Try our Advanced Search for more refined results
California Pulse
-
Plaintiffs Attys Fight Arbitration, While Imposing It On Clients
Plaintiffs attorney groups have for decades lobbied against forced arbitration, saying it strips injured consumers and aggrieved workers of their right to jury trial and hides corporate misconduct from public view. But many plaintiffs lawyers nationwide have subjected their own clients to forced arbitration in their retainer contracts — including leaders of some organizations that forbid the practice, Law360 has found.
-
Ex-Lewis Brisbois Hospitality Ace Joins Signature Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution service Signature Resolution is bringing in a recently retired Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP hospitality industry litigator to join its panel of neutrals.
-
Alston & Bird Securities Litigator Joins Katten In Calif.
Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP added a former Alston & Bird LLP securities litigation partner whom one firm leader has hoped to hire after a stint working together decades ago.
-
Robbins Geller Escapes Sanctions In Gas Price-Fixing Suit
A California federal judge on Wednesday rejected a bid to sanction Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP attorneys in a gas price-fixing suit, determining that the firm didn't act in bad faith or unreasonably multiply proceedings in a way that unnecessarily cost Alon USA Energy millions.
-
EEOC Bid For Law Firm DEI Info On Shaky Ground, Attys Say
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's recent call for law firms to cough up a trove of information about their diversity, equity and inclusion programs lacks statutory authority and may contravene federal law, according to experts from both sides of the aisle.
-
Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2025 Editorial Boards
Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2025 Editorial Advisory Boards.
-
.png)
Six Takeaways From California's State Of The Judiciary
California Supreme Court Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero gave an annual State of the Judiciary address to Golden State legislators Tuesday that highlighted the judicial branch's independence and commitment to providing "fair and impartial justice," while putting less attention than in years past on policies that support diversity and inclusion.
-
How BigLaw Is Tweaking Diversity Messaging Amid Pushback
As the Trump administration intensifies its scrutiny of diversity programs, some of the nation's leading law firms are quietly adjusting how they publicly present their diversity commitments, including softening language, scrubbing diversity reports, and, in some cases, erasing diversity pages altogether.
-
Eisner Lands 2 Reed Smith Entertainment Pros In NY, Calif.
Business and entertainment firm Eisner LLP announced Tuesday that it has hired two attorneys from Reed Smith LLP to enhance its capacity to negotiate entertainment industry transactions.
-
McDermott Launches San Diego Office Helmed By IP Veteran
McDermott Will & Emery LLP announced Tuesday it is opening an office in San Diego and has tapped a longtime intellectual property attorney to lead it, while also naming that attorney to be one of the co-heads of its global IP practice.
-
Maynard Nexsen Adds 5 Constangy Employment Attys In LA
Maynard Nexsen PC has brought a 5-lawyer team from labor and employment firm Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP to its Los Angeles office, bringing on a team that is experienced in management-side employment law and can converse in six languages.
-
Dem Ex-EEOC Officials Call Law Firm DEI Letters Overreach
A group of Democratic-appointed former U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission officials urged acting Chair Andrea Lucas on Tuesday to rescind letters seeking information from 20 law firms about their diversity, equity and inclusion practices, saying she had exceeded the agency's power.
-
Semiconductor Co. AMD Paid GC Nearly $16.9M In '24
Semiconductor manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices Inc.'s legal chief made nearly $16.9 million in her first year with the company, including a $2 million sign-on bonus, according to a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
-
Debevoise Atty Goes In-House As TPG's Legal Chief
Global asset manager TPG announced Monday that it has hired Debevoise & Plimpton LLP partner Jennifer Chu to take over as its chief legal officer and general counsel, saying her deep "experience, leadership expertise and judgment" are an ideal match for the rapidly expanding firm.
-
Ex-Avenatti Clients Resolve Fight Over Seized Honda Jet
Two of Michael Avenatti's former clients have settled their dispute over ownership interest and an insurance policy covering a $4.4 million Honda jet that the disgraced attorney allegedly purchased with stolen client funds, according to a notice filed in California federal court.
-
Wayne Gretzky Suing Co-Investor For Malicious Prosecution
NHL legend Wayne Gretzky and his wife filed a lawsuit in California state court against a co-investor in a failed weight-loss business, whom he alleges lodged a meritless suit against him in 2022 to "score a quick payday" after accusing him of contributing to the demise of the company.
-
Judge Ikuta's Sr. Status Plans Give Trump 9th Circ. Opening
U.S. Circuit Judge Sandra Segal Ikuta of the Ninth Circuit will be taking semi-retired status upon appointment of her successor, a court representative confirmed to Law360 on Monday.
-
X Corp. Says Dismissal, Sanctions Go Together In Bonus Suit
A former X Corp. senior director of compensation engaged in "vexatious conduct" that should not allow him to drop his suit claiming unpaid bonuses without sanctions, the social media platform told a California federal judge.
-
20 Law Firms Face EEOC Demands For DEI Employment Info
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has written to 20 law firms seeking information about their diversity, equity and inclusion-related employment practices, the agency announced Monday.
-
Sheppard Mullin's CIO Jumps To Lewis Brisbois In Calif.
Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP's longtime chief information officer has left to take the same role at Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP, the latter firm announced Monday.
-
Mitchell Silberberg Adds Greenberg Glusker IP Trio In LA
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP announced Monday that a three-attorney team of entertainment intellectual property attorneys from the Los Angeles-based Greenberg Glusker LLP have joined the firm.
