With some prominent examples recently, law firms are finding themselves the targets of disqualification motions filed by former clients.
A post titled “Conflict Disqualification: Anti-Takeover Tactic… or Just a Cigar?’ from Erik Krusch, on Westlaw Business Currents, examines some high-profile disqualification suits.
He outlines the legal issues in cases involving Air Products & Chemicals, Airgas and Cravath; and matters between Dow Chemical and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, and Rohm & Haas, among others.
You can read the full post on Westlaw Business Currents.
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
In Practice | Practice trends |
No Comments |
Share
Lawyers and legal professionals who enjoy listening to the podcasts from the Legal Talk Network can now earn continuing legal education (CLE) credit for their time spent with many of the network’s programs.
West LegalEdcenter is collaborating with the Legal Talk Network to offer some of its podcasts for CLE credit, for purchase as on-demand programs on westlegaledcenter.com.
Legal Talk Network’s fifteen legal programs – including its flagship podcast Lawyer2Lawyer with Robert J. Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams – focus on hot topics in the legal industry. Hosts and expert guests discuss issues ranging from U.S. Supreme Court rulings to legal ethics, intellectual property law, entertainment law, labor law and consumer protection law. The programs are produced and published regularly on the network, in iTunes and via RSS for legal professionals globally.
On the new episode of Lawyer2Lawyer, Ambrogi and Williams talked with West LegalEdCenter’s Lee Ann Enquist about the changing landscape of legal education.
“I think many lawyers think of continuing legal education as something they have to do, not something that they always want to do,” Enquist said. “But over the course of the last couple of years what we’ve tried to do – and I think the industry is moving toward this – is to recognize that being educated in your topic is critical to not only gaining clients but keeping clients and providing the best service possible…. So where our content has evolved, we really see ourselves now as a hot topic content provider, where we’re providing cutting-edge programming.”
Listen to the interview with Enquist here, while the full podcast episode is available here.
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
Education | In Practice |
No Comments |
Share
Each week, our colleagues at Westlaw feature interesting materials, documents and videos from high profile cases in the United States.
The summaries of that content are available for viewing by clicking High Profile Cases, Courtroom Videos & Trial Docs. Login is required after clicking on the links provided in the summary of each case.
Here’s a look at some of the newest High Profile content now featured on Westlaw, as of today, March 8, 2010:
Civil
Saylor v. Toyota Motor Corp. (Cal. Superior) – Family of a man killed in one of the first suspected Toyota acceleration defect accidents sues the Japanese automaker.
Sarver v. The Hurt Locker, LLC (D. N.J.) – Army sergeant sues the makers of the Oscar-nominated film The Hurt Locker, alleging the movie was based on events in his life.
New York State Commission on Public Integrity’s Notice of Reasonable Cause for Governor David Paterson – NY Public integrity commission says Governor Paterson violated state ethics laws when he accepted World Series tickets from the Yankees.
Apple v. High Tech Computer Corp. – Apple sues HTC for patent infringement, targets Google’s Android operating system.
Nigro v. City of Philadelphia (Pa. Com. Pl.) – Former Pennsylvania supreme court justice sues Philadelphia and municipal authority, alleging they improperly applied assessments for public maintenance services to condominium owners.
Once again, to see what new High Profile content is available on Westlaw, without having to login, you can go to westlaw.com and click High Profile Cases, Courtroom Videos & Trial Docs. However, login is required after clicking on any links.
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
Company Current | Products |
No Comments |
Share
The law, and dispute resolution, has changed quite a bit globally over the last decade. We wanted to get some thoughts on this topic from Dr. Paul Vout, who practices equity and commercial law in Australia. He’s also a contributor to the ALR International series recently published by West and a member of the editorial advisory board for the series.
Vout said one of the biggest changes has been the capacity for disputes to arise quickly across a wide range of jurisdictions. (more…)
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
In Practice | Practice trends |
No Comments |
Share
Hildebrandt Baker Robbins and the Law Firm Group at Citi Private Bank just released their 2010 Client Advisory for the legal industry. It describes the economic and related impacts of the past year on law firms across the U.S. market and offers some projections.
So what is their crystal ball telling them?
2010 will be a year of gradual growth, with revenues remaining at or slightly above 2009 levels. Dan DiPietro, advisory head of Citi’s Law Firm Group, says he believes the worst of the impact of the economic downturn is over. (more…)
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
In Business | Law firm business |
No Comments |
Share
A new FindLaw.com survey wanted to find out how younger people in the United States are being treated by financial institutions when it come to applying for loans, credit cards or a mortgage.
