect and best…

Mar 1, 2017 4:29 PM CST

Female First-Chairs: Firm’s founders chip away at male litigation domination

According to a 2015 report by the American Bar Foundation and the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession, which sampled 2013 filings in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, women in private practice at large and small law firms accounted for only 16 to 25 percent of first-chair appearances.

Mar 1, 2017 11:37 AM CST

Partner pay becomes more volatile as law firms seek to retain top performers

Fear of partner defections has led law firms to put more emphasis on the current year’s billings in setting partner compensation, while giving less leeway to partners who have a bad year. Consultants tell the American Lawyer (sub. req.) that law firms are moving partners up and down the pay…

Feb 28, 2017 7:00 AM CST

Mayer Brown partner who dealt with personal tragedies backs a flexible path to partnership

A Mayer Brown equity partner who advocates for a flexible path to partnership cites her own experience as the reason why it is needed. Joanna Horsnail has dealt with her mother’s Parkinson’s diagnosis, her father’s terminal cancer, her son’s rare genetic disease and a divorce, Law.com (sub. req.) reports. Horsnail…

Feb 21, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Akin Gump partner is arrested while wearing a disguise and trying to sell a sealed lawsuit, FBI says

A partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld who used a fake name and wore a wig was arrested last week while trying to sell a copy of a sealed whistleblower complaint to a company under federal investigation, according to the FBI. The FBI said lawyer Jeffrey Wertkin hoped…

Feb 8, 2017 11:06 AM CST

Where are they now? Nearly half of lateral partner hires don’t stay full five years

About half of lateral hires disappoint the law firms that hire them, according to an analysis of 1,130 hires in BigLaw. The study by ALM Rival Edge found that 47 percent of lateral partner hires don’t stay a full five years at their new firms, the American Lawyer (sub. req.)…

Feb 7, 2017 8:00 AM CST