The law firm of Duane Morris announced in recent days that Jonathan M. Petrakis and J. Colin Knisely have joined as partners in the Trial Practice Group, in the firm’s Philadelphia office.

Both join from Deeb Petrakis Blum & Murphy P.C.; there, Petrakis was the founding member and president.

John J. Soroko, Chairman and CEO of Duane Morris was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “We are thrilled to have Jon join Duane Morris. He and his group will add to Duane Morris’ significant national practice in the area of counseling for banks and other financial institutions.”

Matthew A. Taylor, Chairman of Duane Morris’ Trial Practice Group was quoted as saying: “Jon is a well-known entity in the business community of Philadelphia who has developed a very impressive client base, not only in the financial institutions and banking world, but also in the general business community. He is a true problem solver for clients who look to Jon and his team in significant matters that are important to their respective businesses. Jon has an infectious personality and is well-liked. What I’m the most excited about regarding Jon’s joining the firm is to see him take advantage of our national and international platform, and I truly believe the sky’s the limit for him and his team to grow their practice.”

With more than 25 years of both litigation and transactional experience, the focus of Petrakis’ practice is the representation of banks and other lenders.

He works on implementing strategies to pursue recovery of commercial loans in actions against defaulting borrowers and guarantors. These include bankruptcy litigation, creditors’ rights litigation outside of bankruptcy, debt restructure agreements and debtor-in-possession financing. In addition, he represents banks and other lenders in matters regarding commercial loans, including mortgage, asset-based, and construction loans.

Petrakis also represents a variety of businesses, including manufacturers, retailers, and professional groups in employment law matters, contract disputes, and other business torts. In addition, he provides counsel to clients on matters involving the negotiation and preparation of commercial real estate agreements of sale and leases, employment agreements, and other types of contracts.

Colin Knisely focuses his practice on the representation of clients in commercial litigation, including torts, employment, professional liability matters, and insurance coverage matters. In addition, he provides representation for both lawyers and law firms in legal malpractice actions, grievance and disciplinary proceedings. He also represents companies in all areas of employment law, including discrimination claims, wrongful terminations and other disputes. Too, he represents accountants, architects, insurance agents and brokers, and directors and officers in professional liability, fraud, discrimination and other matters.

Ashley A. Federer and Louise Melchor also join Duane Morris as associates in the Trial Practice Group.

The focus of Ashley A. Federer’s practice is on business reorganization and bankruptcy, creditors’ rights, loan restructuring and commercial finance.

Louise Melchor focuses her practice on commercial real estate financing transactions and creditors’ rights, including loan restructuring; asset recovery; and bankruptcy representation.

Duane Morris LLP is a full-service law firm with over 700 attorneys in offices nationally and internationally.

• Morgan Lewis Adds Seasoned Attorney Margaret Gatti to Antitrust Practice
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• Duane Morris Adds Pair of Attorneys on West Coast
• Investigation of Former Mayor in Philadelphia
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office

The law firm of Littler Mendelson has added four attorneys to its Seattle office; joining as shareholders are Tahl Tyson and Pam Salgado, and as associates, Deidra Nguyen and Breanne Sheetz.

James G. Zissler, office managing shareholder of the firm’s Seattle office was quoted as saying in a press release at the firm’s website: “Tahl and Pam are well-regarded in the business and legal communities, and will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our presence not only in the Pacific Northwest, but globally. In addition to Tahl and Pam, we are excited about the addition of our two new associates.  The collective knowledge and experience that this group of four brings will serve our clients well as we continue to reinforce our reputation for providing top quality labor and employment representation.”

Tahl Tyson has two decades of experience, with a seasoned background in handling domestic and international employment law matters, at top law firms and corporations. Before joining Littler, Tyson served as the Global Director of Employee Relations for Expedia. In this role, Tyson provided practical, strategic and tactical advice to global HR and cross-functional teams on a variety of issues, including performance management, conflict resolution, employment contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions and executive mobility. She practiced as a partner at a national business and litigation law firm in Seattle, where she focused on defending employers in sex, age, race and disability discrimination, wrongful discharge and wage and hour litigation in state and federal courts, among other areas.

Pam Salgado also possesses over twenty years of experience. Her areas of expertise include counseling employers and high-level executives on all areas of employment law, as well as defending employers regularly in employment-related litigation and governmental proceedings, including claims for discrimination, failure to accommodate, and wage and hour violations.  She also has significant experience defending and prosecuting trade secret and unfair competition claims. Salgado is frequent speaker on HR and employment issues.

