California Pulse


  • Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2026 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2026 Editorial Advisory Boards.

  • Robert Louis, Charlie Weiss, Debra Lewis, Edward Brown and Jeff Dorrill

    Why These Senior Attorneys Can't Quit Being Lawyers

    Slightly more than 1 out of 8 lawyers in the United States were age 65 or older in 2025. Law360 Pulse spoke with several senior attorneys who said they plan to continue working full time, finding the job to still be professionally and personally rewarding.

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    The Gray Exit: Senior Attorneys Confront A New Legal Reality

    BigLaw's upper ranks were long anchored by partners who extended their careers deep into older age. But in a post-pandemic market shaped by tighter economics and stricter succession planning, federal labor data suggest that late-career longevity has stalled.

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    Which GCs Sold Stock In March? Venture Global, Alphabet

    Several general counsel welcomed spring by harvesting some fresh stock sales in March. Keith Larson of Venture Global led the way with sales valued at $76.8 million. United Therapeutics' Paul Mahon sold $8.4 million in stocks, while Alphabet's Kent Walker unloaded $2.5 million worth.

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    Intel Lands Zoom's COO As Its New Legal Chief

    Intel Corp. has hired Zoom Communications Inc.'s chief operating officer to serve as its new top attorney, replacing the technology company's outgoing legal chief following a four-year stint in the role.

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    AI Demand Pro Hires Ex-Oculus Publishing Director As CEO

    AI Demand Pro, which develops an artificial intelligence platform for personal injury law firms, announced the appointment of Aaron Davies, who was a lead at Meta's virtual reality subsidiary Oculus, as its chief executive officer.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry kicked off April with another busy week of BigLaw hires and insights about how attorneys use artificial intelligence. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Latham Adds Wilson Sonsini Tech Transactions Pro In Calif.

    Latham & Watkins LLP is expanding its California team, bringing in a Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC tech transactions ace as a partner in its Bay Area offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

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    Taylor Duma Closing Reflects Atlanta's Growing Competition

    The closure of Atlanta-based Taylor Duma LLP on Tuesday highlights the threat regional firms face as more and more outside firms open offices in the city, intensifying the competition for legal talent that cannot always be tackled through a merger partnership.

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    Snell & Wilmer Names Life Sciences Pro As San Diego Leader

    Snell & Wilmer LLP has tapped a longtime corporate attorney who specializes in the life sciences industry to be the new head of its San Diego office.

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    California Bar Exam Class Claims Paused For Mediation

    A California federal judge has agreed to stay pending claims a proposed class of California bar applicants are pursuing against the proctor of the disastrous February 2025 California bar exam, after the two sides reported they are soon to be engaged in mediation.

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    Renowned LA Public Defender Joins Stris & Maher Boutique

    Business litigation boutique Stris & Maher LLP is expanding its ranks, announcing Thursday that a renowned Los Angeles public defender is joining the firm as a partner later this spring.

  • Ex-Wilson Sonsini M&A Co-Head Rejoins Goodwin In SF

    A former partner at Goodwin Procter LLP's Silicon Valley office has rejoined the firm in San Francisco after co-leading Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC's mergers and acquisitions practice for five years, Goodwin announced on Wednesday.

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    Is $1,314 Per Hour Too Much For A Small Firm? Court Says No

    In fights over attorney fees, should lawyers from small firms be forced to accept smaller amounts of money than their BigLaw counterparts? A federal appeals court recently concluded that it's not fair to discriminate against small-firm lawyers in this way.

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    Hanson Bridgett Opens Office in Downtown Fresno

    Hanson Bridgett LLP continues its expansion in California, announcing Wednesday it has opened an office in Fresno, the firm's eighth in the Golden State.

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    Is 'Time Kills All Deals' True Of BigLaw Mergers?

    The time span between when a law firm merger is announced and when the deal closes can be a risky period, leading to lawyer losses at firms.

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    Lyft's CLO Saw $2.6M Decrease In Comp Last Year

    The top attorney for rideshare platform Lyft saw her compensation package drop by $2.6 million last year to about $5.3 million compared to nearly $8 million in 2024, according to a recent securities filing.

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    Cox Castle Grows In San Diego With Procopio Real Estate Hire

    Cox Castle & Nicholson LLP announced that an experienced real estate attorney has joined the firm's San Diego office from Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP, in what the firm says is the latest step in growing its presence in the Southern California city.

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    Unity Biotech CLO Joins Wilson Sonsini's GC Residence

    Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC announced Tuesday it has added a former assistant White House counsel, most recently the chief legal officer of the now shuttered Unity Biotechnology Inc., as the latest in-house attorney to join its general counsel in residence program.

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    Signature Resolution CEO Talks About East Coast Expansion

    With the evolution of the alternative dispute resolution industry, Dario Higuchi, CEO of California-based Signature Resolution, thinks the time is right to take Signature's brand of ADR to the East Coast.

  • Apartment Co. Promotes Asst. To GC Amid Leader Changes

    Management Support, an apartment owner and operator, said it has elevated its assistant legal counsel to general counsel as part of a series of leadership changes following the death of the company's founder.

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    Threat Or Opportunity: Junior Attys Face The AI Future Now

    Early-career and senior attorneys alike said they believe artificial intelligence could replace responsibilities usually performed by junior lawyers, causing concern among some early-career legal professionals about their future job prospects, a new Law360 Pulse survey found.

