Thelen attorneys in NYC and Hartford have a new landing spot. Robinson & Cole picked up 30 displaced Thelen attorneys. According to the Connecticut Law Tribune:
The move adds heft to Robinson & Cole’s construction, real estate, employment and finance practice groups, among others.
“It’s a smart move and good pick-up,” said Connecticut-based law firm consultant Peter Giuliani, but not one that challenges Day Pitney’s status as the leading law firm in the state.
Of course, the Robinson & Cole press release shows no signs of Pitney envy:
The addition of these accomplished attorneys to Robinson & Cole speaks to our strength as a regional firm and will add considerable value to expansion of our New York City office, expansion of our intellectual property practice, and the addition of a prominent construction practice, all goals of the firm’s strategic plan,” said Robinson & Cole’s managing partner, Eric D. Daniels.
Meanwhile, back at the artist formerly known as Thelen, the situation continues to be fluid and confusing:
“At this point it is every group for themselves and not a coordinated top-down plan,” said San Francisco-based Thelen spokesman Kevin Livingston. “Thelen really doesn’t exist anymore. I barely know what is going on in San Francisco.”
Heller Drone comes to the rescue of a disorganized Thelen response, after the jump.
Continue reading “Robinson & Cole/Heller Drone Comes to the Aid of Thelen Attorneys”
* The Pittsburgh Steelers owners supported Barack Obama. Now they’re trying to sell before the tax rates rise. Steelers pwns Bills. [TaxProf Blog]
* Finally, somebody is offering Nervous T-10 1L a job. [Legal Antics]
* A few tips for older people being pushed around by their law firms. [Law and More]
* I don’t see Prozac Nation author Elizabeth Wurtzel’s name on the NY BOLE website either. That makes me sad. [Gawker]
* Yes. To your friend Lat, you listen. [BBPL via Lexis Hub]
* Justice Antonin Scalia in, The Deer Hunter. [Tex Parte Blog]
* Twitter was invented by manatees who live in a tank full of idea balls. Trust me, I’ve met them. [Res Ipsa Blog via Blawg Review]
The 10th Circuit had an ugly case on its hands last week. While all psychotherapy seems mildly sadistic, this case is especially bad.
Per Wikipedia, psychotherapy is supposed to “increase an individual’s sense of well-being and reduce subjective discomforting experience.” A Kansas couple running a home for the mentally ill had a slightly different approach. It involved a stun gun and mutual shaving of private parts.
From Suits and Sentences:
[T]he Kaufmans forced residents to “perform sexually explicit acts and farm labor in the nude while maintaining that these acts constituted legitimate psychotherapy for the residents’ mental illnesses. Moreover, the Kaufmans billed Medicare and the residents’ families for the therapy.”
Investigators seized videotapes showing the schizophrenic residents masturbating and posing nude at Kaufman’s direction. “Eventually,” the 10th Circuit noted,”the Kaufman House developed rules that required some of the residents to be nude when engaging in certain activities–for example participating in group therapy sessions, eating dinner, and watching television.”
It’s like a twisted version of Green Acres. Psychotherapists Arlan and Linda Kaufman were convicted in November 2006 for “forced labor and holding clients in involuntary servitude.”
They appealed because the judge in the trial ordered them to avoid eye contact with the former clients who testified against them. The Kaufmans claimed this violated their constitutional right to confront their accusers.
The 10th Circuit “acknowledged the Kaufmans had ‘considerable support’ for their argument, but ultimately concluded their substantial rights were not violated.” They’ll be heading to prison for 30 years. On the upside, maybe they’ll discover some new psychotherapy techniques to add to their repertoire.
Don’t look now: Judge orders accused to avert gaze [Suits and Sentences/McClatchy]
Abuse convictions upheld;resentencing ordered [Examiner]
Amidst all the depressing talk of layoffs and cold offers, here’s a little mergers and aquisitions news to brighten your Monday: Even in a bad economy, the wedding machine grinds on. In fact, we’ve noticed a slight uptick in the number of registries at Neiman Marcus. So how bad can things be, really?
Here are this week’s lucky featured couples:
1. Jordan Brudner and Daniel Gaspar
2. Randy Shapiro and Daniel Ripp
3. Rachel Turow and Benjamin Schiffrin
More about these newlyweds, after the jump.
Continue reading “Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 11.7: Berkshires, Baby”
