Retaliation

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.28.16

* “It would have been disastrous for the whole country.” Following Ninth Circuit Judge Alex Kozinski's screening of "The People vs. Larry Flynt," the infamous smut peddler at the center of the film received a standing ovation after speaking to an audience about what would have happened if the Supreme Court hadn't ruled in Hustler's favor in the landmark First Amendment case. [WSJ Law Blog] * Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf will forfeit $41 million in bonus and stock awards in the wake of the lender's sham accounts scandal. As we mentioned previously, the bank's board was looking to Shearman & Sterling for guidance on whether it would move forward with clawback actions against executives considering the severity of the misconduct and fraud that occurred. [CNN] * Sorry, Lynn Tilton, but the Supreme Court isn't going to rescue you: the "Diva of Distressed" applied to the high court for a stay of the Securities and Exchange Commission's action against her, arguing that the agency's use of in-house judges was unconstitutional, but the Court flat-out rejected her request, without even so much as a dissent. Tilton could be barred from further work in the securities industry. [Bloomberg] * Chelsea Grayson, who currently serves as general counsel of American Apparel, is moving up in the company to take on an even bigger and better role. She will assume the position of chief executive officer next month as the company considers a sale. She's guided the company through controversies in the past, so a potential sale should be no problem for this former Loeb & Loeb partner. Congratulations! [Big Law Business] * A former investigator for the Illinois Appellate Defender's Office is receiving a major windfall after alleging that she was forced to resign for complaining about a salary cut. Alice Washington is set to receive more than $1 million dollars for her retaliation claim, but State Appellate Defender Michael Pelletier says he plans to appeal the judgment due to the fact that he "cannot in good conscience settle with this woman." [ABA Journal] * Michael Fahy, lawyer turned firefighter, RIP. [New York Daily News]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.26.16

* David Mourey, the former assistant dean for bar preparation and academic success at Barry Law, was fired after students continued to fail the bar exam, but in a recently filed gender discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, he claims he was discriminated against because he was "singled out for discipline by an all-female management team." We may have more on this later. [Orlando Sentinel] * Despite the wishes of the public and rumors of his firing in the face of the Baylor University coverup of reports of rape and sexual assault by football players, "Ken Starr is [still] president and chancellor of Baylor University." According to a university spokeswoman, the school has not yet finished reviewing Pepper Hamilton's report on the matter, but Baylor will likely make an announcement by June 3. [Associated Press] * "We are willing to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court if we have to." Eleven states have filed suit against the Obama Administration in an effort to get around its guidance on transgender rights for children in schools, calling the policy a "massive social experiment." The states suing are Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. [Reuters] * Sumner Redstone turns 93 years old tomorrow, and he's been in and out of court for the past few months in a battle to prove he's mentally competent. The salacious case filed by his former female companion may have been dismissed, but now he's attempting to fend off claims from Viacom directors who were ousted from a trust that will control his media holdings if he dies or is found incompetent. [DealBook / New York Times] * Now that the world knows that PayPal's co-founder provided funding for Hulk Hogan's invasion of privacy suit against Gawker, it's time to take a look at the lawyer who's been representing the wrestler. Charles Harder is no stranger to Hollywood cases, and may be a longtime fan of litigation finance since he "[tries] to win and do so in a way that's cost effective for a client, so they don't lose when they're winning." [WSJ Law Blog] * Since revenge litigation finance's recent invention, what's there to keep billionaires from destroying you with lawsuits? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not much, especially when "there is no obligation to disclose the litigation financing arrangements" that have been made. Ethical issues aside, we really hope the super-rich wield their new power to ruin lives through rented lawsuits carefully. [Fortune]

By Staci Zaretsky
Attorney Misconduct

Morning Docket: 11.08.13

* A proposal to raise the retirement age for judges in New York was crushed by voters, but Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman has vowed to continue fighting the requirement — just like a stubborn old man. [New York Law Journal] * Which law schools have the highest percentage of graduates working as corporate directors or executive officers of companies? You might be surprised by some of the results. Or you might not. [National Law Journal] * Dean Lawrence Mitchell of Case Western Reserve Law wants parts of the retaliation suit that’s been filed against him tossed for being “scandalous” and “salacious.” But those are the best parts. :( [Cleveland Plain Dealer] * Thanks to a $25 million donation from an alumnus and his wife, Yale Law School is going to be getting dormitories for law students in the very near future. The thought of all of those coed nerdgasms between future SCOTUS clerks is a thing of beauty. [Fox News] * Clark Calvin Griffith, the former adjunct professor at William Mitchell Law, has been suspended from practicing law for 90 days after exposing his penis to a law student. Stiff punishment. [Pioneer Press] * If you were thinking of giving away guns on Facebook, then you should think again. The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun on the internet is with slideshows of the 572 best kitty cat gifs. [Corporate Counsel] * A police officer in Arkansas ordered a woman to flash him her boobs while she was at work, and when she refused, he allegedly Tasered her repeatedly. She’s obviously suing now. [New York Daily News]

By Staci Zaretsky