A former visiting lawyer at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Romero Cabral Da Costa Neto, has been arrested and charged with insider trading. Costa Neto is affiliated with the prestigious Brazilian firm Mattos Filho. The charges allege that he used confidential law firm files to trade ahead of a high-profile merger and acquisition. Federal prosecutors in…
Conversations surrounding the bar exam have taken an interesting turn recently. Two California bar takers’ July tests have been flagged for issues, as detailed by Above the Law. The specific nature of these examination discrepancies remains unclear. In another report, Leonard Leo, often associated with the Federalist Society, seems to be grappling with legal issues…
Following the controversial SFFA v. Harvard decision negating the positive or negative use of race in law school admissions, law schools are now grappling with how to handle their post-affirmative action applications Reuters reports. How the universities manage both the students’ and their own needs without being seen to use prohibited practices is a challenge…
The legal field is not immune to the overwhelming influence of technology. In particular, artificial intelligence (AI) is causing quite a stir. Indeed, legal organizations are seemingly eager to implement AI in their work, despite a lack of fundamental understanding of the technology’s capabilities. This phenomenon was noted during the International Legal Technology Association’s 2023…
FTX crypto exchange founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, is expected to employ an ‘advice of counsel’ defense tactic in his impending fraud trial. The heart of this strategy is to assign the blame, for the alleged illegalities, to what he sees as dubious advice provided by in-house counsel and a notable Biglaw firm. In essence, Sam Bankman-Fried…
On the first day of a mental competency hearing, Tom Girardi’s lawyer, Craig Harbaugh, meticulously scrutinized the government’s neurological expert, Dr. Diana Goldstein. Former plaintiff attorney Girardi, aged 84, attentively observed the process unfolding at the U.S. federal courtroom in downtown Los Angeles. The hearing, presided over by U.S. District Judge Josephine Staton in the…
An investigation has recently been launched by Washington D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb into Leonard Leo’s network of organizations, according to a report by Politico. Leo, a leading member of the Federalist Society, has been identified as a key influence in shaping the federal judiciary over the years. His associations and his participation in non-profit…
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York, recently surrendered to authorities in Atlanta following allegations of his involvement in a RICO conspiracy to interfere with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. On the courthouse steps, Giuliani reiterated his belief in “defending the rights of all Americans”, a sentiment he broadcasted on Twitter as he prepared…
In response to the recent departure of a number of significant partners to Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, globally prominent law firm, Kirkland & Ellis, is swiftly strengthening its private credit practice. As part of its strategic initiative, the firm is welcoming Adam Shapiro, who previously had a longstanding tenure with Simpson Thacher &…
Earlier this week, it was disclosed that two candidates who sat for the California Bar exam in July 2023 had been unintentionally administered the incorrect exam. The incident was announced by the State Bar and occurred at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento. This information was initially reported by Law.com. Specifically, the two…
Fifth Circuit judge James Ho has been a mainstay in national law-related headlines last week. Let’s delve into them. Ho, who was appointed under the Trump Administration, has been vociferously sharing his patriotic perspectives through his court dissents. His actions have garnered attention from legal professionals, prompting discussions about the future direction of his rulings….
The rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in business is a promising development. Notable applications like ChatGPT, a large language model, are transforming the way people perform a range of tasks from brainstorming to generating ideas, and even in assisting with academic exams. These emerging AI technologies are capable of not only enhancing human work…
In an intriguing twist for their field, certain mid-level associates employed within Biglaw has confessed to finding themselves in enviable positions. The revelation arose from an anonymous Am Law 100 associate’s comments during the American Lawyer Midlevel Associates Survey. The central sentiment? “How easy it is to do very little and still make a great…
Francis Koh, a Maryland-based intellectual property lawyer, recently voluntarily dismissed his defamation lawsuit against Amazon. Koh made this decision when Amazon committed not to send any further emails to his clients about purported sanctions against him. Koh, who has an impeccable record and is a principal at the Koh Law Firm in Bethesda, Maryland, serves…
Atlantic City casino hotels have been met with an influx of guest-room price-fixing lawsuits after an initial suit led defendants to arm themselves with heavyweight law firms like Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom; King & Spalding and Jones Day. At the heart of these legal battles is ‘Rainmaker’, an algorithm used by the casinos…
The future of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan appears to be in a flux, with the uncertainty around the strategic direction of the company making it increasingly challenging to recruit partners, according to insiders. One of the many professionals who have recently left the firm, observes that this uncertainty is amplifying the firm’s recruitment difficulties….
Vermont Law School has been entangled in a legal debate over a mural for some time. At the core of the legal discourse was the question whether the Visual Artists Rights Act (VARA) prevents an artist’s work from being concealed. The mural, created by Sam Kerson, celebrates Vermont’s involvement in the Underground Railroad. However, the…
As the new academic year begins, law schools across the nation are back into full swing. However, this isn’t quite the case at Wilmington University School of Law, one of the newly established law schools. It commenced its academic journey with just 20 inaugural students, considerably less than the 65 students initially planned for. Reuters…
The protracted dispute over the purchase of the ‘Chicago Chop House’ restaurant has finally found closure with the petitioners – Chicago real estate developers Sean Conlon and Steve Horvath, and their single-purpose LLC, Wexford – reaching a settlement with defendants Phil Martin, Matthew McCahill, and the related LLCs Chop Hospitality and 6058 Properties. This protracted…
The legal titan match-up between MAGA lawyer Stan Woodward Jr. and Special Counsel Jack Smith continues to draw much attention, ever since the Donald Trump documents case fell into the capable hands of Judge Aileen Cannon. Her previous decision to take control of the Mar-a-Lago search warrant under a controversial premise of anomalous jurisdiction has…
As most professionals would agree, mentorship can infinitely enhance the professional development of young associates in any industry, including in legal practice. Regrettably, many law firm associates do not receive any formal support throughout the early phases of their careers. Rather unfortunately, at some law firms, junior lawyers are plunged into new challenges and expected…
Children are expensive. Moreover, expenses could mount dramatically when the parent-to-be needs to resort to surrogacy due to reasons like a medical condition or having a partner lacking the complementary reproductive capability. The cost of surrogacy could be especially heavy due to a rising phenomenon: Surrogacy insurance liens. The American medical insurance system is especially…
The volatility and subjectivity inherent in human decision-making open a wide-ranging discussion about the potential incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into legal and financial sectors. At the end of the day, a trial is essentially a data-processing operation. Lawyers on both sides focus on presenting information favorably to their clients, at the same time excluding…
In a surprising turn of events, the legal profession’s yearly exercise – the bar exam – witnessed a major mishap in California during its July administration. Instead of receiving questions from the intended July 2023 exams, two candidates were accidentally handed the February 2023 questions at the Sacramento testing center. The affected portion of the…
Results from The American Lawyer’s 2023 midlevel survey indicated that midlevel associates at Biglaw firms are less than impressed with the state of technology within their respective companies. Key frustrations included slow computers, outdated software, and subpar document management systems, measures that appear incongruent with the record profits their firms boast. Significant decline in technology…