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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SECOND HUNDRED- The Am Law 200 goes live at 10 a.m. EDT, revealing that the Second Hundred law firms ranked by 2019 financial results matched the Am Law 100′s growth in gross revenue, profits per partner and revenue per lawyer. That momentum heading into 2020 may well prove critical as they embark on one of the most challenging years the legal industry has ever faced. For insight on the results, tune in to a webinar at 11 EDT this morning featuring senior editors and analysts from Law.com affiliate The American Lawyer.

BIG BUCKS - So-called nuclear verdicts—mega awards in personal injury suits—stem from the complex dynamic of creative plaintiff lawyer tactics, insurer financial strategies, sophisticated jury selection, and sociological factors. In this multi-part package, ALM editors and reporters covering the law and the insurance industry closely examine the levers in play that result in huge wins for some and massive losses for others.

RELAX  The California State Bar has revived efforts to create a "regulatory sandbox" that could allow nonlawyers to develop legal services without violating professional rules governing the practice of law. Cheryl Miller reports that bar trustees have voted to consider relaxing rules barring the unauthorized practice of law, fee-sharing and nonlawyer firm ownership, all with an eye toward expanding affordable legal help.

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EDITOR'S PICKS

'A Scary and Sad Time': Asian American GCs Talk About Current Racism

Tobi Young, First Native American SCOTUS Clerk, Recounts Year With Gorsuch

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WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

DOORS OPEN - Skadden has reopened several of its European offices as it appoints a global task force to work on a plan for its people to return to its offices worldwide. Eva von Schaper and Hannah Roberts report that the firm's Munich, Frankfurt and Paris offices have reopened, with workers given the option to return amid the pandemic. The firm is also planning to reopen its London office. People who choose to return are being asked to avoid traveling to work via subway.

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WHAT YOU SAID

"In eighth grade in Georgia, I was called every derogatory term, and now my child has been on the receiving end of that same discrimination."

— Michael Wu,

chief legal officer at Madewell Inc., on the increase in  overt racism against Asian Americans amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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