JD Journal » National Law Journal

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 14:32:56 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Monday, November 22nd. Here’s a quick look back at Friday’s news.

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the U.S., promoted four attorneys to shareholder…

Ulmer & Berne LLP was recognized for strategic growth…

McDonald Hopkins added a lateral from Jenner Block…

Goodwin Procter Chairman Regina Pisa received the ACCESS First One Award…

Cleary Gottlieb announced plans to open an office in Brazil…

Sidley Austin added a partner in its Palo Alto office…

Ulmer & Berne LLP Recognized for Strategic Growth

daniel — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 21:06:14 +0000

The National Law Journal has not only recognized Ulmer & Berne LLP for a sixth consecutive year as one of the 250 largest firms in the U.S., but they also moved up 19 spots on the list.

“Our jump speaks to the sound financial management of the Firm and our strategic growth through lateral hires over the last 12 months,” said Managing Partner, Kip Reader. “We look forward to another strong year in 2011 and further opportunities for expansion.”

The firm, established in 1908, services the mid-west region. Their diverse group of clients include: financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, family businesses, international joint ventures and affiliations, investor groups, start-ups and emerging businesses, public bodies and nonprofit organizations.

Discussions on Opening up India’s Legal Market Dropped from President Obama’s Agenda During Trip to India

joshua — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 14:04:36 +0000

During President Barack Obama’s highly publicized trip to India this week that was to focus on boosting trade and security ties between both countries, discussions about opening up the legal market in India were removed from the agenda.

According to the article at amlawdaily.com, Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge corporate partner Shahana Basu Kanodia, chair of the firm’s South Asia practice, told Legally India’s Kian Ganz that opening up India’s legal market to foreign firms was a relatively low priority and had been sidelined in favor of discussions on job creation and democracy.

Ganz noted that when British Prime Minister David Cameron visited India this summer, he was accompanied by Clifford Chance outgoing senior partner Stuart Popham, who felt confident India would lift restrictions on foreign lawyers by 2012.

However, Edwards Angell’s Kanodia was more pessimistic about the future of foreign lawyers in India. She told Legally India’s Ganz, that the country’s legal market would likely remain closed until 2015, primarily because Indian businesses didn’t see the benefit in allowing foreign firms to practice locally.

The National Law Journal, a sibling publication, reports that last week, American Bar Association president Stephen Zack sent a letter to the President asking him to push the Indian government to drop its ban on foreign lawyers practicing or maintaining offices in the country.

Zack, a litigation partner at Boies, Schiller & Flexner in Miami, wrote that U.S. lawyers and their firms were being unfairly treated in India and that further restrictions of foreign lawyers would undermine goal of increasing trade between the two countries, The NLJ reports. Zack said he does not expect a response from Obama until the president returns to the country next week.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 23:16:26 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Tuesday, November 9th. Here’s a look back at yesterday’s stories.

Ballard Spahr will open its 13th office with the addition of a group of attorneys from the San Diego litigation boutique La Bella & McNamara LLP…

The partnerships at Squire Sanders & Dempsey and U.K-based Hammonds agreed to merge over the weekend…

Weitz & Luxenburg partner Robert J. Gordon was named the 2011 Mass Tort Litigator of the Year by legal publication Best Lawyers…

The partnership of Clifford Chance elected Malcolm Sweeting as the firm’s next senior partner…

The National Law Journal reported overall headcount at the nation’s 250 largest law firms fell for a second straight year…

Greenberg Traurig added six attorneys to its Orange County office, in its Real Estate, Real Estate Funds and REIT practices…

Survey: NLJ 250 Firms Continue to Shed Lawyer Jobs

joshua — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:53:41 +0000

The National Law Journal reported overall headcount at the nation’s 250 largest law firms fell for a second straight year. Following last year’s 4 percent drop, the survey found firms trimmed another 1,400 lawyers from its payroll this year, which equates to a 1.1 percent decrease from 2009. The two-year combined drop is the largest decline in the survey’s 33-year history and is just the second time overall headcount dropped for two consecutive years.

According to the report, the vast majority of cuts was in the associates ranks, which fell by nearly 1,000 lawyers. The number of partners at the nation’s biggest firms increased by 0.6 percent to an average of 215. Overall, headcount at NLJ 250 firms totaled 126,299 lawyers.

Baker & McKenzie was rated once again the nation’s largest firm with 3,774 attorneys, which was a decline of 175 from the previous year. Baker & McKenzie was also among four firms to shed more than 100 lawyers in the last year along with White & Case (198), Latham & Watkins (147) and Morgan Lewis & Bockius (109).

Firms with the biggest increase in number of lawyers included Ropes & Gray, which saw its headcount increase by 21.6 percent; and Baker Hostetler, which grew by 12.6 percent. The biggest declines came at Butzel Long and Fish & Richardson which each saw a 17.7 percent drop in its lawyer roster.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 23:45:56 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Monday, November 8th. Here’s a look back at Friday’s stories.

