California Pulse


  • LegalLions.png

    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Hecht Partners LLP, Hausfeld LLP, DiCello Levitt and Zuckerman Spaeder LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a New York federal jury returned a landmark $20 million verdict against French bank BNP Paribas.

  • iStock-1222648152.jpg

    Popular TaxProf Blog Returns After Shutdown

    After Typepad's decision to shut down last month, the Association of American Law Schools is giving new life to one of the defunct hosted blogging platform's popular legal blogs.

  • ClerkHero Launches To Help Calif. Drivers Fight Traffic Tickets

    ClerkHero, a California-based legal tech startup that automates traffic ticket defense, officially launched on Oct. 21 by its solo founder and without funding or a broader team.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    This was another action-packed week for the legal industry as one BigLaw firm elected a new managing partner and other shops expanded their rosters. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Sanctions Threats Mount For Atty Who Ignored Citation Order

    An attorney who ignored a show cause order earlier this summer after his co-counsel included a fake case citation in a filing for their then-client, a former in-house attorney for Workday Inc., told a San Francisco federal judge Thursday that his failure to respond was a "mistake," in response to a renewed show cause order.

  • Calif. Injury Atty Convicted Of Manslaughter Over DUI Crash

    A Southern California personal injury attorney has been convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter for driving while intoxicated and causing a 2019 freeway collision that resulted in the death of a U.S. Postal Service big rig driver, according to Orange County prosecutors.

  • Myles_MaryBeth.jpg

    Former TTAB Judge Moves To Greenberg Traurig In Calif.

    A former Trademark Trial and Appeal Board judge has jumped from government work to private practice, building out Greenberg Traurig LLP's bench of Los Angeles intellectual property attorneys.

  • Amy E. Proctor.png

    Sullivan & Cromwell Adds Irell & Manella IP Litigator In LA

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is expanding its West Coast team, announcing Thursday it is bringing in an Irell & Manella LLP intellectual property litigator as a partner in its Los Angeles office. 

  • iStock-2183732750.jpg

    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.

  • AI Co. Eudia Acquires ALSP Out-House

    California-based legal artificial intelligence startup Eudia announced Thursday the acquisition of alternative legal services provider Out-House, as well as its founder and attorney Lynden Renwick.

  • imgi_2_WW_20250130_096-rt_hg4psEiGv.jpg

    Amid Restructuring, It's A Busy Year For WeightWatchers GC

    It's a good thing she's an endurance runner. In a little over a year as chief legal and administrative officer of WW International Inc., better known as WeightWatchers, a very busy Jacquie Cooke has helped navigate the company through a bankruptcy reorganization as well as guide it through the changing protocol to sell weight loss drugs.

  • Charlene Azema and Gregory Phillips

    Knobbe Martens Names Trademark, Brand Protection Heads

    Intellectual property firm Knobbe Martens has named two longtime trademark and IP attorneys based in Orange County, California, to head the firm's trademark and brand protection group.

  • iStock-1342000619.jpg

    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.

  • Tom Lee.png

    Latham Adds BCLP Environmental Atty In SF Bay Area

    Latham & Watkins LLP is expanding its environmental team, announcing Wednesday it is bringing in a Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP expert on chemicals, especially "forever chemicals," as a partner in its San Francisco Bay Area offices.

  • Hinshaw new logo.png

    Hinshaw Unveils Rebrand To Show 'Forward Momentum'

    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP on Wednesday announced a new website and rebranding during what it calls a period of strong financial performance and growth.

  • Calif. Judge Censured For Delayed Rulings, Lying About Them

    A California state judge has been publicly censured for taking more than six months to issue some decisions and lying about those delays on his salary affidavits, according to the state's judicial ethics body.

  • iStock-1342505734.jpg

    Michelman & Robinson Opens First Overseas Office In London

    Los Angeles-based Michelman & Robinson LLP announced it has made its first expansion outside the U.S. with the launch of a London office.

