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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

CALL ME MAYBE - From webinars and podcasts to Zoom meetings and text messages, the pandemic has shown us that there are a million and one ways to connect with current and prospective clients in 2020. But when you really want to get the message across, a simple phone call still works best, according to a new survey of general counsel, conducted jointly by strategic communications firm Greentarget and legal consulting firm Zeughauser Group. As Patrick Smith reports, the survey, conducted over several months from the beginning of the pandemic in March through August, found that the number one way GCs prefer to be contacted by outside counsel is with a personal phone call—provided, of course, that the call is relaying information that's relevant, timely, novel and useful.

PROUD PARENTS -  A number of law firms' subsidiaries hit a rough patch in their growth and development during the early months of the pandemic, only to rebound in a big way. Now, they're heading into 2021 with high hopes, Dan Packel reports. Captives focused on e-discovery, alternative staffing and automated legal expertise all saw a demand dropoff at first but are now poised to finish out 2020 as their best year ever, which could be a sign that other firms should consider spawning subsidiaries of their own. "We think there's great opportunity for the right firms to go down this pathway," said Baretz+Brunelle New Law practice co-head Beatrice Seravello. "It ends up being a very profitable revenue stream for firms if they make the commitment."

THE WORST PART OF WAKING UP -  Counting how many cups of coffee you're consuming while working from home during a pandemic is probably not going to make you feel better about life. Still, no one likes to be short-changed. The Folger Coffee Co. and its corporate parent, J.M. Smucker, were hit with a consumer class action Monday in Illinois Northern District Court over the labeling of ground coffee products. The suit, filed by Carlson Lynch, alleges that Folgers Coffee packaging exaggerates the number of cups that can be brewed from the contents. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 1:20-cv-07074, Moser v. The J. M. Smucker Company. Stay up on the latest litigation with the new Law.com Radar.

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