SolicitorsSearch.com released a report on the impact social media and social networking sites can have as a low-cost marketing solution for law firms…

The National Association for Law Placement’s (NALP) latest diversity statistics cited the recession as a likely factor in a ‘historic’ decline in law firm diversity…

NALP Cites Recession as Likely Factor in ‘Historic’ Decline in Law Firm Diversity

joshua — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 17:41:27 +0000

According to the National Law Journal, the National Association for Law Placement (NALP) released its latest diversity statistics yesterday, which showed the percentage of both minority attorneys and women attorneys declined slightly at firms during 2010.

NALP’s findings concur with findings by both the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) and National Law Journal affiliate The American Lawyer. All three surveys found small pockets of improvement, either at individual firms or among subsets of the attorney population. However, the big picture revealed that diversity suffered. In the 17 years that NALP has collected demographic data, it was the first to show that diversity had actually declined.

The latest NALP figures show that minorities accounted for 12.4% of firm attorneys, down from 12.59% in 2009. Women represented 32.69% of firm attorneys, down from 32.97% in 2009.

Minority associates dropped slightly to 19.53% in 2010 from 19.67% 2009. On a more positive note, the percentage of minority partners rose a bit from 6.05% in 2009 to 6.16% this year.

NALP cited layoffs and a slowdown in associate hiring as the most likely culprits for the trend. Additionally, a drop in the overall number of associates at firms was another likely factor, as associates are a significantly more diverse group than partners.

NALP Executive Director James Leipold was quoted as saying in the law.com article that: “The NALP data did not reveal the reasons that the overall representation of women and minorities among law firm attorneys went down in 2010, but it is likely that the recession, and the many lawyer layoffs that accompanied it, can be identified as at least one significant reason for this historic decrease.”

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 13:03:44 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, November 2nd. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

The U.S. Justice Department charged former Seyfarth Shaw taxpPartner John Rogers in a $370 million tax scheme…

doeLEGAL announced the release of their cloud-based portal software which provides collaboration solutions for corporate legal departments and law firms…

The Lanier law firm added two attorneys to its Toxic Exposure and Asbestos practice…

Justice Department Charges Former Seyfarth Shaw Tax Partner John Rogers in $370 Million Tax Scheme

joshua — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 22:00:51 +0000

The Justice Department has charged former Seyfarth Shaw tax partner John Rogers for allegedly promoting tax shelters using Brazilian debt to create tax deductions for U.S. clients.

In a 74-page civil suit filed in U.S. district court in Chicago, prosecutors accused Rogers and two companies with taking part in a scheme that generated more than $370 million in fictitious tax deductions. This allowed clients to offset unrelated income earned in the U.S., per the National Law Journal.

Currently, Rogers is a partner at his own Chicago firm, Rogers & Associates. Rogers joined Seyfarth as a nonequity partner in 2003 after his previous firm, the now defunct Altheimer & Gray, went bankrupt.

According to the NL, Rogers was an equity partner at Seyfarth from 2004 to 2008 until being forced to resign. At the time, Rogers told Seyfarth he was being investigated by the IRS and would stop promoting the Brazilian shelters to clients.

However, Rogers continued using the shelters. After Seyfarth discovered the deception, the firm forced him out, per the NLJ, citing from court records.

According to the suit, Rogers should have known his schemes were “abusive and illegal when he created them,” based on his education and experience.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:15:22 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, October 27th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Four litigators from medical malpractice firm Duffy & Duffy were named top attorneys by Super Lawyers magazine…

Seven partners at national litigation firm Milberg were named by Super Lawyers as top lawyers in the New York metro area…

Eighty-one lawyers from Thompson Hine LLP were selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2011…

Veteran federal tax attorneys, Daniel A. Dumezich and Gary S. Colton, Jr., joined Winston & Strawn LLP’s office in Chicago office as partners….

Milberg LLP was named to the National Law Journal’s 2010 Plaintiffs’ Hot List…

Milberg Named to NLJ’s 2010 Plaintiffs’ Hot List

joshua — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 15:41:23 +0000

Milberg LLP was named to the National Law Journal’s 2010 Plaintiffs’ Hot List for their “exemplary, cutting-edge work” on cases with “substantial verdicts or settlements between the summer of 2009 and 2010,” the firm said in a press release.

In recognizing Milberg’s litigation achievements over the past year, the NLJ singled out the firm’s trial result in In re Vivendi Universal S.A. Sec. Litig., No. 02-5571 (S.D.N.Y.) The NLJ also noted that Milberg is responsible for nearly 50 percent of the $18.5 billion recoveries and verdicts reported by Hot List firms in 2010.

“[Milberg] secured $1.44 billion in total recovery for its clients and achieved 10 settlements,” NLJ said. “A federal district judge went on record that the firm has ‘perhaps unrivaled experience in securities class actions.’”

