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California Pulse
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Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz
The legal industry marked the end of October with another action-packed week as BigLaw firms announced partner promotions and expanded their practice offerings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.
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Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work
Foley Hoag LLP's work on the acquisition of a healthcare services platform and Kaufman Borgeest & Ryan LLP handling a trademark suit for a luxury pen brand lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Oct. 17 to 31.
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California State Judge Admonished For Acts Of Misconduct
A California state judge has been hit with a public admonishment by a judicial watchdog for "numerous acts of misconduct," including discussing litigants and pending cases "in an area of the courthouse where she could be overheard."
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Education Firms Fagen Friedman, Kriha Boucek To Combine
Fagen Friedman & Fulfrost LLP and Kriha Boucek LLC will combine next year, creating an education law practice with more than 150 lawyers in 11 offices across the country, according to an announcement this week.
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Habba Cites Essayli Ruling To Defend Role In NJ Cases
The U.S. Department of Justice has urged the Third Circuit to reinstate Alina Habba's authority in two criminal prosecutions, arguing a recent California ruling backs her power to supervise cases as first assistant, even if she's barred from acting as U.S. attorney for the District of New Jersey under federal vacancy law.
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Law Firm Real Estate Report
Mergers and lateral hires helped some law firms expand their footprints around the U.S. in October, including Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP's new office in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP's plans for a new office in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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This CLO Says The Process Is As Important As The Answer
Engaging the right people and building alignment is as crucial as reaching solutions, Anirma Gupta, the top lawyer at technology company Unity, told Law360 Pulse this week.
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Merchant & Gould Taps IP Boutique Leader To Head LA Office
Intellectual property firm Merchant & Gould PC is boosting its West Coast team with a copyright and trademark litigator becoming the managing partner of its 4-year-old Los Angeles office, the firm said Wednesday.
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Netflix Settles Former India Legal Director's Gender Bias Suit
Netflix has settled a wrongful termination and gender discrimination suit filed by the company's former director of business and legal affairs in India, according to a Los Angeles County Superior Court filing.
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Cisco CLO's Pay Jumps $3.3M To $15.8M In Fiscal 2025
The chief legal officer at technology giant Cisco Systems Inc. earned $15.8 million in total compensation for fiscal year 2025, according to a recent securities filing, keeping her firmly planted among the top 20 highest paid general counsel in the U.S.
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Alston & Bird Sanctioned $10K For LinkedIn Juror Research
A California federal judge has sanctioned Alston & Bird LLP $10,000 for conducting juror research on LinkedIn ahead of a trial in which it fended off $174 million in patent infringement claims against GoPro, saying privacy has been eroded in the age of the internet, and he considers LinkedIn research to be juror contact because of the notifications it sends to users.
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Mid-Law Firms Exercise Caution In Limited Spending For AI
With smaller legal technology budgets than their BigLaw cousins, Mid-Law firms are cautiously making investments in AI tools with an eye on utilizing the technology in low-risk and cost-effective ways.
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4 Ways Associates Can Ace Their Annual Review This Year
It’s year-end review time. How can associates put themselves in the best position possible to advance their careers? Here are four tips.
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LA's Acting US Atty Essayli 'Not Lawfully Serving,' Judge Says
Bill Essayli "is not lawfully serving" as the acting U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, a federal judge ruled Tuesday evening, disqualifying President Donald Trump's pick from serving in that role while declining to outright toss indictments in three criminal cases under his supervision.
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Next Era Legal Duo Take 'Fractional GC' Model To The Bank
California lawyers Eric Proos and Jeff Monahan started a law firm this year to help early-stage growth companies build out their in-house legal operation, but the ambitious founders are leveraging home-grown AI and eyeing the possibility of outside investment as they seek to grow themselves.
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Calif. Atty Seeks $25K As Fee Sanction For AI Error
A California attorney representing a mobile app platform in a small-time copyright and contract suit playing out in Oakland federal court has asked for $25,000 as reimbursement for work he said went into responding to an error-ridden motion and subsequent time spent on the matter.
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Kirkland Litigator Joins Benesch In San Francisco
Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff LLP announced that an experienced San Francisco-based litigator has joined the firm after over a decade with Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
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Barnes & Thornburg Partner Class Dips To 16 Attys
Barnes & Thornburg LLP has elevated 16 attorneys to partners who are based in eight of the firm's offices including in Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey and California, marking a slight decline from the firm's 2024 partner class of 19.
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Texas Co.'s Lack Of Counsel Sinks Perplexity AI TM Suit
A Texas company suing Perplexity AI Inc. for trademark infringement had its case tossed by a California federal judge who said it had ignored warnings that it couldn't proceed without representation.
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The 2025 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard
Check out the Law360 Pulse Leaderboard to see which firms are leaders in all-around excellence this year.
