DC Pulse


  • Biden's Pardon Is Another Blow To Special Counsel Probes

    President Joe Biden's pardon of his son over the weekend marks the latest example of a special counsel investigation fizzling and raises doubts over the future use of such probes, which can drag on for years and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

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    A&O Shearman Tax Pro Jumps To Hogan Lovells In DC

    Hogan Lovells said Monday that it has brought on a former Allen Overy Shearman Sterling tax partner who specializes in spinoffs, cross-border deals and other corporate transactions.

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    Freshfields Lands Onetime SEC Acting Enforcement Head

    Freshfields has added a litigation partner in its Washington, D.C., office who brings with her nearly 17 years of government experience including time as acting director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division, according to a Monday announcement.

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    Justices On Fence In Tax Clawback Case For Defunct Utah Co.

    U.S. Supreme Court justices seemed divided during oral arguments Monday over whether the Tenth Circuit was correct to allow the bankruptcy trustee of a defunct Utah company to use state law to claw back $145,000 in federal taxes after the two-year deadline, a ruling that has created a 3-1 circuit split.

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    Norton Rose Adds US Chief People Officer From V&E

    Houston-based Norton Rose Fulbright beefed up its professional team this week with the addition of a talent development expert who joined the firm after more than 17 years with Vinson & Elkins LLP.

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    The Top In-House Hires Of November

    Legal department moves in the last month included high-profile announcements at CSX Corp., Cohen & Steers Inc. and Pershing Square Holdings Ltd., including two general counsel joining boards of directors. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house appointments from November.

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    Honigman Makes Partner Of Dechert Associate In DC

    Honigman LLP has hired an associate from Dechert LLP, who is joining Honigman's litigation department in Washington as a partner months after the firm expanded its litigation group in Detroit, the firm announced Monday.

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    Mid-Law Firm Seward & Kissel Matching Milbank Bonus Scale

    Seward & Kissel LLP, a Mid-Law firm with offices in New York and Washington, D.C., has joined the bonus bandwagon for associates by matching the year-end and special cash rewards set by Milbank LLP, according to media reports.

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    NC Judge Is 2nd To Reverse Senior Status Plans After Election

    A second federal judge appointed by a Democratic president has reversed his decision to take senior status in the wake of former President Donald Trump's win in the 2024 presidential election.

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    Ex-Skadden Chair Retiring And Joining Legal Tech Boards

    Eric Friedman, who led Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP for 15 years as chair and executive partner, is retiring from the firm at the end of the year and joining the boards of two legal tech companies.

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    Cooley Promotes 20 Lawyers To Partnership

    Cooley LLP said on Monday that 20 lawyers from its offices in London and the U.S. have been elected to join its partnership as it freshens up its senior ranks.

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    Mayer Brown, Gibson Dunn Match Milbank Bonuses

    Mayer Brown LLP and Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP joined a chorus of other BigLaw firms in doling out extra cash for associates, matching the year-end and special bonuses set by Milbank LLP, according to media reports.

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    Weil Elevates 18 To Partner In Latest Promotion Class

    Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP announced that it promoted 18 attorneys to partner for the start of 2025, with a majority of them operating in the financial and restructuring sectors.

  • Ex-GMU Law Prof Drops Suit Over Title IX Probe

    A former law professor on Wednesday dropped his suit against George Mason University over its Title IX investigation into allegations that he retaliated against students who filed sexual misconduct claims against him.

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    More Law Firm Business Staffs See Discretionary Bonuses

    Law firms' administrators and staff have reported more discretionary bonuses, longer parental leave, increasing work-from-home policies and an overall decline in turnover rates, according to the latest annual report produced by the Association of Legal Administrators.

  • What Do You Know About BigLaw's Associate Bonus Plans?

    BigLaw has ushered in another busy bonus season as law firms announce extra compensation for associates. Test your legal news savvy with a special Law360 Pulse quiz on what firms have announced so far.

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    BigLaw's Special Bonuses Are A Hedge Against Uncertainty

    When Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP matched Milbank's 2024 bonuses with its own, the storied New York firm did not hand associates a single lump sum with the total amount, but instead chose to separate out year-end bonuses from special bonuses.

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    Dechert Associates Bridge Business Acumen Gap At Wharton

    Dechert LLP associates from the United States and Europe recently took part in an intensive, three-day program at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Here, Law360 Pulse speaks to Dechert’s co-chair and a firm associate on how the program helped bridge the gap between legal expertise and business acumen.

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    High Court Bar's Future: Deputy Solicitor General Brian Fletcher

    Principal Deputy U.S. Solicitor General Brian H. Fletcher is the legal equivalent of the coveted five-tool baseball player, who uses his unique intellect to dissect complex issues, quickly develop theories and arguments and level with skeptical U.S. Supreme Court justices, former colleagues and court watchers say.