Deidra Nguyen counsels and trains employers on a broad variety of employment law issues, including non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, wage and hour, and workers’ compensation. Her experience extends to her representation of clients in matters being investigated by the United States Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Washington State Human Rights Commission, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries, as well as other state and federal employment agencies.

Breanne Sheetz advises and represents employers in a wide range of employment law matters dealing with federal and state law, including wage and hour class and collective actions, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation, among others. She co-authored a book on the Fair Labor Standards Act, as well as a book chapter on Washington wage and hour laws.

Littler Mendelson is the largest U.S.-based law firm that is solely devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. Established in 1942, the firm has over 825 attorneys and fifty plus offices. The firm is the only U.S. member of the Ius Laboris global alliance, giving it significant resources with which to address the needs of multi-national clients.

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• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela
• Littler Mendelson Opens New Office in Lexingon, Ky.
• Arent Fox Adds Partner from Jones Day

According to the 2010 Law Department Survey from Hildebrandt Baker Robins, law departments reduced their total legal spending for the first time in 10 years in 2009…

Littler Mendelson, the nation’s largest employment and labor law firm representing management, will open an office in Caracas, Venezuela…

Brady Mickelsen, former vice president and general counsel of Oracle Corp., has joined White & Case as a partner…

International firm Baker Botts promoted 13 lawyers to its partnership…

Crowell & Moring announced the launch of its new top-level domain and domain name practice…

• Baker Botts Promotes A Baker’s Dozen to Partnership
• Crowell & Moring Announces Launch of New Top-Level Domain and Domain Name Practice
• Survey: Legal Department Spending Took Rare Drop in ’09
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela
• White & Case Adds Former Oracle V.P. and General Counsel

In a press release, Littler Mendelson said its 50^th office is designed to meet the expanding international needs of its clients.

“Latin America offers the perfect market for opening Littler’s first substantive international office,” said Marko Mrkonich, Littler’s president and managing director. “With an increasing number of global businesses investing in the market, and U.S. companies benefiting from established commercial ties between the two countries, more employers today want access to the high caliber of labor and employment law expertise that Littler is able to provide.”

The Caracas office will be led by shareholder Juan Carlos Varela, who joins Littler Mendelson from Squire Sanders & Dempsey, where he served as the head partner of its Latin American labor practice. He will be joined by Liliana Salazar and Emma Neher, prominent attorneys in the region, as well as a number of more junior associates.

“Opening our first global office in Latin America is an investment we believe will offer tremendous return when you evaluate the opportunity to enter a burgeoning market, while at the same time aligning ourselves with an attorney of Varela’s caliber,” said Lori Brown, office managing shareholder of Littler’s Miami office. “Juan Carlos brings years of experience and a stellar reputation for providing superior legal services to employers in Latin America.”

Littler Mendelson has approximately 800 lawyers at 50 offices. The firm was established in 1942 and is the largest U.S.-based law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters.

• Morning Roundup
• Squire Sanders Adds Pair of Attorneys to Frankfurt Office
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• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Opens New Office in Lexingon, Ky.

Shank is the only Dallas attorney and one of only four from Texas listed among the Top 100.  Human Resources Executive is considered the nation’s premier publication focused on strategic issues in HR, with more than 75,000 print subscribers.

The magazine’s Top 100 List, now in its third year, was developed through more than 2,500 nominations submitted by the magazine’s readers in addition to the publication’s own research. The final list was determined after confidential interviews with corporate counsel and other attorneys, and is published in partnership with Lawdragon, an online legal news and networking service.

Shank represents clients in business and litigation matters in employment law including contract claims, potential officer and director liability, employment discrimination, wage and hour disputes, executive compensation and retaliation cases.

Gruber Hurst Johansen & Hail was formed in 2006 and provides legal counsel on complex business litigation, including securities, employment, intellectual property, products liability and other commercial cases.

