Securities Law
-
Biglaw, Drinking, Insider Trading, Intellectual Property, Mergers and Acquisitions, Partner Issues, Patents, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Wall Street
Tipsy Partner Tipped Insider Trading Defendant, SEC Alleges
The SEC alleges that an attorney disclosed inside information after way too much wine. -
Banking Law, Craigslist, DUI / DWI, Free Speech, Guns / Firearms, Jed Rakoff, Non-Sequiturs, Politics, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law
Non-Sequiturs: 09.10.13
* How low can the legal market go? Manhattan firm lists full-time associate opening for $10/hr. “NY to 10.” (Screenshot here if the ad is removed). [Craigslist] * Iowa is giving out gun permits to the blind. Sadly this is not a new phenomenon as David Sedaris explained years ago. [FindLaw] * Business Insider has fired its CTO because… he’s a jerk. An important lesson in what free speech does and doesn’t mean. [Popehat] * A UNC professor pulled over for a DWI has sparked a Fourth Amendment battle because she was arrested by a fire truck. [Fox News] * Banks facing SEC enforcement actions are basically just spinning a roulette wheel and praying it doesn’t land on “Rakoff.” [Ramblings on Appeal] * On a related note, Senator Elizabeth Warren spoke at the AFL-CIO conference and discussed the corporate capture of the federal courts (at 1:23:45 after the jump)… - Sponsored
Attention Buyer: Not All Legal AI Models Are Created Equal
Legal Gen AI – Uncover the best solution for your firm. -
Banking Law, Crime, D.C. Circuit, Department of Justice, Education / Schools, Federal Judges, Gay Marriage, Law Professors, Law Schools, LSAT, Minority Issues, Morning Docket, New Jersey, Securities Law, State Attorneys General, State Judges, Television, Trials, UVA Law
Morning Docket: 08.07.13
* The speed (or lack thereof) of justice: The DOJ filed suit against Bank of America, alleging that the bank defrauded mortgage-backed securities investors in 2008. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Sri Srinivasan, the newest member of the D.C. Circuit’s bench, is getting ready to hear his first arguments, while litigants try to commit the spelling of his last name to memory. [Legal Times]
* The LSAT is not to blame for the dearth of minority enrollment in law schools, said a UVA Law professor, and then a Cooley Law professor had to swoop in to slap him down. [National Law Journal]
* After teaming up with Touro, the University of Central Florida is working with Barry on an accelerated degree program. The dean of FAMU is upset. Don’t worry, you’ll get your turn, too. [Orlando Sentinel]
* New Jersey is in no rush to legalize gay marriage. To support their views, officials point out that people with civil unions are just like married couples — except for the married part. [New Jersey Law Journal]
* Meanwhile, a judge in Illinois will decide whether she’ll dismiss a challenge to the state’s gay marriage ban by the end of September. In her defense, early fall is a great time for a wedding. [Daily Herald]
* Belvin Perry, the judge who presided over the Casey Anthony murder trial, may be getting his own Judge Judy-esque television show. Oh, Flori-duh, you never, ever cease to entertain us. [MSN News]
-
Goldman Sachs, Jury Duty, Quote of the Day, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Trials, Wall Street
Jurors Don't Have 'Fabulous' Things To Say About Fabrice
Fabrice Tourre is not-so fabulous in the minds of his jurors. -
Antonin Scalia, Bar Exams, Crime, Gay, Religion, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law
Slow News Week of Satire and Ho-Hum Courtroom 'Drama'
The Week in Review for one of the slowest news weeks in a while. -
Department of Justice, Hedge Funds / Private Equity, Insider Trading, S.D.N.Y., Securities Law, U.S. Attorneys Offices, Wall Street, White-Collar Crime
SAC’s Rigorous Compliance Training Focused On Coming Up With Euphemisms For Insider Trading
The indictment that the Justice Department just filed against SAC Capital is something to behold. -
2nd Circuit, Biglaw, D.C. Circuit, Insider Trading, Judicial Nominations, Media and Journalism, Morning Docket, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Senate Judiciary Committee
Morning Docket: 07.25.13
* It’s just business as usual: Amid accusations of liberal court-packing, D.C. Circuit nominee Nina Pillard faced questions on abortion and religion during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee. [USA Today]
* Biglaw isn’t as dead as we’ve been told and made to believe. Some of the largest firms are actually doing quite well, says American Lawyer’s editor-in-chief, who’d like her job to retain some meaning for now. [Am Law Daily]
* Fried Frank knew that it’d take a banker to pull the firm from its monetary funk, so it picked up David Greenwald, deputy general counsel of Goldman Sachs, to act as co-chair through 2015. [New York Law Journal]
* With the change in SEC policy, from allowing companies to use neither-admit-nor-deny language, to forcing them to admit guilt in “egregious” cases, lawyers may soon be very busy. [Corporate Counsel]
* Raj Rajaratnam is a firm believer in the “three strikes and you’re out” theory of law. A month after the Second Circuit affirmed his insider trading conviction, he’s asking for a rehearing en banc. [Bloomberg]
-
Intellectual Property, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Musical Chairs, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Sex Scandals, Texas
