Pennsylvania

Not-Sexy-Enough Flight Attendant Says Rival Airline Denied Her Free Travel

A Delta Airlines flight attendant who contends she was denied opportunities to travel for free on a rival airline to her job assignments because she wasn’t dressed provocatively enough has sued both her employer and JetBlue Airways in federal court alleging employment discrimination. Karin Keegan, 37, contends in her Western…

Jan 21, 2009 2:29 AM CST

Layoffs at Philly-Based Law Firms

Well-known Philadelphia-based national law firms are now laying off staff and/or attorneys, although, at least so far, they aren’t saying how many. In a written statement, Blank Rome has confirmed an unspecified number of attorney layoffs for “purely economic” reasons, reports Above the Law. “We have not taken these decisions…

Jan 16, 2009 8:47 PM CST

Traffic Court Judge Reprimanded for Biker Rally Plea for Cash

A Philadelphia traffic court judge is getting a reprimand and judicial probation for his plea for campaign cash at a biker rally. The Philadelphia Court of Judicial Discipline imposed the punishment Tuesday on Judge Willie Singletary, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. The court found Singletary had improperly suggested that those who…

Jan 7, 2009 7:31 PM CST

Testimony: Former Pa. Senator Funneled Work to Law Firms

A longtime Pennsylvania senator wielded his power, in part, by pressuring companies to send legal work to certain law firms, including his own, according to testimony yesterday at his federal corruption trial. Former state senator Vincent Fumo, 65, is charged with defrauding the Citizens’ Alliance for Better Neighborhoods, by getting…

Jan 6, 2009 10:02 PM CST

Pa. Judge in Ethics Case Over Landlord Activities

A Philadelphia judge is facing a misconduct charge based on his alleged use of his judicial office resources during his sideline real estate activities. Willis Berry, who was a candidate for the state supreme court several years ago, is accused in a complaint filed today by the Judicial Conduct Board…

Jan 6, 2009 12:23 AM CST

South Jersey’s Biggest Firm Gets Bigger, Ups Philly Ante

The biggest law firm in South Jersey will soon get bigger, with the addition of most of the lawyers from a 26-attorney Philadelphia firm known for its litigation work. As of Jan. 1, Archer & Greiner is adding 21 of the 26 attorneys now working at Pelino & Lentz, which…

Dec 23, 2008 12:14 AM CST

Fighting Fallout from Dean Ouster, Duquesne Appoints Alumni Panel

Apparently seeking to contain damage from its abrupt and controversial ouster of now-former dean Don Guter last week, Duquesne University School of Law has appointed a new alumni panel. The star-studded membership list for the 14-person panel includes includes two state senators and two retired Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices, as…

Dec 18, 2008 10:47 PM CST

Blank Rome Sues Rapper for Unpaid Fees

Blank Rome has sued rapper Mos Def, claiming he owes $60,000 in unpaid legal fees. The suit says the fees stem from the star’s 2006 divorce from Maria Yepes, the Am Law Daily reports. The law firm has represented several high-profile personalities in divorce proceedings. They include Donald Trump, shock…

Dec 17, 2008 5:39 PM CST

Dechert Gives Pink Slip to 72 Staffers

In a move apparently initially kept secret even from the attorneys affected, Philadelphia-based Dechert laid off 72 staff members throughout the country. That amounts to about 12.5 percent of the 1,045-attorney international law firm’s 570 United States administrative staff, reports the Legal Intelligencer in an article reprinted in the Am…

Dec 16, 2008 9:04 PM CST

Philly Firms WolfBlock and Drinker Biddle Said to Cut Associates

Pennsylvania may be more insulated from Wall Street’s woes, but that apparently hasn’t stopped two Philadelphia-based law firms from cutting associates. On Friday, WolfBlock laid off 15 associates and Drinker Biddle & Reath laid off about 20 lawyers, according to the blog Above the Law. The Legal Intelligencer sought to…

Dec 16, 2008 12:58 PM CST

Students, Alumni Protest Ouster of Duquesne Law Dean

Angered by the abrupt demotion of a popular law school dean at Duquesne University to a faculty post, students and alumni are protesting. Among those threatening to withhold donations is Robert Pierce Sr., a Pittsburgh attorney and DU law school graduate. He and his wife had pledged $500,000, in addition…

Dec 12, 2008 5:54 PM CST

Duquesne Ousts Law Dean

Updated: Given a choice between resigning his post within 24 hours or being removed from the position, the dean of Duquesne University School of Law reportedly has opted to step down and return to a teaching job there. “My reaction to this is shock. The school—really by a lot of…

Dec 10, 2008 11:01 PM CST

Reports: Murdered NYC Lawyer Victim of Jealous Stalker

Anthony Ottaviano, a staff attorney at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, was shot and killed Monday in what authorities and news accounts describe as jealousy-infused ordeal involving the world of S&M fetish circles. Police say Ottaviano was shot by West Chester man David P. Krieg, who then kidnapped Ottaviano’s…

Dec 4, 2008 4:34 PM CST

Will Downturn Force Changes in Associate Compensation?

Bonuses for associates at several large firms are considerably smaller this year, reflecting a tougher economic environment for law firms. But is lower compensation a temporary phenomenon or an indication of changes to come? Some Pennsylvania law firm leaders interviewed by the Legal Intelligencer suggested the tough economy could force…

Dec 4, 2008 2:37 PM CST

Biker Rally Plea for Cash Violated Judicial Ethics Rules, Board Finds

A Philadelphia traffic judge who sought campaign donations at a motorcycle club rally violated ethics rules by implying the cash would buy favorable treatment, an ethics board has found. Judge Willie Singletary passed the hat during the “blessing of the bikes,” the Philadelphia Daily News reports. The opinion by the…

Dec 3, 2008 7:26 PM CST