• Morning Roundup
• Kramer Levin Trio Named Most Powerful Employment Attorneys
• January Jobs Report a Positive Step Forward
• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office

Cox Smith is opening an office in El Paso…

Squire Sanders & Dempsey has two new heads of personnel…

The co-chair of Murchison & Cumming’s employment practice was named a “Leading Employment Lawyer in California“…

Chief Counsel of the Division of Enforcement for the SEC is leaving to become a partner in the Washington office of Jones Day…

Curtin & Heefner added three partners to its practice…

• Cox Smith Opens El Paso Office
• Shake Up In Squire Sanders Personnel Management
• Murchison & Cumming Co-Chair Named Top Employment Lawyer in California
• Curtin & Heefner Adds Three Attorneys
• Morning Roundup

The Daily Journal’s list honors attorney achievements for the top 50 lawyers in the field of employment law and the top five in labor law. In making their decision, Daily Journal editors consider how the attorney’s work impacted the organization he or she is with, the client, the legal profession, and society as a whole.

Lawler’s practice is focuses on defending employers in civil litigation. He is an AV-rated attorney who has successfully tried over one hundred jury trials in the federal and state courts. He is a past president of the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel and is an active member of numerous other professional organizations.

Murchison & Cumming is a civil litigation firm that dates back to 1930. It has four offices in California and one in Las Vegas.

• Morning Roundup
• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela

Additionally, Jackson Lewis announced managing partner Charles W. Pautsch and associates Lisa Baiocchi and Brian G. Nuedling have joined the firm from Constangy, Brooks & Smith.

The Milwaukee office, which is the firm’s 13^th to open since 2008, should help to further solidify Jackson Lewis’ strong presence in the Midwest. The firm already has offices in the region in Cincinnati, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Omaha.

“We wanted to expand into Milwaukee for a while, and believe we have finally found the right attorneys to do so in Chuck and his team,” said Patrick L. Vaccaro, firm-wide managing partner. “His many years of experience in labor and employment law, as well as workplace preventive practices, perfectly complement our core strengths.”

Pautsch bring 32 years of experience to the office’s managing partner position. It includes negotiating collective bargaining agreements with various private and public sector unions, advising employers during union organizing campaigns, serving as labor counsel to major nationwide healthcare and retail corporations and litigating numerous cases in federal and state courts and various federal and state administrative agencies.

Baiocchi practices labor and employment litigation in state and federal court and administrative agencies.  Nueding concentrates his practice on labor and employment litigation and appellate matters.

• Morning Roundup
• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office
• Jackson Lewis Opening in Baltimore with 4 from DLA Piper
• Morning News Roundup for Friday
• Constangy, Brooks & Smith Expands into Boston

Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman LLP take on the band Green Day for copyright infringement…

Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli sues the federal government to stop the health care bill…

A new study details the “client revolution”…

UnitedHealth fraud is symptomatic of larger economic woes…

Seyfarth Shaw offers an overview of California employment law…

Former public relations specialist Susan Finkelstein is on trial after exchanging sex for World Series tickets…

Former FCC Commissioner Tyrone Brown leaves Wiley Rein…

Camille Cantrell has joined the Atlanta office of Hawkins, Parnell & Thackston…

Anna Nicole Smith’s estate loses a $300 million claim in court…

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

In this year’s edition, employment partner David Kadue outlines the Golden State’s workplace laws and regulations that make it one of “the most burdensome state’s” to do business.

“In countless areas – from qualifying for overtime pay to protecting employee vacation pay – California workers have protections that go beyond benchmarks established under federal law,” said Lisa J. Damon, chair of Seyfarth Shaw’s labor & employment Department. “California Peculiarities has earned its place as a trusted guide to help employers navigate the legal complexities of the state with the most employees in the nation.”

Added Kadue: “With its history of progressivism combined with activist judges and lawmakers looking to exceed federal standards, California has become by far the most burdensome state in which to operate a business under labor laws.”

In the report, Kadue notes the volume of workplace litigation has boomed since the passage of the California Labor Code Private Attorney General Act in 2004. It allows employees to “stand in the shoes of the California Labor Commissioner” and seek civil penalties for violations of the labor code up to $100 per pay period, per employee. The act also allows workers who bring actions against an employer to keep 25 percent of any penalties imposed.

Kadue notes the act has generated a wave of so-called “bounty hunter” or “sue your boss” lawsuits for failure to comply with often obscure provisions of the state’s labor code.

“Not surprisingly, it’s been an extremely lucrative litigation mill for the plaintiffs’ bar,” Kadue said.

The 2010 edition of California Peculiarities covers 21 chapters and is designed to provide insight on “every conceivable corner of workplace non-compliance.”

