Pennsylvania Pulse


  • Derailment Counsel Fee Provision 'Troubles' 6th Circ. Judge

    A three-judge Sixth Circuit panel on Thursday seemed skeptical that counsel representing victims of the fiery 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, was blindsided by a "quick-pay" provision in the attorney fee agreement that saw class lawyers get paid before their clients.

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    Maron Marvel Expands In Pittsburgh With Litigation Hire

    Defense litigation firm Maron Marvel Bradley Anderson & Tardy LLC announced that an experienced attorney who has spent more than 15 years working on toxic tort matters has joined the firm's Pittsburgh office as a partner.

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    BigLaw's 'New Normal' Is Fewer Hours Per Lawyer

    Lawyers are billing fewer hours, even as their rates soar, ushering in what appears to be a "new normal" for billable hours.

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    Racial, Class Gaps Persist In Strong Year For Law Grad Hiring

    Employment for the class of 2024 reached near-record levels, but graduates from underrepresented backgrounds were less likely to secure attorney positions or judicial clerkships, according to newly released data from the National Association for Law Placement.

  • NJ Justices To Review Judicial Privacy Law For 3rd Circ. Case

    The New Jersey Supreme Court has agreed to a request from the Third Circuit to interpret whether the judicial privacy measure Daniel's Law requires a certain mental state in order to establish liability.

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    Archer Continues Philly Growth With Real Estate Partner Hire

    Archer & Greiner PC announced that an experienced real estate attorney has joined the firm's Philadelphia office as a partner from High Swartz LLP.

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    Lewis Brisbois Adds Another Ex-Dickie McCamey Atty

    An attorney specializing in representing commercial transportation clients has moved his practice to Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP's Pittsburgh office after more than 11 years with Dickie McCamey & Chilcote.

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    Companies Report Increasingly Gearing Up For AI Risks

    More than a third of major public companies in a study cite AI as a risk factor in their annual financial filings, and 73% report they are aligning with external cybersecurity standards. Both numbers are significantly higher than last year.

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    Steptoe & Johnson Adds Veteran Litigator To Pittsburgh Office

    Steptoe & Johnson PLLC has expanded its Pittsburgh office with the recent addition of a commercial litigator who moved his practice after more than 10 years with McGuireWoods LLP.

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    Prestige Leaders: The Firms In The Billionaires' Club

    As BigLaw firms continue to post record-breaking revenues, we're highlighting the firms that reported more than $1 billion in gross revenue in the most recent calendar year.

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    The 2025 Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders

    Check out our Prestige Leaders ranking, analysis and interactive graphics to see which firms stand out for their financial performance, attractiveness to attorneys and law students, ability to secure accolades and positive legal news media representation.

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    What It Takes to Stay Elite As Legal Market Shifts

    The law firm market has undergone unprecedented change in recent years, allowing for more upward mobility for some firms yet presenting risks for the longtime stalwarts of prestige. Here's how law firms navigate those shifting dynamics.

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    These Firms Are The 2025 Prestige Leaders

    Clients gravitate towards firms with sterling reputations, and so does exceptional legal talent. Here are this year's Law360 Pulse Prestige Leaders — the 100 firms the industry recognizes for their prominence, power and distinction.

  • State Street Atty Joins Confluence Technologies As CLO

    Confluence Technologies Inc., a financial software and data management provider, has named a longtime in-house legal leader for State Street Corp. as its new top attorney.

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    How GCs Can Keep The 'Essence' Of Their DEI Efforts

    While shifts this year in federal diversity, equity and inclusion guidelines may have changed the way corporate legal teams track and share demographic information — including for their external counsel — a panel of in-house attorneys who spoke Monday said their work on the issue continues.

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    Suspended Pa. Atty Admits To Crypto Scam Role With Brother

    A suspended Pennsylvania attorney pled guilty in federal court Monday to conspiracy and wire fraud, after prosecutors say he and his brother diverted funds that investors intended for cryptocurrency investment fund High Street Capital Fund USA LP into their personal accounts or another entity they controlled, Hvizdzak Capital Management.

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    3rd Circ. Suspects Process 'Circumvention' In US Atty Role

    The Third Circuit on Monday seemed inclined to back a district court's finding that the U.S. Department of Justice's designation of President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer as New Jersey's top federal prosecutor violated federal law, with one jurist suggesting the appointment raised "serious constitutional implications."

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    Law Firm Aims To Escape Pa. Suit Over Massage Envy Action

    South Carolina-based McGowan Hood Felder & Phillips LLC wants a malpractice lawsuit filed against the personal injury firm dismissed, telling a Pennsylvania federal court Monday the suit's underlying actions involving a botched sexual assault case against Massage Envy occurred in North Carolina.

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    Reed Smith Opens 3rd Middle East Office In Saudi Arabia

    Reed Smith LLP announced Monday that it has expanded its Middle East operations by launching an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the help of three new hires from local law firm Mahassni & Co.

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    Goodwin Elects PE Pro As Incoming Managing Partner

    Goodwin Procter LLP has elected private equity partner Joshua Klatzkin as the firm's next managing partner to take over next year from Mark Bettencourt, who has held the role since 2019, the firm announced Monday.

