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California Pulse
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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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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 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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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 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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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.
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Gordon Rees Adds Clark Hill Litigator In Sacramento
Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP is expanding its West Coast team, bringing in a Clark Hill PLC litigator as a partner in its Sacramento office.
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Fired DOJ Attys' Suits May Test Gov't Workers' Protections
Two lawsuits from fired U.S. Department of Justice attorneys may set the U.S. Supreme Court up to decide between presidential authority and civil service job protections, giving the justices an "unprecedented" chance to reassess the nearly 50-year-old safeguards for lower-ranking government workers.
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Morgan & Morgan's New Marketing Head Talks Legal Ads
Personal injury juggernaut Morgan & Morgan PA has hired a new chief marketing officer who comes aboard from Geico to oversee Morgan & Morgan's national advertising efforts, with ambitions to help the firm shake up legal advertising and reach consumers with a message that resonates at a time when institutional trust is low.
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Cleary Adds 20 Partners In Record-Breaking Promotion Round
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP said Monday it has promoted 32 senior lawyers, the largest crop in the firm's history, including 20 new partners, 11 counsel and one senior attorney.
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Edelson Looks To Drop Claims Against Ex-Girardi Keese Attys
Edelson PC has signaled plans to drop civil claims it lodged against two former Girardi Keese attorneys over Tom Girardi's theft of millions from clients, but the Illinois federal judge handling the case said Friday that he wants to discuss the firm's filing.
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Calif. Justices Reject Plan To Wipe Atty Discipline Records
California's high court has rejected a proposal that would have imposed a one-time automatic expungement of attorney discipline records in what the state bar hoped would be a "means of redressing historical racial disparities in discipline."
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Newly Merged McDermott Will & Schulte Promotes 74 Attys
Recently merged international law firm McDermott Will & Schulte announced Friday that it has elevated 74 attorneys to partner and 13 to counsel, marking the largest class in the firm's history.
Expert Analysis
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What GCs Value Most: 7 Habits Of Great Relationship Partners
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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Series
Generating Confidence In A Legal Nonprofit
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.
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Nonequity Partner Frustrations Reflect Erosion Of Opportunity
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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Series
Building Brand Awareness For A Legal Nonprofit
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.
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Learn Your Colleagues To Cross-Sell Their Services Fearlessly
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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Series
Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Advertise Ethically
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.
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Ask A Mentor: How Do I Help After Mental Health Leave?
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.
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Tips For Attracting Stellar CLOs In A Competitive Landscape
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.
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'Golden Handcuffs' May Be A Double-Edge Sword For Firms
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.
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The 10-Min. Rule For Building A Business Development Habit
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.
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5 Pointers For Firm Leaders Communicating Tough Decisions
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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Series
Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Create A Succession Plan.jpg)
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.
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Looking Under The Hood Of The $3,000 Billable Hour
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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.
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How Law Firms Can Keep Nonequity Partners Happy
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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Series
Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Leverage Your Atty Bio
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.