Archive for January 2010

Hughes Hubbard Issues True Up Raises, Above Market Bonuses (If You Hit Your Hours)

By Elie Mystal

Hughes Hubbard Reed LLP HHR logo.jpgAre we breaking the back of the recession? Today, we have news that Hughes Hubbard is making raises that put will put its associates back to pre-salary freeze levels. Here’s the salary information from the firm-wide memo:

ANNUAL SALARIES
In recognition of those efforts, we will be implementing raises in annual salaries in all offices retroactive to January 1, 2010. For all associates who perform up to expectations, the salaries in the New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. offices will be set at the levels listed below; salaries in our Los Angeles and Miami offices will be adjusted on a case-by-case basis.
Class Year Salary
2009 $160,000
2008 $170,000
2007 $185,000
2006 $210,000
2005 $230,000
2004 $240,000
2003 $250,000
2002 $265,000
2001 $275,000
2000 and above $280,000

If you check out our salary thaw chart, you’ll see that this is a true-up raise. Hughes Hubbard is back to paying associate salaries at the top of the market.
CORRECTION: HHR is at market for the first five years, but senior associates should be earning more, as noted by this commenter: “Market salaries should be: 2004 = $250K (not $240K); 2003 = $265K (not $250K); 2002 = $280K (not $265).”
After the jump, there’s good news — plus a CORRECTION — on bonuses.

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The Revenge of Justice’s Assistant

By Kashmir Hill

do not mistreat assistants.jpgWe’ve told you before, and we’ll tell you again: be nice to your secretary. They do important work for you. And during their down time — when they’re not playing solitaire — they may be thinking about ways they can screw you over should you cross them.
An attorney in North Carolina apparently does not read our site and did not get this crucial PSA. Justice H. Campbell is a solo practitioner in Charlotte who helps out those who suffer from slips and falls, who commit the occasional DUI, or who need to file for worker’s compensation. According to our tipster, he’s been through several legal assistants in his career.
His last legal assistant went out with a bang. Or at least with a very loud click of the mouse.
She set up an out-of-office response to let correspondents know that she was no longer with the firm. When a court official emailed her to confirm a mediation date for Mr. Campbell, he got a blunt automatic response…

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The Asia Chronicles: Choose Your One Recruiter / Agent Very Wisely and Stick with One

By Kinney Recruiting

Asia Chronicles logo.jpg

hongkong002 re.JPG

[Ed. note: This post is authored by Evan Jowers and Robert Kinney of Kinney Recruiting, sponsor of the Asia Chronicles. Kinney has made more placements of U.S. associates and partners in Asia than any other firm in the past two years. You can reach them by email: asia at kinneyrecruiting dot com.]
Evan here. Here’s hoping that all our readers had a wonderful holiday season, now that we are back to work, at least until the upcoming Chinese New Year.
We are seeing continued improvement in interviews and hiring in Asia, mainly in HK / China. Of course the holidays put a stop to most interviews over the past few weeks, but interview activity should be higher this month and then after Chinese New Year than at any time in ’09. This week, for example, my candidates overall are having about 5 interviews per day, either in-person, by phone or video conference. Some of these interviews have been with firms which were on solid hiring freeze all of ’09 (firms that are just coming off hiring freeze are typically focusing mostly on cap markets hiring, due to the booming IPO market in HK / China). In fact we just made two HK placements at one wall street firm that was on hiring freeze from mid-’08 through November ’09.
The most impressive junior to mid-level US associate candidates, with top 10 law firm and impressive top 10 law school grades, as well as language skills and personality fit, are almost assured of solid offers within 6 weeks of entering the market now, whereas last year things could drag out for 9 months or more. The very impressive associate candidates who are just slightly below the aforementioned on paper can also feel confident they can land in HK / China in this market, but hard to say whether it will be a few weeks or up to 4 months, as there are still many more solid US associate candidates on the market than there are positions available (your personal connections and / or the connections of your agent / recruiter in the market can make all the difference in timing and quality of offers).
As for meeting one of our Asia team, I will be in NYC next Monday through Wednesday and have some openings in my schedule. I will be back in NYC again Jan. 24 and 25 and Robert and I will be back in HK / China on Jan. 29. Yuliya is in Moscow and St. Petersburg for the next 9 months and Alexis is of course based permanently in HK.
If you are considering a move to Asia, it is important that you have an organized and well-thought out approach to your Asia job search. Of course, a big part of such an approach is to approach the right recruiter / agent for your representation in the market.
***More after the jump.

