Legal Ethics

  • September 19, 2024

    Newsmax Appeals Quash Of Smartmatic Atty Subpoenas

    Newsmax Media Inc. is appealing a Florida judge's decision to quash its attempt to subpoena a slew of criminal defense attorneys — representing Smartmatic USA Corp. executives in a criminal case over a Philippines elections contract — in Smartmatic's defamation suit over Newsmax reports tying the voting tech company to alleged conspiracies to steal the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ex-Ballard Spahr Legal Assistant Drops Wrongful Firing Suit

    A former Ballard Spahr LLP legal assistant on Thursday agreed to drop a Pennsylvania civil rights lawsuit alleging that the firm fired her in retaliation for taking leave protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act in order to care for her husband, who was battling cancer.

  • September 19, 2024

    Conn. Justices Wonder How 'Malicious' Firm's Ex-Client Was

    The Connecticut Supreme Court on Thursday questioned whether an ex-McCarter & English LLP client was "wanton" and "malicious" enough to justify the firm's novel $3.6 million punitive damages bid in a protracted billing dispute that has already fetched the firm judgments totaling more than $2 million on contract claims.

  • September 19, 2024

    Judge Keeps Hur Investigation Ghostwriter Tapes Sealed

    A D.C. federal judge said Thursday she would review portions of President Joe Biden's ghostwriter's interview with special counsel Robert Hur's office to see if more of it should be publicly released, but denied a separate request from the Heritage Foundation to make the audio of the same conversation public.

  • September 19, 2024

    Quinn Emanuel Challenges Oro Negro Execs' Discovery Bid

    Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP is pushing back against a bid for firm documents from its former client, Oro Negro Drilling Pte. Ltd., saying the company that provides oil services in Mexico and its subsidiaries are "weaponizing" the firm's party status to gain a tactical advantage in related legal battles.

  • September 19, 2024

    New NJ Senator Seeks Postelection Vote On 3rd Circ. Nominee

    New Jersey's new U.S. senator, freshly sworn-in Democrat George Helmy, hopes the Senate will vote after the election on the long-stalled nomination of Adeel Mangi to the Third Circuit, which includes his state.

  • September 19, 2024

    Ex-La. Assistant DA Indicted In Bribery, Laundering Case

    A former assistant district attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana, has been indicted on allegations he conspired to solicit kickbacks and accept bribes while overseeing the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office's pretrial intervention program. 

  • September 19, 2024

    Calif. Panel Rejects Malpractice Claim In Ambulance Crash Suit

    A California appeals panel won't revive a woman's legal malpractice suit against her former attorney stemming from an ambulance crash suit that was filed too late, finding she also filed the malpractice suit outside the one-year statute of limitations.

  • September 19, 2024

    Filing After Bar Lapse Was Honest Mistake, Prosecutor Says

    A Texas surgeon facing criminal charges for giving patient data to a media outlet regarding gender-affirming care provided to minors accused the government's lead prosecutor of taking the case while she had a suspended law license, a blunder the attorney called an unintentional error on Thursday.

  • September 19, 2024

    Mich. Judge Can't End Probe Over Alleged Lies

    Michigan's judicial misconduct watchdog on Wednesday rejected a recommendation to dismiss an ethics probe of a Detroit judge accused of lying to investigators about another judge's alleged misconduct, finding that a public hearing is necessary to determine the merits of the case.

  • September 19, 2024

    Disbarred Fla. Atty Sentenced To Jail Time For Contempt

    A disbarred Florida attorney has been sentenced to time in jail followed by probation and ordered to pay a nearly $24,000 fine for indirect criminal contempt and continuing to practice law even after his license was revoked.

  • September 19, 2024

    Philly Legal Org Fights Attorney's Race Bias Claims

    The Defender Association of Philadelphia says a Black former public defender has no basis for racial bias allegations stemming from her allegedly discriminatory firing, arguing that her claims were investigated and rejected by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

  • September 19, 2024

    Quinn Emanuel Role Must Face Scrutiny, Djibouti Tells DC Circ.

    The Republic of Djibouti has told the D.C. Circuit that there is no need to take a second look at a panel's July opinion that sent a dispute involving a $470 million-plus arbitral award back to the trial court to determine whether Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP had authority to represent a port operator in a long-running legal battle.

