MIDDLING MERGER MOVEMENT - Merger activity in the legal industry picked up in 2022 following a period of pandemic-era hesitancy, according to a new report released Tuesday. Still, as Law.com’s Justin Henry reports, while the volume of mergers has continued to increase over the last three years, the 2022 figure still trails the average of 55 mergers per year over the last decade, the report found. A total of 46 law firm combinations were tracked as having been completed in 2022, up from 41 in 2021 and 40 in 2020, according to the report from Fairfax Associates. Mergers were most concentrated in the midsize and small law firm sector while cross-border merger activities were more limited than in previous years. Despite the downturn in overall mergers, industry observers note that in breaking down the number of combinations by geography, the 44 domestic mergers show a gradual increase in the direction of historical averages. This figure was significantly higher than the 32 tracked in 2021.
FLIGHT FIGHT - Right on schedule: Southwest Airlines is facing the first of what likely will become a deluge of class action lawsuits stemming from operational problems that forced it to cancel more than 15,000 flights late last month, Law.com’s Chris O’Malley reports. After winter storms grounded many Southwest planes in places such as Chicago and Denver, the airline’s outdated scheduling software struggled to match crews with planes, leaving thousands of passengers traveling around Christmas without a plane to board. The first case was filed by Eric Capdeville, of Marrero, Louisiana, who in October bought tickets for himself and daughter to travel to Portland, Oregon, on Dec. 27. After canceling the flight, Southwest offered him a credit on a future flight. In the lawsuit, filed Dec. 30 in U.S. District Court in New Orleans, Capdeville alleges the airline’s contract of carriage doesn’t allow for credits but rather a seat on the next available flight or a full refund. Representing Capdeville is the law firm of Jim S. Hall & Associates of Metairie, Louisiana.
ON THE RADAR - Greenberg Traurig filed a trade secret lawsuit Tuesday in Massachusetts District Court on behalf of NovaSparks Inc. and its parent company NovaSpark SAS, which are developers of field programmable gate array market data solutions. The suit targets competitor Exegy Inc. for misappropriating confidential information in violation of its confidentiality agreement and for usurping NovaSparks’ business opportunities with third parties. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 1:23-cv-10006, NovaSparks, Inc. et al v. Exegy, Inc. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.
EDITOR’S PICKS
You Might Like
7 minute read
5 minute read
Trending Stories
More From ALM
With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
Dynamically explore and compare data on law firms, companies, individual lawyers, and industry trends.
Law.com Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALM’s deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that can’t be found anywhere else.
Law.com Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms’ financials, staffing, clients, news and events.
April 16, 2024 - April 17, 2024
Chicago, IL Join General Counsel and Senior Legal Leaders at the Premier Forum Designed For and by General Counsel from Fortune 1000 Companies Learn More
April 16, 2024 - April 17, 2024
New York, NY This conference brings together the industry's most influential & knowledgeable real estate executives from the net lease sector. Learn More
April 18, 2024
New York, NY Join the industry's top owners, investors, developers, brokers & financiers at THE MULTIFAMILY EVENT OF THE YEAR! Learn More Duane Morris LLP seeks a highly motivated junior associate to join its dynamic and growing Labor and Employment Class Action group in Chicag... Apply Now › Lower Manhattan firm seeks a premises liability litigator (i.e., depositions, SJ motions, and/or trials) with at least 3-6 years of experien... Apply Now › Tired of the stress of the big city? Are you looking to improve your quality of life? Then consider practicing law at the Jersey Shore. Pe... Apply Now ›
04/15/2024
Connecticut Law Tribune MELICK & PORTER, LLP PROMOTES CONNECTICUT PARTNERS HOLLY ROGERS, STEVEN BANKS, and ALEXANDER AHRENS View Announcement › |