Morning Docket: 07.24.13
* Bernard Knight Jr., general counsel of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, will be taking his intellectual property talents to McDermott Will & Emery as a new — and rather cute — partner. Congratulations! [Corporate Counsel]
* The Securities and Exchange Commission has charged a Texas man in a Monopoly money Bitcoin-related Ponzi scheme. Unfortunately for him, the associated jail time for the crime isn’t virtual. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
* When applying to law school, it’s wise to have a unique personal statement topic. But considering the application cycle, you could probably get away with writing “LOL” and still get into the school of your choice. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]
* Russia has granted NSA leaker Edward Snowden a pass to leave the Moscow airport’s transit zone. Be prepared to welcome borscht into your life, and be sure to always say spasibo. [Associated Press]
* Sorry folks, but Carlos Danger, more popularly known as Anthony Weiner, won’t be pulling out of the New York City mayoral race. I, for one, would love to see his AMAs on Reddit. [New York Times]
* It looks like Aaron Hernandez shot himself in the foot when lawyering up for a civil suit where he’s accused of shooting someone in the eye. His attorney specializes in banking litigation. [USA Today]
- Sponsored
The Ethical use of Generative AI
What’s the key to empowering your legal team with the efficiency and insight of AI while protecting the integrity of their work? Read this article… -
Arent Fox, Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Education / Schools, Family Law, In-House Counsel, Law Professors, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Pro Bono, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Student Loans
Morning Docket: 07.22.13
* Though she be but little, she is fierce! Under Mary Jo White’s guidance, the Securities and Exchange Committee is now cracking down on financial fraud with a vengeance. [DealBook / New York Times]
* When a Biglaw firm’s chairman skeptically says, “Uh, OK, I mean, maybe,” with regard to a future increased demand for legal work, you know things are bad. We’ll have more on this later today. [New Republic]
* With Detroit’s downfall, vultures are swooping in left and right to snag clients. Firms retained thus far include Weil Gosthal, Arent Fox, Kirkland & Ellis, Winston & Strawn, and Sidley Austin. [Reuters]
* “I’m not a 100% sure this is legal.” Two law professors have come up with a revolutionary way for law students to finance legal education that sounds like it just might work. [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* Normally when Biglaw firms and legal departments go to court over contested litigation, something’s gone wrong, but this summer, they’re trying to do some good in the world. [National Law Journal]
* Soon, it’ll be known as Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School, but even with a new name, you’re still going to be Cooley, and there’s no recovery from that. [Lansing State Journal]
* In Greenwich, Connecticut, the fact that people buy homes where they want their kids to go to school isn’t a “complicated concept.” The schools’ racial diversity, on the other hand, is. [New York Times]
-
Bernie Madoff, Money, Quote of the Day, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Wall Street
Who's the Idiot Now, Bernie?
This infamous Ponzi schemer has some advice for the SEC. -
Bankruptcy, Biglaw, Books, Crime, Department of Justice, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Federal Judges, Job Searches, Law Schools, Litigatrix, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Trials, Women's Issues
Morning Docket: 05.08.13
* “Is there a public interest in unwanted pregnancies … that can often result in abortions?” The judge who ordered that Plan B be made available to all women regardless of age is pissed at the DOJ. [The Caucus / New York Times]
* Mary Jo White, the littlest litigatrix, will “review” the Securities and Exchange Commission’s policy of allowing financial firms to settle civil suits without affirming or denying culpability, but for now, she’s defending it. [Reuters]
* Dewey know what this failed firm is supposed to pay its advisers for work done during the first nine months of its bankruptcy proceedings? We certainly do, and it’s quite the pretty penny. [Am Law Daily]
* In a round of musical chairs that started at Weil Gotshal, Cadwalader just lost the co-chairs of its bankruptcy practice and another bankruptcy partner to O’Melveny. [DealBook / New York Times]
* Another day, another law school comparison website. Take a look at Law Jobs: By the Numbers, which includes a formula from the laughable National Jurist rankings system. [National Law Journal]
* In a move that shocked absolutely no one, attorneys for Colorado movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes announced they will enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity for their client. [CNN]
* From the “hindsight is 20/20″ file: the judge who presided over the Casey Anthony trial thinks there was enough evidence to convict the ex-MILF. He also likened Jose Baez to a used car salesman. [AP]
* Check out Logan Beirne’s book (affiliate link). Even when sensationalizing George Washington’s rise from general to president, attention must be paid to the rule of law. [Wall Street Journal (sub. req.)]
