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Georgia Pulse


  • Emory University Cutting DEI Offices And Programs

    Emory University said this week it is dismantling its diversity, equity and inclusion offices and programs because of "federal laws and mandates," but the university president and the dean of its law school said that the university remains committed to giving everyone a "chance to succeed."

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    Chartwell Co-Founder Named Firm's 1st Managing Partner

    Chartwell Law Offices LLP has named its founding partner as its first managing partner, a decision the firm said was made in response to its fast growth that has seen it expand from four attorneys to nearly 300 nationwide.

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    Morris Manning Litigator Joins Kilpatrick Amid Merger Plans

    Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP has expanded its Atlanta bench with an experienced litigator from Morris Manning & Martin LLP, nearly a month after that firm unveiled plans to merge with Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP at the end of the year.

  • Georgia Powerhouse: Alston & Bird

    Atlanta attorneys at Alston & Bird LLP have, over the last year, represented Piedmont Bancorp on its $267 million acquisition by United Bankshares and also helped Home Depot achieve the necessary financing for its $18.25 billion acquisition of specialty trade distributor SRS Distribution.

  • Morgan & Morgan Says Arbitration Right Call For Class Action

    Morgan & Morgan PA urged a Georgia federal judge to reject a former client's bid to undo a ruling sending his proposed malpractice class action to arbitration, arguing his motion for reconsideration misrepresents the terms of his contract with the firm.

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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.

  • Georgia Powerhouse: Troutman

    Troutman Pepper Locke LLP helped guide Quikrete Holdings Inc. on its $11.5 billion acquisition of a company and successfully defended a new city outside Atlanta in a dispute in front of the state's Supreme Court — all while expanding its legal ranks as a merger went into effect in January.

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    Former Federal Prosecutor Joins Smith Gambrell In Atlanta

    A former assistant U.S. attorney in Georgia has joined Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP's Atlanta office as a partner, the firm announced.

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    BakerHostetler Adds King & Spalding Health Pro In Atlanta

    A longtime King & Spalding LLP attorney has brought her healthcare practice to BakerHostetler in Atlanta, the firm announced Wednesday.

  • Ga. Superior Court Clerk Suspended After Indictment

    A Georgia superior court clerk has been suspended after her indictment on charges of destroying public records and violating her oath of office, according to an executive order signed by Gov. Brian Kemp.

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    Legal Rates Surge Moderates, But Pressure Remains High

    As legal departments face mounting pressure to manage costs, increases in hourly billing rates from law firms appear to be moderating, with the first few months of 2025 presenting a snapshot of this reality, according to a recent report from Wolters Kluwer's ELM Solutions.

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    The Top In-House Hires Of August

    Legal department hires in the last month included high-profile appointments at the Association of Corporate Counsel, GE Vernova, and a California legal legend joining an AI startup named Anthropic. Here, ݮƵ Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from the past few weeks.

  • Ga. Atty Aims To Pause Arbitration In Wage Fight With Ex-Firm

    An Atlanta attorney suing her former law firm, John Foy & Associates, is seeking to put arbitration on hold while her claims for harassment and retaliation play out in Georgia federal court, saying that allowing the two matters to proceed simultaneously risks "duplicative proceedings, inconsistent findings and unnecessary expense."

  • Georgia Powerhouse: King & Spalding

    Attorneys from King & Spalding LLP's Atlanta office over the past year helped to land the 2028 Super Bowl for the city, represented digital health company Sharecare's founder in its $540 million acquisition and advised Atlanta-based real estate company Jamestown LP on a major transaction involving $2 billion in properties.

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    Georgia Gov. Names New State Court Judge, Solicitor General

    Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has appointed a local litigation specialist to serve as a state court judge in Carroll County and named a new solicitor general in Barrow County.

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    The 2025 Regional Powerhouses

    ݮƵ's annual list of regional powerhouses reflects not only the work of exemplary firms, but also emerging legal trends in each state, from matters involving Colorado's growing life sciences industry, to an uptick in bankruptcies in Delaware, to the continued flurry of intellectual property litigation in California.

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    Longtime DOJ Atty Joins Atlanta Boutique Firm

    Atlanta boutique Chaiken Ghali LLP announced that a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney who's spent nearly 15 years with the federal government has joined the firm as a partner.

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    Emory Healthcare Taps K&L Gates Partner As Legal Leader

    Emory Healthcare tapped a K&L Gates LLP partner with more than 20 years of experience as a healthcare regulatory attorney as its next chief counsel for health affairs.

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    ݮƵ's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP leads this week's edition of ݮƵ Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit vacated a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market.

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    Scores On July Bar Exam Rise Amid Dip In Test Takers

    The number of examinees passing the multistate bar exam in July continued to gain momentum, with near record highs seen this summer over the past 12 years, according to an announcement from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

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    ݮƵ Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q2

    A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. ݮƵ reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the second quarter of the year.

  • Voir Dire: ݮƵ Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    BigLaw firms announced a slew of new hires this week as the legal industry sees August recede in the rearview mirror. Test your legal news savvy here with ݮƵ Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Ga. Atty Sues Former Firm For Failing To Pay Final Wages

    A Georgia attorney has filed suit against her former employer, John Foy and Associates PC, over "threatening emails" she said she received after she was fired and a final paycheck that she reportedly never got.

