Browse >
Home / Archive: August 2008
A Texas federal judge accused of sexual harassment by his former case manager was indicted Thursday on charges of abusive sexual contact and attempted aggravated sexual abuse, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. A federal criminal investigation began in November 2007 after the former case manager complained about U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent. The judge's attorney has called any alleged sexual contact "enthusiastically consensual."
The difference between a failure and a felony can turn on whether an
executive willfully shut his or her eyes to illegal activity -- or
simply dozed and missed a problem. That difference can sometimes be hard
to distinguish. And that's why it's so important that courts take great
care that they don't allow mistakes to be turned into crimes, write
attorneys Kevin Mosley and Andrew Wise. Dozing may be grounds for
termination, or even civil liability, but it isn't a crime.
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle is looking to make some new connections. The 200-lawyer New York firm this week announced the launch of its own group page on Facebook, a move meant to boost recruiting through targeted marketing. Will other large law firms follow suit?
Competitive intelligence is a systematic method of collecting and analyzing information on individuals, business entities and competitors. Much has been written in the business world about the ethical obligations in the gathering and use of CI, but what about the legal world?
Partners and firms are vetting one another more closely in the hiring process these days, many recruiters say. Despite the extra caution, lateral activity has remained high and will likely continue, thanks to opportunities created by new and recent entrants to the market and billing and strategic pressures. But for a partner who isn't holding a big book of business, moving may not be so easy -- and for associates it may be impossible -- as firms increasingly look only at the most productive partners.
While many law firms during the economic slowdown have pulled back on associate recruitment or culled their lower ranks of attorneys, a lesson in recent history shows that any drastic moves could well lead to hiring headaches once business improves. And associate cuts that go too deeply today may create tomorrow's sky-high salaries. But predicting a law firm's future needs during an economic downturn is the "$64,000 question," says Dorsey & Whitney partner Robert J. Dwyer Jr.
While YouTube cheers a Northern District of California ruling in a case mirroring its own fight against Viacom, some IP lawyers doubt that the win by video-sharing site Veoh will have much bearing on YouTube's battle in a New York court. In the California case, a judge ruled that Veoh wasn't liable when users uploaded porn clips owned by the Io Group, finding that, because the video site worked hard at policing content, it was protected by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's safe-harbor provision.
If at first you don't succeed, try, and try again. It's a maxim that the management at Heller Ehrman has taken to heart as it has explored merging with one firm after another. About two weeks ago, discussions with Baker & McKenzie, the most substantive of Heller's recent merger talks, broke down due to conflicts. Now comes word, according to sources close to both firms, that Heller is aggressively pursuing other merger options, of which the most promising is a combination with Chicago-based Mayer Brown.
The 2nd Circuit has upheld the dismissal of criminal charges against 13 former KPMG employees on the grounds that prosecutors interfered with their constitutional rights to counsel. Thursday's ruling came shortly before a DOJ announcement that it has revised guidelines for corporate crime investigations. Prosecutors had come under sharp attack for informing KPMG, under the earlier guidelines, that assisting employees with legal fees would be considered in determining whether KPMG itself would be prosecuted.
Legal Technology editor Sean Dohery weighs in from the exhibit hall of the International Legal Technology Association's annual meeting. Doherty measures how the conference delivers on this year's theme, "Global Perspective, Peer Advantage," and highlights the news heard on the floor.
« Previous Page — Next Page »