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    Power Users Get Real About AI's Role At Work

    Attorneys who frequently use artificial intelligence tools are starting to feel less positive and more neutral about the technology's adoption in the legal industry, a trend that might be driven by lawyers developing more realistic expectations about AI's capabilities.

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    What Attorneys Really Think About AI

    Seventy percent of attorneys at law firms report using artificial intelligence at least once a week as part of their jobs, a sharp increase from 2025, according to the latest survey from Law360 Pulse.

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    5 Takeaways From 2026 ABA Techshow In Chicago

    Artificial intelligence's impact on the legal profession dominated much of the conversation as more than 2,000 attendees and over 100 vendors gathered last week at McCormick Place in Chicago for the American Bar Association Techshow 2026. Here are five highlights from the event.

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Expert Analysis

  • Making Legal Cents: Strategy That Stays In Motion Author Photo

    Instead of lurching between year-end strategic planning season and springtime panic mode, firms need a framework that helps them identify what clients and the market need throughout the year, and then actually adjust course, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Roundup

    Legal Tech Talks Author Photo

    Company founders, attorneys and other professionals working in the legal tech space share their journeys into the industry, challenges they face when working with law firms and legal departments, and common misconceptions about technology.

  • 4 Tips For Attys To Turn An Interim Job Into A Long-Term Role Author Photo

    As some attorneys seek interim roles amid economic uncertainty, big-picture thinking and a few proactive steps can help to turn those short-term assignments into long-term positions, says Amy Vanderhoof at Major Lindsey.

  • The Augmented Lawyer: AI Exercises For Junior Attorneys Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly adept at handling entry-level legal tasks, firms and organizations must consider new ways to train and mentor junior attorneys to prepare them for leadership in an AI-integrated profession, say attorneys at KXT Law.

  • Series

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Embrace LinkedIn Author Photo

    Attorneys who recognize LinkedIn as a powerful professional platform can gain significant competitive advantages in business development via strategic content creation, meaningful industry discussions and consistent visibility within target markets, says Agatha Mouillet at Horvitz & Levy.

  • Guidance For Attorneys As Tariffs Reshape Legal Hiring Author Photo

    As law firms and in-house legal departments grapple with the uncertainty of evolving tariff policies, attorneys at all career stages should consider how to lean into these shifts to best position themselves for long-term opportunities, says Rena Barnett-Matthews at Attorney Career Coach.

  • How Firms Can Plan For Succession Of Admin Professionals Author Photo

    Many law firms are familiar with the need for attorney succession plans, but it’s also essential to plan for the succession of administrative professionals — from human resources personnel to finance leaders — to ensure continuity of critical day-to-day operations, say Eryn Carter and Travis Armstrong at the Association of Legal Administrators.

  • Series

    Expanding The Reach Of A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I co-founded the Legal Mentor Network with the goal of providing free legal mentoring to law students and early career attorneys, and the experience has highlighted how nonprofits can grow with the help of strong sponsorships and volunteers who all operate from a positive place, says Chrystal Mauro at the Legal Mentor Network.

  • How 1Ls Can Plan For Sped-Up Summer Associate Hiring Author Photo

    The ever-earlier recruiting of summer associates sets high stakes before new law students may even realize, but 1Ls can better land a good 2L summer fit if they hit their first semester focused on the hiring timeline and ready to ask important questions about their would-be firms, says Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.

  • How GCs Can Help Build A Geopolitical Command Center Author Photo

    In the face of sustained regulatory and economic uncertainty, general counsel can help businesses move from reactive to proactive management by building a clear, cross-functional geopolitical command center that monitors and coordinates responses to a wide spectrum of issues, says Lars Faeste at FTI Consulting.

  • For Some Lawyers, Building A New Practice Makes Perfect Author Photo

    Leaving an established law firm to start a boutique business of your own requires not only vision and resilience but also a solid business plan to help mitigate risks and increase your chances of unparalleled personal and professional success, says Rebecca Palmer at the Rebecca L. Palmer Law Group.

  • Beyond Billable Hours: The Unseen Labor Of Women In Law Author Photo

    The legal profession has a critical role to play in reducing attrition of women lawyers by addressing the disproportionate burden of the mental load — the often-unseen work of managing tasks and anticipating needs in both personal and professional realms, says Michelle Browning-Coughlin at Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law.

  • 10 Key Strategies For Successful Lateral Partner Integration Author Photo

    To help ensure new partners and practice groups are successfully integrated, firms should embrace specific structured practices that recognize each lateral's distinct value, personalize their integration plans and proactively address transition complexities long after onboarding ends, say Elizabeth Kennedy at NewEdge BD and Erika Steinberg at CMO2Go.

  • How Firms Can Manage DEI Commitments Amid Headwinds Author Photo

    By recalibrating how they structure and communicate their inclusion efforts, law firms can reduce legal exposure and preserve their values, says Angela Vallot at VallotKarp Consulting.

  • Key Ingredients For Effective Law Firm Strategic Planning Author Photo

    As the legal industry faces political turmoil and economic uncertainty, the time is ripe for firms to revisit their strategic plans, ensuring they contain a few essential elements — from accountability systems to broad-based input — to achieve sustainable growth and profitability, says Joe Calve at Calve Communications.

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