-
How Public Companies Are Changing Their DEI Disclosures
So far in 2025, public companies appear to be adjusting to new legal and regulatory pressures surrounding diversity issues, with some jettisoning all mention of DEI in their disclosures and others maintaining broad commitments to equity in their operations, according to a study released on Monday.
-
Vorys Releases Labor-Focused AI Tool For Its Attys, HR Pros
Vorys Sater Seymour and Pease LLP announced Monday the launch of an in-house agentic artificial intelligence product designed to help its attorneys and human resources professionals answer questions regarding federal, state and local employment laws.
-
Ogletree Adds Ex-Aleshire & Wynder Practice Leader
Labor and employment firm Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC announced Monday that it has hired the former leader of Aleshire & Wynder LLP's Oakland, California, office and employment litigation practice to ramp up its efforts to serve public-sector clients and others.
-
Clearway Energy GC's Compensation Rose To $1.4M In '24
Compensation for the New Jersey-based general counsel of San Francisco-headquartered Clearway Energy climbed to about $1.4 million in 2024, according to a recent proxy statement.
Expert Analysis
-
The Case That Showed Me The Value Of E-Discovery Plans
Robert Keeling at Sidley reflects on leading discovery in the litigation that followed the historic $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger and how the case highlighted the importance of having a strategic e-discovery plan in place.
-
Opinion
CLE Accreditation Should Be Tied To Learning Outcomes
Given the substantial time and money lawyers put toward mandatory continuing legal education, CLE regulators and providers should be held to accreditation standards that assess learning outcomes, similar to those imposed on law schools and continuing medical education providers, says Rima Sirota at Georgetown Law.
-
Why You Should Leverage AI For Privilege Review
While many lawyers still believe that a manual, document-by-document review is the best approach to privilege logging, certain artificial intelligence tools can bolster the traditional review process and make this aspect of electronic document review more efficient, more accurate and less costly, say Laura Riff and Michelle Six at Kirkland.
-
Persuading The Court With Visual Aids In Written Argument
Robert Dubose at Alexander Dubose describes several categories of visuals attorneys can use to make written arguments easier to understand or more persuasive, and provides tips for lawyers unused to working with anything but text.
-
BigLaw Vs. Mid-Law Summer Programs: The Pros And Cons
There are major differences between BigLaw and Mid-Law summer associate programs, and each approach can learn something from the other in terms of structure and scheduling, the on-the-job learning opportunities provided, and the social experiences offered, says Anna Tison at Brooks Pierce.
-
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Take Time Off?
David Kouba at Arnold & Porter discusses how attorneys can prioritize mental health leave and vacation despite work-related barriers to taking time off.
-
Law Firms Must Prioritize Mental Health In Internal Comms
The traditional structure of law firms, with their compartmentalization into silos, is an inherent challenge to mental wellness, so partners and senior lawyers should take steps to construct and disseminate internal action plans and encourage open dialogue, says Elizabeth Ortega at ECO Strategic Communications.
-
Our Current Approach To Trial Advocacy Training Is Lacking
The key to trial advocacy is persuasion, but current training programs focus almost entirely on technique, making it imperative that lawyers are taught to be effective storytellers and to connect with their audiences, says Chris Arledge at Ellis George.
-
How Women In Law Can Advance Toward Leadership Roles
Female attorneys in leadership roles inspire other women to pursue similar opportunities in a male-dominated field, and for those who aspire to lead, prioritizing collaboration, inclusivity and integrity is key, says Kim Yelkin at Foley & Lardner.
-
The Case That Took Me From Prosecutor To Defense Attorney
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza, now at Wilkinson Stekloff, recalls the challenges of her first case as a civil defense attorney — a multibillion-dollar multidistrict class action against Allergan — and the lessons she learned about building rapport in the courtroom and with co-counsel.
-
The Importance Of Legal Macroeconomics Education For Attys
Most legal professionals lack understanding of the macroeconomic trends unique to the legal industry, like the rising cost of law school and legal services, which contributes to an unfair and inaccessible justice system, so law school courses and continuing legal education requirements in this area are essential, says Bob Glaves at the Chicago Bar Foundation.
-
What ABA Student Well-Being Standards Mean For Law Firms
While the American Bar Association's recent amendments to its law school accreditation standards around student well-being could have gone further, legal industry employers have much to learn from the ABA's move and the well-being movement that continues to gain traction in law schools, says David Jaffe at the American University Washington College of Law.
-
Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Build Rapport In New In-House Role?
Tim Parilla at LinkSquares explains how new in-house lawyers can start developing relationships with colleagues both within and outside their legal departments in order to expand their networks, build their brands and carve their paths to leadership positions.
-
What Attys Should Consider Before Taking On Pro Bono Work
Excerpt from Practical Guidance
Piper Hoffman and Will Lowrey at Animal Outlook lay out suggestions for attorneys to maximize the value of their pro bono efforts, from crafting engagement letters to balancing workloads — and they explain how these principles can foster a more rewarding engagement for both lawyers and nonprofits.
-
7 Ways Attys Can Improve Their LinkedIn Summaries
Lawyers can use LinkedIn to strengthen their thought leadership position, generate new business, explore career opportunities, and better position themselves and their firms in search results by writing a well-composed, optimized summary that demonstrates their knowledge and experience, says Guy Alvarez at Good2bSocial.