Milberg LLP is widely recognized as a premier class action and complex litigation firm. Founded in 1965, Milberg has offices in New York, Los Angeles, Tampa and Detroit.

Bernstein Leibhard Named to NLJ’s Plaintiff’s Hot List

joshua — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 21:52:38 +0000

Bernstein Liebhard LLP was named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List for the eighth consecutive year, the firm said in a press release.

The ‘Hot List’ features firms that obtained either substantial jury verdicts or settlements in the last year. To be considered, firms needed at least one significant win and a proven track record within the previous three to five years. Of the twelve plaintiffs’ firms named to the list this year, Bernstein Liebhard is one of only two named for eight straight years.

The National Law Journal featured three of the firm’s recent successes, including a $14.7 million verdict obtained after a four-week trial in Artie’s Auto Body, Inc. v. Hartford Fire Insurance Co., No. X08-CV-03-0196141S (CLD) (Conn. Super. Ct.).

The action was commenced in 2003 on behalf of approximately 550 licensed auto body repair shops in the state of Connecticut to recover for the harm caused by the Hartford Fire Insurance Co.’s (“The Hartford”) illegal practice of artificially suppressing labor rates.

Bernstein Liebhard LLP, established in 1993, represents institutional investors in shareholder, class and derivative litigation and plaintiffs in various types of complex litigation.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 10:48:28 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Friday, October 8th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

SNR Denton added a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a partner to its white collar & government Investigations practice…

Thompson Hine appointed partner James B. Aronoff to the newly-created management role of administrative partner at the firm’s Cleveland office…

The National Law Journal will present the 2010 “Law Firm Leadership and Economic Forum” Oct. 13-14 at the Harvard Club in New York City…

Leadership and Economic Forum Set for Harvard Club

joshua — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 16:10:25 +0000

The National Law Journal will present the 2010 “Law Firm Leadership and Economic Forum” Oct. 13-14 at The Harvard Club in New York City. The two-day conference will be led by Marianna G. Dyson, chairperson of Miller & Chevalier Chartered, and David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal.

The conference will focus on issues, management and leadership strategies for firms of up to 300 attorneys. The complete conference agenda and details are available at www.americanlawyer.com/leadership.

Attendees will be eligible for up to 13.5 CLE credits, including 2 ethics credits. For additional conference information, or to register, contact Carl Seering at 212-457-7905, e-mail cseering@alm.com or visit www.americanlawyer.com/leadership.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 11:20:10 +0000

Good morning everybody! Today is Thursday, October 7th. Here’s a quick look back at yesterday’s stories.

Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote, P.C expanded into Columbus, Ohio,via a merger with Golian McCaffrey, LLC…

Squire, Sanders & Dempsey once again achieved a 100-percent rating in the 2011 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), published annually by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation…

Steve Leifer will lead the environmental team at Baker Botts…

Jones Walker announced the addition of nine assoicates to the firm…

Phillips & Cohen was selected for National Law Journal’s “Hot List” for whistleblower work…

Phillips & Cohen Selected for National Law Journal’s “Hot List” for Whistleblower Work

joshua — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 16:38:27 +0000

Phillips & Cohen LLP has been selected for the National Law Journal’s “Hot List” of the Top 12 plaintiffs’ law firms in the U.S. for 2010.

For four times in seven years, Phillips & Cohen has been named to the National Law Journal’s highly selective “Hot List” for its work on whistleblower cases. The law firm is the nation’s most successful law firm representing whistleblowers.

Phillips & Cohen is one of the few to handle whistleblower cases exclusively. The firm’s whistleblower cases have recovered more than $6.89 billion in civil settlements and related criminal fines and earned its whistleblower clients more than $730 million in rewards under federal and state government whistleblower reward programs.

Phillips & Cohen is at the forefront in representing whistleblowers in claims involving tax law and securities law violations brought under the Internal Revenue Service and the Securities and Exchange Commission whistleblower reward programs.

Law firms were chosen for the “Hot List” based on cases that produced substantial verdicts or settlements between the summers of 2009 and 2010. “Our conclusions are subjective, but show the plaintiffs’ bar at its best,” the National Law Journal said in its Oct. 4 issue. Phillips & Cohen was the only law firm on the list singled out for its work on whistleblower cases.

Examples of cases Phillips & Cohen have handled include the qui tam case against Pfizer, which alleged “off-label” marketing of the prescription painkiller Bextra. That case resulted in Pfizer paying $1.8 billion in 2009 to settle the whistleblower case and paying a related criminal fine. It was the nation’s largest healthcare fraud recovery. Phillips & Cohen’s client received rewards from the federal government and states, totaling more than $71 million.

Phillips & Cohen, which has offices in Washington, DC, and San Francisco, represents whistleblowers nationwide.

