Small Law


  • Ramey Firm Turns To Supreme Court In Sanctions Fight

    Texas-based patent firm Ramey LLP told the Federal Circuit that it is fighting California sanctions before the U.S. Supreme Court, after a magistrate judge in the Golden State determined three attorneys must make monetary payments and face other penalties for filing litigation in bad faith.

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    CORRECTED: Texas Atty Says Bogus Rulings Came From Internet Searches

    A Lone Star State lawyer has admitted that, following internet searches, she listed phony cases in an appellate brief in a dispute over $1 million in jewelry her parents argued was gifted to their daughter and out of a creditor's reach.

  • Marketer Blasts Inventor's 'Cycle' Of Atty Fee Bids

    An invention marketing firm on Tuesday asked a Pennsylvania federal judge to reject Kearney McWilliams & Davis PLLC's push for more attorney fees stemming from an inventor's case over how the company handled preparations for a product launch, arguing the court already declined to increase the number.

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    Some Associates Bill $2,000 Per Hour As BigLaw Fees Rise

    Billing rates for law firms that serve corporate clients continue to increase at a historically fast clip, with the largest firms increasing their fees the fastest in 2024, according to a report out Tuesday that found some associates' billing rates are nearing $2,000 per hour.

  • Pa. Judge Facing Fraud Charges Gets Filing Delay

    A Pennsylvania county judge indicted on charges that he misused unemployment relief funds to pay his law firm's employees during the pandemic succeeded Monday in having filing deadlines in his prosecution pushed back for more time to review discovery. 

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    Dropped Suit Doesn't Support 'Vexatious' Claims, Court Told

    The Connecticut employment law firm Hayber McKenna & Dinsmore LLC "cannot ever, under any circumstances" prove that a series of unfair trade practices cases brought by five restaurant chains ended in its favor, so it cannot pursue vexatious litigation claims against two attorneys who filed them, defense counsel said Monday during oral argument in Hartford.

  • Breakaway Firm Tells Ga. High Court To Nix Drew Eckl Dispute

    Burke Moore Law Group LLP asked the Georgia Supreme Court on Monday to reject Drew Eckl & Farnham LLP's bid to review an appellate ruling that allowed Burke Moore to avoid arbitration over fees between Drew Eckl and its partners who previously practiced at the firm.

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    How Lone Star Appellate Pro Strives To 'See Around Corners'

    Texas appellate attorney D. Todd Smith recently launched a solo practice in Austin, Texas, giving himself more control over client matters while decreasing the chance of a conflict. His work often involves using his experience and knowledge of the Lone Star State appellate system to "see around corners" and tackle potential appellate issues early in the life of a case.

  • Justices Won't Review Philly Atty's 5-Year Suspension

    A Philadelphia attorney's appeal of a five-year suspension deeming him a "danger to the public" will not move forward after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the case, according to orders released Monday.

  • PI Firm Sues Its Own Expert For Being 'Out Of Touch' At Depo

    A New Jersey personal injury law firm filed suit in state court against an expert witness it alleges had threatened to withdraw if he didn't receive an advance payment for preparing and attending his deposition, and then turned up to the deposition "confused, disoriented and out of touch."

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    PTAB Judge Heads To Boutique, Citing Return-To-Office Order

    An outgoing Patent Trial and Appeal Board judge based in Austin, Texas, tells Law360 that President Donald Trump's return-to-office order was a "significant factor" in her decision to return to private practice, joining boutique patent firm Smith Baluch LLP as a partner.

  • Murdaugh's Banker Pleads Guilty To Fraud Ahead Of Retrial

    A former bank CEO accused of helping ex-lawyer and convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh steal client money pled guilty Friday to fraud ahead of a retrial, months after his initial conviction was overturned based on jury irregularities.

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    Philly Firm Leaders Form Employment, Civil Rights Boutique

    Attorneys out of Philadelphia and New Jersey have merged their practices to start a new law firm focused on employment, criminal, civil rights and survivor's rights law, the partners announced earlier this week.

  • Texas Firm Says Couple Can't Double Dip On Damages

    The Morley Law Firm, now doing business as Zenith Law PC, told a Texas state court in Houston that a couple's $250,000 suit alleging the firm allowed an attorney without a law license to represent them in a case against the seller of their home is barred because they previously obtained a declaratory judgment against the seller.

  • Atty DQ'd In NJ Cosmetics Biz Dispute Over Privileged Docs

    A New Jersey federal judge disqualified a Garden State attorney from representing a former executive of a South Korean cosmetics company in a contentious employment dispute with the business because the lawyer obtained privileged documents belonging to the company.

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    11th Circ. Rejects Disbarred Ga. Atty's Reinstatement Bid

    A disbarred Georgia attorney lost her bid Friday to have the Eleventh Circuit revive her lawsuit alleging the Georgia Office of Bar Admissions violated her due process rights by refusing to reinstate her.