-
Biglaw, Bloomberg, Career Alternatives, Money, Securities Law, Videos, YouTube
Career Alternatives for Attorneys: Startup Founder
Are you interested in leaving the practice of law to pursue an entrepreneurial venture? Maybe you can learn some lessons from today's career alternatives story.... -
Biglaw, Boutique Law Firms, Clarence Thomas, Gay, Gay Marriage, Gender, Law Firm Mergers, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Partner Issues, SCOTUS, Securities Law, Supreme Court, Women's Issues, You Go Girl
Morning Docket: 04.03.13
* Some Supreme Court analysts are speculating that Justice Clarence Thomas could cast a vote to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, but at this point, that’s just about as likely as him speaking during oral arguments. [Talking Points Memo]
* When a practice group laterals out of a firm en masse, you know things were probably going on behind the scenes for a while. Apparently Bingham’s securities enforcement crew was in very high demand by other Biglaw firms. [Am Law Daily]
* Hot on the heels of a merger ménage à trois, Dentons (fka SNR Denton) is already eyeing new growth possibilities across the globe. Guess they’re down with orgies now… [WSJ Law Blog (sub. req.)]
* “Clients don’t hire us because of our sex. They hire us because we win.” This, from Hillary Richard, one of the female name partners of a largely all-female firm. You go girl! [DealBook / New York Times]
* Silly Cooley, a “second-tier” law school by any other name would smell as stank. Our nation’s second-best law school is considering a union with Western Michigan University. [National Law Journal]
Sponsored
New Report - Are Small Firms Achieving Their Legal Tech Goals?
The Ethical use of Generative AI
Mitigating M&A Cyber Risk: Pre- & Post-Acquisition Due Diligence
Sponsored
How To Maximize Productivity With Westlaw Precision With CoCounsel
Attention Buyer: Not All Legal AI Models Are Created Equal
-
Biglaw, Death Penalty, Guns / Firearms, Job Searches, Law School Deans, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Outsourcing, Partner Issues, Securities Law
Morning Docket: 04.02.13
* It looks like it’s time for yet another rousing game of Biglaw musical chairs. This time, 11 of Bingham McCutchen’s securities enforcement partners are hightailing it over to Sidley Austin en masse. [DealBook / New York Times]
* This week in on-shore outsourcing: there may be a job waiting for you at Kaye Scholer’s new operations center (so new we bet you didn’t know about it), so hurry up and apply, because the interviews are soon. [Tallahassee Democrat]
* “We’re trained in the law and persuasion, not firearms.” But maybe you should be? After the targeted killing of attorneys in Texas, prosecutors are now on high alert. [New York Times]
* When looking at the current law school model, Paul Caron of TaxProf Blog urges law deans to take advice from Jimmy McMillan because “law school tuition is simply too damn high.” [Businessweek]
* Change our admissions practices amid the worst legal economy we’ve seen in decades? “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” scoffed Sarah Zearfoss, director of admissions at Michigan Law. [AnnArbor.com]
* Drexel Law will accept applications for its two-year law degree program in May 2014. The higher-ups at the ABA are scheduled to laugh their asses off on or about the same date. [Philadelphia Inquirer]
* “[F]or James Eagan Holmes, justice is death.” In a move that shocked absolutely no one, the prosecution in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater massacre case is seeking the death penalty. [CNN]
-
2nd Circuit, Billable Hours, Blog Wars, Blogging, Books, Citigroup, Holidays and Seasons, Judge of the Day, Law Schools, Non-Sequiturs, Securities Law, Sex, Sex Scandals, State Judges, State Judges Are Clowns, Wall Street
Non-Sequiturs: 03.29.13
* To those of you who celebrate it, Happy Easter! Welcome the holiday by voting in the ABA Journal’s fifth annual “Peeps in Law” contest. [ABA Journal] * If law firm brackets aren’t your thing, check out Professor Kyle Graham’s brackets for (1) law school classes and (2) law blogs. I’m thankful for ATL’s #1 seed but terrified by who we’re up against (because they’ve ripped me a new one before). [noncuratlex] * Sorry, Judge Steiner, you wuz robbed; you should have been our Judge of the Day. It’s tough to top “allegations of a sexual quid pro quo with a female lawyer and the eye-opening confiscation of carpet from [chambers] for forensic analysis.” [OC Weekly] William Shatner * “William Shatner’s Seductive Powers Don’t Create a Fiduciary Duty.” Robyn Hagan Cain explains why. [U.S. Second Circuit / FindLaw] * Citi settles securities cases for $730 million. Matt Levine is not impressed. [Dealbreaker] * And Ted Frank is incensed by Bernstein Litowitz’s nine-figure fee request. [Point of Law] * If you’re already depressed by public ignorance about the Supreme Court, don’t look at the responses to question 9 of this opinion poll. [Penn Schoen Berland] * Steven Harper — author of a new (and very good) book about the legal profession, The Lawyer Bubble (affiliate link) — offers thoughts on the billable hour in the wake of the DLA Piper overbilling allegations. [New York Times] -