• Seyfarth Shaw Boosts Employment Practice on Both Coasts
• Seyfarth Shaw Adds Two Partners to Firm
• Justice Department Charges Former Seyfarth Shaw Tax Partner John Rogers in $370 Million Tax Scheme
• Seyfarth Shaw Bolsters Los Angeles Office
• Morning Roundup

The addition of Johnson is part of an ongoing expansion at Arent Fox’s L.A. office, which opened in 2007. Last week, Arent Fox added six partners from Venable to its automotive practice. There are now more than 40 attorneys in the L.A. office.

In his new role Johnson is slated to counsel clients on issues posed by California and federal labor and employment law.

Arent Fox has more than 350 attorneys with offices in Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and New York City.

• Morning Roundup
• Blank Rome Adds Six in Los Angeles
• McDonald Hopkins Picks up Four Attorneys
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• New Boston Partner for Jones Day

Derewicz’s practice focuses on labor and employment law and includes experience in employment discrimination litigation and counseling, drafting employment and severance agreements, drafting and litigating covenants not to compete and labor-management relations. She also has extensive experience in labor union matters. Derewicz graduated from La Salle University magna cum laude in 1987 and received her J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990.

Littler Mendelson, founded in 1942, is the largest U.S. based law firm exclusively representing management in employment and labor law matters. The firm has 750 attorneys in 48 offices.

• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela
• Littler Mendelson Opens in Albuquerque
• Littler Mendelson Opens Office in Memphis with Kiesewetter Wise

Sable previously headed Bryan Cave’s labor and employment law practice at its Santa Monica office. CPEhr had been a client of Sable’s for several years.

CPEhr was founded in 1982 and provides HR solutions to over 15,000 worksite employees through a high-touch service and customized models, according to a press release.

• Bryan Cave and Holme Roberts said to be in Merger Talks
• Squire Sanders Adds Pair of Attorneys to Frankfurt Office
• Bryan Cave Establishes Office in Frankfurt, Germany
• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office

With the addition, Jackson Lewis will now have 10 attorneys based at its Phoenix office. Jackson Lewis was founded in 1958 and has more than 600 attorneys practicing in 45 cities nationwide.

• Jackson Lewis Adds Two Partners to Denver Office
• McDonald Hopkins Picks up Four Attorneys
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, PC is the nation’s third largest labor and employment law firm, representing management in all types of employment-related legal matters. The firm has more than 450 lawyers located in 36 offices from Miami to Los Angeles.

• Morning Roundup
• Morning Roundup
• Akerman Announces Opening of Las Vegas Office
• Morning Roundup
• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office

This is the 45th US office of Jackson Lewis, and gives the firm an office in 30 different states. It has enjoyed explosive growth over the last two years, opening 12 new offices in that time in places like Cincinnati, Memphis and Albuquerque.

Founded in 1958, Jackson Lewis is a nationwide boutique, handling all aspects of employment law. The firm employs approximately 600 attorneys in 45 office around the US.

• Morning Roundup
• Revenue and PPP Increases at Jackson Lewis
• Jackson Lewis Opens Milwaukee Office
• Three More Leave Nixon Peabody for DLA Piper
• Quarles & Brady Opens Second Florida Office

Blank Rome

Dennis Codon is joining the firm as Partner in the Public Companies and Capital Formation group. Codon is moving to Blank Rom from the firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi. Prior to that, Codon spent almost 30 years with Unocal, eventually becoming Chief Legal Officer.

Howard Knee is bringing a team of attorneys from Knee, Ross & Silverman, where he was a named partner. Knee joins as partner in the Employment, Benefits and Labor group.

Moving to Blank Rome with Howard Knee and also joining the Employment, Benefits and Labor group are Michael Ludwig, Colleen Carolan, Jim Newman and Mary Pierce.

Blank Rome LLP is the 84th largest law firm in the US according to the AmLaw 100. It employs about 500 at its eight offices in the US and Hong Kong.

• Arent Fox Adds Partner from Jones Day
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office
• McDonald Hopkins Picks up Four Attorneys
• Littler Mendelson Opens in Albuquerque

Chicago’s Seyfarth Shaw LLP is a full-service law firm founded in 1945. It has ten offices, nine of which are in the United States. The firm is well known for its labor and employment, employee benefits, litigation and business services.

