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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

FIRM RANKINGS – This year's Am Law 100, The American Lawyer's annual report on the top-grossing law firms in the U.S., publishes at 10 a.m. today. The report details the overall financial health of the legal industry as it prepares to navigate the coronavirus crisis. In a free webinar at 11 a.m. EST, staff and analysts will discuss the data, trends and insights from this year's report—and how the results from 2019 will help shape the rest of 2020.

CASH OUT – Amid a faltering economy, law firms are looking beyond layoffs, furloughs and salary reductions for ways to maintain healthy cash flows. Gina Passarella and Krishnan Nair report that many firms are seeking to increase or extend their credit lines, and for the most part, banks are happy to oblige. But as COVID-19 shutdowns continue and tax bills come due, it's an open question how long firms can ride their existing credit lines, or whether partners will need to personally guarantee future loans.

CRIMINAL ACCESS – The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case regarding whether the authorized access of a computer system for an improper purpose is a criminal act under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA), Greg Land reports. The case stems from the conviction of a police officer in Georgia who was paid to access a statewide criminal database on behalf of an acquaintance. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the conviction, but some appellate courts in other circuits have taken the opposite stance, arguing that the CFAA only criminalizes unauthorized access.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Sidley Picks Up Shearman Practice Leader As Pandemic Transforms Leveraged Finance Scene

 Is a Coronavirus Loan Truly a 'Loan'? Federal Judge Questions Whether Lobbyists Can Tap Relief Funds

 US Soccer Continues Shaking Up Executive Ranks, Places Chief Legal Officer on Leave

 Ex-Managing Partner, 3 Others Leave Pierce Bainbridge to Start New Firm

 'Like a War Zone': NY Nurses Union Sues Bronx Hospital, Claiming Failure to Protect Staff Battling COVID-19

 Florida Lawyer Arrested for Running Prostitution Ring From His Home

 

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

HONG KONG ARRESTS – The Hong Kong Bar Association has criticized the arrest on Saturday of 15 public figures in Hong Kong for their alleged roles organizing pro-democracy protests last summer and fall. Among those arrested are two prominent attorneys, Martin Lee and Albert Ho, who have deep ties to one of the city's main pro-democratic political parties, Law.com International reports. The bar association said the arrests "could easily be perceived as interference" in contravention of Hong Kong's local constitution.

WHAT YOU SAID

"People asked me if I was going to back out, and I said no. I took a chance on myself for better or worse—and so here we are for worse. It can only get better, right?"

— Sharon Zinns, who launched her solo practice Zinns Law in early April after leaving Beasley Allen. Zinns, whose specialty is representing plaintiffs in mesothelioma cases, has been busy preparing existing cases and vetting new ones as courts remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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