Legal Ethics

  • 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. 

  • January 29, 2025

    Amazon Says Docs FTC Wants For Prime Case Are Privileged

    Amazon fired back in a discovery dispute in the Federal Trade Commission's case accusing the e-commerce giant of Prime subscription deception, saying the regulator is not entitled to documents tied to a company meeting because the records reflect legal advice and work product.

  • January 29, 2025

    Appeals Panel Ponders If NC Bar Can Disbar NY-Licensed Atty

    A state appellate panel on Wednesday grappled with the North Carolina State Bar's jurisdiction when it comes to disciplining lawyers who aren't its members, questioning how the agency could disbar an immigration attorney who lives in the Tar Heel State but is licensed in New York.

  • January 29, 2025

    Firm Sued Over Ex-Eagles Player's $43.5M Knee Injury Verdict

    A medical clinic says it was saddled with paying $16 million of a $43.5 million verdict after its attorneys at O'Brien & Ryan LLP failed to properly negotiate a settlement with former Philadelphia Eagles player Chris Maragos in a lawsuit over the treatment of his career-ending injury.

  • January 29, 2025

    JCPenney Says Jackson Walker Owes $1M For Judge's Affair

    Jackson Walker LLP should have to return the more than $1 million paid to it by J.C. Penney given the firm's failure to disclose that one of its partners had a romantic relationship with the judge who had overseen the retailer's bankruptcy, the retailer's estate says in a new lawsuit in Texas federal court.

  • January 29, 2025

    Atty's Indictment DQs Firm From Retaliation Suit, Panel Told

    A social worker suing New Jersey for retaliation told a state appeals court Wednesday that Brown & Connery LLP should be disqualified from representing the state, arguing the indictment of senior partner William Tambussi creates a conflict of interest for the firm.

  • January 29, 2025

    Jay-Z Says Buzbee Barratry Suits Cite Fake Texas Investigator

    Attorneys for Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter told a Houston federal court that personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee included a fictitious defendant in two lawsuits claiming the rapper tried to recruit former Buzbee clients to file malpractice claims.

  • January 29, 2025

    Bankrupt MMA Law Seeks Hurricane Case Fees From 2 Firms

    Bankrupt firm MMA Law has filed adversary suits against two law firms in Texas bankruptcy court seeking to recover fees related to work done on behalf of hurricane victim clients that it says belong to its bankruptcy estate.

  • January 29, 2025

    Attys Apologize To Del. Judge For Unclear Discovery Bid

    Attorneys from Heyman Enerio Gattuso & Hirzel, Wachtel Lipton Rosen & Katz, and White & Case have apologized to Delaware's chief U.S. district judge for not "clearly" communicating necessary information in a discovery bid related to their defense of corporate clients amid a Shell Chemical LP antitrust proceeding in the Netherlands.

  • January 29, 2025

    KPMG's US Law Firm Plan Still Under Review By Ariz. Justices

    Accounting giant KPMG's bid to own a U.S. law firm remains unresolved after the Arizona Supreme Court held a scheduled meeting on the matter.

  • January 29, 2025

    Lowenstein Sandler Hit With Malpractice Suit From Dispensary

    A cannabis dispensary facing a lawsuit from Lowenstein Sandler LLP for unpaid legal fees has fired back with a malpractice suit against the firm, alleging its attorneys helped the dispensary's former CEO in an attempted hostile takeover of the company.

  • January 29, 2025

    Calif. Panel OKs Ax Of HR Worker's Bias Suit Against Proskauer

    A California appeals court on Tuesday affirmed the dismissal of a human resources employee's discrimination and wrongful termination suit against her former employer and its outside counsel Proskauer Rose LLP and multiple attorneys, finding that the lower court didn't err in striking a belated amended complaint and refusing to let her re-file.

  • January 29, 2025

    Buzbee Client Drops Assault, Malpractice Suit

    A woman has moved to drop a lawsuit in New York state court alleging Texas personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee — known lately for representing women who have accused Sean "Diddy" Combs and Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter of sexual misconduct — assaulted her and mishandled her divorce case.

  • January 29, 2025

    Trump Taps Sullivan & Cromwell For NY Hush Money Appeal

    President Donald Trump tapped a new legal team to handle the appeal of his hush money conviction, filing a notice on the New York state court docket Wednesday signed by a team of Sullivan & Cromwell LLP attorneys.

  • January 29, 2025

    Dechert Seeks Clawback From Ex-Atty After $132K Pay Error

    A former Dechert senior project attorney is accused of failing to report a $132,250 billing error and refusing to return the funds, according to a suit the firm brought against her in New York state court.

  • January 28, 2025

    Erika Girardi Didn't Know About Fraud, Appeals Court Says

    A California appellate court Tuesday refused to disturb a lower court's finding that reality television star Erika Girardi wasn't aware that her former husband and his firm might have misappropriated settlement funds owed to co-counsel, agreeing that the "undisputed facts" back the lower court's ruling.