  • Uber MDL Judge Sets Litigation Funding Disclosure Deadline

    A California federal judge ruled Tuesday in multidistrict litigation accusing Uber Technologies Inc. of failing to prevent drivers from sexually assaulting passengers that plaintiffs' counsel must disclose any ties to third-party litigation funding companies by next week, but stopped short of ordering all plaintiffs' counsel to affirmatively deny any connection.

  • iStock-2207912384.jpg

    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.

  • Kondracki_Jonie_uncropped_highres_21389.jpg

    Wilson Sonsini Adds Cooley Capital Markets Pro In Calif.

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC continues adding Cooley LLP attorneys to its corporate team, announcing Tuesday it is bringing in a capital markets expert as a partner in its San Francisco office.

  • Rosanna Canonigo.png

    LA Entertainment Firm Adds Ex-Lionsgate VP To Nonlegal Arm

    Los Angeles boutique Newell Law Group has hired an entertainment industry veteran in a new role bolstering its nonlegal television and film packaging and sales arm, the firm announced Monday.

  • iStock-1350246100.jpg

    Fisher Phillips Expands Across Country With 4 New Partners

    Fisher Phillips has continued its recent growth throughout the last month with the addition of four partners at offices across the country, the firm said Tuesday.

  • iStock-2180794792.jpg

    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.

  • iStock-1348229414.jpg

    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.

  • iStock-2151706023 (1).jpg

    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.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California Pulse archive.

Expert Analysis

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Promote Thoughtful Use Of AI? Author Photo

    Eran Kahana at Maslon discusses how partners can encourage responsible use of artificial intelligence tools within their firms by learning to spot pitfalls common to AI-generated work product and championing firmwide procedures and trainings that address the risks of uncritically relying on this powerful but imperfect technology.

  • Making Legal Cents: Firm Culture Is The New Game Plan Author Photo

    Law firm culture is often dismissed as a soft factor — merely platitudes on a website that seem disconnected from the bottom line — but by intentionally embedding a strong culture into day-to-day operations, law firms can achieve sustainable success, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • 5 Questions Firms Must Ask For Successful Lateral Integration Author Photo

    To ensure that lateral partners effectively integrate their books of business, firms should design a structured transition plan based on a few fundamentals, from tracking the right data to implementing meaningful incentives, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Goldilocks Solution: Why The 4-Day Office Week Is Just Right Author Photo

    As law firms continue to wrestle with return-to-office policies, many are being pulled toward one or the other of two extremes: the rigidity of a five-day in-office schedule and the laissez-faire approach of a flexible three-day hybrid model — but a four-day in-office workweek may be the sweet spot, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • As Attys Adopt Generative AI, 3 Elements Should Be Cardinal Author Photo

    As the legal world increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence, lawyers and firms must develop and utilize strong prompting skills, keep a pulse on forthcoming tech evolutions, and remain steadfast to ethical obligations, say Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi and Marty Robles-Avila at BAL.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises Author Photo

    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

  • Series

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Prioritize Connections Author Photo

    One reason business development in the legal industry seems so mysterious is because human relationships are so complex, but lawyers can reorient their thinking in two important ways to drive the process of connecting with new colleagues and contacts, say Jamie Lawless and Angela Quinn at Husch Blackwell.

  • Overcoming US Law Firms' Hesitancy To Enter Indian Market Author Photo

    Successful private equity exits with strong returns have solidified India's buyout market as an increasingly attractive destination for future investments, offering compelling reasons for the U.S. legal community to overcome its caution on the country's markets, says Vaishali Movva at Eimer Stahl.

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

  • Series

    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

  • Strategies For Successful Law Firm Mergers In 2025 Author Photo

    Law firms are expected to continue consolidating in the year to come, and because these mergers require a different kind of playbook, firm leaders must carefully consider office culture nuances, professional services economics and talent retention strategy before any merger, say directors at FTI Consulting.

  • Making Legal Cents: Winning More Work In A Crowded Market Author Photo

    In a market where clients have more options, tighter budgets and higher expectations, firms must figure out how to differentiate themselves without discounting their rates, and several practical strategies for pitching, pricing and early-engagement communication can help, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

Leaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact