Partners

Lawyer is sanctioned $250 for flinging coffee toward opposing counsel during deposition

A federal magistrate judge in Oakland, California, has sanctioned a lawyer $250 for flinging iced coffee toward opposing counsel during a deposition, and then downplaying her responsibility for the incident. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donna Ryu imposed the sanction on lawyer Valeria Calafiore Healy in a Jan. 27 order (PDF), the…

Jan 31, 2017 7:00 AM CST

A dozen Jones Day lawyers are joining the Trump administration

A dozen lawyers from Jones Day are headed to new jobs in the Trump administration that range from White House counsel to special assistant to the secretary of agriculture. Jones Day announced the moves in a press release, and several publications picked up the story, including Above the Law, the…

Jan 24, 2017 12:00 PM CST

Judge withdraws sanctions against DLA Piper lawyers, cites ‘game-changing’ testimony

A federal judge in Manhattan has withdrawn sanctions she imposed last year on a DLA Piper partner and a former lawyer with the law firm. In a Jan. 13 opinion, U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest cited “game-changing” testimony that changed her mind about sanctions in prescription drug litigation, the New…

Jan 19, 2017 8:00 AM CST

Asian-Americans are underrepresented in influential legal jobs, study says

Asian-Americans make up more than 5 percent of the U.S. population, and an even greater percentage of law students. They are well-represented among the nation’s lawyers. But they are underrepresented among the top ranks of the legal profession, according to a new study. The study was conducted by Yale Law…

Jan 17, 2017 12:15 PM CST

These BigLaw firms had the best record for promoting women to partner

Three large law firms promoted only women to partnership in 2016. Five law firms promoted only men. Overall, 36.7 percent of the lawyers promoted to partner last year were women, according to partnership announcements at America’s top 100 law firms. Bloomberg Big Law Business did the analysis. The three firms…

Jan 12, 2017 9:11 AM CST

Meet Marc Kasowitz, the litigator who often represents Donald Trump

When Donald Trump needs a lawyer in defamation lawsuits and other knotty legal battles, he often turns to litigator Marc Kasowitz, the founder of Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman. In one suit that attracted press attention, Kasowitz sued an author in 2006 over allegations that Trump was worth less than…

Jan 11, 2017 9:44 AM CST

Looking for a section symbol key? New keyboard is designed for lawyers

BigLaw lawyer Brian Potts had a revelation after becoming annoyed by the multiple steps required to insert a section symbol in a brief he was typing. Potts decided to create a keyboard designed for lawyers, and it includes a key for the section symbol, according to LawSites by Robert Ambrogi.…

Jan 6, 2017 8:40 AM CST

California legislative leaders hire former AG Holder for legal advice in Trump legal battles

Leaders in California’s legislature have hired former Attorney General Eric Holder to represent them as outside counsel in any future legal disputes with the Trump administration. The Democratic legislative leaders of California said they hired Holder and his law firm to advise them “in our efforts to resist any attempts…

Jan 4, 2017 3:46 PM CST

Trump nominates BigLaw banking lawyer to head SEC

Donald Trump has tapped Sullivan & Cromwell partner Jay Clayton to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. Clayton had represented Goldman Sachs in connection with its bailout during the financial crisis, report the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) and Bloomberg News. He has also represented investment firms…

Jan 4, 2017 10:31 AM CST

Trump picks Skadden partner as US trade representative

President-elect Donald Trump has picked a BigLaw partner who has criticized China’s trade practices as his nominee for U.S. trade representative. Trump announced on Tuesday that he is picking Robert Lighthizer, a former deputy U.S. trade representative in the Reagan administration. Lighthizer is a partner with Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher…

Jan 3, 2017 9:19 AM CST

Majority of lateral lawyer hires don’t meet revenue expectations, survey says

Law firms expect results with lateral hires, but expectations for revenue growth often miss the mark, according to a recent survey. The survey by ALM Intelligence found that 30 percent of lawyers who are lateral hires deliver less than half their expected book of business in the first year, Law.com…

Jan 3, 2017 7:00 AM CST

Should law firm keep secret an email requesting legal help? Settled case raises issue

Baker Botts recently settled a suit that raises questions about a law firm’s obligations to keep confidential an unsolicited email requesting legal help with a possible whistleblower claim and suggesting the information could help the law firm’s clients. Kent Langerlan, an environmental investigator for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality,…

Dec 20, 2016 10:52 AM CST

Kirkland litigators are reportedly hit hard in reallocation of partner shares

Kirkland & Ellis has reportedly changed the way it allocates equity partner profits in a move said to hit litigation partners hard while benefiting corporate and possibly bankruptcy partners. Three unidentified sources told Law.com (sub. req.) about the change, and two of them described the reallocation as a “bloodbath.” One…

Dec 20, 2016 8:00 AM CST

Meet Trump’s pick for White House counsel, Donald McGahn

President Barack Obama’s former White House counsel Robert Bauer has a short description of the man who will take on that role when Donald Trump becomes president. Trump’s choice for White House counsel, Donald McGahn, “is very smart, he’s very combative, and he’s very dogged,” Bauer told the New York…

Dec 14, 2016 8:15 AM CST

Partner profits increase even as law firm demand remains flat; is it an unsustainable model?

Law firm partners are reaping “soaring” profits amid flat demand for law firm services, creating “an unsustainable model” for law firms, according to the co-founder of a company that developed virtual workplace technology. Writing at Forbes, Mark Cohen says an increasing percentage of legal services are being provided outside of…

Dec 13, 2016 7:00 AM CST