Gibson Dunn

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.23.16

* Bar exam-prep companies seem to be involved in a never-ending war with each other, and shots have been fired in the latest battle. BARBRI has been sued by LLM Bar Exam in a federal antitrust action, and several law schools have been caught in the fray. We'll have more on this later today. [WSJ Law Blog] * New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and his legal team have until today to file an appeal of the Second Circuit's decision in the Deflategate case. According to an attorney who once served as outside counsel to the NFL, Brady's chances of success are "near zero" if he decides to pursue this Hail Mary. [Big Law Business] * OOOOk-lahoma, where the crazy comes sweepin' down the plain: Oklahoma's state legislature wants to impeach President Barack Obama and Attorney General Loretta Lynch over the administration's guidance on transgender bathroom accommodations. The Sooner State's actions are "highly symbolic," but they're likely "doomed." [TIME] * Did he wear an ascot and a smoking jacket while he was deposed? Playboy magnate Hugh Hefner testified at a deposition in a case filed by a woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Bill Cosby at the Playboy Mansion while she was a minor. Thanks to a gag order, no details on Hef's deposition are available at this time. [Reuters] * Sorry, but you still can't deduct the cost of your law school tuition and fees on your taxes, even if you're an accountant/tax preparer who only enrolled to get a leg up on your tax skills and never intended to practice law, but especially if you later start a law firm with a family member. The Tax Court frowns upon things like this. [Accounting Today]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.04.16

* "I'd hope they'd see reason but I wouldn't bet the family farm on it." Senate Republicans may be stomping their feet about confirming one of President Obama's Supreme Court nominees, but it may behoove them to do it now before Hillary Clinton takes office with a Democrat-controlled Senate. [Common Sense / New York Times] * Sincere congratulations to Damaris Hernández, who recently achieved a seemingly impossible feat at her Bigfirm. The 36-year-old attorney is the first Latina to become a partner at Cravath Swaine & Moore. She joins the 46 other Hispanic women who are partners at just a few of America's largest law firms. [DealBook / New York Times] * Lawmakers from the Garden State have demanded that Gibson Dunn and digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg repay $2.8 million in legal fees in the Bridgegate case, the bulk of which were e-discovery charges to the tune of $2.3 million. Welcome to the absurdity that is document review, New Jersey! [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA] * It looks like Apple isn't the only tech company that's dueling with the DOJ right now. Since "[t]he interest in secrecy does not last forever," Twitter is mounting a First Amendment case against the Feds over its ability to publicly release data that allegedly contains details related to the government's terrorism investigations. [WSJ Law Blog] * The 10 customers who filed a class-action lawsuit against Subway over the sub shop's less-than foot-long footlong sandwiches will only be able to afford 100 $5 footlongs each, because the lawyers on the case are walking away with $520,000 out of $525,000 settlement dollars -- that's 99 percent of the settlement. Fair? [Dayton Daily News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.28.15

* The lawsuit the Bernie Sanders campaign filed against the Democratic National Committee is far from over. Will a "full investigation from top to bottom" reveal that the DNC was trying to burn the Bern in the polls? [Yahoo!] * It seems like the whole two-year law school gambit isn't working out as planned, but maybe that's because it hasn't been properly executed yet. Sorry, Northwestern, but we're really not sorry for saying that. [DealBook / New York Times] * DraftKings and FanDuel threw the challenge flag after Illinois AG Lisa Madigan declared that daily fantasy sports betting was illegal in her state. Gibson Dunn and Boies Schiller hope review of the play won't result in another "Fail Mary." [Chicago Tribune] * "I thought I was the only person who felt that way." Feeling left out at law school? USC Law is trying to make legal education a little less intimidating for students who are the first in their family to attend institutions of higher education. [Los Angeles Times] * iDamages: If you thought Apple liked gouging its customers, then you should see what it does to its adversaries. Samsung just paid the company more than $548 million in patent infringement damages, but Apple wants about $180 million more. [Reuters]

By Staci Zaretsky
Non-Sequiturs

Non-Sequiturs: 12.11.15

* We've been super lucky that Old Man Winter hasn't pelted us with terrible, bitter cold weather... yet. But as Westerosians know, it is coming. Here's how to look good -- and professional -- when it does. [Corporette] * The sad state of immigration law in this country is a big ball of tragedy and comedy. Not exactly an ideal policy. [Huffington Post] * We already reported on Freshfields announcing holiday bonuses today, but another Magic Circle firm is also in a giving mood. Slaughter & May bumped up its "new solicitor bonus" in time for the holidays. That should make this year's Christmas party almost as fun as 1981's. [Legal Cheek] * An historical analysis of how prohibition law led to the modern right wing. Fascinating stuff. [Slate] * Following up on a benchslap from back in April, Judge Charles Rendlen suspends another lawyer as "dishonest and dangerously incompetent." Feel free to read the whole thing here. [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] * Gibson Dunn's Debra Wong Yang, who has billed NJ taxpayers more hours in connection with the Bridgegate investigation than any other lawyer, is now hosting a big-dollar fundraiser for Christie 2016. Time for some traffic problems everywhere! [WNYC]

By Kathryn Rubino