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California Pulse


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    Longtime Snap GC Set To Leave At End Of 2025

    The longtime general counsel of Snap Inc. — who earned close to $9.4 million in 2023, nearly $5 million more than in the previous year — is set to depart Snapchat's parent company on amicable terms on Dec. 31.

  • À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Wiley's work as part of a $6.2 billion acquisition by Nexstar and William Mullen's representation of a Novo Nordisk unit facing a bias suit lead this edition of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from Aug. 22 to Sept 5.

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    'Larger Than Life' Willkie Leader Dies After E-Bike Crash

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP partner Michele Mulrooney, who died this week after an electric bicycle crash in Colorado, is being remembered as "someone who was larger than life" in her interactions with colleagues and clients as co-chair of the firm's national private wealth management practice.

  • Reed Smith Expands In LA With Music Industry Copyright Pro

    Reed Smith LLP is growing its entertainment industry team, bringing in a veteran entertainment attorney specializing in music copyrights as senior counsel in its Century City office in Los Angeles.

  • California Powerhouse: Morrison Foerster

    Over the last year, Morrison Foerster LLP continued to show why it is one of the top law firms that technology giants and innovators look to, as it represented OpenAI in high-stakes copyright litigation and a clash with Elon Musk, while it also scored courtroom wins for Apple and advised SoftBank on several eye-popping tech deals.

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    How Paul Hastings Is Winning Over Elite Law Students

    While Paul Hastings LLP's high-profile partner additions have splashed across headlines in recent years, the firm has quietly begun to add more talent from elite law schools in what chair Frank Lopez calls a strategic priority to grow the firm's talent from the junior level up.

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    À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Milbank LLP, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and the Liberty Justice Center lead this week's edition of À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Legal Lions, after the Federal Circuit held that President Donald Trump's emergency tariffs were improperly imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

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    Legal Sector Jobs Creep Back Down After 5 Months Of Gains

    U.S. legal industry jobs inched down by 200 positions last month, reflecting a loss for the first time in six months, according to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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    Dentons US CFO Taking On New Role At Troutman

    The chief financial officer of Dentons U.S. will be moving to Troutman Pepper Locke LLP at the end of the month to become its first chief operating officer, Troutman confirmed Friday to À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Pulse.

  • Voir Dire: À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry kicked off September with another busy week as BigLaw firms made new hires and expanded practice areas. Test your legal news savvy here with À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Geragos Strikes At $100K Verdict Over Nike Extortion Role

    Celebrity attorney Mark Geragos asked a California judge to strike a $100,000 jury verdict that found he aided and abetted disbarred lawyer Michael Avenatti in a failed attempt to extort Nike, saying award of damages without an underlying finding of liability "is impermissible as a matter of law."

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    Axinn Veltrop Raises Salaries, Offers Bonuses Up To $25K

    Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider LLP is bumping up its pay scale for its associates by $25,000 along with paying them special bonuses of up to $25,000, the firm announced Thursday.

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    DOJ Counsel Takes Over As Skadden Foundation's Leader

    Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP's fellowship foundation announced Thursday that it had hired an alumnus who most recently worked for the U.S. Department of Justice to serve as its executive director, replacing the attorney who announced her resignation from the role two months after the firm struck a deal with President Donald Trump.

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    Which GCs Sold Stock In August? Carlyle Group And More

    General counsel Jeffrey W. Ferguson, who has been with the Carlyle Group for 26 years, cashed in some $19 million worth of stock in August.

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    OnlyFans' Parent Says AI-Tainted Briefs Are Unsalvageable

    The online platform OnlyFans' parent company said that a bid to correct legal briefs in a proposed class action against the company should be denied, arguing that the decision to use artificial intelligence to create mistake-riddled documents is severe misconduct and the briefs should be struck instead.

  • California Powerhouse: Keker Van Nest & Peters

    California-based Keker Van Nest & Peters LLP's trial attorneys secured high-profile wins for a variety of big-name clients, including Netflix and Sutter Health, while also representing OpenAI in closely watched litigation over copyright fair use in generative artificial intelligence, earning the firm a spot among À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ's 2025 Regional Powerhouses.

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    Polsinelli Emerging Companies Ace Rejoins Pillsbury In SF

    Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP is expanding its venture capital team, welcoming back an emerging companies specialist most recently with Polsinelli PC as a partner in its San Francisco office.

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    Ex-Latham Atty Who Quit Over Trump Deal Joins Stoel Rives

    Former BigLaw associate Sam Wong, who publicly quit Latham & Watkins LLP earlier this year in response to a deal it reached with the Trump administration to avoid executive orders targeting the firm, said he has joined Stoel Rives LLP, where he will be advising clients on energy projects, regulatory matters and more. 

  • Silvergate's $37.5M Investor Settlement Gets Final OK

    Investors of failed, cryptocurrency-focused Silvergate Bank secured a California federal judge's final approval Wednesday for their $37.5 million settlement of claims alleging the bank misrepresented its safeguards against onboarding customers like the collapsed, fraud-ridden crypto exchange FTX.

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    Segal McCambridge Adds 36 Attys In Calif. Firm Tie-Up

    Segal McCambridge Singer & Mahoney Ltd. continues its expansion on the West Coast, announcing it has added 36 attorneys by combining with Los Angeles-based Chapman Glucksman PC.

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    Mid-Law Mergers: Some Eye Gains, Others Under Pressure

    Mid-Law firms are increasingly eyeing tie-ups despite this year's lag in mergers, although industry observers note that some firms are jumping on opportunities while others are seeking a lifeline.

