Daily Report - Recent News

Ga. Judge Hits Big Law Attorneys With Sanctions in False Claims Act Discovery Dispute

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 17:03:16 EST

]]>"This is the fourth time in this FCA action that the Court has sanctioned eClinical Works for withholding evidence and discovery abuse," District Judge Marc Treadwell wrote in the Wednesday order.

ABA Approves Merger Between Elon University and Queens University

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:14:51 EST

]]>On Sept. 1, Elon University School of Law will begin receiving applications for the full-time J.D. program that will start in Charlotte in August 2027.

New Polsinelli, Holland & Knight Atlanta Office Leaders Discuss Challenges in Recruiting, Boosting Visibility

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:51:12 EST

]]>“We are a full-service office, and we have just about everything, but we need to have depth in all of it," said Chris Dillon of Holland & Knight.

Anchoring, Emergency Doctrine Take Spotlight in High-Stakes $47M Ga. Appeal

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 17:27:10 EST

]]>"We contend that it wasn't Schneider's vehicle at all that was on the scene, and the jury apportioned 0% fault to the driver who actually collided with the decedent," Schneider's counsel, Michael Eber of Caplan Cobb, told Presiding Judge Sarah Doyle and Judge Jeffrey Davis on Wednesday.

Kilpatrick Debuts AI Lab Focused on Developing Custom Solutions for Staff, Clients

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 16:17:35 EST

]]>Kilpatrick Labs is currently piloting and developing over 15 custom AI tools that leverage Anthropic's Claude LLM in areas including patent and trademark prosecution and litigation monitoring, among others.

Trifurcated DeKalb Trial Ends in $70M Verdict After $1M Settlement Rejected

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:51:07 EST

]]>A DeKalb County State Court jury has awarded a $70 million wrongful-death verdict to the family of a motorist who died after rear-ending a tractor-trailer improperly stopped along an interstate in 2019.

After Ga. Father Convicted of Child Murder, Appeals Court Examines Mandatory Reporting

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:39:39 EST

]]>The criminal proceedings arising from the Effingham County Crocker child murders concluded in April. However, some, including the childrens' estate, were left unsatisfied.

DA Challenges New Georgia Law That Removes Party Labels in Atlanta-Area Elections

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 16:30:44 EST

]]>The DeKalb County DA said the law violates Georgia's uniformity clause, which she said requires laws to work the same way throughout the state. It also violates the equal protection clauses of the state and federal constitutions.

Womble Strengthens Strategic IP Growth 'Pillar' With Alston & Bird Patent Prosecution Pro

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 15:30:28 EST

]]>Christopher Lightner, a former Boeing engineer, joined the trans-Atlantic firm as a partner in Atlanta after more than 17 years with Alston & Bird.

Tennessee Takes Two-Pronged Approach on Employee Noncompetes

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 14:48:33 EST

]]>Tennessee recently passed a law banning noncompete agreements for workers making less than $70,000 per year while making them easier to enforce against workers who earn above that threshold, a contrast with other states that have banned or sharply restricted noncompetes across the board.

Supreme Court Lets Ala. Use Congressional Map Favoring GOP in This Year's Elections

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 13:16:26 EST

]]>Tuesday's ruling granted the state's emergency appeal to use a map it adopted three years ago that has a majority-Black population in just one of its seven congressional districts. The three liberal justices dissented.

Dentons Public Policy, Election Law Expert Ed Lindsey Moving to Atlanta Litigation Boutique

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 11:56:21 EST

]]>After a decade with the world's largest firm, the former state lawmaker said boutique Parks, Chesin & Walbert will allow him to blend his expertise in public policy with his background in litigation.

Shortlists for Judge Released: 10 Finalists, 5 Judicial Openings

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 10:20:33 EST

]]>Ten candidates are in the running to fill judicial vacancies on the state courts of Camden and Sumter counties and the superior courts of the Alcovy, Houston and Southern judicial circuits.

Artificial Intelligence as a Litigation Multiplier: Contract and Risk Issues for AI-Enabled Services

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 09:29:59 EST

]]>This article is the second in a multipart series examining litigation risk in the modern technology supply chain. Here, the authors demonstrate why AI is not a stand-alone tool but a layer across the data stack.

'Far-Reaching Implications': Hague Service Convention Bans Email Process Service to Chinese Defendants, Seventh Circuit Rules

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:30:38 EST

]]>"It ... means that many thousands of cases were wrongly decided, and default judgments were wrongly entered," said defendant-appellant counsel Wesley Johnson of Cross-Border Counselor.

IP Litigator Who Won 'Blurred Lines' Copyright Case Joins Adams and Reese, Alongside 3 Other IP and Patent Lawyers

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 17:14:04 EST

]]>Richard Busch scored a $7.4 million verdict on behalf of the family of late R&B superstar Marvin Gaye in the landmark 2015 case. He is joined by technology patent attorney Michael Henson, who arrives from Maynard Nexsen.

Commentary: I'm Not a Lawyer, but I Can Play One on Capitol Hill

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:34:16 EST

]]>"It's all about rehearsing to the point that you become the character—or in this case—the lobbyist with policy expertise," an adviser writes.

