Legal Research

The Art of Retaining Laterals

The American Lawyer

Firms that retain lateral partners seem to excel at three things: understanding a lateral candidate's practice during the recruiting process; providing professional staff to ease the partner's move; and tracking the new partner's progress through mentoring and productivity analysis. The American Lawyer tracked 2,423 moves in and out of The Am Law 200. Read more about the star laterals, the firms with the top gains and biggest losses, and firms' techniques for keeping their lateral partners on board.

TiVo Wins Injunction in Patent Fight

The Recorder

Ever since the 2006 Supreme Court eBay decision that an injunction shouldn't automatically be issued on a finding of patent infringement, such orders have been less frequent. But the Federal Circuit proved Thursday that it still grants influential injunctions in patent fights. The court upheld TiVo's claims that Dish Network infringed on a patent used in its digital video recording technology. The decision triggered a permanent injunction against Dish Network and a $94 million damage award.

$65 Million Settlement Secured in KLA Backdating Case

The Legal Intelligencer

A $65 million proposed global settlement over alleged stock option backdating by a semiconductor process control company has been reached between three pension entities and KLA-Tencor Corp. The co-lead plaintiffs alleged in their class action that KLA officials manipulated stock options granted to the company's officers, directors and other employees to provide a more profitable strike price, or the permitted price for company officials to buy company stock regardless of the current price of the stock.

Oregon High Court Reaffirms $79.5 Million Award in Philip Morris Case

The Associated Press

For a third time, the Oregon Supreme Court has allowed a $79.5 million punitive damages judgment against Philip Morris, an award twice struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court, which suggested it was excessive. Thursday's ruling by the Oregon court said Philip Morris and the tobacco industry worked during the 1950s on a "program of disinformation" to create doubt about the dangers of smoking. Business groups have watched the case closely as a precedent setter for large jury awards in product liability suits.

MySpace, Facebook Pages Called Key to Dispute Over Insurance Coverage for Eating Disorders

New Jersey Law Journal

Litigation over an insurer's refusal to pay health benefits for anorexia or bulimia may turn on what is revealed from the alleged sufferers' e-mails and postings on MySpace and Facebook. Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey claims that the children's online writings could shed light on the causes of the disorders, and help determine the insurer's responsibility for payment. The plaintiffs are suing in federal court on behalf of their minor children.

$19 Million Settlement Reached in Hedge Fund Case

The Legal Intelligencer

Receivers for a defunct Pennsylvania hedge fund that allegedly defrauded clients out of more than $200 million have struck a $19 million settlement with a Cayman Islands company that served as the fund's administrator. The settlement with UBS Fund Services follows a $75 million settlement with Man Financial, now known as MF Global, which served as the merchant for the hedge fund. Another $75 million was recovered before the Man Financial settlement, bringing total recovery to date to nearly $170 million.

U.S. Sugar Employee Shareholders Claim Lucrative Buyout Offer Was Kept From Them

Daily Business Review

U.S. Sugar employee shareholders have filed a federal suit claiming that they were improperly kept in the dark about two $575 million buyout offers promising to deliver a 50 percent premium on their stock. The suit seeking class action status claims that the offers were worth about $100 more per share than the company's share buyback price. The most tantalizing claim is that the executive who accepted the initial unsolicited offer was promptly fired and paid a $10 million golden parachute for his silence.

Greenberg the Latest U.S. Firm to Enter China

The National Law Journal

Demonstrating a growing trend among U.S. law firms, Greenberg Traurig recently opened an office in China. The Shanghai office is headed by Peter A. Neumann, a lawyer who has practiced in China since 1993. He's been joined by two other lawyers, but the firm is expected to hire several more within the next few months. The firm also announced it will relocate New York real estate partner Allison Rosenberg to its new Tokyo office, which is associated with Japanese firm Hayabusa Asuka.

Md. Judge Reprimanded for Calling Three Black Female Lawyers 'the Supremes'

The Associated Press

A Maryland county judge has been reprimanded for calling three black female lawyers "the Supremes" in court and advising the defendant to get "an experienced male attorney." Washington County Circuit Judge W. Kennedy Boone has acknowledged that his comments suggested racial and sexual bias. In his written response to a complaint, Boone said he was trying to protect the three public defenders from representing a difficult defendant.

Lerach Seeks to Have Sentencing Documents Sealed

The National Law Journal

Securities plaintiffs lawyer William S. Lerach, who has pleaded guilty to one count of federal conspiracy in the government's Milberg Weiss investigation, is attempting to seal court documents related to his upcoming sentencing due to "personal and sensitive information," according to court papers filed on Tuesday. Prosecutors are claiming that the public should have access to most of the sentencing papers.

Yagman Delays Prison Sentence Again

The National Law Journal

Civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman, who was convicted last year on tax evasion, bankruptcy fraud and money laundering, has appealed a judge's ordering denying him bail. Yagman's petition, before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, prompted a last-minute stay on his three-year prison sentence, which was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

On SoloSez, the Sun Never Sets

Special to Law.com

It's hard to miss the global megafirms with their international offices and legions of lawyers who can turn to each other for assistance. Yet, there is a certain 3,100-lawyer "firm" in their midst, in the form of the ABA-sponsored SoloSez listserv, which offers members support, collaboration and referrals.

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Corporate Outsourcing Fuels Law Firms' Growth

The National Law Journal

Pillsbury is riding a new wave of corporate outsourcing work as companies farm out more types of professional work, reformulate older contracts and hash out contract disputes with outsourcing partners. Pillsbury's global sourcing group totals 65 lawyers and 15 consultants, compared with about 40 to 50 lawyers and no consultants in 2001, says partner Robert Zahler. The outsourcing group, which constitutes about 10 percent of the firm, also took the rare law firm step of patenting one of its processes.

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