Schedule Set for ALM’s Second Litigation Summit

joshua — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 17:10:01 +0000

ALM’s The American Lawyer, The National Law Journal and Corporate Counsel will present the second annual “The Litigation Summit: The Business of Litigation” October 5-6, 2010 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The conference will be co-chaired by Steven Kyono, senior vice president, general counsel & corporate secretary of Hewitt Associates and Craig C. Martin, partner and co-chair of the litigation department at Jenner & Block LLP.

The pair will examine key issues facing in-house attorneys and litigators today, including risk management, shareholder issues, the impact of media and the challenge of international dispute resolution. The complete conference agenda and details are available at www.americanlawyer.com/litigation.

Martin explained the purpose of the conference in a press release.

“By some estimates, U.S. companies spend in excess of $20 billion yearly on litigation,” Martin said. “The goal of the Litigation Summit is to bring in-house counsel, outside counsel and litigation support professionals together to look at litigation as a strategic business issue, share best practices and help sharpen our collective skills.”

Attendees will be eligible for up to 15.5 CLE credits, including one ethics credit. For additional conference information, or to register, contact Carl Seering at 212-457-7905 or e-mail cseering@alm.com or visit www.americanlawyer.com/litigation.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:06:41 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, August 11th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

Venable added corporate attorneys from DLA Piper as partners in its New York office…

Megafirm DLA Piper promoted two partners to the office of chair…

Thompson Hine’s Michael Zimmer was named ABA Committee Co-Chair…

The National Law Journal Survey of Law Firm Economics revealed a tough economic climate…

Employees laid off in Louisiana are suing over their job loss…

A National Law Journal study showed that law firms cut costs by cutting lawyers and law firm staff…

Joel M. Schoenfeld, music industry executive and lawyer joined Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp as a partner…

LeClairRyan selected a new CEO…

NLJ Survey Highlights Tough Economic Climate

joshua — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 17:08:18 +0000

The National Law Journal Survey of Law Firm Economics showed staffing ratios at small and mid-sized U.S. law firms in 2009 reached their lowest levels since the 1980’s.

The downward trend in staffing is largely the result of efforts by law firms to lower costs. The survey, based in 2009 data, found the average ratio of associates to partners had decreased by 8.2 percent, the average ratio of paralegals to all lawyers dropped 15.4 percent and the average ratio of support staff to all lawyers decreased by 9.3 percent.

The survey was conducted by ALM Legal Intelligence and also reports on annual financial performance, compensation, billing rates and hours. David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal, said this is the first time in the 38 years of the survey it has shown year-over-year declines in revenue per lawyer, expenses per lawyer and compensation for senior partners.

“This year’s Survey of Law Firm Economics shows just how deeply the recession has affected smaller and midsized law firms around the country,” Brown said.

Among the survey’s other findings:

n Revenue per lawyer decreased 0.2 percent from $413,086 to $412,220

n Expense per lawyer decreased 4.6 percent from $167,256 to $159,521

n Average billing rates for senior partners increased 3.2 percent from $346 to $357

n Average 5^th year associate billing rate increased 0.5 percent from $218 to $219

n Average billable hours for senior partners decreased 1.7 percent from 1,656 to 1,628.

n Average billable hours for 5^th year associates increased 0.6 percent from 1,801 to 1,811.

n Median total compensation for senior partners decreased 1.7 percent from $328,260 to $322,813.

n For the third year in a row, starting salaries for new graduates remained unchanged at $85,000

The National Law Journal’s Survey of Law Firm Economics is one of the most complete set of economic statistics and financial data available about the legal profession. This year’s survey contains information from 10,913 lawyers including 3,712 associates, 6,236 partners/shareholders (equity and non-equity), 608 active counsels, and 357 staff lawyers working in 187 U.S. law firms.

How Were Small And Mid-Sized Firms Hit By The Recession?

todd — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 16:34:34 +0000

An upcoming study of small and mid-sized law firms will demonstrate how the recession has affected their response to the ever-present recession. The study, coming from the National Law Journal, shows that law firms have cut costs by cutting lawyers and law firm staff.

David Brown, editor and chief of The National Law Journal, said, “This year’s Survey of Law Firm Economics shows just how deeply the recession has affected smaller and midsized law firms around the country. For the first time ever, we’re seeing year-over-year declines in revenue per lawyer, expenses per lawyer, and compensation for senior partners.”

The actual numbers show that the revenue per lawyer in 2009 fell .2 percent; the averaged billable hours for senior partners fell 1.7 percent as did the median total compensation for senior partners.

McKool Smith Earns 2nd Consecutive Selection to National Law Journal’s Midsize Hot List

joshua — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:15:19 +0000

According to today’s press release at PR Newswire, the law firm of McKool Smith has earned its second consecutive selection to the Midsize Hot List, a compilation of the top law firms in the U.S. with 50-150 attorneys.

The National Law Journal publishes the exclusive list annually, including only 20 firms from across the nation. McKool Smith is one of only two firms to be selected for the second year in a row.