• Morning Roundup
• Seyfarth Shaw Offers Overview of California Employment Law
• Morgan Lewis Adds Seasoned Attorney Margaret Gatti to Antitrust Practice
• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office

The Transgender Legal Defense & Education Fund has filed a complaint with Florida’s Commission on Human Relations on Bellamy’s behalf, claiming that McDonald’s violated the Florida Civil Rights Act. Florida law does not explicitly prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual identity or sexual orientation, but administrative agencies have in the past ruled that the sex and disability provisions of the Florida Civil Rights Act protects transgendered individuals.

Below is a copy of the message left on Bellamy’s voice mail. This message includes strong language and is not work safe.

• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela
• Dallas Employment Attorney Named ‘Most Powerful’

Founded in 1875, Proskauer Rose, formerly known as Proskauer Rose Goetz & Mendelsohn, is one of the United States’ largest law firms, with offices in New York City, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, Boca Raton, Chicago, Newark, New Orleans, São Paulo, London, Hong Kong, and Paris.

• Leading Natural Gas Regulatory Attorney Joins McDermott Will & Emery
• Proskauer Opens Office in Beijing; Effort Underway Since 2008
• Proskauer Continues Expansion of Corporate Department with Team of Premier Attorneys
• McDermott Will & Emery Adds Team of Four Top Lobbyist Advisors to Government Strategies Practice
• Breast Cancer Survivor Sues Prestigious Law Firm On Grounds of Discrimination

McDonald Hopkins is a business advisory and advocacy law firm with more than 130 attorneys. The firm has offices in Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and West Palm Beach.

• Arent Fox Adds Partner from Jones Day
• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• King & Spalding Add 14 From Filice Brown
• Brownstein Draws Top Litigators To Vegas Office

There are of course several other important cases coming before the Court, including an eighth amendment case that asks whether a life sentence without possibility of parole for a 13 year old defendant is cruel and unusual punishment and a handguns case that asks, in the wake of Heller, whether the 2nd amendment applies to state and local governments.

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With more than 750 attorneys and 48 offices, Littler Mendelson is the largest US law firm exclusively devoted to representing management in employment and labor law matters. Established in 1942, the firm has litigated, mediated and negotiated some of the most influential employment law cases and labor contracts on record.

• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Morning Roundup
• Littler Mendelson Plants Flag in Venezuela
• Littler Mendelson Opens New Office in Lexingon, Ky.
• Spillane Weingarten LLP Announces Opening of San Francisco Office

According to job listings on the DoL website, applicants for the positions must have knowledge of and ability to apply the provisions of Federal wage and hour labor laws pertaining to wages, hours of work, or related conditions of employment. A JD satisfies the education requirement.

• January Jobs Report a Positive Step Forward
• Hot Chick Plan Causes Lawsuit and Complaint with EEOC
• Ogletree Deakins Continues to Grow Firm with Addition of Trio of Attorneys to Minneapolis Office; Shareholders to Phoenix Office
• Moving to a New Firm
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The suits could air “salacious allegations that once remained hidden within firm walls,” according to the Daily Journal. To help avoid suits, law firms need to follow the advice they give their own clients, the story says: Use standard termination procedures, give employees accurate reviews, and hand out generous severance packages.

The article quotes John Barber, a labor and employment partner at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith. “Lawyers are litigious by nature, so law firms should be particularly sensitive to protecting themselves when they lay people off,” he said.

Henry Har, a formerly of at Nixon Peabody, says the culture at the Los Angeles office was racist, sexist and homophobic.

Gary Green, a former associate at Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom, claims he was fired for giving a negative review to a more junior associate.

Margot Jackson, a former real estate attorney at Allen Matkins, who alleges she was fired because of her race and gender.

Via ABA Journal.

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• Nixon Peabody Hires Partners from McKee Nelson
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• The Week in Law Firm Layoffs

The firm, which has nine of its 26 offices in Illinois, made the reductions across all offices and the dismissals weren’t concentrated in any particular practice areas, said managing partner Bill Roberts.

The employee cuts amount to nearly 3% of the former 1,002-worker headcount. The firm has 490 attorneys.

The firm counts business litigation and transactional work as its core strengths, although it has niches in labor and employment as well as school law.

The firm has offices in 12 states, including Florida, California, New York and Wisconsin.

• Calfee, Halter Dismisses Four Lawyers
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
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• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office
• Blank Rome Adds Six in Los Angeles

Head count grew by 20% in 2008, through August 31; it has grown by another 12% since.

