Keep your finger on the legal world's pulse

A majority of the 81 law firm employees, including partners, associates, paralegals, administrative staff and others, who responded to Law.com’s “Them Versus Us: Are Generational Divides Affecting Law Firms?” survey said that their law firm’s hierarchy favors one generation over the others – but a large number nevertheless did not want to address the issue by instituting age limits for partnership. Meanwhile, generational differences are causing a divide in law firms, according to the data analysis. The Law.com survey suggests different generations have varying perspectives and approaches to work, leading to conflicts within the firms. The report highlights the need for firms to address these differences and find ways to bridge the gap. Elsewhere, the survey found that many in law firms are having difficulties managing different generations' communication styles, behavior and attitudes, sometimes to the detriment of the firm.

 

Law.com

Law.com

Law.com

BigHand’s latest market research, "Trends Analysis for Legal Support Staff Structures, Costs and Value", provides an expert look at the ongoing challenges facing legal support services, from 800+ legal professionals.

Some key findings include:

• The 75% teams/25% direct support model is taking the lead in 2024, promoting collaboration and streamlined task distribution.
• Support staff lateral hiring remains high with 50% of firms confirming it has increased in the last 12 months.
• Technology adoption for task delegation is surging, with 54% of firms already using it and another 13% planning to implement it in the next 2 years.

The survey analysis also features guidance from legal industry experts at BigHand and Unbiased Consulting on how to approach a support staff restructure to achieve the many benefits of centralized teams. Download the report to uncover the results and see what they could mean for your firm.

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U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign to win the White House is getting a huge boost from Paul Weiss, a white shoe law firm with deep links to the Democratic Party. Paul Weiss employees have donated more to Democratic candidates this election cycle than any other law firm. A partner from the firm has also helped Harris prepare for debates, while Chairman Brad Karp is rallying other lawyers around the vice president. Relationships between law firms and political candidates are nothing new, but advocacy groups are concerned that funders with corporate ties could wield outsized influence. Karen Dunn, who co-leads the firm's litigation group and is part of Harris' debate prep team, is the lead lawyer for Alphabet's Google at an antitrust trial. Paul Weiss lawyers and staff have given at least $1.4m to Democrats in the 2024 election cycle. Karp, who has been the firm's chairman since 2008, was among Joe Biden's top fundraisers in 2020. He's now working with other law firm and business leaders to raise funds for Harris. Former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, former U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, all Paul Weiss partners, have publicly endorsed Harris.

 

U.S. News

The American Bar Association (ABA) says it is taking proactive measures to defend democratic institutions ahead of the presidential election. Rapid-response teams of legal experts are being set up as part of this effort. The stated aim is to safeguard democracy and ensure the integrity of the election process. The ABA says it is committed to upholding the principles of justice and the rule of law.

 

NPR / National Public Radio

Johnson & Johnson has reached a significant milestone in its proposed $6.5bn settlement of lawsuits alleging that its talc products caused cancer. Over 75% of claimants have voted in favor of the settlement, meeting the company's benchmark for proceeding with a bankruptcy bid. The settlement aims to permanently end the litigation involving approximately 61,000 claimants who have accused Johnson & Johnson's baby powder and talc products of being contaminated with asbestos and causing ovarian and other cancers. Johnson & Johnson denies the allegations and maintains the safety of its products. The company's subsidiary, LLT Management, was created in 2021 to shield Johnson & Johnson from talc lawsuits. This marks the third attempt by the company to place the subsidiary in bankruptcy protection. The bankruptcy bid is expected to proceed in the near future.

 

U.S. News

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a lawsuit against cryptocurrency company NovaTech and its co-founders, alleging that they fraudulently raised over $650m from more than 200,000 investors. The SEC claims that Cynthia and Eddy Petion used new investments to repay earlier investors and pay commissions to promoters, while also siphoning millions of dollars for themselves. The scheme lasted for four years until NovaTech's collapse in May 2023. The SEC has also charged six NovaTech promoters with fraud.

 

Reuters

Baltimore has reached a $45m settlement with CVS, ending another piece of the city's ongoing lawsuit against major American drug companies and distributors accused of contributing to the opioid crisis. Mayor Brandon M. Scott announced the settlement, which ends the city's claims against CVS, in a news release late Friday. So far, the city has won $90m from opioid companies it is suing.

