California Pulse


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    All-Remote Boutique Stands Out Amid BigLaw In-Office Push

    As a growing number of BigLaw firms are going full speed ahead on their return to office plans, an all-remote boutique is hoping to attract talented attorneys who aren't interested in the office life.

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    Stoel Rives Hires 7 More Enviro Attys From Downey Brand

    Less than a year after hiring seven environmental attorneys from California-based Downey Brand LLP, Stoel Rives LLP announced the hire of another seven from the same firm consisting of three partners, an of counsel and three associates, located in San Francisco and the state's capital, Sacramento.

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    What Tomorrow's Attys Expect To See At Law Firms

    Future lawyers demand that their law firms value diversity, offer a work-life balance and embrace cutting-edge technology, a group of experts said during a panel discussion on Wednesday.

  • Excello Law Expands Into US With New Calif. Office

    Excello Law is expanding into the U.S. with the launch of Excello Law US LLP, the U.K. dispersed model firm announced Thursday.

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    Law Firm Real Estate Report

    It was a month of expansion for several law firms throughout the country, with some moving to larger offices and others adding new locations.

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    Massumi & Consoli Adds Kirkland Private Equity Pro In LA

    Mergers and acquisitions boutique Massumi & Consoli LLP is expanding its team to accommodate increasing client demand, bringing in a Kirkland & Ellis LLP private equity expert.

  • Tesla Can't DQ Calif. Judge Over His Old Firm's Prior Work

    A California federal judge has rejected Tesla Inc.'s bid to disqualify him from an accident case over his prior law firm's work on employment cases against the automaker, saying that aside from that the motion was not brought in time.

  • Jay-Z's New Evidence May Save Claim Buzbee Tried Extortion

    A California state court judge said Wednesday that new evidence submitted by Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter "has thrown a monkey wrench" in his analysis of the rapper's feud with personal injury lawyer Tony Buzbee, and he's now inclined to keep alive an extortion claim stemming from now-abandoned rape allegations.

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    State AGs, Bars Urge Attys To Speak Up Over Trump Orders

    In a pair of letters released on Wednesday, dozens of bar associations and over 20 state attorneys general urged lawyers to speak out against perceived threats to the rule of law in response to President Donald Trump's recent executive orders against prominent law firms and his call for the impeachment of a federal judge.

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    Even With Few Openings, Courts Can Still Shift Under Trump

    There were record low vacancies on the federal bench when Donald Trump took office in January, but the president could still radically alter some courts and swing the judiciary rightward, especially if Congress creates more judgeships during his second tenure.

  • Calif. Consumer Affairs Dept. Sued For 'Unqualified' Arbitrator

    California's Department of Consumer Affairs has been accused of harming consumers by allowing unqualified individuals to handle arbitrations, according to a suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.

  • Law Professor Proposes Rule Changes To Combat Deepfakes

    Federal rules of evidence should specifically cite generative artificial intelligence in addressing potentially compromised admissions during litigation, while determining the authentication of evidence should be left in the hands of judges, according to a report published Monday to the Social Science Research Network.

  • Ore. Lawyer Challenges Forced Bar Membership At High Court

    An Oregon attorney is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case after the Ninth Circuit found that the state bar violated his First Amendment right to freedom of association by publishing political statements — which included criticism of President Donald Trump — but also said a disclaimer that the bar doesn't speak for all its members could be enough to fix it.

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    Associate Recruitment Helps Boost Law Firm Lateral Hiring

    After a two-year market downturn, U.S. law firm lateral hiring grew almost 14% overall in 2024, driven by a significant boost in associate recruitment, a report released Wednesday by the National Association for Law Placement found.

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    Venable Nabs 2 More Axinn IP Attorneys In San Francisco

    Venable LLP has added two more San Francisco-based attorneys from Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP for its intellectual property litigation-technology group.

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    In Their Words: Women Leaders On Top Advice To Associates

    In recognition of Women's History Month, Law360 Pulse spoke with five women with leading roles at five law firms about their tips for young female lawyers.

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    Stinson Nabbing Dykema Real Estate Pros For New LA Office

    Stinson LLP is planning to open a Los Angeles office and is poaching a pair of real estate lawyers from Dykema Gossett PLLC to launch the new digs there, according to a source with knowledge of the matter.

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    Mitchell Silberberg Promotes IP Litigator To Firm Chair

    Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP has tapped a Los Angeles-based longtime entertainment and intellectual property litigator, who once was vice president of legal at NBCUniversal Television, to be the new chair of the firm.

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    Deals Down, BigLaw Usage Up As Litigation Finance Matures

    New deal volume is down for a second year in the litigation finance industry, even as BigLaw firms continue to make up a larger percentage of its customer base, highlighting an industry "trending towards greater sophistication" despite macro headwinds that have kept capital tight.

