Solos/Small Firms

After Judge Finds Lawyer Slept During Trial, He Tosses Weapons Conviction

A New York criminal defense lawyer who’s taken more than 600 cases to trial is on the hot seat after a Brooklyn judge tossed one client’s conviction. Trial judge Vincent M. Del Giudice ruled last week that Manhattan solo practitioner Michael Harrison failed to provide his client “meaningful representation.” In…

Jun 25, 2009 11:40 AM CDT

Ackerman Seeks to Expand Condemnation Niche, Opens D.C. Office

Responding to increased client demand for help with condemnation and eminent domain proceedings initiated in the nation’s capital, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based Ackerman Ackerman & Dynkowski has opened a new part-time satellite office in Washington, D.C., and expects to make it a full-time office by year’s end. “Washington, D.C., is one…

Jun 25, 2009 10:52 AM CDT

3 Laid-Off Ohio Lawyers Struggle to Find Work; 2 Others Land New Jobs

How bad is it out there right now for laid-off lawyers seeking new jobs? An article in Crain’s Cleveland Business today paints a depressing picture. Attorney Keith Barton lost his job as an in-house attorney at a nonprofit a few weeks before Christmas. He’s trying to get a solo practice…

Jun 22, 2009 9:13 PM CDT

Fla. Judge Dismisses RICO Claims Against Trial Lawyer Willie Gary

Corrected: Finding that a former legal secretary for his firm failed to establish either a pattern of criminal activity or direct injury, a Florida judge has dismissed two counts of racketeering in a lawsuit she filed against litigator Willie Gary. The Martin County suit, which alleged rape as well as…

Jun 22, 2009 6:33 PM CDT

Undeterred By UPL Sentences, 2 Men Allegedly Go Back into ‘Practice’

Updated: Convicted in 2005 of perjury and fraud for misrepresenting himself as a licensed California attorney, Harold Goldstein was released from federal prison about a month ago. But a Craiglist ad almost immediately put him in hot water again. In it, Goldstein allegedly solicited the services of law students, reports…

Jun 15, 2009 6:26 PM CDT

Lifetime Bench Ban for Ex-N.J. Judge; Go-Go Bar Ruckus One Reason Why

A former New Jersey municipal judge who admittedly had some problems himself abused his authority by imposing harsh sanctions on others, the state supreme court held yesterday. For this and other reasons, it permanently banned attorney Richard Sasso, who is now a solo practitioner in Warren, N.J., from holding judicial…

Jun 3, 2009 5:19 PM CDT

Virtually Practicing

Those wanting face time need not apply

Jun 2, 2009 4:30 AM CDT

Taking a Break

Despite the tough economic times, taking a vacation is still a good thing

Jun 2, 2009 1:30 AM CDT

‘Get a Life’ Attendees Focus on Efficiency—and Smelling the Roses

Mary Schmitt Smith stopped to smell a rose at a lawyer conference in Chicago on Wednesday—and that was part of the point. “It’s a serious attempt at having fun,” the suburban Detroit attorney said of the Get a Life conference, aimed at offering attorneys tools for better work-life balance. “There’s…

May 28, 2009 2:38 AM CDT

IP Attorney Produces Geeky Rap Album

When intellectual property attorney Anthony McNamer made his break from BigLaw, he didn’t simply hang out his own shingle. In addition to forming McNamer and Company, the Portland, Ore., practitioner also produced a rap album that offers a humorous take on the genre’s traditional tough-guy image, reports Above the Law.…

May 27, 2009 8:03 PM CDT

More Lawyers Form Their Own Firms, Despite the Financial Sacrifice

Evidence is mounting that more lawyers are striking out on their own, even if it means lower pay and higher risk. Martindale-Hubbell listings are one indication of the trend. In the last 11 months, the number of new law firms it tracked rose 2.7 percent, the American Lawyer reports. In…

May 22, 2009 1:32 PM CDT

A Day at The Virtual Office

Cost-effective or too cheap?

May 2, 2009 1:39 AM CDT

Teaming Up, Starting Anew

For small-firm startups, networking is key

May 2, 2009 1:30 AM CDT

Intellectual Property Boutique Is Hot for New Recruits

The last time patent litigator Bert Ehrlich experienced a downturn in the economy, his law firm missed the boat. Not this time. Ehrlich, a partner at the intellectual property boutique Ladas & Parry, sees his firm as a beacon of hope to disgruntled BigLaw partners and associates. Business at Ladas…

Apr 28, 2009 5:31 PM CDT

Investors Claim Millions in Losses with Murder-Suicide Lawyer

Federal authorities are investigating the financial dealings of a Manhattan lawyer thought to have killed his wife and two daughters in a Baltimore area hotel late Sunday before using a knife to kill himself. Lawyer William Parente apparently beat and asphyxiated his wife, Betty, and their daughters, ages 19 and…

Apr 23, 2009 12:35 PM CDT