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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

OPTIONS – The sentencing fiasco of Roger Stone is providing Judge Amy Berman Jackson with a new kind of test. Jacqueline Thomsen reports that as allegations of political bias hang over the DOJ's extraordinary decision to overhaul its recommendation on how long the Trump ally should be sent to prison, Jackson faces two different DOJ sentencing recommendations. Some former federal judges say that Jackson could question the DOJ about how to weigh the two sentencing recommendations. Others, including Shira Scheindlin say that's a bad idea. 

CORONAVIRUS EFFECTS – As China struggles to control the impact of the coronavirus on its residents and its economy, GCs and their outside firms are deciding how to deal with Chinese companies that seek emergency exemptions from their contracts. Sue Reisinger reports that China reportedly already has certified some 100 businesses to invoke so-called force majeure exemptions from contract duties, citing the coronavirus outbreak as a qualifying disaster. Basically, outside companies and their lawyers have three options: grant the exemption, fight the exemption in court or try to negotiate a compromise.

BIGGER - Atlanta-based FisherBroyles has opened a London office, its first non-U.S. location. Dylan Jackson reports that at least four lawyers practice from that office, with three more partners expected to join next week. The 250-lawyer firm, which markets itself as "distributed" and "not bound by geography" has small offices in 22 cities, although most lawyers work remotely. The firm is also eyeing expansion in Singapore and Milan.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

Theranos Judge Lets Most Criminal Charges Proceed

More Women Are Making Partner. So What About the Men?

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

DISFAVORED – The U.K. Employment Tribunal has called into question Cadwalader's bonus policy, stating that it "put women at a particular disadvantage when compared with men." Simon Lock reports that though the tribunal dismissed the claim for indirect sex discrimination brought by a female associate at the firm's London office, it agreed with her that women were disadvantaged by its policy of not reducing its hour targets for annual bonuses to reflect time spent on holiday.

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WHAT YOU SAID

"We've been able to recruit a different breed of cat."

— Joe Conroy, CEO at Cooley, on the law firm's hiring this year of several high-profile litigators. 

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