Ukrainian officials have recently accused Russia of war crimes, incited by a video that allegedly depicts armed Russian soldiers fatally shooting two unarmed Ukrainian soldiers. As a result, an investigation has been initiated by Ukrainian prosecutors. JURIST, a leading source of legal news and research, has reviewed the video, but the source chose not to…
In the month of November, there has been a notable number of prominent legal hires in several high-profile firms. Among these, Fox, AIG, and Airbnb were especially noteworthy, attracting high calibre legal professionals to their in-house teams. Law360 Pulse, provides a deeper look into these top-tier in-house appointments from November, chronicling the movement and influence…
In light of a recent announcement by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), intellectual property (IP) professionals around the world are reassessing their strategies for managing IP portfolios. As of November 1, 2023, the USPTO increased the patent cooperation treaty fees, impacting international patent filing and handling fees. Additionally, there is speculated further price…
A recent court case in North Carolina involving a former DLA Piper associate who was convicted for kidnapping a baby goat has gained legal attention. The defendant, who is also an animal rights activist, previously claimed that this theft case would challenge North Carolina’s existing jurisprudence. However, the state Justice Department, in a statement to…
A fresh trial concerning Roundup, a popular weedkiller, commenced this week in California, following Monsanto’s unsuccessful attempt to disqualify the presiding judge. The proceedings began with jury selection in San Benito County Superior Court, involving Monsanto, a corporation now under the Bayer Group. Monsanto’s attempt to disqualify Judge Patrick Palacios from the trial was met…
A recent patent lawsuit has brought to light an interesting ethical conflict within the legal department of Pacific Biosciences of California, Inc. A federal judge has ruled that eight of the nine attorneys belonging to the company’s legal department will be barred from working on the said lawsuit, due to an existing conflict of interest….
As lawyers, our primary duty is to uphold the law, irrespective of our personal stance on any given legislation. We are privy to the inner workings and subtleties of the legal system, which occasionally brings us face-to-face with the questionable law or two. A discussion has been initiated to bring forth what can be termed…
High-profile law firm Cravath recently spread some holiday cheer among its Biglaw associates by announcing surprising raises that, particularly for midlevel and senior associates, surpassed the Milbank raises from a few weeks prior. Now, the burning question is: which other Biglaw firms will follow suit and match these new standards? While every esteemed Biglaw firm…
A British lawyer with more than five decades of experience, Thomas Davidson, has been reprimanded and fined after using a Nazi salute in court. The disciplinary action imposed a penalty of £250 and an additional £1,750 in costs according to a summary provided by the Bar Standards Board (BSB). In the decision, the ethics board…
Providers of information technology products and services are urgently integrating various generative artificial intelligence-based (AI) solutions into their offers and attempting to alter existing agreements with their customers. However, Jeffrey Harvey and Sharon Harrington of Hunton caution that these amendments could potentially be prejudiced in favor of the vendors. Amid the rapid adoption of AI,…
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and Clifford Chance LLP have joined the ranks of law firms that have disclosed their year-end bonus and 2024 salary figures recently. They have followed the benchmark scales set by Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP, thereby aligning themselves with industry trends. This announcement by Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and Clifford Chance…
Prosecutors recently called upon a federal judge in California to confirm that the disbarred attorney, Tom Girardi, 84, is mentally capable to stand trial, despite his recent diagnosis of dementia. This request arrives as a result of an incident that occurred during a September cross-examination, in which Girardi verbally assailed the prosecution. According to prosecutors,…
Al-Nawaz Nanji, a litigator with over twenty years of experience in tax advising and litigation, has recently moved to McCarthy Tétrault. Joining the firm as a partner in its national tax group, Nanji brings a wealth of experience from nearly a decade at the Canadian national firm Osler Hoskin & Harcourt. His proficiency in resolving…
The recently launched RICO trial of Young Thug is turning heads, not for its high-stake legal implications or far-reaching charges, but for the rapper’s unique take on language maneuvering and acronyms. Emulating the finest poets’ craft, Young Thug has resorted to one of the tried-and-true tactics of his trade to confound prosecution: wordplay. In what…
Kim Kardashian is no stranger to the limelight, but her latest venture may surprise some. Known for her work as a reality television star and entrepreneur, Kardashian is now venturing into the legal world, both in real life and onscreen. Having been open about her aspiring legal career, she has been studying law via an…
The late retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s death at the age of 93, has led to a heartfelt tribute from Chief Justice John Roberts. This tribute was given at the start of an argument session that took place on Monday. Justice O’Connor was remembered through the memorial drapery set on the courtroom door, a visual…
In a recent interview, Tansy Woan of the prestigious firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom shed light on her journey to partnership. Woan’s advice for associates emphasizes the importance of delivering exceptional work, but importantly, she added that strategic thinking and the ability to uniquely contribute to a case or to the law firm’s…
As the year comes to an end, many top-tier law firms are finalizing their bonus structures. For several associates at the Am Law 200 firm Boies Schiller Flexner, this means an impressive year-end bonus of $300,000 or more. These extraordinary figures, learnt through an internal email from the firm’s management, leave most of their colleagues…
In a recent wage-and-hour lawsuit against Target, a class has been certified by U.S. District Judge John F. Murphy of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The judge rejected Target’s argument that each plaintiff’s overtime calculations would be too varied to resolve under one case. The corporate giant claimed the individual differences in total recoverable amounts…
Following the passing of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, significant figures in the legal community have stepped forward to pay tribute to the former Supreme Court justice. Messages of respect and acknowledgment continue to pour in as many honour the contributions O’Connor made to the legal field. A prominent figure and frequent subject within legal education,…
In a recent development, Credit Suisse has reinstated Neil Barofsky to take on the role of an independent ombudsperson. This choice comes as the Swiss banking institution is conducting an in-depth review into its historical ties to servicing Nazi-linked accounts. Barofsky, who is a respected figure in the legal world, will oversee the entire review…
U.S. Supreme Court justices showed uneasiness on Monday regarding the issue of blocking a $6 billion bankruptcy plan for Purdue Pharma. The pharmaceutical company, known for producing OxyContin, has proposed a controversial plan that includes provision of legal immunity for the handling of the opioid crisis for the Sackler family, who were the proprietary heads…
Maurice Thompson, head of energy, maritime and natural resources in Australia for Clyde & Co, along with the majority of his team, are set to depart the firm for Holman Fenwick Willan. Thompson, who is also based in Melbourne, leads the Australian aviation group and the global drones group at Clyde & Co. He will…
A recent development in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has triggered a fresh set of discussions within the global legal fraternity. City legislators approved an ordinance, only to later learn that the draft was produced by artificial intelligence. The revelation came from Councilman Ramiro Rosário who proudly claimed on Twitter that he had crafted the proposal with…
Austin Knudsen, the Attorney General of Montana, has become the most recent to take legal action against tech giant Meta over allegations of non-compliance with child privacy laws. As reported by the National Law Journal, the lawsuit, filed on December 1, asserts that Meta inadequately curbs mature content on its platform Instagram, thereby failing in…