Legal Ethics

  • January 31, 2025

    Fla. Judge Tees Up Free Speech Defense In Ethics Case

    A Florida state judge facing ethics charges related to campaign statements is going forward with a First Amendment defense in her Monday hearing, she told the state's Judicial Qualifications Commission in a prehearing statement.

  • January 31, 2025

    Conn. Justices Let McCarter Ex-Client Off $3.6M Hook

    Answering a certified question from a federal judge, the Connecticut Supreme Court on Friday ruled that McCarter & English LLP can't claw an additional $3.6 million in common law punitive damages from a nutritional supplement maker as part of a protracted fee feud, holding that the firm should have pleaded and proven an "independent tort" if it wanted to pursue the money.

  • January 31, 2025

    Reger Rizzo, Ex-Assistant Settle Race And Gender Bias Suit

    Philadelphia-based Reger Rizzo & Darnall LLP reached a settlement in a federal race and sex discrimination case filed last year by an ex-legal assistant, according to an order published Friday.

  • January 31, 2025

    Paralegal Says Race, Disability Led To Thompson Coe Sacking

    A former paralegal at Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP sued her ex-employer in Texas state court, alleging she was wrongfully fired because of her race and disability while also accusing the firm of sabotaging her attempts at obtaining future employment at other law firms.

  • January 31, 2025

    Jury Instructions Tainted Ex-State's Atty's Trial, 4th Circ. Hears

    A Fourth Circuit decision from 1938 took center stage Friday as a seemingly divided appellate panel debated whether a jury that found former Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby guilty of mortgage fraud had been improperly instructed on where the crime occurred.

  • January 31, 2025

    NJ Firm Blasts Pier Investment Suit As 'Shameless Fiction'

    Hankin Sandman Palladino Weintrob & Bell has urged a New Jersey federal court to toss a Garden State couple's legal malpractice lawsuit over their investment in an Atlantic City Boardwalk amusement park, arguing that their claims are barred by the state's entire controversy doctrine and are "premised on knowing falsities and fail on the merits."

  • January 31, 2025

    LegalZoom Hit With Racial Bias Suit From Ex-Employee

    A former human resources employee at LegalZoom has hit the legal services company with a discrimination suit in Nevada federal court, alleging she was underpaid compared to her white colleagues doing the same work and retaliated against when she brought up her concerns.

  • January 30, 2025

    Pharmacy Says Its Ex-GC Destroyed Trade Secrets Evidence

    Texas-based Empower Pharmacy on Thursday pressed for sanctions against its former general counsel — who also happens to be a former assistant district attorney in San Antonio — claiming that the lawyer intentionally destroyed a hard drive that contained evidence relevant to Empower's trade secrets suit against a rival pharmacy.

  • January 30, 2025

    Jay-Z Blasts Buzbee For 'Reputation-Destroying Allegations'

    Rapper Jay-Z has doubled down on his bid for sanctions against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee for filing a lawsuit accusing him of raping a 13-year-old with Sean "Diddy" Combs more than 20 years ago, saying the attorney has "weaponized" baseless accusations via social media and TV interviews.

  • January 30, 2025

    Paramount Settles Fee Suit Over Pacquiao-Mayweather Fight

    Paramount Global has settled a nearly decade-old lawsuit over a finder's fee for the lucrative 2015 boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr., according to a Thursday notice in California state court.

  • January 30, 2025

    2nd Circ. Sees No Skadden Conflict In Pharma Merger Work

    The Second Circuit on Thursday declined to revive an investor suit alleging a merger between Sumitomo Pharma America Inc. and Myovant Sciences Ltd. was undervalued because the lawyers from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP who helped negotiate the deal had undisclosed conflicts of interest.

  • January 30, 2025

    Colo. Panel Says Atty Errors May Sink Contempt Sanctions

    In a precedential ruling Thursday, a Colorado Court of Appeals panel determined that a party facing a contempt sanction may bring a motion to reconsider premised on challenging the effectiveness of their legal representation.

  • January 30, 2025

    Ga. Businesses 'Over The Moon' With Tort Reform Proposals

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled a long-awaited tort reform package Thursday that, if passed, would limit businesses' premises liability, limit plaintiffs' attorneys' rhetoric around damages and require increased disclosures for third-party litigation funding, among a slew of other proposals.

