Law.com

New Proposal Signals Big Changes Ahead for Embattled Drug Discount Program

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:13:49 EST

“The breadth of the proposal suggests that many organizations will need to reassess existing policies, contractual relationships, and compliance programs if these reforms advance, Daphne Kackloudis, a partner at Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, wrote in a recent client alert.

Lands' End Legal Chief Abruptly Sets Sail Ahead of New CEO's Arrival

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 13:13:11 EST

No reason was given for the resignation last week of general counsel and licensing chief Peter Gray

7th Circuit Eyewear Ruling Raises Questions of Healthcare Exceptions Under BIPA

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 11:52:39 EST

The federal district court in Illinois had initially dismissed the suit.

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Do Right by the Practice and by the Firm,' Says Shannon Reaney of Morrison Foerster

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 10:59:59 EST

"I also approach every day by trying to do right by the practice and by the firm. When faced with making decisions for the Patent practice, I lean into all of my experiences: from my doctoral work in chemistry to being a patent agent, to my current chairship, to the invaluable mentorship from Mike Ward. It can be hard to put your ego aside, but that is where I'm most comfortable: assessing what is best for the group and for the firm."

What It Takes to Build a Transformative Legal Career and Life: Lessons from Aiko Bethea's Anchored, Aligned, and Accountable

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 05:59:59 EST

Self-leadership is a daily practice, an ongoing commitment to remain anchored, aligned and accountable in a world that constantly pushes us to be otherwise, writes Marcie Dickson, a board member with the Institute for Well-Being in Law.

Litigation Trends to Watch: Lawsuits Center on AI Trainers, Surveillance Pricing and Last-Mile Delivery Drivers

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:49:17 EST

A new wave of litigation is taking shape as workers who train AI models claim they were misclassified as independent contractors.

Big Law's Trump Deals May Face More Lawmaker Pressure After Midterms

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:37:58 EST

Democratic lawmakers are expected to revive congressional investigations into nine law firms that made deals with the Trump administration, if Democrats gain a majority in one or both chambers of Congress. Law firms could be the subject of congressional subpoenas or public hearings.

Law Firm Disrupted: The 'Ask Jeeves' Phase of Gen AI Evolution?

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:03:18 EST

While most lawyers are using generative AI, many say inefficiencies reduce its effectiveness, for now.

How I Made Partner: 'Build Relationships With Attorneys in Other Practice Areas,' Says Drew Newman of Moore & Van Allen

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Build relationships with attorneys in other practice areas at your law firm as soon as possible. Looking back on my career, I wish I had started networking with attorneys outside the litigation group sooner. These attorneys become part of your client portfolio and often are a great source of potential work. In addition to the professional benefits, it is always nice to hear what attorneys in other practice groups work on at the firm."

From Rankings to Responses: AI Is Changing How Law Firms Get Found

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 05:59:59 EST

In this week's episode, Legal Speak how the rapid rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping law firm marketing and public relations.

Coinbase CLO Paul Grewal Exits After 6-Year Run Marked by SEC Victory

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:56:06 EST

The former federal judge helped steer the crypto exchange through its public listing and a high-stakes regulatory showdown with securities regulators

Victoria Sigeti: Freshfields' New UK Leader on Being Loyal to London and Patient on US Private Capital

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 18:11:12 EST

The U.K. managing partner discusses assuming the top role, Europe and whether the practice area she co-leads, private capital, has a place in the firm's widely-broadcast U.S. ambitions.

As Law Firms Make Blackbox Bonuses, Transparency Clashes Grow

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:13:21 EST

More firms are adding bonus setups, but aren't making those payments known to other partners, even in otherwise transparent comp systems.

Law Firms Are Moving Aggressively Into Secondary Markets, but What Are They Chasing?

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:54:20 EST

The rate at which law firms are opening offices in secondary and even tertiary markets is accelerating significantly since 2024

Why 'Safe' General Counsel Hires Are Leaving So Quickly

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:04:39 EST

More chief legal officers are leaving within just a few years of being hired, prompting questions about whether companies are selecting the wrong candidates—or preparing them for the wrong job. Legal leaders say the modern GC role requires far more than an impressive résumé.

