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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

'WADE' INTO CONTROVERSY - More large law firms have confirmed they'll pay for travel and out-of-state costs for personnel seeking abortions, after the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week overturning Roe v. Wade. Still, as Law.com's Andrew Maloney reports, many other firms are keeping quiet on the issue. The law firm announcements come after several corporations said they would cover costs for abortion access. Companies such as Disney, Tesla, Netflix, JPMorgan and others have already introduced policies to cover such costs, with some announcements coming after a draft of the decision was leaked last month. More than two dozen Am Law 200 firms contacted by Law.com have yet to comment on the topic. Others have issued non-committal statements about whether they will pay for out-of-state costs for abortion services. But several others have confirmed, either to Law.com or in internal memos, that they will. Brad Hildebrandt, a longtime law firm consultant, said each firm is looking at this in a different way. "There will be no 'one way,' and it can be very controversial. You have lawyers of all persuasions politically," he said, later adding, "Law firms are trying to tread water here in a careful way. What's best for the firm, its reputation and employees—those are complicated issues."

HIRING AND LOWERING - Veteran legal recruiter John Gilmore told Law.com's Hugo Guzman that, although legal has long been considered a recession-proof sector, he isn't taking the current in-house hiring boom for granted."I've been in [corporate recruiting] for 33 years. I've been through three different downturns, and downturns aren't fun in this business," said John Gilmore, managing partner of BarkerGilmore. "I watch the business world closely, and I see what's going on. I'm not going to be naive about it." According to Gilmore, legal departments already might be showing the effects of an economic slowdown. Although hiring for top executives remains red hot, some companies are holding off on hiring mid-level professionals. When finding strong candidates becomes easier than filling open positions, recruiters will have their first big sign of a hiring downturn, Gilmore said. Another sign to watch for would be a glut of mid-level lawyers, meaning those with four to 10 years of experience, in the job market. But a recession could also lead to fewer available candidates, as more lawyers opt to stay put amid economic uncertainty. "If people don't feel confident making these big life changes, you'll see a slowdown," Sonya Olds Som, global managing partner at Diversified Search Group, told Guzman. "The lifeblood of the legal industry is a certain amount of people deciding that they're comfortable enough, and willing to take risks and make changes."

WHO GOT THE WORK?℠ - Benjamin J. Hodges, Kelly A. Mennemeier and Jennifer L. Gray of Foster Garvey have entered appearances for Green Lake Brewing Co. in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The complaint, filed April 29 in California Central District Court by McCarter & English and Resch Polster & Berger on behalf of premium spirits distributor and importer Proximo Spirits Inc., pursues claims against Green Lake for its ongoing use of the "Kraken" mark in connection with the sale of its beer. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Otis D. Wright II, is 2:22-cv-02879, Proximo Spirits, Inc. v. Green Lake Brewing Co., LLC et al.  >> Read the filing on Law.com Radar and check out the most recent edition of Law.com's Who Got the Work?℠ column to find out which law firms and lawyers are being brought in to handle key cases and close major deals for their clients.

ON THE RADAR - Amazon.com, Jeffrey P. Bezos and other executives were hit with a securities class action Tuesday in Washington Western District Court stemming from June 2019 U.S. House Committee hearings which concluded that the e-commerce giant made misleading statements and withheld evidence regarding allegations of antitrust activity in the retail market. The complaint, filed by Barrack, Rodos & Bacine and other counsel, contends that Amazon identifies the best-selling third-party merchandise on its platform, then mimics the products under its 'Amazon Basic' brand. The suit further contends that the House committee requested in March that the Department of Justice conduct an investigation into Amazon's alleged practices, and that the Securities and Exchange Commission is currently investigating Amazon's use of third-party seller data. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 2:22-cv-00907, CWA Local 1180 Members' Annuity Fund et al v. Amazon.com Inc et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar. 

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