Legal News

The Curious Case of the ex-Dreier Partner, Russian Defense Contracts, and Love Letters

Posted on March 23, 2010
The Am Law Daily typically isn't fazed by high-profile deals laced with international intrigue. But our curiosity was piqued when we came across news reports last weekend about a large Russian aerospace company that planned to bid on a $40 billion U...

A Terrible Denouement

Posted on March 23, 2010
The case of a former Bush administration lawyer who allegedly attacked his wife--a Skadden lawyer--continues to get sadder.

Former DLA, Duane Morris Partner Sentenced in Singapore After Forgery Trial

Posted on March 23, 2010
Rudy Lim, a former DLA Piper and Duane Morris corporate partner based in Singapore, was sentenced to two months in jail on Monday for lying about his annual compensation.

More Hogan Departures Before Lovells Merger

Posted on March 23, 2010
A large team of partners in Germany is breaking away to form its own firm.

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Herbert Smith Gets a Partial Win for Google in the E.U.

Posted on March 23, 2010
Legal experts are hailing the ruling as a landmark victory for Google in the area of trademark law, but there are many, many legal battles to come.

Greenberg Traurig Repays $3.2 Million in Legal Fees

Posted on March 23, 2010
The firm has agreed to pay a Chicago suburb $3.2 million after state prosecutors charged former government affairs partner Mark McCombs with inflating legal bills earlier this month.

The Change Agenda: Is Mega Law a Dead Man Walking?

Posted on March 22, 2010
That was the subject of several sessions Monday at the Georgetown law school conference on law firm evolution. It speaks to the urgency of the matter, that an institution that thrives on the continuing health of big law firms to hire their deeply in debt graduating students would countenance the question.

K&L Gates's New Citadel Prominent Part
of Steel City Skyline

Posted on March 22, 2010
The firm is unpacking its boxes after a move to the K&L Gates Center, a 37-story Pittsburgh office tower emblazoned with the K&L Gates name.

In Philly Papers Case, a Blow to Creditors

Posted on March 22, 2010
Drinker Biddle, O'Melveny, and Akin Gump took a big hit today in a 2-1 ruling at the Third Circuit.

Kramer Levin on the Last Battle of the Lehman Report

Posted on March 22, 2010
The firm wants certain details about Lehman's futures and options contracts to remain confidential.

As Health Care Reform Draws Closer, Legal Opposition Grows

Posted on March 22, 2010
With President Obama poised to sign a landmark $940 billion health care reform bill into law on Tuesday, attorneys general from 12 states are preparing to challenge the bill's constitutionality. A mandate to buy insurance is at the center of the state AG controversy, but conservative legal commentators have plenty of other objections to one of the most comprehensive pieces of federal legislation in decades.

Don't Mess with Encyclopedia Britannica

Posted on March 22, 2010
The iconic encyclopedia company is suing Dickstein Shapiro for $250 million.

The Change Agenda: Are We There Yet?

Posted on March 22, 2010
Georgetown Law School's third conference on large law firms opened Sunday with a lively discussion about the evolving nature of firm-client relations. Change is coming, participants agree, but how much and how fast?

The G.O.A.T. Chronicles: A Cigar-Chewing, Bet-Making Look at Sports and the Law

Posted on March 19, 2010
The greatest basketball player ever buys a team, and the deal goes much more smoothly than two other franchise deals hitting big-time snags.

Dealmaker of the Week: Paul Casey of Ballard Spahr

Posted on March 19, 2010
Paul Casey led the team that helped New York City pull together a multi-party deal that creates the largest public-private public housing ownership venture in U.S. history.

Law Firms Expect Rebound in Moribund IPO Market

Posted on March 19, 2010
It's been a pretty tame year so far for IPOs in the U.S. But corporate securities lawyers expect to see a steady rise in work after the steep drop-off in public offerings over the past two years.

Cozen, Sonnenschein Fight Former Partners

Posted on March 19, 2010
The two firms suffered slight setbacks in court cases in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia on Thursday in disputes with ex-partners.

Weil Wins Injunction Against Fly on the Wall

Posted on March 19, 2010
But does the case set a dangerous free speech precedent?

Welcome to the Future: Embracing the New Normal

Posted on March 19, 2010
For our intrepid columnist, the New Normal is taking shape. Law firms can either participate in shaping it or avert their eyes and hope fervently that they don't get crushed. By Paul Lippe.

THE AM LAW 100: A Good Year For Cravath

Posted on March 18, 2010
The firm joins the ranks of top-tier New York firms that achieved a significant jump in both revenue and profits per partner last year. Cravath's revenue rose 7 percent in 2009; profits per partner increased by 8 percent.

Former Client Sues Gibson Dunn

Posted on March 18, 2010
A California venture capitalist who has admitted to bribing New York state pension officials has sued Gibson Dunn & Crutcher over $1.3 million in fees the firm seeks for representing him during the investigation that precipitated that admission.

The Class of 2010 Start Dates are Rolling In

Posted on March 18, 2010
Expect a ton of announcements about class of 2010 start dates over the next few weeks. In the meantime, we've got three different strategies from three major New York firms.

Teaching Lawyers How to Manage: Can it Improve the Bottom Line?

Posted on March 18, 2010
Project management principles could help lawyers who need to deliver quality solutions within fixed-fee arrangements.

Greenberg, Ropes Advising on Extended Stay Investment Offer

Posted on March 18, 2010
The bankruptcy of Extended Stay Hotels, the largest Chapter 11 case ever by a U.S. hotel owner, could be coming to a close after a consortium advised by Greenberg Traurig agreed to invest $905 million into the Spartanburg, S.C.-based hotel chain. Ropes & Gray advised TPG Capital, one of the consortium's members.

Bernie Beaten Up in Jail; Madoff Sons Protest

Posted on March 18, 2010
This was another big week for Madoff news. The Wall Street Journal reports that the disgraced investment manager, serving a 150-year sentence in a North Carolina prison, reportedly was badly beaten by a fellow inmate with a black belt in judo last December...

Kirkland, Freshfields Lead on $5 Billion Pharma Deal

Posted on March 18, 2010
Has Kirkland's blockbuster hire of two leading ex-Skadden M&A partners landed them a major new client?

Deferred Associates Go from "Not Satisfied" to "Largely Happy" in Record Time

Posted on March 18, 2010
Those pesky survey tables can be hard to read.

The Churn: Lateral Moves and Promotions in The Am Law 200

Posted on March 17, 2010
Darby & Darby lawyers are settling into new jobs days after the IP boutique announced its dissolution. Ruden McClosky loses five more lawyers, this time to Fox Rothschild. And Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher welcomes an outsourcing heavy hitter from Milbank...

Rothstein's World: An FBI Informant, A Lawyer's Free Rent, and a Free-Spending Wife

Posted on March 17, 2010
The scandal stemming from Scott Rothstein's $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme continues to unravel in increasingly unpredictable ways.

The Brewing Dispute Between Law Firms and Lehman's Fee Committee

Posted on March 17, 2010
Law firms didn't become rich by giving up a few thousand dollars here and there without a fight--even in matters in which they are billing tens of millions, apparently.

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