Legal Book » Uncategorized

Judicial Watchdog Scolds PJ for Canceling Court Reporter

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:52 +0000

A presiding judge who said he was just trying to be cost-conscious has been publicly admonished by a court watchdog commission for canceling a colleague’s court reporter services as a way of prompting the other judge “to engage in a dialogue about court expenses.”

Scott Rothstein’s ‘Uncle Bill’ pleads guilty

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:51 +0000

William Boockvor pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to assisting his nephew, Scott Rothstein, in the $1.2 billion Ponzi scheme orchestrated out of the Florida law firm where they worked. Boockvor says he aims to cooperate with prosecutors in hopes of reducing his final sentence.

Before Retiring His Robes, Judge Holwell Denies Appellate Bid by Vivendi Shareholders

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:51 +0000

Thanks to a ruling this week by a Manhattan federal judge who will soon leave the bench for private practice, Vivendi shareholders will have to wait a while to argue to the 2nd Circuit that their securities claims against the company never should have been dismissed on Morrison grounds.Related story: N.Y.

The Am Law 100, the Early Numbers: DLA Piper Breaks $2 Billion Barrier to Post Record Revenue

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:50 +0000

DLA Piper saw its global gross revenue soar past the $2 billion mark in the last fiscal year to set a new firm record, according to reporting by The American Lawyer. Part of the revenue gains came from the financial integration of DLA’s Australian ally, Phillips Fox, which took place last May.

Solicitor General Backs Pharma Sales Reps on Overtime Pay

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:49 +0000

Two months before the U.S. Supreme Court considers whether pharmaceutical sales representatives are entitled to overtime pay, sales reps seeking overtime from GlaxoSmithKline have gained a powerful ally in the case, with an amicus filing this week by U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli.

Officers Kill Gunman at Middletown City Court

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:48 +0000

Court officers fatally shot a man who entered the vestibule outside an Orange County, N.Y., courthouse and fired a 12-gauge shotgun Wednesday.

Could a GC Have Helped Komen Avoid Planned Parenthood Firestorm?

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:47 +0000

The Susan G.

Shareholders Challenge Bylaws Limiting M&A Suits to Del. Chancery Court

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:46 +0000

Kessler Topaz and Prickett, Jones & Elliott, fresh from winning a record $305 million attorney fee award in the Delaware Court of Chancery, want a judge to rule that companies can’t adopt bylaws restricting shareholder suits to be filed exclusively in the Delaware court without first holding a shareholder vote.

With April calendar, high court clears the decks

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:46 +0000

The Supreme Court’s argument calendar for April, the final argument cycle of the term, lists only six hours’ worth of argument instead of the usual 12 cases. It’s an unusual move likely aimed at giving the justices more time to write their opinions on the Affordable Care Act challenges and other cases.

Woman Mistakenly Put on ‘No-Fly’ List Can Sue, Appellate Panel Rules

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:45 +0000

The 9th Circuit has revived a suit by a Stanford Ph.D.

Ex-law students sue Texas Southern after they flunk out

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:44 +0000

Don’t like your law school grade? Then sue.

FTC Sued over Google’s Privacy Changes

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 06:37:43 +0000

In the first federal lawsuit over Google’s recently announced privacy changes, the Electronic Privacy Information Center is suing the Federal Trade Commission, claiming that Google’s plans to streamline privacy settings for 60 different services and products beginning March 1 would violate a consent order the search giant reached with the FTC last fall.

Dukes Doesn’t Bar Class Action over Bayer Vitamin Sales, Judge Rules

Master — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:45:58 +0000

A California federal judge has certified a statewide consumer class action against Bayer over health claims the company made for its men’s multivitamins, rejecting arguments by Bayer’s lawyers that the class claims couldn’t survive the U.S. Supreme Court’s Wal-Mart v. Dukes decision.

Courthouse Supervisor Faces Individual Liability Under FMLA

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51:49 +0000

In a case of first impression, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that a court system supervisor may be liable as an individual under the federal law that allows employees to take 12 weeks of job-protected leave for medical reasons. The issue has split the circuit courts.

Federal Judge Orders Release of Ted Stevens Prosecutorial Misconduct Report

Master — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:51:48 +0000

The federal judge who presided over the Ted Stevens prosecution in Washington, D.C., today ordered the public release of a lengthy investigation of the prosecutorial misconduct that doomed the high profile corruption case. The 500-page report is scheduled to be released to the public on March 15.

Judges to Mull Impact of Madoff on Divorce

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:18 +0000

New York state’s high court will grapple this term with the issue of whether a woman must return what her former husband claims is a multimillion-dollar windfall that she received as a result of Bernard Madoff’s Ponzi scheme.

No Punitives for Talking on Cellphone While Driving, Judge Says

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:17 +0000

A Pennsylvania trial judge has found that talking on a cellphone while driving is not egregious enough to warrant punitive damages in a car accident case. The state Legislature passed a law that will ban texting while driving when it takes effect later this year, but it doesn’t outlaw talking on a cellphone.

The Am Law 100: the Early Numbers: Revenue, Profits Up at Schulte Roth

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:16 +0000

Halting a two-year slide, Schulte Roth & Zabel saw gross revenue inch up by 1.2 percent to $377.5 million in 2011, while profits per partner rose 5.1 percent to $2.12 million. The firm’s lawyer head count fell by 8.6 percent last year, helping to drive a 10 percent increase in revenue per lawyer.

Renegade Toyota lawyer loses bid to overturn arbitration loss

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:15 +0000

Dimitrios Biller, the former in-house attorney for Toyota Motor Sales USA who accused the automaker of discovery violations in products liability cases, has lost a 9th Circuit appeal to overturn a $2.5 million arbitration award against him.

Kaye Scholer Helps Juniper Networks Win Dismissal of Bizarre Dubai Patent Case

Master — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:14 +0000

After nearly five years of litigation, a Dubai court has dismissed patent claims that a Saudi citizen filed against Juniper Networks in 2007. A Saudi inventor suing an American company under an American patent in Dubai?

Judge OKs Majority of ‘Bad Acts’ Evidence in Priest Abuse Case

Master — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:13 +0000

At the request of prosecutors, a judge has ruled that all but six instances of priests who were reported to have committed sexual abuse or other improprieties can be admitted into the unprecedented trial of a high-ranking church official in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Patent Merchant Ocean Tomo Accuses Former Executive of Trade Secret Theft

Master — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:12 +0000

Patent merchant Ocean Tomo is suing a former managing director for the alleged theft of trade secrets and confidential client information. Ocean Tomo says a forensic analysis of a company laptop Steve Lee returned after he resigned found that more than 10 gigabytes of data had been copied.

ABA report finds cause for concern regarding women’s role

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:12 +0000

The ABA has advocated for more inclusion of women, but the organization’s leadership remains largely male. A report by the ABA’s Commission on Women in the Profession found a few causes for concern, including the 10 percent drop in the percentage of women serving as section or division chairs.

Fox Sports counsel joins throng fleeing ailing firm

Master — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:10 +0000

Paul Laurin, lead counsel for Fox Sports in the Los Angeles Dodgers bankruptcy, has joined Barnes & Thornburg, becoming the latest attorney to depart from imploding Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff, which began dissolving after a jury issued a $10 million verdict against it and two senior attorneys.

DOJ Considers Abandoning Its FCPA Sting Prosecution

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:42:09 +0000

At a hearing Tuesday, a Justice Department attorney asked a D.C. federal judge to hit the “pause button” on the prosecution in a high-profile foreign bribery case, as top DOJ officials examine the case’s continued viability following two unsuccessful trials that included three acquittals.