Firm co-founder Mike McKool was quoted as saying: “There are many, many law firms eligible for this honor, which is why we’re so pleased McKool Smith is included again this year. We’ve had several significant courtroom wins over the past couple years, and we’ve also worked hard to grow the firm in areas that are important to our clients.”

Among the accomplishments described in the publication are the firm’s rapid expansion in bankruptcy cases and related litigation based on the firm’s ability to avoid conflicts with major banks. In addition, the firm has won eight of the country’s Top 100 Verdicts during the past two years – more than any other law firm in the nation.

With more than 125 attorneys in Austin, Dallas, Houston, Marshall, New York, and Washington DC, McKool Smith handles complex commercial litigation, intellectual property claims, bankruptcy matters, and white collar litigation for companies and individuals across the globe. The firm is recognized as one of the premier trial law firms in the United States based on significant courtroom victories and substantial settlements for domestic and international clients.

Morning Roundup

joshua — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:57:01 +0000

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, June 29th. Here’s a quick recap of yesterday’s stories.

The Elena Kagan hearings began…

Haynes and Boone added three attorneys to its NY real estate practice…

Gary Feulner returned to Chadbourne & Parke as Special Counsel…

Sidley Austin announced it’s teaming with MetLife in support of Sidley’s Prelaw Scholars Initiative…

The National Law Journal named its 2010 list of “Washington’s Most Influential Women Lawyers…

NLJ Names Washington’s Most Influential Women Lawyers

joshua — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:52:22 +0000

The National Law Journal today named its 2010 list of “Washington’s Most Influential Women Lawyers.” The listing recognizes women who set the legal agenda in the nation’s capital and includes 33 lawyers from private firms, government, and advocacy and trade groups. They range from the two women on the Supreme Court (and one more who’s likely to be) to the heads of practice groups and offices at D.C. firms to civil rights activists.

Awardees were selected by the editors of The National Law Journal, based upon reporting over the past year and nominations from peers in the D.C. legal community. They will be honored, along with the legal “Champions” and “Visionaries” named previously this year, at a gala dinner Sept 30 at The Willard in Washington, D.C.

“In Washington, these are women whose power and legal acumen commands the respect of their peers regardless of gender,” said David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal.

This year’s honorees are:

			Nan Aron, president, Alliance for Justice
			Charlene Barshefsky, partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
			Elise Bean, Democratic staff director and chief counsel, U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations
			Beth Brinkmann, deputy assistant attorney general, Civil Division appellate staff
			Robin Conrad, executive vice president, National Chamber Litigation Center
			Marianna Dyson, chair, Miller & Chevalier
			Deborah Feinstein, partner, Arnold & Porter
			Alice Fisher, partner, Latham & Watkins
			Deborah Garza, partner, Covington & Burling
			Ruth Bader Ginsburg, justice, U.S. Supreme Court
			Jamie Gorelick, partner, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
			Marcia Greenberger, co-president, National Women’s Law Center
			Elena Kagan, solicitor general, Solicitor General’s Office
			Carolyn Lamm, partner, White & Case and president, American Bar Association
			Debra Lee, chairman and CEO, BET Holdings Inc.
			Linda Lipsen, chief executive officer, American Association for Justice
			Marcia Madsen, partner, Mayer Brown
			Laura Miller, partner, Nixon Peabody
			Patricia Millett, partner, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
			Heather Podesta, founder, Heather Podesta + Partners
			Mary Ellen Powers, Washington partner in charge, Jones Day
			Jane Sullivan Roberts, managing director, Major, Lindsey & Africa
			Lisa Rickard, president, Institute for Legal Reform, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
			Kathryn Ruemmler, deputy counsel to the president, White House Counsel’s Office
			Judith Sandalow, executive director, Children’s Law Center
			Linda Singer, partner, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll
			Melanie Sloan, executive director, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington
			Sonia Sotomayor, justice, U.S. Supreme Court
			Grace Speights, Washington managing partner, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius
			Cheryl Tritt, partner, Wilkinson Barker Knauer
			Christine Varney, assistant attorney general, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice
			Helgi Walker, partner, Wiley Rein
			Beth Wilkinson, partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

D.C. Lawyers Honored With Legal Times Awards

joshua — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:48:03 +0000

The third annual Legal Times Awards, which honors Washington D.C. lawyers for both business savvy and public service, were announced by the National Law Journal Monday. A total of 20 D.C.-area lawyers were named in two categories.

The first set, dubbed ‘Champions’, honors those who have upheld the profession’s core values through public service, pro bono efforts and civil liberties advocacy. The other, ‘Visionaries,’ singles out lawyers that have been played a key role in expanding their firms, improving government or advancing the law.

NLJ Editor-in-chief David Brown commented on the awards in a press release.

“Our goal with this project is to highlight the work of Washington lawyers who have taken stands on any number of issues,” Brown said. “This year’s list includes lawyers who’ve tried to help reform Washington, D.C.’s government, who’ve revived government agencies, and who’ve made gutsy moves to help expand their businesses and practices.”