Litigation and Risk Identification Company Darrow Confirms Layoffs

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 13:10:36 EST

The layoffs come as the company reallocates resources to grow its offerings for insurance companies and corporations.

Legal AI Is Not a Singular Category and Cannot Be Governed As One Solution

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:19:31 EST

Before asking whether AI use is permissible, defensible or reliable, practitioners have to identify what function the system is supporting in the legal workflow. Treating all legal AI as a single category obscures the actual source of professional risk: not the existence of AI itself but the role the system plays in the provision of legal services.

Boston Joins Social Media Addiction MDL as Mass. Doubles Down on Challenging Big Tech

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:59:09 EST

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's decision to join the multidistrict litigation over social media addiction follows the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court's April ruling preventing Meta from avoiding liability in a consumer protection suit from the state's attorney general.

The Home MRI Paradox

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:25:01 EST

The future value of lawyers will come less from generating first drafts and more from knowing how to choose, feed, test and deploy professional systems in a way that serves the client's strategy.

Law.com's Top 100 Verdicts of 2025

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:59:59 EST

The nation's highest-ranking verdicts were compiled by Law.com analyst team VerdictSearch.

The Week in Data July 8: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 05:59:59 EST

Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including why India's M&A market is entering a new phase.

DC Court Accepts SEC's Deal With Elon Musk, Despite ‘Significant Misgivings'

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 19:26:04 EST

U.S. District Judge Sparkle Sooknanan said she had "significant misgivings" about the settlement, but that the deal didn't meet the high threshold to be rejected.

White House Internal Communications Shed Light on Trump's Law Firm Deals

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:30:15 EST

The communications released by the DOJ in late June, in the form of redacted emails, ultimately relate to three elements of Trump's 2025 war on Big Law.

'The Most Whack-a-Mole of All of My Cases': Miami Judge Grapples With Ballooning Smartmatic Docket

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 18:19:11 EST

U.K.-based elections technology company Smartmatic says the government's decision to drop its prosecution against Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, in part because the case was primarily foreign, warrants the dismissal of its case. But prosecutors said Wednesday "Adani bears no resemblance to this case."

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg Could Testify in 2nd Social Media Addiction Trial

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:56:13 EST

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn Kuhl, at a Wednesday hearing, told lawyers she tentatively planned to allow the testimony of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, as well as Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel, at the July 27 trial.

Legal Departments Boost AI Spending, Press Outside Counsel for Cost Savings, Deloitte Finds

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:32:53 EST

A new survey of 121 legal leaders finds AI adoption accelerating across in-house departments, with GCs increasingly looking to technology to cut costs, insource work and reshape law firm pricing.

Despite SEC's Proposal to Ease Disclosure Rules, Shareholders May Demand More

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:31:34 EST

"I do think it will be interesting to see how much impact investors, proxy advisers and the like have with respect to influencing companies to disclose more than the bare minimum," Latham & Watkins' Bradd Williamson said.

Amid Pressure to Make a Deal With the DOJ, Yale Law Community Urges University Leadership to 'Defend Its Autonomy'

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:34:26 EST

Members of the Yale University and Law School community, including current students and alumni, are urging the university not to make a deal with the government.

Japan's Nagashima Ohno to Launch Office in Silicon Valley

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:23:11 EST

The firm, one of Japan's "Big Four," has had an office in New York since 2010, but this is its first U.S. expansion to the West Coast. The timing coincides with Japan's agreement to invest $550 billion in the U.S. over the next few years.

Amid Rise in Healthcare Discrimination Claims, Salvation Army Fends Off Challenge to Opioid Ban in Rehab Facilities

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:49:16 EST

The complaint against the Salvation Army continues a trend of individuals bringing disability claims against rehabilitation and treatment centers, data from Law.com Radar shows.