  • January 30, 2025

    Mich. Judge Says 'Dial It Down' As Insults Fly In DQ Hearing

    A Michigan state court hearing over a motion to compel and disqualify an attorney defending a care facility in a wrongful termination lawsuit devolved into a volley of insults Thursday as lawyers who say they have a history of difficulty with each other slung personal jabs. 

  • January 30, 2025

    Greenberg Traurig Beats Suit From 'Vexatious Litigant' Attorney

    A Florida state appeals court upheld the dismissal of an attorney's lawsuit against Greenberg Traurig PA over its handling of a complaint against him on behalf of the Florida Bar.

  • January 30, 2025

    Atty Should Lose License In Billing Scandal Case, Judge Says

    A San Fernando Valley attorney colluded with attorneys for the city of Los Angeles in a water utility class action for which he received a $1.65 million fee and later sought to hire hackers to spy on the judge presiding over the class suit, a State Bar of California judge has found.

  • January 30, 2025

    Beasley Firm Must Face Ex-Client's Suit Over Med Mal Claim

    A New Jersey appellate panel on Thursday reinstated a legal malpractice lawsuit accusing The Beasley Firm LLC of mishandling a medical malpractice lawsuit, saying the trial court erred in granting summary judgment to the law firm.

  • January 30, 2025

    Muscogee Nation Sues Oklahoma DAs In Sovereignty Dispute

    The Muscogee (Creek) Nation has filed a pair of lawsuits against Oklahoma District Attorneys Carol Iski and Matthew Ballard, accusing them of illegally prosecuting Native Americans for conduct committed on tribal lands despite the Supreme Court's 2020 McGirt ruling, days after the Cherokee, Chickasaw and Choctaw nations moved to intervene in similar U.S. government complaints.

  • January 30, 2025

    SCOTUSblog Publisher Can't Shield Home From Forfeiture

    SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein won't be able to shield his Washington, D.C., residence from forfeiture by substituting various properties in South Carolina as he battles charges that he dodged taxes and used his law firm's money to pay off gambling debts.

  • January 30, 2025

    Storage Co. Says Rothman Gordon Left Behind Files, Big Bills

    The defunct Pittsburgh law firm Rothman Gordon PC has left thousands of file boxes in storage at a contractor's warehouse without paying, and is insisting that the contractor go through the stored records to return files to former clients, according to a lawsuit the storage company filed in Pennsylvania state court.

  • January 29, 2025

    Jones Day Told To Provide Ex-Attys Family Leave Memo

    Jones Day must hand over a memo from December 1993 to two ex-associates suing the firm over its allegedly discriminatory family leave policy, a D.C. federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying the firm had placed it "at issue" in the case and waiving any privilege that might have shielded the document.

  • January 29, 2025

    Turkey Producers Say Burford Unit's Suit Is Purely Profit-Led

    Turkey producers fighting consolidated price-fixing claims in Illinois urged a federal judge Tuesday to kick a Burford Capital Investment unit's claims out of the case on summary judgment, arguing the action exists solely because of the litigation funder's drive to profit from a lawsuit.

  • January 29, 2025

    Mich. Judge Doubts Discovery Dispute Should DQ Firm

    A Michigan federal judge on Wednesday said a law firm's alleged "bad behavior" doesn't necessarily mean it can't represent a former CEO of a solar energy company, telling residents who sought to disqualify the firm because of a supposed conflict that their complaints may be better dealt with through discovery motions.

  • January 29, 2025

    Tom Goldstein Seeks To Shield DC Home In Tax Crimes Case

    Appellate lawyer and SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein asked a Maryland federal judge Wednesday if he could put up three South Carolina properties as collateral for his pretrial release in place of his Washington, D.C., home as he faces charges of tax evasion and mortgage fraud.

  • January 29, 2025

    SCOTUSBlog Publisher Faces Tough Odds In Tax Crimes Case

    SCOTUSblog publisher Tom Goldstein, an expert U.S. Supreme Court lawyer accused of paying gambling debts with funds from his law firm and dodging taxes, faces an uphill battle given the considerable amount of evidence the government has already included in an indictment against him, attorneys told Law360. 

Expert Analysis

  • Rank-And-File DOJ Attorneys Will Keep Calm And Carry On

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    Career prosecutors at the U.S. Department of Justice often pride themselves on their ability to remain apolitical in order to ensure consistency and keep the department’s mission afloat, and the incoming Trump administration is unlikely to upend this tradition, says Michael Landman at Bird Marella.