 

The Baltimore Sun

Two Columbus police officers have filed a class action lawsuit against the city of Columbus for the alleged mishandling of the cybersecurity ransomware attack that has affected government services and resulted in the theft of personal data of city employees. The lawsuit accuses the city of improperly handling sensitive data and personally identifiable information of Columbus police officers, firefighters, and other current and retired city employees.

 

The Columbus Dispatch

The Wall Street Journal has spoken with more than three dozen people familiar with working conditions at Bank of America, including former and current investment bankers. Many of them have told how junior bankers are instructed by their superiors to ignore policies that limit working hours. The rules were added a decade ago to protect bankers from being overworked, after the death of a BoA intern in London who died of a seizure after working several all-nighters in a row. The Wall Street Journal notes the death of a Bank of America associate in May: he had been putting in over 100 hours a week to finish work on a $2bn acquisition. Former bankers have said in viral social media posts that banks’ treatment of employees needs to change. A Bank of America spokeswoman said that “our practices are clear and we expect all employees including managers to follow them. When we’ve learned of violations, disciplinary actions have been taken.” She also said that investment banking jobs at Bank of America are “sought after [and] challenging jobs” and it had received around 500,000 applications for entry-level positions over the past four years, adding that turnover for associates is less than 10%.

 

Wall Street Journal

Royal Bank of Canada's former finance chief has filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the bank, citing the presence of "gender-based stereotyping" in her dismissal. Earlier this year, RBC said it had terminated Nadine Ahn after a probe found that she was in an undisclosed close personal relationship with another executive that led to preferential treatment of that executive, including promotion and compensation increases. A lawsuit filed earlier this month in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice said the bank's allegations are "patently false." Ahn is suing RBC for nearly C$50m ($36.38m). "(RBC) failed to provide her with a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations, and the bank was, at least in part, motivated by stereotypical assumptions concerning friendships between women and men," Ahn's lawyer wrote in the lawsuit.

 

Reuters

SpaceX has successfully fought against a judge's order to transfer one of its lawsuits against the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to California. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit quashed the judge's order, leaving the lawsuit in Texas. The NLRB has the option to renew its transfer motion if deemed appropriate. The decision was made in an unsigned, unpublished order that included no legal reasoning. The lawsuit between SpaceX and the NLRB remains ongoing in Texas.

 

Bloomberg Law

In an effort to protect consumers, multiple U.S. federal agencies are working together to make it easier for Americans to unsubscribe from unwanted memberships and recurring payment services. The government initiative, called "Time Is Money," includes the introduction of new regulations and promises further action in various industries such as healthcare, fitness, and media subscriptions. The goal is to prevent companies from intentionally delaying services or making it difficult for customers to cancel, thus holding on to their money for longer periods. The Federal Communications Commission is considering imposing requirements on communications companies to ensure canceling a subscription is as easy as signing up. The Federal Trade Commission has already initiated "click to cancel" rulemaking, which requires companies to allow customers to end subscriptions as easily as they started them. Additionally, the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services are urging health insurance companies to improve customer interactions.

 

U.S. News

Jason Plowman has joined Ogletree Deakins as a shareholder in the Salt Lake City office. He specializes in employment litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wage and hour matters. Plowman also provides solutions for federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations.

 

Bloomberg Law

Mary O'Carroll, the former Google legal ops professional, is joining Goodwin Procter as its chief operating officer. The move marks a return to Big Law for O'Carroll, who has been a leader in the legal ops field. She played a key role in launching and growing the Corporate Legal Operations Consortium (CLOC). "Now, I believe the most significant transformation is happening within law firms. My legal career began at a firm, and in many ways, it feels like I'm coming full circle as I dive back in," O'Carroll said.

 

Law

Liz Ryan has joined Gibson Dunn from Weil, Gotshal & Manges as a partner in the litigation and trials practice groups in Dallas. She specializes in handling complex, high-stakes disputes involving antitrust, breach of contract, business tort, employment, intellectual property, product liability, and mass torts. The announcement was made by the firm on Monday.

 

Bloomberg Law

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