Gross revenue rose 20% in 2008, to just over $233 million, and profits per partner rose 2.6% to $517,000. Revenue per lawyer was flat at $495,000.

The firm says it succeeded in the rough economy by focusing on its employment practice.

“We’re doing fine,” says Patrick Vaccaro, the firm’s managing partner. “A lot of the business we’re doing now is recession-related, but to me, that’s not the kind of business that makes me happy. I’d rather have our employer clients healthy. In the long-term, that’s best for us.”

The firm opened eight new offices in 2008, inclusding Memphis, Tennessee; Jacksonville, Florida; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Detroit, Michigan and Las Vegas, Nevada.

The firm expects to open two or three new offices in 2009.

• Jackson Lewis Opens Milwaukee Office
• Morning Roundup
• Jackson Lewis Adds Six Attorneys to Phoenix Office
• Ogletree Deakins Opens in Las Vegas
• Jackson Lewis Opening in Baltimore with 4 from DLA Piper

FTC Chairman William Kovacic has tapped Eileen Harrington, the bureau’s deputy director, to serve as acting director. The Bureau of Consumer Protection enforces consumer protection laws and trade regulation rules, investigates business practices, sues law violators, develops rules to protect consumers and provides consumer and business education.

As Bureau director, Parnes helped lead many of the bureau’s efforts, including the National Do Not Call Registry and the Telemarketing Sales Rule.

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati is a leader in the fields of corporate governance & finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, securities class action litigation, employment law, intellectual property, and antitrust. It has offices in Austin, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Shanghai, and DC.

• K&L Gates Adds Partners to Los Angeles and Palo Alto Offices
• Latham & Watkins Adds Six Partners to IP Practice
• Howrey Drops the Ax on 32 Staffers
• Morning Roundup
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati Opens Office in Hong Kong

When tax time rolled around, Shih decided to claim a deduction on the $10,500. On a Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Income, he claimed the $10,500 was wage income. Yes, he considered his live-in girlfriend an employee.

So one would imagine that Shih would get in trouble with the IRS.

Nope. Yang did, for not reporting the “income.”

Fortunately, the US Tax Court has now ruled against Shih. They held that the $10,500 in payments made during 2005 was a gift and not reportable as income.

The court did not buy Shih’s assertions under oath that he could not remember any dates or romantic encounters with Yang.

Via TaxProf Blog via Above the Law.

• Morning Roundup
• McProstitute
• Reema Bajaj, Attorney Facing Prostitution Charges, Has Trial Set for March
• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office

The ruling today overturned a decision by the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Hasan, an Indian and a Muslim, alleges in the 2004 lawsuit that certain partners at the law firm pushed to fire him on the basis of his race, religion, color and national origin after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The US District Court granted summary judgment to the law firm, saying that Hasan hadn’t created a “convincing mosaic” of evidence of the discrimination.  The appellate court disagreed and said there was sufficient evidence.

Hasan had been an associate in the business law department until he was asked, in December 2002, to leave within six months because of “deficiencies in his performance.”

Hasan’s attorney, Tom Crooks, said he was “very pleased” with the decision that expressed “exactly the theory we had put forth in our summary judgment response.”

Via The National Law Journal.

• Law Firm Layoffs Spark Lawsuits
• Norwegian Terrorist Anders Breivik requests Freedom and Military Honor
• Foley & Lardner LLP sees LGBT Index Rating Drop
• Three Firms Take the Lead on the Proposed Sale of NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars
• Duane Morris Adds Pair of Attorneys on West Coast

Bernick, Lifson, Greenstein, Greene & Liszt has announced Jessica Roe as the firm’s new managing partner.

Roe is the first woman in the firm’s 25 year history to hold this position. Roe is a partner in the firm’s employment law and litigation practice.

With over fourteen years of employment law and litigation practice, Roe has extensive experience in employment-related issues with a focus on preventing legal claims through advice, training and policy planning.  Should litigation be necessary, Jessica has extensive experience navigating clients through the process to a cost effective, successful resolution.

Roe is a frequent author and speaker on topics related to employment law. She is currently a member of the Minnesota Bar Association, Hennepin County Bar Association and American Bar Association.

Visit LawCrossing.com.

• Duane Morris Adds Four Attorneys to Trial Practice Group
• Littler Mendelson Adds Four Attorneys to Seattle Office
• Troutman Sanders Announces New Managing Partner
• Brownstein Announces its New CEO
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Elects New Managing Partner