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Morning Docket 01.25.10

By Kashmir Hill

Jerry O'Connell Jeremiah O'Connell law school law student small.jpg* President Obama is just like us. He skips out on jury duty… [Associated Press]
* … and he Googles. [Washington Post]
* Manhattan has become the unofficial capital of Joe-to-Jane legal proceedings, thanks in part to Biglaw pro bono lawyers. [New York Times]
* The Sundance movie no lawyer should see. [Reuters]
* Governor Patterson welcomes over 800 new lawyers to New York with a stand-up routine. One of his jokes: “What do you call a lawyer with an IQ of 80? Your honor.” [Times Union]
* Glenn Close says she’s more complex than evil as a lawyer on Damages. [Philadelphia Daily News]
* Looks like Jerry O’Connell is being deferred. [Entertainment Weekly]

Who says government jobs are impossible to get?

By David Lat

Stroock logo.JPGWe’re doing a little catch-up blogging this weekend, covering some stories we meant to cover during the week but didn’t get around to hitting. E.g., the update on Loren Friedman, a former Lawyer of the Day who doctored his law school transcript.
This post is a happier one. It’s about a lawyer at a big firm who managed to land an interesting and high-profile government post.
Laid-off lawyers, recent law school graduates, and Biglaw attorneys seeking greater job security are flocking towards positions in federal and state government. As a result, government gigs are very difficult to land these days, with hundreds of applicants applying for a single posting on USAJOBS.
But as shown by the story of Jeffrey Fenster, a former Stroock associate who was picked earlier this month to head up the Workers’ Compensation Board of New York State, getting a government job is not impossible.

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This Week in Layoffs: 01.23.10

By Law Shucks

pink slip layoff notice Above the Law blog.jpgEd. note: Above the Law has teamed up with Law Shucks, which has done excellent work translating all of the layoff news into user-friendly charts and graphs: the Layoff Tracker.
Unemployment rose again last month, climbing higher in 43 states, which is particularly surprising when compared to the 36 states that reported improved numbers in November. Once again, it might have been worse, but for the curious ways in which the unemployment rate is calculated:

In another nationwide trend, long-suffering states like California and Michigan saw their jobless rates stabilize even as they continued to bleed jobs. That’s because thousands of frustrated workers gave up hunting for work and dropped out of the labor force, which means they aren’t included in the unemployment rate.

Contrary to common sense, the unemployment rate isn’t calculated based on the total number of people who don’t have jobs, so people becoming so frustrated they quit looking actually improves the number (even though they’re certainly telling their friends they’re unemployed because, you know, they don’t have jobs).

Overall, 85,000 jobs were lost in December (compared to a 4,000 job increase in November) – but 600,000 people left the labor force in the same period. So the numbers are even worse than the record levels they’re currently reaching. For example, New York’s unemployment rate is nine percent, a 26-year high, and New Jersey’s 10.1% is a 33-year high.

The trend isn’t looking much better lately, either. First-time jobless claims rose 36,000 to 482,000 last week, once again surprising economists, who had a consensus estimate of a slight decrease (although this week’s numbers might be slightly off due to estimating necessary as a result of the Martin Luther King holiday). That marks the first time the four-week rolling average has increased in 19 weeks.

But that’s the big picture. After the jump, the goings on in the legal sector.

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An Update on Loren Friedman, the U. Chicago Transcript Tinkerer

By Kashmir Hill

Bad Report Card.jpgLoren Friedman earned Lawyer of the Day honors here back in 2008, when the then-Curtis Mallet associate was busted for doctoring his law school grades from the University of Chicago, by changing Cs into Bs and As.

Almost two years after the ethics complaint against Friedman was filed, the Illinois Review Board has rendered its verdict.

(We’re a little late in bringing you the news; the Legal Profession Blog noted the judgment last week.)

Good news for the unethical. Fudging your grades will get you gigs at Skadden Arps and Sidley Austin, but won’t get you disbarred. At least not in Illinois. Instead, the Board proposed an 18-month suspension, reduced from the three year sentence previously recommended.

UPDATE / CLARIFICATION: As noted by a commenter, Friedman won’t automatically be reinstated after 18 months. Rather, because the suspension is 18 months “and until further order of the court” (UFO), he will have to “satisfy his obligation of establishing his character and fitness before resuming practice.”

No big deal. Friedman has other things to occupy his time these days….