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    Jenner & Block Latest BigLaw Firm Targeted In Trump Order

    President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at Jenner & Block LLP, suspending security clearances for its employees and taking other actions in response to the firm's pro bono work and a former partner's role as a top deputy to former special counsel Robert Mueller.

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    Tressler Expands Calif. Footprint With San Diego, SF Offices

    Tressler LLP is expanding its presence in California, opening new offices in San Diego and the San Francisco area, the firm announced this week.

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    Midsize Firms Boost AI Use, Offer Alternative Fee Options

    A report on midsize law firms released Tuesday by legal technology company Clio found that use of artificial technology among midsized firms has more than quadrupled in two years to 93% and that such firms are also likely to be using alternative fee arrangements such as flat fees.

  • Calif. Justices Revive Bounty Hunter's Claims Against SF Atty

    The California Supreme Court has ruled that a fugitive recovery agent's claims of malicious prosecution against an attorney who represented clients who sued the agent after their Oakland residence was searched via drug trafficking warrants were not untimely, finding that a one-year statute of limitations did not apply because the agent is not the attorney's client.

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    Stock Awards Raise Uber CLO's Compensation Despite Leave

    The chief legal officer of the ride-hailing company Uber saw his annual compensation rise to $12.6 million in 2024 — up $2.2 million from 2023 — according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

  • Google Wins Sanctions For Ramey Firm's 'Baseless' IP Suit

    A New York federal magistrate judge granted Google's request Monday for sanctions against Ramey LLP for filing an allegedly "baseless" suit on behalf of EscapeX IP accusing YouTube of infringing its social media chat-function patent, finding that counsel failed to conduct a presuit investigation and needlessly drew out litigation.

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Expert Analysis

  • The Importance Of Client Engagement In Law Firm Innovation Author Photo

    As clients increasingly want law firms to serve as innovation platforms, firms must understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach — the key is a nimble innovation function focused on listening and knowledge sharing, says Mark Brennan at Hogan Lovells.

  • The Unique Challenges Facing Women-Owned Law Firms Author Photo

    In addition to establishing their brand from scratch, women who start their own law firms must overcome inherent bias against female lawyers and convince prospective clients to put aside big-firm preferences, says Joel Stern at the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms.

  • The Pursuit Of Wellness In BigLaw: Lessons From My Journey Author Photo

    Jane Jeong at Cooley shares how grueling BigLaw schedules and her own perfectionism emotionally bankrupted her, and why attorneys struggling with burnout should consider making small changes to everyday habits.

  • Why We Must Recruit And Advance More Black Prosecutors Author Photo

    Black Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of the incarcerated population but are underrepresented among elected prosecutors, so the legal community — from law schools to prosecutor offices — must commit to addressing these disappointing demographics, says Erika Gilliam-Booker at the National Black Prosecutors Association.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Deal With Overload? Author Photo

    Young lawyers overwhelmed with a crushing workload must tackle the problem on two fronts — learning how to say no, and understanding how to break down projects into manageable parts, says Jay Harrington at Harrington Communications.

  • A Scientific Path For Improving Diversity At Law Firms Author Photo

    Law firms could combine industrial organizational psychology and machine learning to study prospective hires' analytical thinking, stress response and similar attributes — which could lead to recruiting from a more diverse candidate pool, say Ali Shahidi and Bess Sully at Sheppard Mullin.

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    Ask A Mentor: How Can Associates Seek More Assignments? Author Photo

    In the first installment of Law360 Pulse's career advice guest column, Meela Gill at Weil offers insights on how associates can ask for meaningful work opportunities at their firms without sounding like they are begging. 

  • Legal Sector Regulatory Reform Is Key To Closing Justice Gap Author Photo

    In order to improve access to justice for those who cannot afford a lawyer, states should consider regulatory innovations, such as allowing new forms of law firm ownership and permitting nonlawyers to provide certain legal services, says Patricia Lee Refo, president of the American Bar Association.

  • How Attys Can Guard Against Rising Settle-And-Sue Claims Author Photo

    Certain precautions can help lawyers avoid post-settlement malpractice claims and create a solid evidentiary defense, as settle-and-sue lawsuits rise amid pandemic-induced dispute settlements, say Bethany Kristovich and Jeremy Beecher at Munger Tolles.

  • What I Learned As A Virtual Summer Associate Author Photo

    It is necessary in a virtual law firm summer program to think twice about asking questions you may be able to answer on your own, but this independence and other aspects of a remote internship may help to instill habits that would be useful for future full-time associates, says law student Kelley Sheehan, who interned at Patterson & Sheridan this summer.

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