Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines December 10, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, December 10, 2008.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  As support staff layoffs continue at firms, attorneys learn to share, and share some more
"It's a sure-fire sign that the tough economy is hitting home: Attorneys who used to share an assistant with one colleague now find themselves sharing with two or even three others. Tripling or quadrupling up on administrative help is just one way in which law firms are feeling staff cuts. In the past month alone, major law firms have laid off at least 300 staffers ? spanning from secretaries and paralegals to marketing and technology support. But those who work with legal staff say firms should be careful not to cut staff too deeply."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  In Dreier fallout, some of firm's attorneys make a public disavowal
"Three former attorneys from Dreier LLP have taken a public step to distance themselves from the troubled law firm. The attorneys placed notices in Wednesday's edition of the New York Law Journal stating that as of Dec. 5 they are "no longer affiliated in any manner with Dreier LLP." The move looks to be partly a public relations effort to sever ties with the firm and partly an attempt to protect the attorneys from any legal ramifications of the firm's problems. "

WEB-ONLY  |  Majority of corporate legal departments facing budget cuts averaging 11.5%
"Three-quarters of corporate legal departments are facing an average budget cut of 11.5% next year, according to a new Altman Weil Inc. survey. Bills from outside counsel top general counsel's list of worries. Nearly 81% of survey respondents cited both "outside counsel costs" and the "unpredictable nature of legal spending" as top concerns about their company's legal spending over the next year."

WEB-ONLY  |  Illinois governor represented by little-known defense counsel ? for now
"Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich earlier this year had a high-powered criminal defense attorney at Winston & Strawn working for him to fend off a five-year federal probe, but on Tuesday he appeared with a little known Chicago criminal defense lawyer from a small firm. Attorney Sheldon Sorosky of Kaplan & Sorosky represented Blagojevich during a federal court bond hearing in Chicago after a two-count criminal complaint alleging fraud and bribery was delivered earlier in the day. "

WEB-ONLY  |  An employment attorney's advice on employee blogging, grey areas and the best defense
"Few employers are prepared for how blogs and social networking Web sites like Facebook amplify watercooler carping and gossiping. Helen E. Tuttle, a labor and employment lawyer at Drinker Biddle & Reath discusses how employers should deal with an employee posting unflattering, or even malicious, comments about the company."

WEB-ONLY  |  Piece of Puerto Rico governor's criminal case ? involving an attorney ? moved to Philadelphia
"A portion of the criminal case involving Puerto Rico's governor will move to Philadelphia following a judge's approval to transfer the matter involving two Philadelphia defendants ? one of whom is a lawyer. According to the indictment, attorney Marvin Block, political consultant Robert Feldman and the other defendants conspired to defraud and violate election laws by having businessmen make illegal contributions to several of Acevedo Vilá's political campaigns."

WEB-ONLY  |  In upholding Impath exec's sentence, court bolsters discretion of trial judges
"In a decision important to high-dollar white-collar prosecutions, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals bolstered the broad discretion of trial judges to issue sentences far below, or far above, sentencing guidelines. The court Tuesday upheld the 42-month prison sentence of former Impath Inc. chief operating officer Richard Adelson, despite an 85-year sentence recommended by the guidelines. Federal prosecutors had appealed seeking more time for Adelson."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on December 10, 2008 (boomark / email).