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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

RESTORING BUT NOT RELAXING –  If COVID-19 itself wasn't evidence enough that nobody really knows what's coming around the corner, how about the fact that we're more than five months in with no end in sight? Still, about a dozen large law firms—at least seven of which made announcements last week—have rolled back certain austerity measures put in place at the start of the pandemic, citing better-than-expected performance. It's clear, however, that no one feels confident that the threat is totally over. In this week's Law.com Trendspotter column, we look at which firms recently announced partial pay cut restorations, what those measures look like and why no one's taking this good news as a sign that they can let their guard down.

HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY – Law firm leaders in recent years have wrestled with how to relate to younger associates, who are into weird stuff like work-life balance, transparency and accountability from the top down. But, at least with regard to those last two points, law firms seem to be hitting the mark during the pandemic. As Samantha Stokes reports, The American Lawyer's 2020 Midlevel Associates Survey found that early-career attorneys are increasingly satisfied with the openness of firm leadership, how firms communicate about making the partnership and the opportunity to build relationships with partners. "Some associates are telling me that even when firms are communicating bad news, they're still glad the firms shared it and aren't trying to hide anything," said Stephanie Biderman, a managing director with Major, Lindsey & Africa's associate practice group. "It may not be the news they wanted to hear, but they're still happy to feel included in the conversation."

OFF SCRIPT - A new complaint alleges Walgreens Boots Alliance, the parent company of Walgreens and Duane Reade, has been passing savings onto customers but not insurers. The company was slapped with a lawsuit Friday in Illinois Northern District Court over policies that allegedly inflate the prices insurers pay for prescription drugs. The case, which alleges Walgreens' Prescription Savings Club program allowed it to offer customers deep discounts while overcharging insurers for the same drugs, was brought by Crowell & Moring and Williams Montgomery & John on behalf of Asuris Northwest Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City and other health insurance providers. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. Read the full complaint and stay up to date on major litigation nationwide with Law.com's Legal Radar.

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