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The Temple Law Student Shooter: Questions Abound
Was it self-defense? Was the victim a ‘hero’?

By David Lat

Gerald Ung Gerry Ung Jerry Ung Jerald Ung Temple Law School 3L shooter shooting.jpgOn Monday, we wrote about a shooting in Philadelphia involving a law student, as the accused shooter, and the son of a law firm partner, as the apparent victim. We now have some updates on the situation. Alas, we still have more questions than answers.
Gerald Ung (pictured), 28, is in his final year at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law. (Small correction to our last post: he’s a fourth-year student in the night program, not a 3L.) Ung is accused of shooting Edward DiDonato Jr., 23, a recent college graduate and the son of a partner at Fox Rothschild.
First, some (relatively) good news. Edward DiDonato, who was in critical condition immediately after being shot, is hanging in there and making progress (although he’s still critical). According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, he underwent a fourth operation yesterday. A Facebook group created to express support for Eddie DiDonato has over 1,800 members.
Second, some of Ung’s friends believe he has been treated unfairly in coverage. What are their concerns?

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Was it self-defense? Was the victim a ‘hero’?“

Non-Sequiturs 01.22.10

By Kashmir Hill

charles philllips oracle yavaughnie wilkins billboard.jpg* “I think the record should reflect that the witness is vomiting.” [Young Lawyers Blog]
* Morbid adventures in lawyer advertising. [New York Personal Injury Law Blog]
* PPP numbers from 2009 are not sunny at Sonnenschein. [AmLaw Daily]
* A scorned mistress wreaked revenge on her married ex-lover, putting ads up on billboards in Manhattan, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Does putting the affair’s happier times up in lights get her into false light territory? [True/Slant]
* If you’re going to a cocktail party this weekend and haven’t had time to read the Citizens United opinion yet, here are Cliffs Notes. [Legal Blog Watch]
* Over a million reasons why Kiwi Camara’s file-sharing client should be less angry with him. [Threat Level/Wired]
* Today came news of a long-time Biglaw litigator going in-house. Here’s the reverse situation: Longtime General Dynamics general counsel has returned to Jenner & Block as a partner. He talks about how Biglaw has changed since he left it 12 years ago. [National Law Journal]

Associate Bonus Watch: Latham & Watkins
(Great bonuses — as long as you hit your hours.)

By David Lat

2009 Associate bonus watch above the law.JPGAs we’ve discussed before, Latham & Watkins can be a bit bipolar. Sometimes the firm is in manic mode, expanding and hiring and paying very generous bonuses. Then it sinks into depression, replete with freezing salaries and large-scale layoffs.
Right now L&W seems to be in happy mode. In recent weeks, it has announced true-up salary raises and opened new offices (in Houston and Beijing).
And today, fulfilling the hopes of many associates, it announced bonuses. Very generous bonuses — big enough to induce survivors’ guilt.
So, how big are the Latham & Watkins payouts?

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(Great bonuses — as long as you hit your hours.)“

Baker & Hostetler Partner Commits Suicide

By Kashmir Hill

John Mason Mings.jpgJohn Mason Mings, an IP partner in the Houston office of Baker & Hostetler, committed suicide on Monday. AmLaw Daily reports on the 45-year-old lawyer’s death:

Witnesses observed Mings sitting by himself on the waters edge early Monday afternoon. Police called to the scene found Mings laying partially in the water, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head.

His firm bio remains available, though it includes an “In Memoriam” message. The Duke Law grad had formerly been a partner at Fulbright & Jaworski, before joining Baker in December 2008.
As AmLaw Daily notes, depression is a serious problem for lawyers:

A recent study found that depression among attorneys is on the rise, coinciding with increasingly bleak economic forecasts.
One expert has claimed that the typical personality traits and training of lawyers often prevents them from seeking treatment for emotional problems and substance abuse, which in turn leads to higher rates of depression in the profession. The American Bar Association has found that suicide among lawyers occurs two to six times more than among the general population.

Another recent suicide led the WSJ Law Blog to write a post today on technology, social isolation, and suicide.