This year’s honorees are:

Champions:

Robert Bennett, Hogan Lovells
Jerry Hartmann, Drinker Biddle & Reath
Tony Herman, Covington & Burling
Timothy Lewis, Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis
John Nields Jr., Howrey
Theodore Olson, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Judge James Robertson, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
Amy Sabrin, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Lawrence Schneider, Arnold & Porter
William Schultz, Zuckerman Spaeder

Visionaries:

Nicholas Allard, Patton Boggs
Diane Bieri, PhRMA
Lanny Breuer, U.S. Department of Justice
George Cary, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Kent Gardiner, Crowell & Moring
J. Warren Gorrell, Hogan Lovells
Robert Khuzami, Securities & Exchange Commission
Jeffrey Lamken, Molo Lamken
Carolyn Lamm, White & Case and president of the American Bar Association
Andrew Sandler, BuckleySandler

Ruden McClosky Down But Not Out

joshua — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 16:53:30 +0000

By all accounts, these are tough times at Ruden McClosky. Defections, layoffs and office closures recently led the Florida-based firm to fall out of the National Law Journal’s ranking of the top 250 law firms in the United States when its head count fell to just over 100 lawyers.

However, talks of the firm’s imminent demise are off base, the firm’s brass told the Daily Business Review in a far-ranging interview.

“There’s no doubt that the firm has been having economic difficulties in this year uncommon to the history of the law firm,” Michael Krul, chair of Ruden’s corporate and finance department, told the Daily Business Review. “I believe the overwhelming majority of shareholders in the law firm are committed to staying with Ruden and continuing their practices with this firm.

“We’re not going away, we’re not falling apart.”

According to the report, several factors have played a role in Ruden McClosky’s downturn. They include the firm’s “nice guy” culture that included extending credit to clients that were unable to pay their legal bills; a failure to bring “the younger generation” of partners into the management fold; and, most importantly, the downturn of the real estate market and the firm’s slow response.

Firm officials said there are no plans for a possible merger pending.

“Ruden is looking to acquire, not be acquired, if the right opportunity presented itself,” said Carl Schuster. “But we would not just merge into a firm – unequivocally no.”

Those steps do not include a merger, unless a firm wants to join Ruden, Schuster said.

Morning Roundup

sara — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:54:25 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, April 7, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news…

Quarles & Brady snag three attorneys from Holland & Knight and three from DLA Piper…

The U.S. Court of Appeals rules against the Federal Communications Commission in a net neutrality case involving Comcast..

Kelley Drye responds to an age discrimination suit filed against them by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission…

Former Federal Trade Commissioner Pamela Jones Harbour will join Fulbright & Jaworski…

Akin Gump tops the National Law Journals “influence 50″ rankings of the highest grossing Washington, D.C. lobbying practices…

Lawyers find delayed mercy in the Qualcomm discovery scandal ruling…

Latham & Watkins establishes a presence in Saudi Arabia…

Merchant & Gould opens a New York office and announces the addition of new partners…

Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto has refused to join a suit against the Health Care Reform bill…

Morning Roundup

sara — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:54:55 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Tuesday, April 6, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news…

Southeast Michigan law firms log thousands of non-billable hours over health care reform…

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens nears retirement…

The National Law Journal releases it’s annual Appellate Hot List…

Jackson Lewis adds two partners to its Denver office…

Massachusetts enacts a law requiring businesses to have a written security plan in place for handling client’s personal data…

Littler Mendelson opens a new office in Lexington, Kentucky…

A new initiative slated to appear on California ballots in November seeks to delay a law from 2006 enacting greenhouse gas emission cuts…

David W. Ogden rejoins WilmerHale after working at the Justice Department for a year…

Toyota may face enormous civil penalties for failing to report defects in their brakes within the required period of time…

National Law Journal Releases Annual ‘Appellate Hot List’

joshua — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 16:05:13 +0000

The National Law Journal released its annual “Appellate Hot List” that identifies law firm appellate practice groups with at least one significant appellate win since February 2009.

For inclusion on the list, a “significant win” meant prevailing before the U.S. Supreme Court, a federal circuit court of last resort when the financial stakes were high, or an important legal principle was at stake.

According to a press release, the firm’s listed contributed in meaningful ways to the most important appeals of the year, whether through drafting the main briefs, presenting oral arguments or as friends of the court.

“This year, we had more firms vying for a place on the Appellate Hot List than ever before. It’s a signal that the appellate practice is becoming ever more competitive,” said David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal. “The appellate practices that were chosen this year are performing at the highest levels — working on game-changing cases that had a major impact on their clients, and in several cases, on society as a whole.”

This year’s list includes the appellate practices from the following firms:

Morning Roundup

sara — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 10:43:13 +0000

Good morning everyone! Today is Wednesday, March 31, and here’s a look back at yesterday’s news…

The illustrious history of the recess appointment is explained after President Obama makes 15 of them…

The law offices of Derek K. Yu go paperless in March…

Lovells plans to close it’s Chicago office later in the year…

McKool Smith wins more than100 top verdicts for the second year in a row….

