January 2010
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs 01.07.10
* What is a “significant romantic relationship” these days? The Second Circuit ruminates. [How Appealing] * Georgia judge resigns after poking a defendant and then some. [ABA Journal via Partner Emeritus] * Baltimore scores points in its competition with New Orleans and Detroit to be America’s worst city. [Baltimore Sun] * Six ways the Prop […] -
Crime, Divorce Train Wrecks, Violence
Former White House Lawyer John Michael Farren Charged With Attempted Murder of His Skadden Counsel Wife
A former Bush Administration lawyer has been charged with attempted murder after allegedly strangling and beating his wife, a counsel at Skadden Arps. John Michael Farren, 57, served as deputy counsel to the president under Fred Fielding in the most recent Bush administration, as general counsel at Xerox, and as Under Secretary of Commerce for […] - Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Layoffs
Nationwide Layoff Watch: Cahill Gordon Resolves To Lose Some Weight
Last January, Cahill Gordon & Reindel started the year by cutting approximately 10% of its associates. Sources report that 2010 is off to a similar start. Says one tipster: [I]t’s about 20-25 people. Mostly younger associates but some more senior people as well. Standard 3 months severance…. [I]t’s being termed performance based, typical stuff related […]
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Guns / Firearms, Violence
Breaking: Missouri Plaintiff Abandons Class Action For Workplace Shooting
Timothy Hendron was supposed to be in a federal court in St. Louis this morning for a trial that started on Monday. He and his co-workers had filed a class action suit against ABB power company alleging that its pension review committee had mishandled employee finances and incurred unreasonable losses. ABC News is reporting that […] -
Cocaine / Crack, Drugs, Holland & Knight
This Is What Happens To A Biglaw Partner on Drugs
Last decade — back in the aughts — a Holland & Knight real estate partner got up to some very bad things. While we have heard that coke can be an aid for sleep-deprived attorneys, it caused problems for Theodore Silva Jr. Silva was formerly a partner in Holland & Knight’s D.C. office. According to […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2009, Biglaw, Bonuses, Kasowitz Benson, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Kasowitz Benson
We’re still catching up on associate bonus news. There have been some memos we’ve missed, including some from last month (technically, last year). If we haven’t reported on your firm’s bonus announcement, please email us. Don’t assume that one of your colleagues will submit the memo; that’s not necessarily the case. Today we belatedly bring […] -
New York Times, Weddings
Legal Eagle Wedding Watch: Sweet November
Thanks to all of you who sent along good wishes after the birth of Baby Lin. It’s been a busy two months, but we’re emerging from the vicious beatdown that is new parenthood. (By which we mean that we’re sleeping in luxurious two-hour stretches and showering almost daily.) We’ve been keeping up with the NYT […] -
Salary Cuts, Salary Freeze
Nationwide Salary Cut Watch: Less Dough for Pillsbury First Years
First year associates at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman got a poke last night that didn’t make them “hee-hee.” The announcement was not made on the Acela. It came via a firm-wide email from executive partners Jeffrey Grill and Sheryl Stein. All first years, except those in New York, are having their salaries cut. From the […] - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket 01.07.10
* Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker gets digital-jiggy with it. The federal trial over Prop 8 and gay marriage will be broadcast on YouTube. [ABC News] * Ponzi-scheming Florida lawyer Scott Rothstein is going down without a fight. [Reuters] * You’re not worth $160,000. [Business Insider] * Yay. Lots of Americans need lawyers. [Tax […]
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Bad Ideas, Harvard, Law Schools, Money, Student Loans
Debt: The Silent Killer
I graduated law school in 2003, owing Harvard University just under $150,000. At the time, I had no idea what starting my professional career $150K in the hole would do to my life. I figured I’d work hard, make money, and pay my loans out of my general non-disposable income funds — kind of like […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs 01.06.10
