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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

ENGAGED? Minneapolis-based Faegre Baker Daniels and Philadelphia-based Drinker Biddle & Reath have been engaged in merger talks. Faegre had more than 660 lawyers and gross revenue of $512.9 million in 2018, while Drinker Biddle had 530 lawyers and $449.7 million in gross revenue last year. At the same time, Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders and Philadelphia's Pepper Hamilton are in combination talks. Their merger would create a combined law firm with more than 1,000 lawyers and more than $855 million in revenue.

OH, SNAP! The number of so-called "snap removals" has surged, Amanda Bronstad reports. The increasingly common—and controversial—practice, in which defendants in certain cases seek removal of lawsuits to federal court before receiving notice of service, is the subject of a hearing today before a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. "Now, it's just become so instantaneous, which is a very major public policy issue because it's depriving state courts of jurisdiction," said Weitz & Luxenberg lawyer Ellen Relkin, who is scheduled to appear. In general, state courts are considered more plaintiff-friendly.

DELIBERATIONS – The jury is expected to begin deliberations today in the Roger Stone trial, and, as Jacqueline Thomsen reports, his attorney Bruce Rogow has a clear message about his client's alleged conduct with the Trump campaign: "So what?" Stone is charged with obstructing Congress' investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election. "There could be no sensible motive in trying to protect the campaign when the campaign was long since over, and Mr. Trump was the president of the United States," Rogow asserted in closing arguments Wednesday.

HEADS UP – As part of Law.com's ongoing Minds Over Matters project, we are asking you and your colleagues to participate in a groundbreaking effort: The 2019 Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey launching on Nov. 18. Please understand that our intent is not to annoy you with emails, but instead to gather as much information as possible from law firms of all sizes about this highly important topic. We kindly ask that you take the 5 to 10 minutes required to complete the survey and that you encourage your colleagues—including law firm partners, associates and staffers—to do so as well. Look for the survey in your inbox starting Monday.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

'Death by a Thousand Cuts': Why Are Women Leaving Big Law?

After California Bar Exam Blunder, Frantic Scramble Ensued: Report

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

INJURED – A Cleary partner in Hong Kong was accidentally splashed with acid as anti-government protests continue to escalate there. John Kang reports that Shuang Zhao, whose practice focuses on  capital markets transactions, was injured on her way to work Tuesday morning. She suffered minor injuries on her arms and legs.

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WHAT YOU SAID

"He'd just granted summary judgment against you, but he did it in such a way that you'd say, 'That's nice of you.' "

—  Robert E. Flournoy, Superior Court judge in Cobb County, Georgia, commenting on Judge Conley Ingram, a former justice on the Georgia Supreme Court who died Monday at the age of 89.

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