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California Pulse
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Firms Say Moving Has More Positive Impact Than Renovating
Roughly 90% of law firms that recently relocated or renovated say the updated digs have been for the better regarding culture and "office energy," and such positive change has been most widely felt among firms that moved, according to a recent report from real estate brokerage firm Savills.
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Altshuler Berzon Adds Union-Side Labor Attorney In LA
Altshuler Berzon LLP has hired a former Rothner Segall & Greenstone partner, who is joining the firm to continue his practice representing unions in matters such as first contract negotiations and arbitrations, the firm has announced.
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Meta's First-Ever General Counsel Joins Zero Gravity Board
The first general counsel at what is now Meta, who has focused much of his career on privacy and other public policy challenges and co-owns the NBA's Sacramento Kings, was added to the board of Zero Gravity Corp., the space tourism company announced Thursday.
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GCs Becoming CLOs Can Add Another Voice On Biz Strategy
There has been a recent flurry of general counsel seeing promotions to chief legal officers within their organizations across industries, as companies put the top legal leader — someone they want as a strategic business partner — at the same level as other members of the C-suite.
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Why BigLaw Hasn't Embraced Milbank's Bonuses
As the days grow shorter and the scent of pumpkin spice lattes fills the air, the glimmer of hope that BigLaw firms would follow Milbank LLP in awarding associates special summer bonuses has floated away on the breeze like autumn leaves.
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9th Circ. Chief Talks Caseload, AI, Trivia At Fed Bar Luncheon
Ninth Circuit Chief Judge Mary H. Murguia touted the appellate court's efforts to reduce pending cases, revealed that recommendations are forthcoming about how the courts can use artificial intelligence and shared fun trivia about her colleagues during the Federal Bar Association's annual luncheon Wednesday for the Northern District of California.
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Frost Names Trial Atty As 1st Firmwide Managing Partner
Year-old business litigation boutique Frost LLP has named a longtime trial attorney, and one of its three founding partners, as its new firmwide managing partner, the firm said Wednesday.
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Vape Co. Sues Buchalter Alleging Malpractice After IP Action
A Los Angeles-based cannabis company called Smoke Tokes LLC has filed a legal malpractice suit accusing Buchalter PC and two of its attorneys of causing a federal trademark action to drag on unnecessarily even after Smoke Tokes took all necessary steps to satisfy a judgment and injunction.
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Haynes Boone Adds Moore & Van Allen Practice Head In NC
Haynes and Boone LLP is expanding its finance offerings in North Carolina with the addition of an experienced attorney who most recently served as the head of the swaps and derivatives practice at Moore & Van Allen PLLC.
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Akin Adds Energy-Sector Adviser From Greenberg Traurig
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP announced Wednesday that it's welcoming an energy-sector-focused attorney from Greenberg Traurig LLP, as the firm says opportunities to invest in sustainable energy projects have fueled client demand.
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Courthouse Bomb Suspect Faces Attempted Murder Charges
A California man is in custody on charges of attempted murder and using an explosive device after allegedly throwing a bomb that injured five people inside a Santa Barbara County courthouse on Wednesday morning, according to the county sheriff's office.
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How To Pay Off $215K Of Law School Debt In 4 Years
Cindy Zuniga-Sanchez, Dechert LLP’s new talent development manager, is also a self-taught expert on financial freedom. She is the author of a book that details how she was able to pay off $215,000 of law school and credit card debt six years early. Here, she gives away her key tips.
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Baker Botts Names IP Leader In Northern California Offices
Baker Botts LLP has promoted a longtime partner to head of the intellectual property department in its San Francisco and Palo Alto, California, offices.
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Dentons Accused Of Hacking Laptop, Aiding Vape Co. Usurper
Dentons helped the founder of vape distributor Next Level sabotage and usurp manufacturer Avid Holdings' brand, including breaking into its founder's laptop to access confidential information, Avid alleged in a sprawling lawsuit filed Tuesday in California federal court.
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Google Investors' Atty Defends Fees For $350M Privacy Deal
Counsel for Google LLC shareholders who reached a $350 million settlement with Alphabet Inc. over claims they were deceived about a 2018 data breach urged a California federal judge Tuesday to approve the deal, including about $66.5 million for attorneys, calling the fees more than reasonable.
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Judge Defends Atty Fees In Failed Law Firm Case
A California bankruptcy judge on Tuesday pushed back against criticisms of big fees for professionals in the case of defunct debt relief law firm Litigation Practice Group and said he would approve interim professional fees and expenses of $8.1 million.
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Ex-Google Privacy Chief Joins Gibson Dunn As Practice Head
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP has hired a former vice president and chief privacy officer at Google, who for more than 13½ years has helped lead a team of privacy specialists working to achieve Google's data protection and privacy goals.
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California Powerhouse: Cooley
With numerous high-profile litigation wins and transactions this past year — including a California Supreme Court victory for whistleblowers, Instacart's $660M IPO and Horizon Therapeutics' $27.8 billion sale — Cooley LLP has reinforced its reputation as a leading law firm in the Golden State and once again landed on Law360's Regional Powerhouses list.
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Sheppard Mullin Adds Paul Hastings Employment Leader
The co-leader of Paul Hastings LLP's wage and hour practice group has jumped to Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP in California, the firm said Tuesday.
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LA Olympics Committee Lifts Deputy To Chief Legal Officer
The organizing committee for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles has promoted its senior vice president and deputy general counsel to the post of chief legal officer, general counsel and secretary, following the abrupt departure of its administrative and legal chief.
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Procopio Practice Leader Joins Snell & Wilmer In San Diego
Snell & Wilmer LLP has added the former leader of the healthcare, education and government practice at California firm Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP as a partner in its San Diego office.