* Law students or legal education customers? [Concurring Opinions] * Philip K. Dick’s daughter is not a fan of the Google phone. [Wall Street Journal] * This guy took Partner Emeritus seriously. [Underbelly] * Perhaps unsure what to get Gilbert Arenas for his 28th birthday, NBA Commissioner David Stern opted to indefinitely suspend the Washington […] -
Associate Bonus Watch 2009, Munger Tolles & Olson
Associate Bonus Watch: Munger, Tolles & Olson
Last month, associate bonuses were announced at the super-elite firm of Munger, Tolles & Olson — aka the West Coast home of The Elect, with about two dozen former SCOTUS clerks lying around. The firm is well-known for its exceedingly high hiring standards and intellectual (if somewhat nerdy) atmosphere. One would expect a firm as […] -
Divorce Train Wrecks, Hedge Funds / Private Equity, McCarter & English, Wall Street, Weirdness
Patricia Cohen Switches Horses in the Middle of the Race
Last month we mentioned the civil RICO lawsuit filed against billionaire financier Steve Cohen by his ex-wife, Patricia Cohen. The suit is just a few weeks old — Mr. Cohen has yet to file an answer — but there’s already a new development. Patricia Cohen has replaced her original lawyer — prominent trial lawyer Paul […]
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The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
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Layoffs, pls hndle thx, Start Dates
Pls Hndle Thx: The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius?
Ed. note: Have a question for next week? Send it in to advice@abovethelaw.com. Dear ATL, Deferred associates are starting soon at my V100 firm… which is *odd* because there’s not enough work to go around. At least not for junior level associates, because the mid levels and senior levels hoard work for themselves. So if […] -
Biglaw, David Boies, Fabulosity, Lawyerly Lairs, Money, Partner Issues, Real Estate
Lawyerly Lairs: Boies's BargainThe legendary litigator snaps up an $8 million apartment.
In between Christmas and New Year’s, while most of us were stuffing our faces, celebrated litigator David Boies was stuffing his own stocking — with a magnificent New York apartment. Last year was a good one for Boies Schiller associates, at least based on their bonuses. And it probably was a good one for their […] -
Career Alternatives, Food
Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Tamale Maker
Would you swap corporate securities work for chipotle seasoning? Nancy Andrade did. The Catholic University ’93 grad quit her job at Katten Muchin in 2001, to start a family tamale-making business called Mexifeast. Their tamales are sold at Walmart, Whole Foods and Jewel. So how did Andrade go from handling derivative claims to hawking corn-husked […] -
Career Alternatives, Job Searches, Rankings
Is 'Attorney' Still a Good Job?
Career Cast has compiled a list of the Top 200 Jobs for 2010. Here’s how the Career Cast came up with its (totally arbitrary) first to worst rankings: How does Jobs Rated determine which professions rank better than others? Data on each job is broken down into five key categories: Physical Demands, Work Environment, Income, […] -
Crime, Guns / Firearms, Murder, Old People, Violence
Las Vegas Courthouse Shooter Had Murderous Past
Monday’s shootout at the Lloyd George Courthouse in Las Vegas can be described as tragic, frightening, and now, surreal. Reports are out this morning that the gunman, Johnny Lee Wicks, previously served prison time for killing his brother. The ABA Journal collects the information: Stories by the Associated Press, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and the […] -
Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 01.06.10
* Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) — a lawyer, like a number of his Senate colleagues (University of Louisville ’72) — won’t seek reelection this year. [Washington Post] * The D.C. Circuit rules in favor of the presidential war power to hold Guantanamo Bay detainees, with Judge Janice Rogers Brown swatting away a request for release […]
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Associate Bonus Watch 2009, Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Irell & Manella Pays Twice S&C
Congratulations to the associates at Irell & Manella. The firm announced its 2009 bonuses last week, and they were good — very good. Irell took the Sullivan & Cromwell bonus scale, which is effectively “market” for the top New York firms, and then DOUBLED IT. There was no memo — the information was communicated in […]