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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SILENT PARTNERS - Look, we get it: exclusive memberships are fun! The cloak-and-dagger intrigue of a secret society like the League of Shadows or Sam's Club—exciting stuff! But perhaps the days of treating law firm partnership like The Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes should be put behind us at a time when competition for talent is at an all-time high. Associates want more transparency on the path to partnership and more options than equity-or-out, according to an American Lawyer survey of more than 4,000 midlevel associates. Law firm leaders prefer to withhold some of that information to give themselves options on who to hire and when, but, as Law.com's Dan Roe reports, many Big Law midlevels said their firms' intentional silence feels punitive against the backdrop of a lengthening and disheartening partnership track. "Lack of information causes anxiety and also causes associates to fill in the gaps with their own perception, gossip and whispers," said an associate at an Am Law 100 firm, adding "this is detrimental to the type of atmosphere" and culture the firm wants. On aggregate, associates were more dissatisfied with their firms' lack of communication on the partner track than any of the 14 other categories of firm management and communication we asked them to evaluate.

INSULT TO INJURY? - Given how hard it is for plaintiffs lawyers to play nicely with each other, you can imagine how warm the reception has been for a new legal tech competitor in the personal injury space. The nascent ALSP, called Mighty, told Law.com's Charles Toutant that it is facing backlash from personal injury lawyers after launching a plan to provide low-cost legal representation. The firm, which helps personal injury lawyers interface with medical providers and other lien holders, has formed a law firm affiliate that represents plaintiffs in personal injury cases in Connecticut, Georgia and Texas. However, some lawyers have taken to social media to heap criticism on Mighty's new venture, particularly in Georgia. The level of vitriol could be seen as a reflection of Mighty's unflattering depiction of the personal injury bar, and of the cutthroat competition between lawyers in that sector. Company founder and CEO Joshua Schwadron says the backlash that greeted Mighty Law affirms the importance of the mission behind the new venture. "The fact that this is touching such a nerve across thousands of lawyers across the country who all have a singular way of working and charging is, for us, proof that we're doing the right thing," he said.

ON THE RADAR - State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. was slapped with an insurance coverage lawsuit Friday in Louisiana Western District Court on behalf of more than 75 Louisiana residents. The court case, brought by McClenny Moseley & Associates, asserts that each of the plaintiffs had property insurance policies issued by the defendant and that State Farm has failed to fairly pay claims for damage caused by Hurricane Laura and Hurricane Delta. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is 2:22-cv-02663, Fontenot et al. v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar. 

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