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    Federal Courts To Scale Back Operations Amid Shutdown

    The federal court system has run out of money and will scale back operations beginning Monday as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, possibly leading to case delays.

  • Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Robinson & Cole's handling of a $146.5 million healthcare transaction and Munger Tolles' defense of OpenAI in a trade secrets suit lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Oct. 3 to 17. 

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Caldwell Cassady & Curry PC and Miller Fair Henry PLLC lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a Texas federal jury found Samsung must pay nearly $445.5 million for infringing four wireless communication patents.

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    Saul Ewing Expands In Pittsburgh With 2 Attorneys

    A former assistant U.S. attorney in Michigan and an attorney with more than 20 years of experience advising clients on trusts and estates matters have recently moved their practices to Saul Ewing LLP's Pittsburgh office.

  • Plaintiff Drops Claim Against Litigation Funder And CEO

    A litigation funder has been dismissed from a suit brought by a plaintiff accusing his former lawyer of conspiring to charge him inflated legal fees to cover high-interest litigation loans, according to a court filing made public Friday.

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Expert Analysis

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Habits Of Great Relationship Partners Author Photo

    When seeking outside legal advisers, general counsel want commercially savvy lawyers who cultivate relationships of trust with their in-house counterparts, back up the GC's authority and focus on actionable advice instead of abstract legal analysis, say Andrew Dick at The L Suite and Rob Morvillo at Olo.

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    Generating Confidence In A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I started LawWithoutWalls to change the way legal professionals see and think about their world, and it taught me the importance of giving people a reason to believe in your nonprofit mission, as well as how to achieve work-life integration, says Michele DeStefano at the University of Miami.

  • Nonequity Partner Frustrations Reflect Erosion Of Opportunity Author Photo

    Nonequity partners report the lowest satisfaction, highest stress and poorest financial outlook of any group of lawyers, highlighting a growing structural disconnect that leaves attorneys at many firms feeling like the ladder has been pulled up behind those who already ascended, says Jake Carroll at Nelson Mullins.

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    Building Brand Awareness For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I co-founded the Bridging the Gap Scholarship as a way to increase minority representation in BigLaw, and my advice for other legal professionals starting a nonprofit is to focus on building brand awareness early on, and to get comfortable delegating work to a dedicated team, says Imani Maatuka at Sidley.

  • Learn Your Colleagues To Cross-Sell Their Services Fearlessly Author Photo

    Understanding where colleagues in other practice areas shine can help attorneys confidently cross-sell each other's services and bring in business to keep the firm afloat in hard times, says Joe Calve at Calve Communications.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Advertise Ethically Author Photo

    Business development in the legal industry is about building authentic connections and showcasing expertise in a way that reflects reality, and, when done right, it can elevate a practice, establish credibility and bring in clients without risking an ethics violation, says Melody Jackson at Robinhood.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Help After Mental Health Leave? Author Photo

    Molly Ranns at the State Bar of Michigan suggests five ways to smooth a colleague's return to practice after short-term mental health leave, while creating a firm culture that protects employees’ emotional health.

  • Tips For Attracting Stellar CLOs In A Competitive Landscape Author Photo

    Amid a rapidly changing regulatory environment and a fierce market for talent, companies hoping to attract the best chief legal officers must have a strong grasp of their roles’ biggest selling points, and any roadblocks that may prevent them from recruiting the strongest choice, says Heather Fine at Major Lindsey.

  • 'Golden Handcuffs' May Be A Double-Edge Sword For Firms Author Photo

    As law firms increasingly use certain financial incentives to retain partners in a fierce lateral market, managing partners should consider the pros and cons of various deferred compensation schemes, says Tom Hanlon at Buchanan Law.

  • The 10-Min. Rule For Building A Business Development Habit Author Photo

    Many lawyers assume that becoming a rainmaker requires a significant investment of time and effort, but the truth is that building a consistent habit of business development can start with just 10 minutes of strategic outreach a day, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 5 Pointers For Firm Leaders Communicating Tough Decisions Author Photo

    Certain law firm decisions — such as whether to challenge an executive order — cannot be crowdsourced, but leadership can collaboratively communicate these choices using strategies that build trust, reinforce values and preserve cohesion, says John Hellerman at Hellerman Communications.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Create A Succession Plan Author Photo

    ​​​​​​​Conversations around retirement and succession can be understandably difficult, but when attorneys make a plan for the transition early and effectively, they have the opportunity to not only keep work but also increase it, says Jillian McKenna at Verrill Dana.

  • Looking Under The Hood Of The $3,000 Billable Hour Author Photo

    In recent years, top-tier law firms have pushed hourly rates to unprecedented heights, with some partners commanding $3,000 per hour — but this eye-popping number doesn’t tell the full story, as there are numerous caveats and rigorous winnowing along the way, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • How Law Firms Can Keep Nonequity Partners Happy Author Photo

    Law firms that successfully manage two-tiered partnership do so by creating a culture that treats everyone with respect and by establishing financial incentives outside their base compensation to reward performance, says Carol Morganstern at Major Lindsey.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Leverage Your Atty Bio Author Photo

    If maintained properly, your firm bio can help attract potential clients and create authentic connections, so it's crucial to take steps to write an updated attorney profile that goes beyond a list of credentials, says Raychel Lean at Reputation Ink.

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