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Job of the Week: A Very Unusual Opportunity

By Above the Law

Thumbnail image for Job of the Week Lateral Link ATL logo.gifPosition: Corporate and securities attorney
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Description: Unique opportunity at a West Los Angeles firm that functions as the principal in-house counsel for an incredibly sophisticated family office. This position is for an experienced corporate and securities attorney who possesses extensive experience in the regulatory, compliance, and enforcement issues confronted by participants in the securities markets. Candidates must have sound business ethics and substantial experience in representing brokerage firms, investment advisors and/or hedge funds. The firm currently has four attorneys, all with significant experience working on investment partnerships, commercial and industrial real estate projects, and other business transactions.
The candidate should have 10+ years of quality legal experience, preferably at an Am Law 100 law firm, exhibiting a progression of responsibility and leadership and/or in an in-house position at a firm that participates in the securities markets. Candidate must show initiative in pursuing appropriate timely and effective solutions to complex issues and business strategies. No book of business is necessary.
For more information about this position, please contact Betsy Sandler at bsandler@laterallink.com. If you are a Lateral Link member, please see Position #5812 on the Lateral Link site. If you are not a Lateral Link member, you can sign up for free at www.laterallink.com.
Earlier: Prior Job of the Week listings

Legal Eagle Wedding Watch 1.10: Headbangers

By Laurie Lin

champagne glasses small.jpgAt the end of a wild week that included Blue Monday, terrible (or terrific) Tuesday, and corporate-overlord Thursday (sponsored by Justice Anthony Kennedy), we bring you an unusually strong January edition of LEWW.
It features six lawyers in a wide range of practices: public sector, teaching, Biglaw, nonprofit — even personal injury (or “accident law,” as they apparently call it these days). Here are the lucky finalists:

1. Batsheva From and Michael Altman
2. Abigail Gaunt and Gabriel Feldman
3. Erin Roeder and John Spader III

Read all about these lawyer newlyweds, after the jump.

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Musical Chairs: Kirkland Litigation Partner David Bernick to Philip Morris

By Kashmir Hill

david bernick kirkland.JPGKirkland & Ellis is known for its powerful litigators and leading litigation department. Though Gibson Dunn was happy to knock Kirkland from its Amlaw “Litigation Department of the Year” throne this year.
Kirkland is suffering another big knock this week. Litigation co-chair David Bernick has developed a tobacco addiction. Here’s a quote from Bernick included in an official firm statement and in an internal memo sent around the firm yesterday (both available in full after the jump):

“I have spent my entire career at Kirkland & Ellis and I am proud to have contributed to the growth and success of one of the top law firms,” said David Bernick. “I will remain close to my many friends and colleagues at the Firm, but I look forward to pursuing new challenges during the next phase of my career with Philip Morris International.”

After 31 years at Kirkland, Bernick is leaving to become senior vice president and general counsel of Philip Morris International, and he’s going very far away. He’ll be relocating from New York to Switzerland.
Bernick is a powerhouse at Kirkland. He has a smoking résumé. His firm bio recounts victories for big pharma, nuclear weapons plants, breast implants, and tobacco….

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FantasySCOTUS Predictions of the 10th Justice: Grading the Predictions for Citizens United (Hillary Movie Case)

By The 10th Justice

The Tenth Justice Fantasy SCOTUS League.jpgEd. note: ATL has teamed up with the 10th Justice to predict how the Supreme Court may decide upcoming cases. CNN has called FantasySCOTUS the “hottest new fantasy-league game.”
Yesterday the Supreme Court handed down Citizens United v. FEC, one of the most anticipated cases of the year. The Hillary Movie case was a showdown between free speech and campaign finance laws. In 2008, the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of the FEC that Hillary: The Movie could not be shown on television right before the 2008 Democratic primaries under the McCain-Feingold Act. SCOTUSBlog has a fantastic round-up of coverage of this landmark case, which will send shock waves through the 2010 election season.
This is the first blockbuster case of the term, and the first real yardstick for the accuracy of the wisdom of the crowds. Were our 3,500 members able to accurately predict this outcome? How valid is the wisdom of our crowds?
On November 20, 2009, based on 286 predictions, 67% of our members predicted that the Supreme Court would reverse the lower court. Of these 286 predictions, 136 members predicted that the outcome would be a 5-4 reversal. This constituted 70% of all reversal predictions.
But since November, the league acquired over 2,000 new members, who made 600 additional predictions for this case. How did they do? And how did these predictions compare to the Supreme Court’s final opinion?
Also, we update the FantasySCOTUS.net leaderboard. Who is in the top 10?
Read on.

