How Much Legal Research Should Hunsaker Have Done?
As in-house counsel, I would routinely encounter “problems” that, if construed with the most negative inferences and splashed on the New York Times, would be embarrassing to the company (and me) at best and life-threatening to the company (and possibly…
AmLaw on IP Associate Satisfaction
Congratulations to Finnegan Henderson for ranking second in American Lawyer’s midlevel associate satisfaction survey. In discussing Finnegan Henderson’s success, the article talks a little about the relevant satisfaction of IP associates compared with other associates: Throughout our survey, IP midlevels…
“I shouldn’t have asked….” = Wrong Answer
Another email exchange has emerged in the HP pretexting investigation, this time between HP’s “Chief Ethics Officer” (CEthO) and a line manager from January 30: CEthO: “How does [the PI] get cell and home phone records? Is it all above…
Sonsini/Perkins Email
As academics, it’s not often that we get our hands on a real email exchange between attorney and client that we can use for pedagogical purposes. Fortunately, the WSJ has republished the email exchange between Larry Sonsini and Tom Perkins…
Third Big Firm Overbilling Scandal
Forget stock option backdating; the real emerging scandal is big law firm billing practices. In the past month, we’ve had public scrutiny of the billing practices at old-line white-shoe NY firm Wilkie Farr, DC/Boston powerhouse WilmerHale and now the latest–1200…
What if He Had [Barked] [Crowed] [Moo’ed] Instead?
The AP ran a crazy, crazy story of prosecutorial discretion gone amok. Neighbor 1’s cat uses neighbor 2’s garden as a littlerbox. Neighbor 2 complains to police. Neighbor 1 gets rid of the cat, which upsets the 14 year old…
Another NY BigLaw Partner Caught Lying to His Firm
In the Matter of William P. DiSalvatore, 2006 NY Slip Op 06210 (NY App Div Aug. 10, 2006). The NY Lawyer story. William P. DiSalvatore was a partner at WilmerHale, a major national firm. He was also a rising star…
Biglaw Partner Suspended 1 Year for Billing Clients for Personal Telephone Calls
In re Matter of Carmody, 2006 NY Slip Op 06058 (NY App Div July 27, 2006). The NY Lawyer writeup. Patrick Carmody was a former partner at NY’s Willkie Farr, where he made about $1,000,000/year. During 2001 and 2002, he…
Wisconsin’s Diploma Privilege Draws More Questions
[July 2009 Update: In response to the Seventh Circuit opinion, I’ve blogged more about the diploma privilege and Wiesmueller v. Kosobucki] Wisconsin is the only state that still allows graduates of in-state law schools to become lawyers without taking a…
“Extortionate Destruction” and SaveToby
An article in the Yale Law & Policy Review, Saving Toby: Extortion, Blackmail, and the Right to Destroy, discusses SaveToby.com, a perennial topic on this blog. The author argues that the law doesn’t adequately inhibit threats on a bunny’s life….