The results show they’re more than twice as likely to be turned down.
About one in five (22%) people between the ages of 18 and 34 said they were refused a mortgage, loan or credit card within the last year. That’s more than twice the percentage of any other age group.
They’re four times more likely to say they’ve been turned down than people age 55 and up.
Credit card denials top the list (15%).
Anyone applying to borrow money must meet strict standards set by the financial institution they approach. Younger people, according to Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney and editor with FindLaw.com, often have had less time and opportunity to establish a credit history.
Rahlfs suggests you should be diligent about monitoring your credit score, correcting any errors in your credit report and building a good history of managing credit and loans.
The FindLaw.com survey was conducted using a demographically balanced telephone survey of 1,000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent.
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
In Practice | Practice trends |
No Comments |
Share
Law students sometimes struggle to build the kinds of relationships that can lead to a better educational experience on campus and getting out to a successful start in the working world.
In an article in The National Law Journal, West author Ari Kaplan (The Opportunity Maker) offers some helpful advice for networking. In “Law Students Can Benefit From Networking Follow-Up,” Kaplan writes that it begins with finding the right mentor in the right way:
The key is to avoid setting the foundation of the relationship on the need for employment or business. It is better to seek guidance and insight instead rather than naked business assistance. Individuals who find meaningful opportunities to interact with a mentor are more likely to create a sincere relationship.
Kaplan says law schools and law firms that create better opportunities for mentoring relationships will produce graduates and legal professionals who are more able to answer the challenges of a modern career in the law.
It starts with knowing how to follow-up:
The best results will come only if individuals stay connected and follow up, both with mentors and with others in their broader network. That said, 43 percent of the students polled did absolutely no follow-up whatsoever with people they have met. Law schools easily could provide better guidance in this regard.
Read the entire article in The National Law Journal, and the Lawjobs.com Career Center, for more of Kaplan’s advice.
Editor’s note: Ari Kaplan, of Ari Kaplan Advisors, currently hosts the 30-Minute Thursdays webinar series. the next program is Thursday, March 4, 2010, at 1 p.m. Eastern called “Writing an Article and Expanding Your Network in One Hour.”
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
Education | In Practice |
No Comments |
Share
Each week, our colleagues at Westlaw feature interesting materials, documents and videos from high profile cases in the United States.
The summaries of that content are available for viewing by clicking High Profile Cases, Courtroom Videos & Trial Docs. Login is required after clicking on the links provided in the summary of each case.
Here’s a look at some of the newest High Profile content now featured on Westlaw, as of Feb. 24, 2010: (more…)
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
Company Current | Products |
No Comments |
Share
This week, the WestlawNext team is hosting three more free preview breakfasts for the new legal research system. The next three stops on the tour are in Miami, today, followed by Atlanta, tomorrow and Thursday in Tampa.
There have been six of the previews so far, since the official launch of WestlawNext on Feb. 1, and each one has brought out some big crowds of lawyers, librarians and other legal professionals.
West’s marketing team also has been covering each event with video and interviews capturing some comments from people who have been eager to learn about the features of WestlawNext.
The latest video shows you how the breakfast went in Philadelphia as they talked to some of the attendees about why they are involved in the practice of law:
You also can see videos from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, New York City and Washington, D.C.
As of today, there are nine more preview events planned. You can register here for the following cities:
2/23 – Miami
2/24 – Atlanta
2/25 – Tampa
3/3 – Houston
3/4 – Denver
3/5 – Dallas
3/9 – Boston
3/10 – Chicago
3/11 – Minneapolis
If you can’t get to a preview breakfast be sure to go to WestlawNext.com for more information. Or, follow the video tour on LearnWestlaw.com and get information there on some upcoming webinars and other training information.
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
Company Current | Events |
No Comments |
Share
The Microsoft Partner Network has granted Gold Certified status to ProLaw, with a competency in Data Management Solutions.
The Microsoft Partner Network provides opportunities for partners to develop and expand their businesses; expertise and resources that help partners better serve their customers; and creates communities that spark innovation by connecting partners with one another. (more…)
Posted by Kevin Hunt in:
In Business | Law firm business |
No Comments |
Share
Thomson Reuters, Legal, President & CEO Peter Warwick offered his perspective on the company’s approach to the current economic reality in a panel discussion, “Adapting and Thriving in a Challenging Economy”, at the Minnesota Venture & Finance Conference.
The launch of WestlawNext brings a significant advancement in the way professional legal research is done.
Andrew F. Popper, a professor at American University, Washington College of Law, talks about his award-winning novel “Rediscovering Lone Pine.”