ABA Fires Back Against DOJ in Battle Over Epshteyn Subpoena

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:09:10 EST

The DOJ alleges that the ABA's requests for production raise separation of powers concerns, that it would be premature for the government to conclude that the requests implicate the presidential communications privilege, and that the ABA's requests are overbroad.

Critical Mass With Law.com's Amanda Bronstad: Novel Suit Over Ultra-Processed Foods Falls Flat, Judge Suggests Videotaping Testimony of Social Media Execs

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:34:10 EST

This week: A federal judge in Pennsylvania refused to allow plaintiffs to amend a first-of-its-kind suit against manufacturers of ultra-processed foods, such as Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz. Lawyers for Meta and Snapchat will respond in court today about videotaping their top executives at the next social media addiction trial. Find out who represents Nvidia in a class action alleging it built multiple commercial AI voice products by using human speech from prominent journalists, podcasters and audiobook narrators.

How I Made Partner: 'Spend Less Time Second-Guessing,' Says Cameron Jordan of Skadden

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:59:59 EST

"I would spend less time second-guessing whether I belonged and more time focusing on development, judgment and relationships. That confidence comes with time, but it does not need to take as long as it often does."

Your Firm's Reputation Now Exists In Two Places: What AI Means for Legal Marketing

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 10:33:05 EST

AI-assisted discovery isn't displacing relationships, referrals or reputation. What it is doing is becoming the context in which all of those things get their first airing. Increasingly, the question a prospective client asks an AI tool is the question your reputation has to answer before you ever enter the room.

For Legal Talent, Remote Flexibility Carries Compensation-Level Value

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 09:02:38 EST

Return-to-office requirements are still prompting lawyers to reject job offers, according to recruiters, even as employers regain leverage and seek more in-person work.

Charles Russell Speechlys Breaks Into the US with 2 Offices and Major Team Hire From Withers

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

The London-based private wealth firm is entering the U.S. with offices in New York and Connecticut, anchored by the hire of seven senior partners and one senior counsel from rival Withers.

EEOC Scraps Affirmative Action Guidance, Raising Litigation Risk for Employers, Lawyers Say

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 18:35:20 EST

Any employers that want to have an affirmative action plan are "going to have to be very careful," said Clark Hill member Vanessa Kelly.

Defendants Move to Toss Thousands of Plaintiffs in 'Forever Chemical' MDL

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:56:21 EST

Tyco, DuPont and other defendants moved to dismiss 8,000 plaintiffs from the multidistrict litigation in South Carolina alleging exposure to the "forever chemical" PFAS in drinking water, citing missing medical records and other factual information.

Geopolitical Pressures Are Reshaping In-House Legal Work, but Many Companies Still Lack a Playbook

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:25:12 EST

"We're finding so many of our legal departments saying that their companies are being reactive and not proactive when it comes to responding to geopolitical issues," said Jason Brown, president and chief executive officer at the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Am Law 200 Law Firms Hit With Surge of Suits, Law.com Radar Shows

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 14:43:29 EST

More than 50 lawsuits against major law firms surfaced last month, part of a pattern in litigation.

'Trailblazer' Rya W. Zobel, First Woman to Serve as Mass. Fed. Judge, Dies at 94

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 13:34:16 EST

U.S. District Judge Rya W. Zobel, the first woman to serve as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, died Saturday at the age of 94 in her home in Charlestown, the district court's office of the clerk announced.

Announcing the New York Legal Awards Shortlist for 2026

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:58:02 EST

Law.com and New York Law Journal editorial staff recognize the winners and finalists for the New York Legal Awards 2026. We'll reveal the winners in categories with finalists during the awards dinner at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Sept. 3 in Manhattan.

The Chill on Big Law Pro Bono Is Thawing, but Law Firms Still Avoid Confrontations

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:59:59 EST

Large law firms have shifted their pro bono work away from causes and cases that would directly antagonize the administration.

The 2026 Pro Bono Scorecard: National Report

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:59:59 EST

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler entered the top spot in this year's Pro Bono Scorecard.

As Pro Bono Programs Navigate Choppy Waters, Are Hours Holding Steady?