  • California Supreme Court's Year In Review

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    Attorneys at Horvitz & Levy highlight notable decisions on major questions from the California Supreme Court's last term, including voter initiatives, hostile work environment and the economic loss rule.

  • What Lawyers Can Learn From High School AI Suit

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    A pending Massachusetts lawsuit regarding artificial intelligence use in an academic setting underscores the need for attorneys to educate themselves on AI technology and tools that affect their clients so they can advise on establishing clear expectations and limits around the permissible use of AI, say attorneys at Hinckley Allen.

  • Service Providers Must Mitigate 'Secondary Target' Risks

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    A lawsuit recently filed in an Illinois federal court against marketing agency Publicis over its work for opioid manufacturers highlights an uptick in litigation against professional service providers hired by clients that engaged in alleged misconduct — so potential targets of such suits should be sure to conduct proper risk analysis and mitigation, say attorneys at Dechert.

  • Series

    Flying Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Achieving my childhood dream of flying airplanes made me a better lawyer — and a better person — because it taught me I can conquer difficult goals when I leave my comfort zone, focus on the demands of the moment and commit to honing my skills, says Ivy Cadle at Baker Donelson.

  • Mitigating Defamation Liability Risks Of AI-Generated Content

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    Until Congress and the courts provide clear guidance about defamation liability stemming from generative artificial intelligence tools, companies should begin building controls to prevent the creation of defamatory content, says Michael Gerrity at Accenture.

  • Series

    Circus Arts Make Me A Better Lawyer

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    Performing circus arts has strengthened my ability to be more thoughtful, confident and grounded, all of which has enhanced my legal practice and allowed me to serve clients in a more meaningful way, says Bailey McGowan at Stinson.

  • When Investigating An Adversary, Be Wary Of Forged Records

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    Warnings against the use of investigators who tout their ability to find an adversary’s private documents generally emphasize the risk of illegal activity and attorney discipline, but a string of recent cases shows an additional danger — investigators might be fabricating records altogether, says Brian Asher at Asher Research.

  • 3 Ways To Train Junior Lawyers In 30 Minutes Or Less

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    Today’s junior lawyers are experiencing a skills gap due to pandemic-era disruptions, but firms can help bring them up to speed by offering high-impact skill building content in bite-sized, interactive training sessions, say Stacey Schwartz at Katten, Diane Costigan at Winston & Strawn and Lauren Tierney at Freshfields.

  • Opinion

    Why States Should Adopt ABA's 'Duty To Inquire'

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    State bars should codify the American Bar Association's proposed rule on a lawyer's duty to scrutinize each representation as it provides guardrails for lawyers, supports self-regulation of the profession, and helps avert money laundering and other crimes, says Deborah Winokur at Cozen O'Connor.

  • The Bar Needs More Clarity On The Discovery Objection Rule

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    Almost 10 years after Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 34 was amended, attorneys still seem confused about what they should include in objections to discovery requests, and until the rules committee provides additional clarity, practitioners must beware the steep costs of noncompliance, says Tristan Ellis at Shanies Law Office.

  • Trump Faces Uphill Battle If He Tries To Target Prosecutors

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    On the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump promised to go after the state and federal prosecutors who had investigated and prosecuted him, but few criminal statutes would be applicable — to say nothing of the evidence required to substantiate any charges against prosecutors, says William Johnston at Bird Marella.

  • Series

    Being A Navy Reservist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Serving this country in uniform has not only been one of the greatest honors of my life, but it has also provided me with opportunities to broaden my legal acumen and interpersonal skills in ways that have indelibly contributed to my civilian practice, says Phillip Smith at Weinberg Wheeler.

  • So You Want To Move Your Law Practice To Canada, Eh?

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    Google searches for how to move to Canada have surged in the wake of the U.S. presidential election, and if you’re an attorney considering a move to the Great White North, you’ll need to understand how the practice of law differs across the border, says David Postel at Henein Hutchison.

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    Choosing neutrals from diverse backgrounds is an important step in promoting inclusion in the legal profession, and it can enhance the legitimacy and public perception of alternative dispute resolution proceedings, say attorneys at Lowenstein Sandler.

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