Willie Shepherd, formerly of Kamlet Shepherd and Reichert LLP, lied about diversity statistics at his firm and receives a $127.50 fine…

Ogletree Deakins opens a new office in Minneapolis….

Carter G. Phillips of Sidley Austin is named one of the decade’s most influential lawyers by The National Law Journal…

Gross revenue and profits per partner drop at Foley & Lardner…

A former Arnold & Porter partner who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conspiracy charges is sentenced…

Three former and current female employees of Bank of America and it’s Merrill Lynch division sue the bank claiming the company engages in gender biased and discriminatory practices …

Pope Benedict XVI invokes the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act…

Phillips of Sidley Austin Named One of Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers

joshua — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:25:53 +0000

Carter G. Phillips of Sidley Austin LLP’s Washington, D.C. office, and a member of the firm wide Executive and Management Committees, has been named one of the Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers by The National Law Journal. Mr. Phillips is among only 40 lawyers to receive this honor.

Criteria includes those lawyers who have “defined a decade” with “a reputation as the point man for high-level appellate cases.” Mr. Phillips demonstrated this in his successful representation of clients in the Supreme Court, including Tellabs Inc. in Tellabs v. Makor Issues & Rights, and eBay in eBay v. MercExchange. Mr. Phillips was also praised for his pro bono representation in Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church v. New York, and for his other appellate representations, including Fox Television Stations Inc. v. FCC.

According to today’s press release at marketwatch.com, Phillips was quoted as saying: “I am truly humbled to be recognized for such a significant honor. To be acknowledged by my colleagues in the legal community for my work over the past decade, and to be listed among lawyers whom I hold in the highest regard, is extremely gratifying. I share this honor with my colleagues at Sidley who have worked so closely with me and who have supported my practice so consistently for more than 25 years. I am proud to be a partner in a special law firm.”

Sidley Austin LLP is one of the world’s largest full-service law firms, with approximately 1700 lawyers practicing in 17 U.S. and international cities.

McKool Smith Again Leads the Way in Top 100 Verdicts

joshua — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:46:26 +0000

For the second year in a row, trial firm McKool Smith won more Top 100 Verdicts than any other law firm in the United States.

McKool Smith, which is considered a premier trial law firm with more than 120 attorneys in six cities, helped clients secure four of the country’s Top 100 Verdicts in 2009, according to a recent report from The National Law Journal. No other firm won more than two, according to a firm press release.

“We take great pride in handling every case with the intention of winning and winning big,” said Mike McKool, co-founder of McKool Smith. “That mindset is one reason why we have won more of the country’s top verdicts than any other firm, and it’s the kind of thinking I know our clients want when they’re headed to court.”

McKool Smith’s successful verdicts cited by The National Law Journal include:

i4i v. Microsoft – McKool Smith won a $200 million patent infringement verdict for Toronto-based software maker i4i Inc. against software giant Microsoft. Principals Douglas Cawley, Gordon White, Jeff Carter, Kevin Burgess, Rosemary Snider, Jill Lynch and Randy Carter led the way for McKool.

Versata v. SAP AG – Led by firm principals Sam Baxter, Scott Cole, Steve Pollinger and Ted Stevenson, McKool Smith won a $138 million patent infringement verdict for software maker Versata Software Inc. against global software provider SAP AG.

City of San Antonio vs. Hotels.com, et al. – McKool Smith won a $20 million jury verdict for the city of San Antonio and more than 170 Texas cities in a class-action lawsuit over unpaid hotel occupancy taxes. Gary Gruciani, Tom Graves and Steve Wolens were at the helm for McKool.

OPTi Inc. v. Apple Inc. – Led by principals Carol Butner and Rosemary Snider and co-counsels Michael Brody and Taras Gracey, partners at Winston & Strawn, the team won a $19 million patent infringement verdict on behalf of technology provider OPTi Inc. against Apple.

McKool Smith is based in Dallas, Texas and also has offices in Houston, Marshall, New York and Washington D.C.

National Law Journal Names Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers

joshua — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 15:55:31 +0000

The editors of The National Law Journal have identified 40 attorneys in 12 legal areas in its list of “The Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers” released Monday morning. David Brown, editor in chief of The National Law Journal, called the group the “lawyers who defined the decade.”

The group was selected from more than 100 nominations submitted by the legal community and represents big law firms, academia and government and advocacy groups. The practice areas included antitrust antitrust, appellate, bankruptcy, civil rights, corporate, energy & environmental; in house; intellectual property; labor & employment; legal education; litigation; and regulatory.

The attorneys will be honored at The National Law Journal’s annual dinner June 15 at Gotham Hall in New York City.