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Ropes & Gray Chair To Serve 2nd Term; Firm Picks Vice Chair
Ropes & Gray LLP announced Tuesday that leading corporate lawyer Julie Jones will begin a second term as the 1,500-attorney firm's first-ever female chair next year while managing committee member Neill Jakobe prepares to assume a vice chair role.
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General Counsel Pay Has Spiked 25% Since 2019
Total compensation for general counsel at a sample of the largest U.S. companies has increased by nearly 25%, or from $2.6 million in 2019 to $3.3 million in 2023, according to a report released Tuesday by data analyst Equilar Inc.
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What Summer Associates Learned From Working At Firms
We asked this year's cohort about the most valuable lessons they learned during their summer associateship. Here are some tips they have to pass on to the students who have yet to land a coveted spot or are ready to embark on a career in law.
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What Law Firms Really Look For In Summer Associates
More and more, law firms are bypassing the traditional schedule for on-campus interviews in their search for summer associates. Firm leaders who oversee recruiting for these programs spoke with Law360 Pulse about where they stand on timing and what law students can do to secure a summer placement that works best for their career.
Expert Analysis
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How Firms Can Benefit From Creating Their Own ALSPs
As more law firms develop their own legal services centers to serve as both a source of flexible personnel and technological innovation, they can further enhance the effectiveness by fostering a consistent and cohesive team and allowing for experimentation with new technologies from an established baseline, say attorneys at Hogan Lovells.
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Modernizing Legal Education Through Hybrid JD Programs
Amid pandemic-era shifts in education, law schools and other stakeholders should consider the wide geographic and demographic reach of Juris Doctor programs with both online and in-person learning options, and educators should think through the various ways hybrid programs can be structured, says Stephen Burnett at All Campus.
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How BigLaw Can Mirror Small Firm Attorney Engagement
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BigLaw has the unique opportunity to hit refresh post-pandemic and enhance attorney satisfaction by adopting practices that smaller firms naturally employ — including work assignment policies that can provide junior attorneys steady professional development, says Michelle Genet Bernstein at Mark Migdal.
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Ditch The Annual Review To Boost Attorney Job Satisfaction
In order to attract and retain the rising millennial generation's star talent, law firms should break free of the annual review system and train lawyers of all seniority levels to solicit and share frequent and informal feedback, says Betsy Miller at Cohen Milstein.
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How Attorneys Can Narrow LGBTQ Gap In The Judiciary
Lawyers can take several steps to redress the lack of adequate LGBTQ representation on the bench and its devastating impact on litigants and counsel in the community, says Janice Grubin, co-chair of the Judiciary Committee at the LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York.
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Employers Must Heed Rising Attorney Stress And Alcohol Use
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Krill Strategies’ Patrick Krill, who co-authored a new study that revealed alarming levels of stress, hazardous drinking and associated gender disparities among practicing attorneys, highlights how legal employers can confront the underlying risk factors as both warnings and opportunities in the post-COVID-19 era.
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Lawyers Can Get Ready For Space Law To Take Flight
While international agreements for space law have remained relatively unchanged since their creation decades ago, the rapid pace of change in U.S. laws and policies is creating opportunities for both new and veteran lawyers looking to break into this exciting realm, in either the private sector or government, says Michael Dodge at the University of North Dakota.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: What Makes A Successful Summer Associate?
Navigating a few densely packed weeks at a law firm can be daunting for summer associates, but those who are prepared to seize opportunities and not afraid to ask questions will be set up for success, says Julie Crisp at Latham.
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How To Successfully Market Your Summer Associate Program
Law firms can attract the right summer associate candidates and help students see what makes a program unique by using carefully crafted messaging and choosing the best ambassadors to deliver it, says Tamara McClatchey, director of career services at the University of Chicago Law School.
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Opinion
Judges Deserve Congress' Commitment To Their Safety.jpg)
Following the tragic attack on U.S. District Judge Esther Salas' family last summer and amid rising threats against the judiciary, legislation protecting federal judges' personal information and enhancing security measures at courthouses is urgently needed, says U.S. District Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can Recalcitrant Attys Use Social Media?
Social media can be intimidating for reluctant lawyers but it can also be richly rewarding, as long as attorneys remember that professional accounts will always reflect on their firms and colleagues, and follow some best practices to avoid embarrassment, says Sean Marotta at Hogan Lovells.
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Keys To Digitizing Inefficient Contract Management Processes
Neville Eisenberg and Mark Grayson at BCLP explain how they sped up contract execution for one client by replacing email with a centralized, digital tool for negotiations and review, and how the principles they adhered to can be helpful for other law firms looking to improve poorly managed contract management processes.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can Firms Coach Associates Remotely?.jpg)
Practicing law through virtual platforms will likely persist even after the pandemic, so law firms and senior lawyers should consider refurbishing their associate mentoring programs to facilitate personal connections, professionalism and effective training in a remote environment, says Carol Goodman at Herrick Feinstein.
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How Law Firms Can Welcome And Celebrate Autistic Lawyers
As the U.S. observes Autism Acceptance Month, autistic attorney Haley Moss describes the societal barriers and stereotypes that keep neurodivergent lawyers from disclosing their disabilities, and how law firms can better accommodate and level the playing field for attorneys whose minds work outside of the prescribed norm.
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Law Firm Tips For Evaluating AI And Machine Learning Tools
Many legal technology vendors now sell artificial intelligence and machine learning tools at a premium price tag, but law firms must take the time to properly evaluate them as not all offerings generate process efficiencies or even use the technologies advertised, says Steven Magnuson at Ballard Spahr.