  • September 18, 2024

    Stonewalling Justifies Cab Co. Atty's Deposition, Court Rules

    A Florida appeals court ruled Wednesday that counsel for Yellow Cab Co. can be deposed after the company's president stonewalled a personal injury plaintiff by answering "I have no idea" to virtually every question at his deposition, saying "exceptional circumstances" warrant the second deposition.

  • September 18, 2024

    Fla. Judge Won't Sanction Circle K Over Late-Produced Docs

    A Florida judge Wednesday declined to sanction Circle K for failing to disclose the name of the contractor that inspected the gas pump where a woman was later killed, finding that the woman's family had failed to convincingly show that the company had deliberately schemed to hide the information.

  • September 18, 2024

    Wynn Resorts To Pay Investors $70M Over Misconduct Claims

    Wynn Resorts, its former CEO Stephen Wynn and others have reached a $70 million settlement in Nevada federal court to end an investor class action accusing the hotel and casino giant of deceiving shareholders by covering up allegations of Wynn's sexual misconduct, according to a Tuesday filing.

  • September 18, 2024

    Georgia High Court Won't Hear Missed Patent Deadline Case

    The highest court in Georgia has decided not to take up an appeal from a neurosurgeon in his nearly $102 million lawsuit, letting stand a lower court's finding that a patent docketing contractor used by remote law firm FisherBroyles can't be held liable for a missed patent application deadline.

  • September 18, 2024

    Texas AG Ran Voter Intimidation Campaign, Dem County Says

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton used his office for voter suppression, Travis County officials claim in a suit filed Tuesday in Texas federal court, saying that Paxton launched an "intimidation campaign" against them to discourage voter registration of those he doesn't agree with politically.

  • September 18, 2024

    SEC Settles Latest Covington Info Theft Case For $33K

    A New Jersey man will pay a $33,000 civil penalty to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for insider trading on confidential merger tips that his cousin stole from a Covington & Burling LLP lawyer, according to a settlement filed in New York federal court on Wednesday.

  • September 18, 2024

    IP Firm Prevails In Malpractice Suit Over Dueling Patent Apps

    A Boston intellectual property law firm on Wednesday ducked a legal malpractice suit brought by a Colorado technology company alleging the firm betrayed it while filing patents on behalf of another client, after a Massachusetts federal judge found an absence of attorney-client relationship sunk the claims.

  • September 18, 2024

    Toshiba Loses Bid To Sanction Mich. Energy Cos. Over Depo

    A Michigan federal judge has rejected Toshiba and its subsidiary's request for sanctions against the state's largest energy companies despite Toshiba's claim that their witness failed to answer certain questions at a deposition, ruling Toshiba didn't properly lay out what it wanted the witness to talk about and that his other answers were appropriate.

  • September 18, 2024

    Texas Firm, Marketing Biz Settle 'Click To Call' Ad Scheme Suit

    A Houston-based personal injury firm has reached a settlement with an Oklahoma-based marketing company it accused in a federal lawsuit of diverting clients and business to competitors through misleading advertisements in a click-to-call scheme.

  • September 18, 2024

    Ex-Gunster Client Says Firm Can't Shake Data Breach Suit

    A former client urged a Florida federal court Tuesday to reject a bid from Gunster Yoakley & Stewart PA to toss a proposed class action related to a data breach in 2022.

  • September 18, 2024

    Calif. Atty Can't Escape Billing Scandal's Hacking Claim

    A San Fernando Valley attorney will have to face his ethics case that alleges he tried to hire "Israeli military hackers" to access personal accounts of a judge overseeing a public utility class action, after the California State Bar court rejected his motion to dismiss.

  • September 18, 2024

    Texas Criminal Court Pauses Paxton Prosecutor Fee Ruling

    The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals on Tuesday agreed to pause a lower court ruling that would allow Collin County to pay a lower amount to the special prosecutors appointed to oversee the securities fraud case against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, putting the county's victory on ice while it considers the dispute.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    Legal Profession Gender Parity Requires Equal Parental Leave

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    To truly foster equity in the legal profession and to promote attorney retention, workplaces need to better support all parents, regardless of gender — starting by offering equal and robust parental leave to both birthing and non-birthing parents, says Ali Spindler at Irwin Fritchie.