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How Leaderboard Firms Define Success
The 2025 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard law firms are balancing business strength with social responsibility, global reach with local impact, and the ability to lead complex matters while meeting clients' evolving needs. Law360 caught up with firm leaders from this year’s Leaderboard to discuss what success looks like, and how they are positioning their firms for the future.
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The Litigation Reach Of The 100 Practice Footprint Firms
The top 100 firms on Law360's 2025 Practice Footprint ranking have left a clear mark across federal district courts. Our interactive map shows where each firm has appeared in district court cases over the past three years — revealing the breadth of each firm's national reach.
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These Firms Top The 2025 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard
What makes a law firm stand out in a crowded field of top-tier competitors? What does it take to be a well-rounded firm? Presenting the 2025 Law360 Pulse Leaderboard — showcasing the firms that demonstrate excellence on measures of prestige, responsible business practices, and the reach of their legal work.
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The 2025 Practice Footprint Ranking: How Firms Stack Up
These 100 firms stand out for their impressive litigation footprints and transactions work. See who's leading the pack across four categories: variety of cases, range of jurisdictions, closing large merger and acquisition deals, and handling registered offerings.
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Robinhood User Attys Forgo Fee Over 'Unusually High' Costs
Attorneys representing Robinhood users said they will forgo fees after racking up "unusually high" costs brokering the $2 million settlement of a consolidated class action alleging the investing platform failed to disclose financial interests, affecting how customers' orders were handled.
Expert Analysis
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Can 1st-Year Attys Manage Remote Work?
First-year associates can have a hard time building relationships with colleagues, setting boundaries and prioritizing work-life balance in a remote work environment, so they must be sure to lean on their firms' support systems and practice good time management, say Jenny Lee and Christopher Fernandez at Kirkland.
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5 Ways To Lead Lawyer Teams Toward Better Mental Health
Attorney team leaders have a duty to attend to the mental well-being of their subordinates with intention, thought and candor — starting with ensuring their own mental health is in order, says Liam Montgomery at Williams & Connolly.
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How Your Summer Associate Events Can Convey Inclusivity
As law firms begin planning next year's summer associate events, they should carefully examine how choice of venue, activity, theme, attendees and formality can create feelings of exclusion for minority associates, and consider changing the status quo to create multiculturally inclusive events, says Sharon Jones at Jones Diversity.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Negotiate Long-Term Flex Work?
Though the pandemic has shown the value of remote work, many firms are still reluctant to embrace flexible working arrangements when offices reopen, so attorneys should use several negotiating tactics to secure a long-term remote or hybrid work setup that also protects their potential for career advancement, says Elaine Spector at Harrity & Harrity.
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What I Wish Law Schools Taught Women About Legal Careers
Instead of spending an entire semester on 19th century hunting rights, I wish law schools would facilitate honest discussions about what it’s like to navigate life as an attorney, woman and mother, and offer lessons on business marketing that transcend golf outings and social mixers, says Daphne Delvaux at Gruenberg Law.
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4 Ways To Break Down Barriers For Women Of Color In Law
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Female lawyers belonging to minority groups continue to be paid less and promoted less than their male counterparts, so law firms and corporate legal departments must stop treating women as a monolithic group and create initiatives that address the unique barriers women of color face, say Daphne Turpin Forbes at Microsoft and Linda Chanow at the Institute for Inclusion in the Legal Profession.
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Opinion
We Need More Professional Diversity In The Federal Judiciary
With the current overrepresentation of former corporate lawyers on the federal bench, the Biden administration must prioritize professional diversity in judicial nominations and consider lawyers who have represented workers, consumers and patients, says Navan Ward, president of the American Association for Justice.
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Series
Ask A Mentor: How Do I Retire Without Creating Chaos?
Retired attorney Vernon Winters explains how lawyers can thoughtfully transition into retirement while protecting their firms’ interests and allaying clients' fears, with varying approaches that turn on the nature of one's practice, client relationships and law firm management.
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Why I Went From Litigator To Law Firm Diversity Officer
Narges Kakalia at Mintz recounts her journey from litigation partner to director of diversity, equity and inclusion at the firm, explaining how the challenges she faced as a female lawyer of color shaped her transition and why attorneys’ unique skill sets make them well suited for diversity leadership roles.
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For Asian American Lawyers, Good Mentorship Is Crucial
Navigating the legal world as an Asian American lawyer comes with unique challenges — from cultural stereotypes to a perceived lack of leadership skills — but finding good mentors and treating mentorship as a two-way street can help junior lawyers overcome some of the hurdles and excel, say attorneys at Paul Weiss.
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Coping With Secondary Trauma From Pro Bono Work
As the need for pro bono services continues to grow in tandem with the pandemic, attorneys should assess their mental well-being and look for symptoms of secondary traumatic stress, while law firms must carefully manage their public service programs and provide robust mental health services to employees, says William Silverman at Proskauer.
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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.