  • California Powerhouse: Hueston Hennigan

    Hueston Hennigan once again showed why it's the go-to firm for high-stakes litigation by securing a defense verdict this year for Disney in a copyright case over the blockbuster film "Moana" and a Ninth Circuit win upholding Monster Energy's $311 million false advertising trial judgment, placing it on À¶Ý®ÊÓÆµ's 2025 California Powerhouses list.

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    Covington IP Atty Joins WilmerHale In San Francisco

    WilmerHale announced Wednesday that an experienced intellectual property attorney has joined the firm's San Francisco office after nearly 15 years at Covington & Burling LLP.

  • Stoel Rives Gets Pot Co. Fraud Case Sent To Arbitration

    A California federal judge has sent a nonalcoholic cannabis beer company's claims alleging it was duped by Stoel Rives LLP and its clients into spending $2.2 million on an illicit business to arbitration, saying it can't escape a valid arbitration clause by refusing to participate.

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    More K&L Gates Attys Jump To Arnold & Porter In LA, Seattle

    Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP continues to grow its West Coast team, announcing Wednesday two more longtime K&L Gates LLP attorneys have joined as partners — a labor and employment expert in Seattle and a business litigation pro in Los Angeles.

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Expert Analysis

  • Best Practices For Implementing Firm Revenue Cycle Roles Author Photo

    Law firm revenue cycles are becoming more complex and time-consuming, but hiring dedicated revenue cycle personnel can help streamline the process and reduce the burden on attorneys, says Christine Indiano at Harbor Global.

  • Tips For Constructing Your Small-Law Exit Strategy Author Photo

    By initiating planning and processes to evaluate personal retirement goals and firm value early, longtime solo practitioners and small-firm owners can unlock a range of possibilities and potential buyers, setting up for a profitable exit and a rewarding transition, says Brent Daub at Gilson Daub.

  • Tips For Persuasive Briefs Beyond The Argument Section Author Photo

    When crafting an appellate brief, the focus for most lawyers is the argument section, but other sections also offer strategic opportunities to shape the court's perception of the case and favorably frame the issues, say attorneys at Frost Brown.

  • Ask A Mentor: Is Secondment A Good Career Move? Author Photo

    Kate Driscoll at Morrison Foerster suggests six questions to help candidates evaluate whether a secondment will benefit their career.

  • 3 Trends Reshaping Chief Marketing Officer Appointments Author Photo

    Recent approaches to hiring chief marketing officers demonstrate how firms are reimagining their marketing and business development frameworks to stay competitive and responsive to evolving client needs, says Murray Coffey at M Coffey.

  • Talking Mental Health: Working As A Mom Of An Autistic Son Author Photo

    Sarah Kovit Hanna at Assurant discusses how she balances the demands of her in-house role and the support needs of her son, who was diagnosed with autism, as a single mom, and reflects on how the legal industry can better support caretakers of family members who have special needs.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Maximize My Pro Bono Impact? Author Photo

    Debbie Berman at Jenner & Block offers advice on how attorneys can make a meaningful impact on their communities through pro bono work while enhancing their professional development through strengthened client-facing skills, hands-on experience and more.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Law Firm Marketer Author Photo

    Liz Bard Lindley at Jaffe PR shares how she went from a family law associate who helped write industry articles to a savvy legal public relations and marketing professional, and offers takeaways for any attorney who might not feel at home in their law practice and is considering alternative career paths.

  • The Case For Keeping The Gas On Deputy GC Compensation Author Photo

    In recent years, the deputy general counsel role has expanded and become increasingly vital in organizations across the globe, and companies should consider a few ways to retain this top talent, including by offering competitive compensation that reflects projected increases, says Heather Fine at Major Lindsey.

  • Talking Mental Health: The View From Life After BigLaw Author Photo

    Life coach and author Wendy Tamis Robbins discusses why she left a career in BigLaw to work in the professional well-being space after finding freedom from anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and substance use disorders, and highlights two changes the legal industry should implement to address attorneys' mental health.

  • 6 Essential Skills For Summer Associates To Land An Offer
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    Author Photo

    With full-time offer rates at the lowest point since 2012, summer associates must do all they can to distinguish themselves, starting with a few fundamentals — from the importance of asking clarifying questions to being honest about mistakes, says James Argionis at Cozen O'Connor.

  • Making Legal Cents: How Law Firms Can Innovate Faster Author Photo

    To meet the demands of an evolving legal market and changing client expectations, law firms must not only embrace innovation, but also find ways to accelerate adoption and mitigate risks in an industry historically resistant to change, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Should Departing Partners Approach Pay? Author Photo

    Sabina Lippman at CenterPeak discusses steps BigLaw partners can take when considering a move or announcing their departure to help navigate tricky compensation issues and remain on good terms with their current partners.

  • How 2 Litigators Decided Dad Would Stay Home With The Kids Author Photo

    Jennifer Hoekstra at Aylstock Witkin shares the tough conversations about timing, goals, logistics and values involved in her family's decision that she would build her career as a litigator and law firm partner while her husband stepped back from his own litigation role to stay home with their children.

  • Series

    My Nonpracticing Law Job: Legal Commentary Ghostwriter Author Photo

    Wayne Pollock at Copo Strategies shares how he went from overworked Am Law 50 associate to owner of a legal thought leadership ghostwriting service, and provides four lessons for anyone who might be considering launching a business within the legal industry.

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