  • Series

    Writing Thriller Novels Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Authoring several thriller novels has enriched my work by providing a fresh perspective on my privacy practice, expanding my knowledge, and keeping me alert to the next wave of issues in an increasingly complex space — a reminder to all lawyers that extracurricular activities can help sharpen professional instincts, says Reece Hirsch at Morgan Lewis.

  • What Lawyers Must Know About Calif. State Bar's AI Guidance

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    Initial recommendations from the State Bar of California regarding use of generative artificial intelligence by lawyers have the potential to become a useful set of guidelines in the industry, covering confidentiality, supervision and training, communications, discrimination and more, say attorneys at Debevoise.

  • Industry Must Elevate Native American Women Attys' Stories

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    The American Bar Association's recent research study into Native American women attorneys' experiences in the legal industry reveals the glacial pace of progress, and should inform efforts to amplify Native voices in the field, says Mary Smith, president of the ABA.

  • Understanding Discovery Obligations In Era Of Generative AI

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Attorneys and businesses must adapt to the unique discovery challenges presented by generative artificial intelligence, such as chatbot content and prompts, while upholding the principles of fairness, transparency and compliance with legal obligations in federal civil litigation, say attorneys at King & Spalding.

  • Asserting 'Presence-Of-Counsel' Defense In Securities Trials

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    As illustrated by the fraud trial of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, defense attorneys in securities trials might consider arguing that counsel had some involvement in the conduct at issue — if the more formal advice-of-counsel defense is unavailable and circumstances allow for a privilege waiver, say Joseph Dever and Matthew Elkin at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Key Takeaways From DOJ's Recent FARA Advisory Opinions

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    The U.S. Department of Justice recently published several redacted advisory opinions on the Foreign Agents Registration Act, clarifying its current thinking on when a person or entity is required to register as a foreign agent under the statute, and when they may qualify for an exemption, says Tessa Capeloto at Wiley Rein.

  • The Case For Post-Bar Clerk Training Programs At Law Firms

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    In today's competitive legal hiring market, an intentionally designed training program for law school graduates awaiting bar admission can be an effective way of creating a pipeline of qualified candidates, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Attorneys Have An Ethical Duty To Protect The Judiciary

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    The tenor of public disagreement and debate has become increasingly hostile against judges, and though the legislative branch is trying to ameliorate this safety gap, lawyers have a moral imperative and professional requirement to stand with judges in defusing attacks against them and their rulings, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • AI Can Help Lawyers Overcome The Programming Barrier

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    Legal professionals without programming expertise can use generative artificial intelligence to harness the power of automation and other technology solutions to streamline their work, without the steep learning curve traditionally associated with coding, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Preparing Law Students For A New, AI-Assisted Legal World

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    As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms the legal landscape, law schools must integrate technology and curricula that address AI’s innate challenges — from ethics to data security — to help students stay ahead of the curve, say Daniel Garrie at Law & Forensics, Ryan Abbott at JAMS and Karen Silverman at Cantellus Group.

  • General Counsel Need Data Literacy To Keep Up With AI

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    With the rise of accessible and powerful generative artificial intelligence solutions, it is imperative for general counsel to understand the use and application of data for myriad important activities, from evaluating the e-discovery process to monitoring compliance analytics and more, says Colin Levy at Malbek.

  • Navigating Discovery Of Generative AI Information

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    As generative artificial intelligence tools become increasingly ubiquitous, companies must make sure to preserve generative AI data when there is reasonable expectation of litigation, and to include transcripts in litigation hold notices, as they may be relevant to discovery requests, say Nick Peterson and Corey Hauser at Wiley.

  • Finding Focus: Strategies For Attorneys With ADHD

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    Given the prevalence of ADHD among attorneys, it is imperative that the legal community gain a better understanding of how ADHD affects well-being, and that resources and strategies exist for attorneys with this disability to manage their symptoms and achieve success, say Casey Dixon at Dixon Life Coaching and Krista Larson at Stinson.

  • Attorneys, Law Schools Must Adapt To New Era Of Evidence

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    Technological advancements mean more direct evidence is being created than ever before, and attorneys as well as law schools must modify their methods to account for new challenges in how this evidence is collected and used to try cases, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

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