Ashurst Earned $8M in Fees From Georgia AG's Office in 2025

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:54:22 EST

]]>A total of 23 Am Law 200 firms were also paid for work on behalf of the attorney general's office, with DLA Piper, Butler Snow and McGuireWoods each earning over $1 million.

Ga. Judges Make History: Black Women to Lead Clayton County Courtrooms

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:48:35 EST

]]>Beginning next year, litigators and litigants appearing in Clayton County courtrooms will have a 90% chance that a Black woman will preside over their matters.

Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Returning to Private Practice

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 16:17:14 EST

]]>On June 1, Presiding Judge Brian Rickman announced his intent to resign from the Georgia Court of Appeals in July and return to private practice with Cathey & Strain in Cornelia.

'Come Prepared': Judge-Elect Tameka West Sets Expectations

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 13:00:18 EST

]]>Judge-Elect Tameka A. West outlines her courtroom expectations after being elected to replace Clayton County State Court Chief Judge Michael T. Garrett in the May 19 nonpartisan election.

DOJ Seeks Recusal of Judge From Ga. Election Case Over Reported Attendance at Fani Willis Event

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:44:48 EST

]]>The judge is overseeing the election records case filed by the Justice Department against Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.

Discoverability of Third-Party Litigation Funding Agreements

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:07:38 EST

]]>Although such arrangements have grown in popularity over the last decade, they also raise questions of whether the documents underlying the relationship—or materials shared with a funder—are discoverable. Although states like Georgia have considered legislation seeking to mandate disclosure of funding arrangements, courts across the country vary in how they resolve discovery disputes.

Ethics Experts Ask: Could Ga. Judge's Affair, Lying Warrant Impeachment Inquiry?

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:44:49 EST

]]>University of Indiana Maurer School of Law professor Charles Geyh expressed reservations about whether the judge's conduct rises to an impeachable offense but said a public—rather than private—reprimand was warranted.

Federal Judge Had Sex in Chambers With Police Officer and Lied About It, Investigation Found

Fri, 29 May 2026 13:22:44 EST

]]>William Pryor, chief judge of the Eleventh Circuit, asked the judge to respond to the allegations. The judge replied the same day and “specifically denied each allegation.

Council of State Court Judges Elects Fulton County Jurist as New President

Thu, 28 May 2026 17:34:49 EST

]]>"The great thing is, we've had a bunch of really strong leaders for our council through the years," Edlein said. "I'm just going to try to keep maintaining it [and] act as a spokesperson for the council of our court."

Alston & Bird Expands Global Capabilities With First Tax Partner in London

Thu, 28 May 2026 17:17:54 EST

]]>Satvi Vepa joins the Am Law 50 firm with a practice that focuses on the tax aspects of domestic and cross-border financing transactions

On the Move: Nelson Mullins Attorneys in Atlanta and Boston Join Holland & Knight to Lead Gaming Team

Thu, 28 May 2026 09:58:44 EST

]]>Also, Arnall Golden Gregory and Bradley add real estate partners in Atlanta, and Senate approves a Nelson Mullins attorney's appointment to a South Carolina federal judgeship.

What Georgia Justices Choose to Share—and How Gender Shapes the Message

Thu, 28 May 2026 09:56:30 EST

]]>Law.com examines how Georgia justices' public remarks during admission ceremonies reflect a gender divide.

King & Spalding Energy Regulatory Pro Joins Paul Hastings in Atlanta

Thu, 28 May 2026 05:59:59 EST

]]>Tyler Brown sees his role as being "the go-to attorney here at Paul Hastings on all federal energy regulatory matters.”

Q&A: How Cox Enterprises' Chief Legal Officer Is Tackling AI and Regulatory Changes

Wed, 27 May 2026 16:34:08 EST

]]>"In the world we're living in, a lot of people are more focused on certain things than others. I have to stay abreast of the variety of issues, because so many different issues hit different sectors of my business," Cox Enterprises Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Jennifer Hightower told Law.com.

From Prosecutor to Judge: Voters Elevate Lawyer to Fulton Bench

Wed, 27 May 2026 15:12:21 EST

]]>Voters replaced Fulton County State Judge Jay Roth with Fulton County Senior Assistant Solicitor General Miracle Williams during the May 19 nonpartisan election.

Commentary: The Supreme Court Policy, Politics and Perception

Wed, 27 May 2026 14:37:17 EST

]]>An Atlanta attorney writes that "the [U.S. Supreme Court] justices themselves, in dissent, have accused the majority of imposing their policy preferences, undermining democracy and the rule of law. ... And they have often done so in hostile, biting, blistering and excoriating language."

How the Chair of an Am Law 100 Firm Is Leading His Team Through Global Risk and Uncertainty

Wed, 27 May 2026 13:05:26 EST

]]>"It certainly is different in Europe [and Asia] right now than it has been in the past, given the current geopolitical environment, but we are monitoring that," global chair of Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton, Wab Kadaba, told Law.com. "We are in frequent contact with our people in other offices, making sure that we understand the perspective of the practitioner there and what the clients are asking about and take it one day at a time."