In recent legal news, former partner of Fisher Phillips, Claud “Tex” McIver, received an eight-year prison sentence following his guilty plea to charges of involuntary manslaughter, among others. These were in connection to the ghastly incident from 2016, involving the fatal shooting of his wife. Law360’s coverage elaborates on the situation leading up to the…
In recent years, the legal landscape has seen a renaissance in the value of verdicts handed down, with a noteworthy surge in high-dollar decisions. This development, initially flagged as a potential byproduct of the COVID-19 pandemic, seems to be proving its staying power as we solidify our footing in the post-pandemic era. Courtrooms, virtually deserted…
Debevoise & Plimpton, a leading multinational law firm, has recently announced a major addition to their team. Rick Sofield has been welcomed as partner and co-head of the firm’s national security practice, based in Washington, D.C., as confirmed by the firm on Monday. Joining Debevoise & Plimpton, Sofield will focusing his expertise on advising the…
FisherBroyles has announced the addition of Matthew Wawrzyn as a partner with the litigation practice in Chicago, it was revealed last Monday. In his new role, Wawrzyn brings a wealth of experience from his time spent serving corporations facing litigation. Before joining FisherBroyles, Wawrzyn was the founding partner of Wawrzyn LLC. His impressive legal career…
International law firm Gibson Dunn has recently welcomed Katlin McKelvie to its Washington, D.C. office as a partner with the FDA and health care practice group. Known for her focus on drug regulatory matters, McKelvie will be providing regulatory advice to companies within sectors such as manufacturing, distribution, marketing, and sales of FDA-regulated products. This…
Recent developments highlighted by legal news site ‘Above the Law’ indicate the increasing relevance of artificial intelligence in law firms. According to a survey conducted by the American Lawyer, firms are reporting largely mundane but generally positive experiences with their ongoing AI integration. Meanwhile, a lawsuit that has been causing ripples in legal academia takes…
As noted on Dealbreaker.com, an ongoing development in the finance world seems to indicate a shift in power dynamics at the leadership level of high-profile institutions. According to the report, Marianne Lake, who has had a distinguished career in the financial web, may be on the move yet again. Her trajectory appears uncertain, with subtle…
James Billingsley, former senior partner at Polsinelli PC, has recently relocated to Duane Morris as a full-fledged partner. His new role sees him specializing in the corporate reorganization and financial restructuring practice group, operating out of the law firm’s Dallas office. Billingsley is primarily recognized for deftly managing intricate business and bankruptcy cases, negotiating commercial…
Greenberg Traurig has added to its team in Tokyo, with the arrival of Mizuho Yamada and Ayako Kawano as real estate shareholders, according to a statement by the firm. Both Yamada and Kawano bring a wealth of experience in the field, having formerly worked on real estate transactional matters and provided advice on related corporate…
Bracewell LLP recently announced that they have added Mark Hunting to their disputes team as a partner operating from their London office. According to Bloomberg Law, the firm made this statement on Monday. Coming with significant experience, Hunting is known for advising on matters related to business-linked criminal and regulatory issues. His specialist areas also…
Bridget Mary McCormack, former chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, became president and CEO of the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the world’s largest private provider of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services, last year. McCormack, a vocal advocate for system innovation to broaden access to justice while on the court, has reportedly boosted the AAA’s…
Following the recent wind-up order by a Hong Kong High Court, Alvarez & Marsal has been appointed as the liquidator for the China Evergrande Group, setting in motion what is anticipated to be one of China’s most substantial liquidation cases. Bloomberg Law has reported on this significant development. The judge’s decision came to fruition during…
Amazon.com Inc. has recently decided to terminate its planned $1.4 billion acquisition of Roomba maker iRobot Corp., choosing to avoid a run-in with the European Union (EU) regulators who were prepared to veto the deal. The decision underscores the intense scrutiny Amazon is facing in relation to its expanding influence across a broad spectrum of…
In a recent development that demonstrates the ongoing evolution of legal tech adoption, AI-legal drafting tool Clearbrief has formed a new partnership with renowned legal research firm LexisNexis Legal & Professional. Primarily, this collaboration facilitates Clearbrief customers who are also Lexis subscribers to access legal content and citations on Lexis while drafting documents within the…
In a notable move announced recently, the entire White & Case Japan team, made up of two partners, a local partner, and a counsel, has elected to transition to Greenberg Traurig. Further details about the team and their motivations behind the transition are available here. Given the stature of White & Case as a global…
Courtroom Insight, a tool used by law firms and legal organizations to access comprehensive data on judges, arbitrators, and expert witnesses, has broadened its scope with the introduction of a comprehensive lawyer directory. This directory will only be accessible to Courtroom Insight customers. The directory combines private internal data, dynamically updated proprietary data, and integrated…
As reported by Bloomberg Law, social media giant Reddit Inc. is contemplating a valuation of at least $5 billion, following input from preliminary investor meetings in the lead up to its initial public offering. This valuation, however, is proven speculative amidst uncertainty in the market for shares of private firms. The San Francisco-based company, alongside…
In a significant move acknowledging the increasing importance and complexity of climate litigation, France has established a new appeals court specifically for climate-related cases. This development is seen as an essential step towards fast-tracking the legal processes around environmental cases, a sector that has grown in prominence and complexity over the last few years. The…
The patent landscape in the United Kingdom is shifting, following a December 20, 2023 ruling by the U.K. Supreme Court on patent applications involving AI technology. Referred to as the device for the autonomous bootstrapping of unified sentience (DABUS), this case probed deeply into the realm of AI-generated inventions and their patentability. Given the ruling…
Welcome to the daily rundown of the top news for lawyers, law firms, and in-house counsel. In a noteworthy development, Steve Bannon’s refusal to pay his attorneys could lead to complications in a separate criminal case involving allegations of defrauding donors to a privately funded US-Mexico border wall. Bannon’s attorney, Harlan Protass, noted in a…
In a recent survey conducted across all Am Law 100 firms to understand the adoption and use of General Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI), revealed that not less than 41 of the highest grossing law firms in the U.S. are currently employing this technology. These firms are exploring AI-technological opportunities not only for their legal works…
With a decreasing amount of IPO work in the UK, law firms are facing a critical dilemma regarding their ECM and DCM specialists. Dealing with uncharted territory, they are compelled to strategize effective ways to manage their capital market lawyers who now find themselves with diminished workloads. There are, however, five prevailing strategies that have…
The U.S. Department of Labor’s recent regulatory change making it more difficult to classify workers as independent contractors is set to have a considerable impact on businesses. The change, set to take effect on March 11, could compel more employers to bear the cost of employee benefits such as health care and paid leave, according…
In an intriguing disclosure, it has surfaced that at least 41 of the highest grossing U.S. law firms are currently deploying General Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI) within their operations. Predominantly used within both the legal work and the business components of their firms, Gen AI is demonstrating its vast usefulness and versatility in the legal…
Top-tier law firms in the UK are grappling with a pay gap that is affecting their competitive standing with Wall Street giants when it comes to attracting top talent. These firms, often referred to as the ‘Magic Circle’, are finding their associate pay scales substantially below the Cravath scale that their elite U.S. counterparts adhere…