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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

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IN COURT - Greg Craig is due in D.C. federal court this afternoon for his arraignment and detention hearing. The former White House counsel for President Obama was charged Thursday with making false statements to the DOJ in connection with his work for Ukraine while he was a partner at Skadden. An initial status conference is set for Monday before Judge Amy Berman Jackson.

GOOD WORK - Big labor and employment law firms are thriving. Meredith Hobbs reports that high demand spurred by litigation, new laws and regulations, multinational clients and the #MeToo era resulted in strong performances last year for the top law firms in that area. Littler Mendelson's revenue grew an estimated 8.6 percent to $584.2 million; Ogletree Deakins' revenue increased 8.6 percent to $509.8 million; Jackson Lewis' revenue rose 6.4 percent to $447.5 million; and Fisher Phillips increased its revenue 9.5 percent to $200.7 million.

JILTED - Here's a warning against getting too comfortable. Thirty-six percent of legal departments are contemplating throwing over their current outside law firms in favor of new ones. Dan Clark reports that a BDO USA survey found the main reasons for their wandering eye was, surprise, price and quality of service. The report is based on a survey of 100 senior in-house lawyers at companies with annual revenues ranging from $100 million to more than $3 billion.


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EDITOR'S PICKS

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Cooley, Covington, Davis Polk Land Work on Massive Uber IPO

Think Tank Bashes SEC's Approach to Cryptocurrency


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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

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FLEXIBILITY - Linklaters is giving all U.K. employees the option to request a flexible working arrangement, no matter how long they've been with the firm and without the need to explain why they need it. Rowan Bennett reports that the revised U.K. policy is part of the firm's efforts to remove stereotyping or challenges pertaining to who can work flexibly. A recent study of law firm diversity initiatives revealed that focusing flexible working just on women can deepen gender silos.


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WHAT YOU SAID

“It just was far easier to be open. I don't want people to be more afraid than they need to be because they see that I'm bald and know I must be going through cancer.”

— LYRISSA LIDSKY, DEAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SCHOOL OF LAW, WHO HAS PUBLICLY CHRONICLED HER FIGHT WITH BREAST CANCER, INCLUDING ON TWITTER.


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