Civil Rights, Copyright, Gay Marriage, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Sex, Supreme Court, Video games
Non-Sequiturs: 03.27.13
* First the law school rankings, now urine-based video games? It’s been a whirlwind week of heavy journalism for U.S. News. [U.S. News] * Did you ask for a diorama of the Supreme Court? Because I did… [Washington Post] * What do SCOTUSblog and “Girls” share in common? If you guessed that Tom Goldstein spends most of his day at the office naked, you’re (probably) wrong. [Peabody Awards] * Casinos have systematically driven men out of the bartending and cocktail serving market. They use a fig leaf to protect themselves from Title VII… apparently literally. [Workplace Prof Blog] * Dartmouth professor Sonu Bedi argues that same-sex marriage is really about the separation of church and state. You say potato, I say egregious denial of basic rights. [Huffington Post] * UBS trying to get out of an SEC case. Color me surprised. [Dealbreaker] * Central New Mexico Community College does not want to hear that sex talk. It makes Sol the Suncat sad. [Popehat] * As mentioned before, there’s a new legal dispute over whether or not Sherlock Holmes has lapsed into the public domain. Alex Heimbach of Slate puts the case under the proverbial magnifying glass. [Slate] -
Guns / Firearms, Law Schools, Lindsay Lohan, Non-Sequiturs, Patents, SCOTUS, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Supreme Court, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 03.18.13
* A former general counsel has settled a case with the SEC alleging a slew of backdated options. It was suspicious when all the options were backdated to October 30, 1929. [ABA Journal via The Recorder] * “If Microsoft Shuts Down Google Maps In Germany, How Does That Benefit The Public?” Um, it makes it harder for them to find Poland! Duh. [TechDirt] * Senator Ted Cruz is having a rough go of it in the Senate. He’s already been publicly ripped by fellow Republicans John McCain and Lindsey Graham. Then he raised the ire of Senator Diane Feinstein, who has exactly zero patience for his crap. [Jezebel] * Based on the description, HLN is licking its chops. [Craigslist] * Supreme Court bobbleheads! I’m particularly impressed by Justice Brandeis riding the railroad. [Justices For Sale] * To get yourself wound up for March Madness, here’s a fictional lawyer bracket from Constitutional Daily. Jack McCoy didn’t even make the field so this won’t be a repeat of the Above the Law winner. [Constitutional Daily] * Lifting the amazing disappearing cloak over merit scholarships. [TaxProf Blog via National Jurist] * Lawyer cited as the good guy in a punchline. Hurray! [OMFG Meme] * Video after the jump of Lindsay Lohan showing up late for court, and getting a surprise gift from the crowd… -
Guns / Firearms, Kids, Military / Military Law, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Small Law Firms, Women's Issues
Non-Sequiturs: 03.04.13
* A full run-down of the suspension of a 7-year-old for brandishing a danish shaped like a gun. He was loaded for bear… claw. [Lowering the Bar, Part I; LTB, Part II] * U.S. drones are helping out the French in Mali. Jeez, drones are getting used everywhere from here to Timbuktu. [Volokh Conspiracy] * Do you need to report to the SEC if your company gets hacked? Probably… if you don’t tell them about possible violations how would they ever know? [IT-Lex] * Someone wants help finding a WordPress theme for their law firm. Totally Best Magazine, bro. That’s hawt. [Yahoo Answers] * Just a reminder, Ms. JD’s Fellowship applications are due March 8. [Ms. JD] -
Biglaw, Fabulosity, Federal Government, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Litigatrix, Mary Jo White, Money, Partner Issues, Partner Profits, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law, Wall Street
Just How Rich Is Mary Jo White, Debevoise Partner and Likely Future SEC Chair?
She's a longtime Debevoise partner, and she's married to a longtime Cravath partner. Let's take a look at their financial disclosures. -
2nd Circuit, Citigroup, Jed Rakoff, Securities and Exchange Commission, Securities Law
SEC To Second Circuit: 'Please Don't Make Us Do Our Jobs!'
The SEC and Citigroup want the Second Circuit to tell district courts to stay out of their backroom settlements. That sounds wrong.