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    2024 Associate Bonus and 2025 Salary Tracker

    UPDATED November 27, 2024 | As the year draws to a close, an increasing number of large and other elite law firms are falling in line with a bonus scale set by market leader Milbank LLP, which in many cases puts more money in the pockets of law firm associates than ever before.

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    Bonus Season Heats Up As More Firms Match Milbank's Scale

    The 2024 associate bonus season is heating up, with more law firms matching Milbank LLP's year-end and special bonuses and U.K. firms extending the same offering to their U.S.-based attorneys, according to firm memos shared with Law360 Pulse and media reports.

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    Longtime Smithsonian Atty Named African Art Museum Leader

    The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art announced that its interim director — who has served in a wide range of roles for the institution, including assistant general counsel for more than 25 years — will lead the museum on a permanent basis.

  • Legal Services Corp. Awards $5.9M In Tech Grants In 22 States

    Continuing a program first launched in 2000, the Legal Services Corp. is awarding $5.9 million in Technology Initiative Grants to organizations using tech to help deliver legal services across 22 states, the group announced Tuesday.

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    Hotlines Are One Way GCs Can Stay On Top Of Compliance

    Hotlines are among the methods that general counsel concerned with employee reporting mechanisms can use to ensure a solid and trusted compliance program, according to speakers at a recent forum for in-house professionals.

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    BigLaw's Rate Hike Strategy Continues To Pay Off

    A few years ago, when large law firm billing rates started to rise at an unprecedented pace, I remember many commentators said it couldn't last for long and that it was only a matter of time before client pushback would begin to swing the pendulum back in the other direction.

Expert Analysis

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Maximize My Pro Bono Impact? Author Photo

    Debbie Berman at Jenner & Block offers advice on how attorneys can make a meaningful impact on their communities through pro bono work while enhancing their professional development through strengthened client-facing skills, hands-on experience and more.

  • Opinion

    Congress Can And Must Enact A Supreme Court Ethics Code Author Photo

    As public confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court dips to historic lows following reports raising conflict of interest concerns, Congress must exercise its constitutional power to enact a mandatory and enforceable code of ethics for the high court, says Muhammad Faridi, president of the New York City Bar Association.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Law Firm Marketer Author Photo

    Liz Bard Lindley at Jaffe PR shares how she went from a family law associate who helped write industry articles to a savvy legal public relations and marketing professional, and offers takeaways for any attorney who might not feel at home in their law practice and is considering alternative career paths.

  • The Case For Keeping The Gas On Deputy GC Compensation Author Photo

    In recent years, the deputy general counsel role has expanded and become increasingly vital in organizations across the globe, and companies should consider a few ways to retain this top talent, including by offering competitive compensation that reflects projected increases, says Heather Fine at Major Lindsey.

  • Talking Mental Health: The View From Life After BigLaw Author Photo

    Life coach and author Wendy Tamis Robbins discusses why she left a career in BigLaw to work in the professional well-being space after finding freedom from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorders, and highlights two changes the legal industry should implement to address attorneys' mental health.

  • 6 Essential Skills For Summer Associates To Land An Offer
    Excerpt from Practical Guidance
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    With full-time offer rates at the lowest point since 2012, summer associates must do all they can to distinguish themselves, starting with a few fundamentals — from the importance of asking clarifying questions to being honest about mistakes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Making Legal Cents: How Law Firms Can Innovate Faster Author Photo

    To meet the demands of an evolving legal market and changing client expectations, law firms must not only embrace innovation, but also find ways to accelerate adoption and mitigate risks in an industry historically resistant to change, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Should Departing Partners Approach Pay? Author Photo

    Sabina Lippman at CenterPeak discusses steps BigLaw partners can take when considering a move or announcing their departure to help navigate tricky compensation issues and remain on good terms with their current partners.

  • How 2 Litigators Decided Dad Would Stay Home With The Kids Author Photo

    Jennifer Hoekstra at Aylstock Witkin shares the tough conversations about timing, goals, logistics and values involved in her family's decision that she would build her career as a litigator and law firm partner while her husband stepped back from his own litigation role to stay home with their children.

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    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Legal Commentary Ghostwriter Author Photo

    Wayne Pollock at Copo Strategies shares how he went from overworked Am Law 50 associate to owner of a legal thought leadership ghostwriting service, and provides four lessons for anyone who might be considering launching a business within the legal industry.

  • Ask A Mentor: As Trials Grow Rarer, How Do I Hone My Skills? Author Photo

    Gary Parsons at Brooks Pierce offers advice for young lawyers seeking trial experience in an environment where fewer cases make it to trial, including how to build their reputations, set their expectations and pick the right firm.

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