Here is the complete list of “The Decade’s Most Influential Lawyers”:

Antitrust:
Kevin Arquit, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
William Baer, Arnold & Porter
Joe Sims, Jones Day

Appellate:
Thomas Goldstein, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld
Maureen Mahoney, Latham & Watkins
Carter Phillips, Sidley Austin

Bankruptcy:
Corinne Ball, Jones Day
John Butler, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Jay Goffman, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Harvey Miller, Weil Gotshal & Manges
James Sprayregen, Kirkland & Ellis

Civil Rights:
Ruth Harlow, Linklaters
Neal Katyal, Principal Deputy Solicitor General
John Payton, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Paul Smith, Jenner & Block

Corporate:
H. Rodgin Cohen, Sullivan & Cromwell
Edward Herlihy, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz
Jeffrey Rosen, Debevoise & Plimpton

Energy & Environmental:
C. Mark Baker, Fulbright & Jaworski
Edwin Feo, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy
Robert Wyman, Latham & Watkins

In House:
Mark Chandler, Cisco Systems
Roderick Palmore, General Mills
Thomas Sager, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.

Intellectual Property:
Morgan Chu, Irell & Manella
Donald Dunner, Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner
Russell Frackman, Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp

Labor and Employment:
Nancy Abell, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
Paul Salvatore, Proskauer Rose
Joseph Sellers, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll

Legal Education:
Lawrence Lessig, Harvard Law School
David Van Zandt, Northwestern University School of Law
Elizabeth Warren, Harvard Law School

Litigation:
Patrick Fitzgerald, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois
Mark Lanier, Lanier Law Firm
Brendan Sullivan, Williams & Connolly
Ted Wells Jr., Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Regulatory:
Charlene Barshefsky, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr
Giovanni Prezioso, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton
Richard Wiley, Wiley Rein

Dickstein Shapiro Hit With $250 Million Lawsuit

joshua — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:02:20 +0000

Dickstein Shapiro has been slapped with a $250-million malpractice lawsuit by Encyclopaedia Britannica for alleged mistakes made in its handling of technology patents.

Dickstein Shapiro is being represented in the suit by Goodwin Procter partner John Aldock. Encyclopaedia Britannica is being represented by attorney Robert Cummins. The suit was filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, the National Law Journal reports.

According to the suit, Dickstein Shapiro erred in its handling of technology patents that ultimately resulted in Encyclopaedia Britannica to lose a patent infringement suit brought against several GPS manufacturers in 2007.

“The errors and omissions that led to this valuable property loss and Dickstein’s response to the admittedly negligent performance at issue are quintessential examples of hornbook malpractice,” the suit alleges.

The suit specifically cites Dickstein Shapiro partner Jon D. Grossman for “fatal prosecution errors that led to the invalidity” of its patents. The dispute dates back more than 20 years to patents related to CD-ROM technology in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, according to the NLJ.

Aldock told the publication the suit “is based on a mischaracterization of the facts and the law. The lawsuit is without merit and will be vigorously defended.”

Snell & Wilmer Opens Sports Agency

sara — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:57:35 +0000

Snell & Wilmer has announced the opening of their new sports agency, Athlete Management Professionals LLC, as reported by the National Law Journal on March 8. Snell & Wilmer corporate and finance attorney Travis Leach will run the spin off agency; Leach represented clients in the sports industry before taking on this new role. Leach will run the agency with five other attorneys from the firm.

It is a full service agency that handles a variety of matters for sports industry clients including contract negotiations, marketing and endorsements. The agency has ten clients including Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey porter, Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Eddie Gamboa and Zach Sunderland, who held the title last year briefly as the youngest person (17) to sail around the world alone.

Snell & Wilmer decided to spin the sports agency off from the rest of the firm rather than making it a practice to follow ethics rules governing legal marketing, according to Leach. The agency and firm will maintain a close relationship as clients may be referred to the firm at large for matters like estate planning, intellectual property concerns, litigation and nonprofit foundations.

Founded in 1938, Snell & Wilmer is Phoenix based firm with approximately 450 attorneys and 8 offices throughout the United States.

The National Law Journal Publishes Annual Law School Rankings, Northwestern Tops List

sara — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:31:40 +0000

Today The National Law Journal published its annual rankings of top law schools throughout the United States. The National Law Journal bases its rankings on which schools sent the highest percentage of graduates to first-year jobs at the largest firms in the country. No other factors were taken into account in formulating these rankings. Northwestern University School of Law topped the list, sending 55.9% of graduates to “top 250″ law firms. Here is a list of the top 10 schools.

1.   Northwestern University School of Law-55.9%
2.   Columbia Law School-54.5%
3.   Stanford Law School-54.1%
4.   University of Chicago Law School-53.1%
5.   University of Virginia School of Law-52.8%
6.   University of Michigan Law School-51%
7.   University of Pennsylvania Law School-50.8%
8.   New York University School of Law-50.1%
9.   UC Berkeley School of Law-50%
10. Duke Law School-49.8%