  • Ga.'s Chief Justice Warns Of AI's Risks To Trial Evidence

    As generative artificial intelligence tools have become widely accessible, Georgia's chief justice said Thursday he's worried about how the technology can be used to manipulate and distort evidence presented in court and what the judiciary can do to prevent that. 

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    In Their Words: Will AI Kill The Billable Hour?

    The rising use of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow attorneys to get work done faster is creating tension with the traditional model of billable hours. Here, six legal leaders give their take on whether AI will eliminate the billable hour.

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Expert Analysis

  • Looking Under The Hood Of The $3,000 Billable Hour Author Photo

    In recent years, top-tier law firms have pushed hourly rates to unprecedented heights, with some partners commanding $3,000 per hour — but this eye-popping number doesn’t tell the full story, as there are numerous caveats and rigorous winnowing along the way, says Christopher Seck at Squire Patton.

  • How Law Firms Can Keep Nonequity Partners Happy Author Photo

    Law firms that successfully manage two-tiered partnership do so by creating a culture that treats everyone with respect and by establishing financial incentives outside their base compensation to reward performance, says Carol Morganstern at Major Lindsey.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Leverage Your Atty Bio Author Photo

    If maintained properly, your firm bio can help attract potential clients and create authentic connections, so it's crucial to take steps to write an updated attorney profile that goes beyond a list of credentials, says Raychel Lean at Reputation Ink.

  • Ask A Mentor: How Can I Promote Thoughtful Use Of AI? Author Photo

    Eran Kahana at Maslon discusses how partners can encourage responsible use of artificial intelligence tools within their firms by learning to spot pitfalls common to AI-generated work product and championing firmwide procedures and trainings that address the risks of uncritically relying on this powerful but imperfect technology.

  • Making Legal Cents: Firm Culture Is The New Game Plan Author Photo

    Law firm culture is often dismissed as a soft factor — merely platitudes on a website that seem disconnected from the bottom line — but by intentionally embedding a strong culture into day-to-day operations, law firms can achieve sustainable success, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • 5 Questions Firms Must Ask For Successful Lateral Integration Author Photo

    To ensure that lateral partners effectively integrate their books of business, firms should design a structured transition plan based on a few fundamentals, from tracking the right data to implementing meaningful incentives, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Goldilocks Solution: Why The 4-Day Office Week Is Just Right Author Photo

    As law firms continue to wrestle with return-to-office policies, many are being pulled toward one or the other of two extremes: the rigidity of a five-day in-office schedule and the laissez-faire approach of a flexible three-day hybrid model — but a four-day in-office workweek may be the sweet spot, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • As Attys Adopt Generative AI, 3 Elements Should Be Cardinal Author Photo

    As the legal world increasingly adopts generative artificial intelligence, lawyers and firms must develop and utilize strong prompting skills, keep a pulse on forthcoming tech evolutions, and remain steadfast to ethical obligations, say Michele Carney at Carney & Marchi and Marty Robles-Avila at BAL.

  • Rethinking 'No Comment' For Clients Facing Public Crises Author Photo

    “No comment” is no longer a cost-free or even a viable public communications strategy for companies in crisis, and counsel must tailor their guidance based on a variety of competing factors to help clients emerge successfully, says Robert Bowers at Moore & Van Allen.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Prioritize Connections Author Photo

    One reason business development in the legal industry seems so mysterious is because human relationships are so complex, but lawyers can reorient their thinking in two important ways to drive the process of connecting with new colleagues and contacts, say Jamie Lawless and Angela Quinn at Husch Blackwell.

  • Overcoming US Law Firms' Hesitancy To Enter Indian Market Author Photo

    Successful private equity exits with strong returns have solidified India's buyout market as an increasingly attractive destination for future investments, offering compelling reasons for the U.S. legal community to overcome its caution on the country's markets, says Vaishali Movva at Eimer Stahl.

  • Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Make A Plan For The Year Author Photo

    While firms are busy allocating resources and assessing client demand, individual attorneys should use the start of the year to slow down and create a personal business plan, which can be accomplished with a few steps, say Elizabeth Gooch, Teri Robshaw and Chris Newman at McDermott.

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    Talking Mental Health: Caring For Everyone As A Firm Leader Author Photo

    Reid Phillips at Brooks Pierce discusses how he manages the pressure of running a law firm, how sources of stress in the legal industry have changed over the past decade, and what firm leaders should do to help manage burnout and mental health issues among employees.

  • How Firms Can Use LinkedIn To Aid Marketing Efforts In 2025 Author Photo

    LinkedIn has several features law firms can use to showcase their capabilities and thought leadership to reach prospective and existing clients, including the Event and Live features, says Sofia Millar at Reputation Ink.

  • Talking Mental Health: Managing Emotions In Trauma Cases Author Photo

    Nikki Hurtado at The Ferraro Law Firm discusses what motivates her to represent victims of catastrophic injuries, how she copes with the emotional toll of such cases, and what other attorneys taking on similar cases can do to protect their mental well-being.

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