Expert Analysis

  • Promoting Diversity In The Selection Of ADR Neutrals

    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
    Author Photo

    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.

  • Series

    Playing Ultimate Makes Us Better Lawyers

    Author Photo

    In addition to being fun, ultimate Frisbee has improved our legal careers by emphasizing the importance of professionalism, teamwork, perseverance, enthusiasm and vulnerability, say Arunabha Bhoumik and Adam Bernstein at Regeneron. 

  • E-Discovery Quarterly: Recent Rulings On Metadata

    Author Photo

    Several recent rulings reflect the competing considerations that arise when parties dispute the form of production for electronically stored information, underscoring that counsel must carefully consider how to produce and request reasonably usable data, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Striking A Balance Between AI Use And Attorney Well-Being

    Author Photo

    As the legal industry increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence tools to boost efficiency, leaders must note the hidden costs of increased productivity, and work to protect attorneys’ well-being while unlocking AI’s full potential, says Ed Sohn at Factor.

  • Empathy In Mediation Offers A Soft Landing For Disputes

    Author Photo

    Experiencing a crash-landing on a recent flight underscored to me how much difference empathy makes in times of crisis or stress, including during mediation, says Eydith Kaufman at Alternative Resolution Centers.

  • Series

    Being An Artist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    My work as an artist has highlighted how using creativity and precision together — qualities that are equally essential in both art and law — not only improves outcomes, but also leads to more innovative and thoughtful work, says Sarah La Pearl at Segal McCambridge.

  • How Judiciary Can Minimize AI Risks In Secondary Sources

    Author Photo

    Because courts’ standing orders on generative artificial intelligence and other safeguards do not address the risk of hallucinations in secondary source materials, the judiciary should consider enlisting legal publishers and database hosts to protect against AI-generated inaccuracies, say attorneys at Lankler Siffert & Wohl.

  • How Attorneys Can Break Free From Career Enmeshment

    Author Photo

    Ambitious attorneys can sometimes experience career enmeshment — when your sense of self-worth becomes unhealthily tangled up in your legal vocation — but taking the time to discover and realign with your core personal values can help you recover your identity, says Janna Koretz at Azimuth Psychological.

  • Ex-Chicago Politician's Case May Further Curb Fraud Theories

    Author Photo

    The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to hear Thompson v. U.S. to determine whether a statement that is misleading but not false still violates federal law, potentially heralding the court’s largest check yet on prosecutors’ expansive fraud theories, with significant implications for sentencing, say attorneys at the Law Offices of Alan Ellis.

  • Lawyers With Disabilities Are Seeking Equity, Not Pity

    Author Photo

    Attorneys living with disabilities face extra challenges — including the need for special accommodations, the fear of stigmatization and the risk of being tokenized — but if given equitable opportunities, they can still rise to the top of their field, says Kate Reder Sheikh, a former attorney and legal recruiter at Major Lindsey & Africa.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Committee Best Venue For Litigation Funding Rules

    Author Photo

    The Advisory Committee on Civil Rules' recent decision to consider developing a rule for litigation funding disclosure is a welcome development, ensuring that the result will be the product of a thorough, inclusive and deliberative process that appropriately balances all interests, says Stewart Ackerly at Statera Capital.

  • The Strategic Advantages Of Appointing A Law Firm CEO

    Author Photo

    The impact on law firms of the recent CrowdStrike outage underscores that the business of law is no longer merely about providing supplemental support for legal practice — and helps explain why some law firms are appointing dedicated, full-time CEOs to navigate the challenges of the modern legal landscape, says Jennifer Johnson at Calibrate Strategies.

  • Series

    Beekeeping Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    The practice of patent law and beekeeping are not typically associated, but taking care of honeybees has enriched my legal practice by highlighting the importance of hands-on experience, continuous learning, mentorship and more, says David Longo at Oblon McClelland.

  • Opinion

    Legal Institutions Must Warn Against Phony Election Suits

    Author Photo

    With two weeks until the election, bar associations and courts have an urgent responsibility to warn lawyers about the consequences of filing unsubstantiated lawsuits claiming election fraud, says Elise Bean at the Carl Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy.

  • How Cos. Can Build A Strong In-House Pro Bono Program

    Author Photo

    During this year’s pro bono celebration week, companies should consider some key pointers to grow and maintain a vibrant in-house program for attorneys to provide free legal services for the public good, says Mary Benton at Alston & Bird.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Legal Ethics archive.
Hello! I'm Law360's automated support bot.

How can I help you today?

For example, you can type:
  • I forgot my password
  • I took a free trial but didn't get a verification email
  • How do I sign up for a newsletter?
Ask a question!