California Pulse


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    Houlihan Lokey GC Pocketed $500K Raise Last Year

    Global investment bank Houlihan Lokey Inc.'s general counsel and secretary saw his total compensation rise $500,000 to $3.25 million in fiscal year 2026, thanks to an increase in his nonequity incentive plan pay, according to a securities filing.

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    Milbank Issues Bonuses To Associates, Special Counsel

    Milbank LLP is continuing to lead the way on bonuses, confirming Monday it has issued a round of special bonuses ranging from $6,000 for the class of 2026 and 2025 associates to $25,000 for the class of 2021 associates and beyond.

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    Law Firms Expand AI Roles Beyond C-Suite To Lawyer Ranks

    BigLaw firms are expanding artificial intelligence-focused roles from the C-suite to associate and partner levels.

  • 'False Innuendo': Sanctioned Davis Wright Atty Rips Fee Bid

    A Davis Wright Tremaine LLP partner sanctioned for subpoena tactics is fiercely contesting a plaintiffs firm's six-figure fee bid, telling a California federal court that the request misleadingly cites alleged misconduct in separate litigation, reflecting a "naked attempt to prejudice the court's view of counsel."

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    Law Firms Face Hard Calls As Income Partner Ranks Swell

    Large law firms have grown their non-equity partner tiers at a relatively rapid clip in recent years, with some implementing the position for the first time. For many firms, that means hard decisions around how they will trim the ranks and remain profitable are on the horizon.

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    Ex-Sidley Insurance Atty Joins Hinshaw In LA

    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP said Thursday it has hired a former counsel in Sidley Austin LLP's insurance practice as a partner for its Los Angeles office.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and McGuireWoods LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fourth Circuit reversed class certification in an investor lawsuit against Boeing over the company's alleged concealment of safety issues with its 737 Max fleet.

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    RH Picks McKesson Exec As New Legal And Compliance Chief

    Luxury home furnishing company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has appointed a new top legal and compliance leader from McKesson Corp.

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    Gordon Rees Doubles Office Space With Fresno, Calif., Move

    To accommodate a rapidly growing roster, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP recently moved its Fresno, California, team to a new space in the city that is more than double the size of its prior location.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry marked another busy week with new insight into law school grads and expanded BigLaw firm offerings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Report Links Diversity To Financial Results, Warns Boards

    An analysis of nine years' worth of federal workforce data covering 1,482 public companies released Thursday links diverse management teams with companies that financially perform significantly better than Homogeneous ones, while all white male teams consistently underperformed.

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    Ex-McGuireWoods Chair Remembered As Brilliant, Fair Leader

    Former McGuireWoods LLP Chairman Robert L. Burrus, who helped expand the firm's global footprint and launch its government relations arm, is being remembered as a fair, kind and brilliant leader whose recent death leaves a long-lasting legacy at the firm and his alma mater, the University of Richmond.

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    FordHarrison Rehires Ex-Amazon Labor Exec In Los Angeles

    A former FordHarrison LLP attorney who worked in-house at Providence Health and Amazon has returned to private practice in the firm's Los Angeles office.

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    Sheppard Wants Attys To Treat AI Like A 2nd-Year Associate

    As some law firms are engrossed with adopting certain artificial intelligence tools, Sheppard believes greater gains can be achieved by focusing on a technology-based program that promotes behavioral changes in how attorneys and staff view AI tools.

  • Gov't Attys May Face Broader Duty To Report Misconduct

    Attorneys representing the government could face "more demanding" obligations to disclose misconduct by people within their client organizations than attorneys representing private entities, according to an ethics opinion issued Wednesday by the American Bar Association.

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    Jackson Lewis Names New Employment Litigation Co-Leaders

    Jackson Lewis PC announced the elevation of two office managers and longtime firm attorneys to co-leaders of the employment litigation group this week.

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    More Associates Are Leaving Their First Legal Jobs Early

    Nearly 12% of the class of 2024 have already left their first jobs at the top 50 firms, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP has taken in the most first-year laterals, according to new statistics from legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.

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    Law School Paths Emerge For Navigating Students' AI Use

    The University of Chicago Law School and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law have laid out two approaches for regulating student AI use, charting divergent paths when educational institutions across the nation are looking for guidance on how to grapple with the role of the technology in legal education.

  • Thompson Hine Opens Energy Practice With 4-Atty Team

    Thompson Hine LLP on Wednesday announced the opening of an energy practice with a four-lawyer team split between the East and West coasts.

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    Ex-AT&T Attorney Whistleblower Denies Violating Ethics Rules

    A former AT&T attorney and whistleblower who is accused of violating lawyer-client privilege 18 years ago while exposing purported company wrongdoing has vehemently denied the charges in his reply and motion to dismiss the disciplinary case in Washington, D.C.

  • Defaults Didn't Deny Users Ad-Free Search, Google Says

    Google again is pushing a California federal judge to toss consumer antitrust claims accusing it of shutting out rival search engines that offer better privacy safeguards and no ads, arguing they still haven't shown harm, and thus standing to sue, from the contracts making it the default search engine.

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    Cybersecurity Atty Joins Constangy Brooks From Perkins Coie

    Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP announced Monday that an experienced cybersecurity and data privacy attorney has joined the firm's Orange County, California, office as a partner from Perkins Coie LLP.

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    Mintz Adds Baker Botts Venture Capital Ace In San Francisco

    Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC announced Tuesday that it has bolstered its venture capital and emerging companies practice with a San Francisco-based corporate partner who came aboard from Baker Botts LLP.

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    Eversheds Sutherland Adds Longtime DOJ Prosecutor In Calif.

    Eversheds Sutherland has grown its litigation offerings in California with the addition of a veteran prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.

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    States Make Up Growing Front In Litigation Finance Battle

    U.S. business interests are turning to state legislatures to stymie litigation funders after a string of failed efforts in Congress, fueling a flurry of recent legislation that could shape the future of the multibillion-dollar industry.

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Expert Analysis

  • Adapting Legal Thought Leadership To An AI World Author Photo

    As potential clients with legal questions increasingly rely on summaries generated by artificial intelligence, attorneys must rethink their content strategy to make sure AI chatbots and search overviews cite their thought leadership, say Ioana Good and Adrien Maines at Promova and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing.

  • 10 Practical Tips For Attorneys Navigating High-Profile Cases Author Photo

    Complex corporate litigation now often unfolds under the glare of a parallel trial in the court of public opinion, requiring attorneys to adopt a cohesive strategy for legal filings, leadership communications and narrative control, says Monica Smith at Integer PR.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Tailor Your Personal Style Author Photo

    In an industry where competition for clients is fierce, a thoughtful approach to personal style can give you the confidence to walk into any room and own it, the magnetism to make connections that matter, and the tools to highlight your deeper professional values, says Leslie Berkoff at Moritt Hock.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Tips For Landing The Client Pitch Author Photo

    In today’s competitive legal market, successful attorneys treat the pitch process with general counsel like the beginning of a relationship, not a one-off sale — showing up with curiosity, commercial awareness and the ability to engage in a meaningful way from the start, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.

  • 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.

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    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.

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    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.

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