Hogan Lovells has reported a second consecutive year of revenue growth in 2024, with total revenues nearing the $3 billion mark, up from $2.68 billion in the previous year. The firm’s aggressive growth strategy has translated into profits per equity partner (PEP) exceeding $3 million, despite largely flat net income. This outcome follows a notable…
Hogan Lovells has effectively hit a milestone by elevating its profits per equity partner over the $3 million threshold for the first time, primarily by reducing the number of partners qualifying for earnings. The firm has decreased its equity partner count from 361 to 325, as confirmed in an interview with Miguel Zaldivar, the firm’s…
Clifford Chance has received approval from the Shanghai Bureau of Justice to establish a joint operation with Shanghai He Ping Law Firm. The collaboration, named ‘Clifford Chance LLP and Shanghai He Ping Law Firm (FTZ) Joint Operation Office’, will enable both firms to provide foreign and local Chinese law advice, share strategies, and merge client…
Empower Annuity Insurance Co. of America and Empower Finance Inc. have reached an agreement to pause their legal clash over the “Empower” trademark. The decision comes just over a year after a federal judge in Colorado ruled that consumer confusion in the financial services industry was “unlikely,” and denied a request to compel Empower Finance…
In a high-profile case, the jury deliberating in the murder trial of a California judge, who allegedly shot and killed his wife, has entered its sixth day of contemplation. The presiding judge permitted both the prosecution and defense to present further arguments after the jury posed a question regarding the willfulness requirement for second-degree murder….
The PTAB Bar Association has reached out to key figures in Congress, urging them to protect the employees of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from recent administrative changes. This plea, directed at intellectual property leaders and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, comes as a response to initiatives from the Trump administration that aim to implement…
The United States Supreme Court has ruled that a federal judge in Washington, D.C., has the authority to compel the Trump administration to release up to $2 billion in previously frozen foreign aid allocations. However, the Court emphasized that the judge must clearly define the parameters of the government’s obligations and provide adequate time for…
In a trial that has caught the attention of the legal community, a Connecticut prosecutor has focused on a specific detail: the vanity license plate of Robert L. Fisher Jr., a partner at Cramer & Anderson LLP. This particular piece of evidence emerged during a case involving a fatal shooting that occurred in June 2021….
In a notable absence, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) did not have officials present at the American Bar Association’s annual white collar crime conference this past Wednesday. This unexpected no-show has left organizers to hurriedly fill vacant panel seats. Legal practitioners are now left speculating about the enforcement priorities of the current administration, headed…
The Federal Circuit recently upheld a decision in favor of PNC Bank regarding a patent dispute over mobile banking technology, a significant ruling by the administrative patent board. The case was initiated by a Texas-based bank, which alleged infringement related to mobile banking IP. The ruling marks a crucial development in ongoing litigation between these…
The legal landscape in California could face significant changes as Los Angeles County, alongside the cities of Pasadena and Sierra Madre, has initiated litigation against Southern California Edison. Over 100 insurers have also joined as plaintiffs. The lawsuits, filed by the law firm Baron & Budd, arise from the catastrophic Eaton fire, which earlier this…
Amnesty International has published a report asserting that Russia’s conduct towards Ukrainian prisoners of war (POWs) and civilians detained within Ukraine and Russia constitutes war crimes and potentially crimes against humanity. The omissions and actions of Russian authorities, including the denial of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) notifications and family communications, are characterized…
In a recent decision, the Federal Circuit upheld a lower court’s preliminary injunction that prohibits Celltrion Inc., a South Korean pharmaceutical company, from launching a biosimilar of Regeneron’s widely-used eye disease medication, Eylea. The court dismissed Celltrion’s claims regarding the potential invalidity of a patent associated with the drug. More details can be found in…
A recent legal motion put forward by a Silicon Valley-based patent-holding company could have significant implications for impartiality in the judiciary. The company, which previously lost an infringement case against Fitbit, is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to have a California federal judge recuse herself due to alleged financial ties between her family and Fitbit’s…
Teva Pharmaceuticals, an Israeli drugmaker, is currently seeking the Federal Circuit’s approval to maintain an injunction that prevents the removal of its inhaler patents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Orange Book. This maneuver is part of Teva’s efforts to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The patents in question are pivotal…
In a recent California federal copyright trial, one of the creative minds behind the animated film “Moana” provided testimony underscoring The Walt Disney Company’s stance against intellectual property theft. According to the co-creator, Disney adheres strictly to the principle of not using another writer’s ideas without explicit consent, a standard exemplified when one of his…
A recent decision by a federal appeals court has facilitated President Donald Trump’s attempt to temporarily dismiss Hampton Dellinger, the head of an independent U.S. whistleblower agency. This move effectively pauses a prior ruling by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who had deemed the termination illegal under existing federal law. According to Judge Jackson’s…
Jeff Bezos’ satellite company has concluded a dispute over access to public records with The Washington Post concerning workplace investigation records from the Washington state labor department. This resolution follows an agreement between the two parties to redact certain information to safeguard trade secrets. This decision marks the end of a contentious period involving two…
New Jersey state appeals court judges are currently facing a complex decision regarding the revival of tax refund claims by Lorillard. This follows a recent state Tax Court ruling which determined that modifications to a royalty addback and deduction rule have retroactively addressed constitutional concerns linked to this regulation. The outcome of this appeal could…
The Federal Circuit has issued a ruling that could have significant implications for patent litigation at the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). This decision allows domestic expenses related to sales, marketing, and other activities to be considered valid justifications for companies to initiate ITC patent cases. This ruling comes after the ITC’s previous stance that…
In a pivotal juncture for collegiate sports, a California federal judge has outlined the parameters for the final approval hearing of the significant $2.78 billion settlement agreement between the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and both current and former student-athletes. This settlement pertains to the contentious issue of name, image, and likeness (NIL) compensation, which…
Canadian law firms are reportedly exercising greater caution when hiring corporate and transactional lawyers, amid increasing economic uncertainty linked to rising U.S. tariffs. With the current geopolitical climate fostering apprehension about a potential decline in deal activity, firms are reconsidering their lateral hiring strategies. Warren Bongard, the president of ZSA Legal Recruitment, noted that the…
The length of patent prosecution has been statistically analyzed in a recent study, revealing unexpected implications for patent validity during litigation. It is commonly assumed that patents with extended prosecution histories undergo more rigorous examination and are therefore less prone to validity challenges. However, a comprehensive analysis conducted by attorneys at Baker Botts on over…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), under the leadership of Chair Andrew Ferguson, has announced a renewed focus on worker protection, marking a shift from previous GOP-aligned practices. The FTC’s task force is set to scrutinize what it identifies as unfair and anticompetitive labor practices. This includes a closer examination of no-poach, nonsolicitation, no-hire, and noncompete…
Law firms and corporate legal teams in Australia are bracing for a significant shift in the country’s competition law, which will impose stricter compliance requirements on merger transactions starting next year. According to Herbert Smith Freehills competition partner Stephanie Panayi, the reforms bring a fundamental change to how mergers are assessed, expanding the workload for…