  • Conn. Atty Convicted In Shooting Faces Suspension Bid

    A Connecticut court should suspend longtime Cramer & Anderson LLP partner Robert L. Fisher Jr. from the practice of law on an interim basis after his conviction on a manslaughter charge for shooting an attacker, the state's attorney discipline authority has said in a filing.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Schlichter Bogard LLC and the University of Virginia School of Law Supreme Court Litigation Clinic lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court revived a class action from Cornell University workers who said their retirement plans were saddled with excessive fees.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    This was another action-packed week for the legal industry as BigLaw firms hired new talent and the D.C. Bar kicked off its annual election. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Fla. Legal Consultant Says La. Atty Stole Info, Started Own Biz

    A Florida company that advises small law firms on how to run successful businesses has sued a lawyer and former manager for allegedly stealing confidential information, saying he quit and ran off to Louisiana to start a competing business using trade secrets he learned at his previous job.

  • Debt Firm's Successor, Ch. 11 Trustee End Latest Pay Dispute

    A law firm that bought thousands of client files left over from the collapse of bankrupt California-based debt relief business Litigation Practice Group PC has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to the bankruptcy estate to help settle a payment dispute that began months ago.

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    Seeger Weiss Adds 2 Attys From Gibson Dunn, NY AG's Office

    Plaintiffs firm Seeger Weiss LLP announced two additions to its New Jersey and Pennsylvania teams, including a counsel who joins from the Office of the New York Attorney General and an associate who joins from Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

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    Former Law Firm Leader Launches Whistleblower Suit In Fla.

    The former Jacksonville office managing partner of Matthiesen Wickert & Lehrer SC has launched a whistleblower lawsuit in Florida state court against the firm alleging she was forced to leave because a paralegal was engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.

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    Mansfield Rule Widely Adopted By BigLaw Faces DOJ Scrutiny

    A system for sourcing job candidates used by the vast majority of large U.S. law firms called the Mansfield Rule was highlighted by the U.S. Department of Justice in a court filing accusing Perkins Coie LLP of discriminatory hiring practices. However, employment law experts say the program appears to comply with federal antidiscrimination laws.

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    Salesforce Atty Sees Rooney Law Return As 'Right Challenge'

    A former Salesforce attorney, who spent the past nearly 10 years working under the cloud-based software company's umbrella, is now leading the technology practice as a partner in Rooney Law's new Chicago office, the boutique law firm said Wednesday.

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Expert Analysis

  • Mentorship Is Key To Diversity In The Legal Industry Author Photo

    Not only can effective mentorship have a profound impact on women and people of color entering the legal field, but it also benefits mentors and the legal profession as a whole, creating a true win-win situation for all involved, says Natasha Cortes at Grossman Roth.

  • ChatGPT Is A Cool Trick, But AI Won't Replace Lawyers Author Photo

    Generative AI applications like ChatGPT are unlikely to ever replace attorneys for a variety of practical reasons — but given their practice-enhancing capabilities, lawyers who fail to leverage these tools may be rendered obsolete, says Eran Kahana at Maslon.

  • Pro Bono Work Is Valuable In IP And Continued Learning Author Photo

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent elimination of a rule that partially counted pro bono work toward continuing legal education highlights the importance of volunteer work in intellectual property practice and its ties to CLE, and puts a valuable tool for hands-on attorney education in the hands of the states, say Lisa Holubar and Ariel Katz at Irwin.

  • Increasing Public Access To Legal Services: A Practical Plan Author Photo

    Recommendations recently issued by a special committee of the Florida Bar represent a realistic, pragmatic approach to increasing the accessibility and affordability of legal services, at a time when the disconnect between the legal profession and the public at large has widened considerably, says Gary Lesser, president of the Florida Bar.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Relay Shortcomings To Associates? Author Photo

    Michael Cohen at Duane Morris discusses the best ways to articulate how an associate is not meeting expectations, and why documentation of performance management is crucial for their growth and protecting the firm from discrimination suits.

  • 10 Principles For Effective Partner Reward Systems Author Photo

    Several forces are reshaping partners’ expectations about profit-sharing, and as compensation structures evolve in response, firms should keep certain fundamentals in mind to build a successful partner reward system, say Michael Roch at MHPR Advisors and Ray D'Cruz at Performance Leader.

  • Why Interdisciplinarity Is Key To Designing The Future Of Law Author Photo

    The legal profession faces challenges that urgently demand new solutions, and lawyers and firms can address this by leaning on other industries that have more experience practicing, teaching and incorporating innovation into their core business and service models, says Jennifer Leonard at the University of Pennsylvania.

  • 9 Writing Tips From The Justices' Opinions Last Term Author Photo

    Hidden in the U.S. Supreme Court’s opinions from the last term are each justice’s talents for crafting choice turns of phrase, highlighting best practices for attorneys to jump-start their own writing, says Ross Guberman at BriefCatch.

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