Lawyers of the Week: A Trio of Tax Suspects

By David Lat

tax headaches tax evasion taxation tax crimes.JPG‘Tis the season for… W-2s. When you get that handy-dandy form from your employer, we suggest that you file it with your federal income tax return — in timely fashion. [FN1]
And don’t forget to file any applicable state and local tax returns, too. Otherwise you could find yourself in deep doo-doo. From the Long Island Press:

Three attorneys, an accountant and a doctor were arrested Tuesday for failing to file a combined total of more than $365,000 in state personal income taxes, Nassau prosecutors said. The arrests were part of a statewide sweep by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (NYSDTF).

Arresting someone on a failure-to-file charge? Seems a bit extreme. But if the authorities wanted to send a message about how seriously they take tax crimes, they succeeded.

The attorneys who were charged with failure to file a personal income tax return include 47-year-old David Mollon of Great Neck, 50-year-old Kelly Talcott of Sea Cliff and Dennis O’Leary, 57, of Westbury. Facing the same charge is 53-year-old Gerald Gartner of Lawrence, a certified public accountant, and 62-year-old Avelino Rosales of Cedarhurst, a physician.

O’Leary is a personal injury lawyer — res ipsa loquitur. But Mollon and Talcott are (or were) partners at large law firms, places whose names you’d recognize.
Find out which firms, as well as how much Mollon and Talcott earned during the tax years in question, after the jump.

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Nationwide Dissolution Watch: The Deep End

By Kashmir Hill

cast-of-the-deep-end.jpgLast night, Marin liveblogged ABC’s new legal series, The Deep End. Over 2,000 ATL readers joined her for the series premiere. From the sound of it, doing doc review would have been a more enjoyable way to spend a Thursday evening. Marin declared:

this is why I only watch reality tv…. too painful to see how our nation’s brightest script writers can’t approximate real dialogue and human experience

The show was created by Biglaw refugee David Hemingson, a ’90 Columbia law grad who summered at Milbank and worked for a few years at Loeb & Loeb in LA before turning to script-writing. Hemingson told the WSJ Law Blog:

How’d you go about making it real? Did you visit law firms?
I’d really stayed on the periphery of the legal world, and checked in with a lot of former colleagues and friends who are partners now. In addition I got in touch with a lot of people in their 20s and 30s. Everyone seemed to say the same thing about life as a young associate: you’re overworked and underfed in terms of guidance. You’re constantly overmatched and outgunned. You love the life and career, but constantly feel a bit in over your head.

Apparently, he stayed very far on the periphery. Says Marin:

Folks, I don’t even know what to say. This show is worse that I thought. It’s too ridiculous for words.

But lots of words have been written about it. Reviews from around the Web suggest that this group of fake lawyers can expect layoffs in the near future.

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Morning Docket 01.22.10

By Kashmir Hill

Justice Stevens Retirement Possible.jpg* Justice John Paul Stevens read an impassioned dissent on Citizens United. But was it a last hurrah for the 89-year-old justice? [USA Today]
* John Michael Farren, the former Bush lawyer charged with the attempted murder of his Skadden counsel wife, pleads not guilty. [Washington Post]
* Mike Leach’s lawsuit against Texas Tech is being taken off the field. [Campus Rivalry/USA Today]
* Not another pretty face. [Chicago Tribune]
* Child cruelty and animal cruelty all wrapped up in one disgusting package. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution]
* A whole bunch of fake lawyers could be laid off soon. [Zap2it; ABC News]
* You can carry as much marijuana as you want with a doctor’s note in California. [Courthouse News Service]
* R.I.P., Daniel J. Freed. [New York Times]

Liveblogging ABC’s The Deep End

By Marin

UPDATE: Marin’s liveblog of The Deep End has concluded.
But if you’d like to see what she (and assorted ATL readers) thought of the show, click on the box below.

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Non-Sequiturs 01.21.10

By Kashmir Hill

David Beckham balls.jpgEditor’s note: Go off the Deep End with Marin tonight at 7:30 p.m. EST.
* Freedom of the press or sexual assault? An Italian journalist plays ball with David Beckham. [TMZ]
* Today marks the first appearance of the word “blog” in a SCOTUS opinion. [Volokh Conspiracy]
* The Declaration of Independents. [Instapundit]
* Lawrence Lessig skimmed the Citizens United ruling and weighs in via video before a flight to Boston. Congress needs prompting and a baby in the background needs soothing. [Change Congress]
* TSA worker plays joke, makes woman cry, gets fired. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
* Adventures in Lawyer Advertising: “There are some cases even we can’t win.” [Lowering the Bar]
* Cindy McCain goes rogue on Prop 8. [True/Slant]