Lawyer - News

Just a decade ago, China's rise as an economic superpower still seemed uncertain. Back then, the China practice of major international firms was still mainly the province of the Old China Hands -- lawyers who perhaps had a deeper affinity for Chinese language and culture than the practice of law -- who focused on representing foreign companies opening factories and shops in China. But with the country's economic rise, the face of the China practice at international firms has grown increasingly ... Chinese. No comments

An attorney who conveys an alleged agreement to cover the legal costs of another lawyer's client can be held liable for unpaid fees, a unanimous New York appellate court panel ruled Tuesday. The decision allows the firm of DePetris Bachrach to pursue claims against the Shiboleth law firm and one of its lawyers, Charles B. Manuel, that they had promised that their clients would make good on DePetris Bachrach's fees. No comments

Lawmakers have decried the use of the filibuster to block judicial nominations, but anyone frustrated with the process shouldn't expect a quick change, a panel of Senate experts said Tuesday. Makan Delrahim, now a Brownstein Hyatt partner, saw how "brutal" the process can be for nominees while he was a Republican lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee during George W. Bush's administration. Said Delrahim, "I have a real problem with the filibuster. I think it eats away at the Senate and the decorum the Senate is known for." No comments

With technology, a legal department can speak with a single voice, think with a single mind, and act like a partnership even with lawyers dispersed around the world. Consultant Rees W. Morrison discusses 20 techniques that increase coherence and effectiveness in a spread-out department. No comments

Dallas police say charges against a former city attorney accused of shooting a father and son inside their financial business are on hold because the accused gunman isn't expected to survive. Police say Robert Mustard shot himself in the head after shooting the others Monday. The 60-year-old was in intensive care Tuesday. Police Sr. Cpl. Kevin Janse says aggravated assault charges won't be filed if Mustard dies. No comments

The New Jersey Supreme Court is deciding if a title insurer can be held liable for a lawyer's theft of a home buyer's funds if it fails to tell the buyer directly it is not responsible for the lawyer's misdeeds. The case, Lawyers Funds for Client Protection v. Stewart Title Guaranty Co., argued Monday, is being closely watched by the title industry, which could become a deep pocket for fleeced clients if the appeals court ruling below is allowed to stand. No comments

Trial lawyer Kenneth Turnbull started at King Spalding on Tuesday, the fifth partner to join the firm's professional liability and securities litigation practices from Orrick, Herrington Sutcliffe since the beginning of February. David Schaefer, global director of communications for Orrick, said that despite the loss of the five partners, the firm still has a 65 lawyer-strong security and litigation enforcement group and "expects another successful year." No comments

Dallas County prosecutors will seek an indictment for murder against plaintiffs attorney Scott Marshall in connection with the Dec. 20, 2009, shooting death of Staci Montgomery, the ex-wife of Marshall's former law partner, Bady Sassin. According to the Dallas County district attorney's office, prosecutors will present the case against Marshall to a grand jury on Friday. Montgomery's death occurred as the two former partners were engaged in a legal battle over the dissolution of their firm. No comments

A Florida lawsuit is a page-turner worthy of a best-seller: A short-term housekeeper employed by a Holocaust survivor in Monaco ends up in control of a $400 million fortune after he dies under "suspicious" circumstances. The lawsuit claims the woman manipulated the widow, who was suffering from dementia, and cheated a number of Israeli charitable, education and research organizations that were the rightful beneficiaries. A defense attorney maintains the suit is fiction, and courts all over the world have agreed. No comments