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:59:59 EST

Law firm pro bono leaders said demand for pro bono work on immigration-related cases was particularly strong in 2025, as a result of the government's stepped-up deportation efforts.

The Power of AI Isn't Just Supercharging Fee-Earning Work

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:59:59 EST

“If we can do something more efficiently or better or faster or all of the above, for someone who is in need, who could never afford that technology, much less attorneys' fees, you better believe we're going to do that, one Am Law 100 pro bono director said.

UNM Law Dean Reappointed to Second Term Amid Community Debate

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:42:11 EST

Opponents had been urging the university to not renew Dean Camille Carey's contract, citing numerous allegations, including a decline in diverse students and faculty.

S&P Global CLO to Retire After a Decade Steering Legal Through Landmark Deals and AI Transformation

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 22:44:47 EST

S&P Global Chief Legal Officer Steve Kemps will retire at the end of 2026 after a decade leading the company's legal function through transformative deals, including the recent Mobility spinoff, major acquisitions and a period of rapid strategic change.

A&O Shearman Prepares to Post 'Material' Profit Growth Amid Era of 'Unprecedented' Partner Mobility

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:11:30 EST

According to U.S. firm head Adam Hakki, the firm is focusing more on “quality of revenue.

How Google's Decade-Long Antitrust Fight Came to Reflect a Changing Brussels Legal Market

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 17:10:59 EST

The changes to Google's legal team tell a story of a Brussels market in flux with new power brokers as “very aggressive, very profitable U.S. law firms move in.

Florida High Court Now Wants to Suspend Judge Who Made 900+ Donations to Democrats

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:21:56 EST

One week after holding the judge should face a fine in addition to an agreed-upon public reprimand, the Florida Supreme Court now says she should be suspended too. Ethics experts not involved in the case say the justices' change of heart is unusual.

Marc Kasowitz Faces Malpractice Suit Over Columbia Antisemitism Settlement

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 14:14:30 EST

A representative for the Kasowitz firm said the malpractice complaint misrepresents the facts of the situation and downplays the benefits of the Columbia deal.

IBM Spinoff Kyndryl Taps Former Interpublic Group Legal Chief

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 13:52:28 EST

Andrew Bonzani succeeds Edward Sebold, who departed as Kyndryl's legal chief in February.

In 'Klimek v. CentraCare Health System,' Eighth Circuit Reverses Grant of Summary Judgment for Employer and Sets Groundwork for More Employee ADA Claims Based on Vaccine Refusal

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:33:59 EST

In its recent opinion in Klimek v. CentraCare Health System, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has arguably cleared a path for employees to challenge actions taken under generally applicable vaccine mandates as discriminatory under the Americans with Disability Act (ADA).

What Record CEO Turnover Has to Do with Your Managing Partner

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 11:44:37 EST

The legal industry is going through the same leadership reckoning playing out across the Fortune 1000. The pioneers are already on the far side of the river. The settlers are crossing. And the stragglers are still deciding whether to go. Which camp are you in? And more importantly, who are you learning from right now?

How I Made Practice Group Chair: 'Invest in the Success of Colleagues,' Says Andrew Kaplan of Baker Donelson

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 10:59:59 EST

"Attorneys interested in leadership roles should focus on developing strong client relationships, collaborating across practice groups, and investing in the success of colleagues. Effective leadership in a law firm setting requires balancing individual client service with a long-term commitment to strengthening the broader practice."

The Week in Data July 6: A Look at Legal Industry Trends by the Numbers

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

Catch up on the latest data from across the Law.com newsroom, including this year's Talent Report.

What's Driving a Wave of Partnerships Between Law Firms and AI Providers

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 04:59:59 EST

“I have a prediction that some other firms will feel threatened enough that they also need to do a landmark announcement with someone, said one legal tech AI founder.

Australia's Legal Market Has Chosen Independence. Can America Change the Equation?

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 21:47:19 EST

The Ashurst-Perkins Coie and HSF Kramer mergers will test whether Australia's fiercely independent legal market can withstand a new wave of American influence.