RATE RESISTANCE - If you’re a Big Law client, now’s the time to stop being polite and start getting real. The Am Law 100 showed wide disparity in billing rate increases last year, depending on the law firm and the practice area, from hiking up rates by more than 20% to almost no increases. Some law firms are expected to continue aggressive rate increases this year, analysts said. But rate increases across the legal industry haven’t been as big as the conventional wisdom implies, and clients have more room to negotiate than they probably realize, according to the latest LegalVIEW Insights report from Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions. “Just talking to our clients in banking and finance, they’re saying the law firms are coming at them with huge rate increases, but then coming down,” said Nathan Cemenska, director of legal operations and industry insights for ELM Solutions, told Law.com’s Andrew Maloney. “They [law firms] are doing distributive bargaining, where they name a big number and then it gets whittled down from there. So the question is really, how much is the client willing to push back?”
TRIALS BY FIRE - In a number of state courts, lawyers say judges are trying to squeeze in trials where possible to snake clogged court case schedules. In response, attorneys are changing how they prepare for trial, turning to technology and communicating more with judges to adapt to an increasingly packed schedule. As Law.com’s Alaina Lancaster writes in this week’s Law.com Barometer newsletter, adjusting to more sudden trial dates might throw off attorneys’ work-life balance in the short-term. “It’s a bit painful,” said Mark Zanobini, of The Law Office of Mark J. Zanobini in Mill Valley, California, explaining that if lawyers agree to the chance of an expedited schedule, then they have to make sure their case is ready. “I don’t know about other lawyers, but I’ve blown a few weekends and several evenings to get everything ready,” he said. It might also affect settlement patterns. Spending all the time and money to have the depositions and questions outlined, exhibits ready and witnesses prepped, “makes it much harder to settle a case at that point,” Zanobini said. To receive the Law.com Barometer directly to your inbox each week, click here.
ON THE RADAR - Major League Soccer, several MLS teams and other defendants were slapped with a copyright infringement lawsuit Thursday in California Central District Court. The lawsuit, filed by Johnson & Johnson on behalf of Associated Production Music, accuses the defendants of using the plaintiff’s copryighted musical compositions on their social media platforms to promote their commercial activities without authorization. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 2:23-cv-01173, Associated Production Music LLC v. Major League Soccer LLC et al. Stay up on the latest deals and litigation with the new Law.com Radar.
EDITOR’S PICKS
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.To view this content, please continue to their sites. Not a Lexis Subscriber? Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber? LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law are third party online distributors of the broad collection of current and archived versions of ALM's legal news publications. LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law customers are able to access and use ALM's content, including content from the National Law Journal, The American Lawyer, Legaltech News, The New York Law Journal, and Corporate Counsel, as well as other sources of legal information. For questions call 1-877-256-2472 or contact us at [email protected] You Might Like
3 minute read
4 minute read
5 minute read
Trending Stories
More From ALM
With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry. This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas.
View Now
Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team.
View Now
Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options! Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. Our second option allows you to build your bundle and strategically select the content that pertains to your needs. Both options are priced the same.
View Now
Dynamically explore and compare data on law firms, companies, individual lawyers, and industry trends.
Law.com Compass includes access to our exclusive industry reports, combining the unmatched expertise of our analyst team with ALM’s deep bench of proprietary information to provide insights that can’t be found anywhere else.
Law.com Compass delivers you the full scope of information, from the rankings of the Am Law 200 and NLJ 500 to intricate details and comparisons of firms’ financials, staffing, clients, news and events.
September 12, 2024
New York, NY Consulting Magazine identifies the best firms to work for in the consulting profession. Learn More
September 18, 2024 - September 19, 2024
Dallas, TX Join General Counsel and Senior Legal Leaders at the Premier Forum Designed For and by General Counsel from Fortune 1000 Companies Learn More
September 24, 2024
Chicago, IL Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards honors women lawyers who have made a remarkable difference in the legal profession. Learn More The New Jersey Law Revision Commission, an independent legislative commission (N.J.S. 1:12A-1 et seq.), seeks a NJ-licensed atty in good sta... Apply Now › The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is looking for a passionate and dedicated individual with extensive litigation experience as well as o... Apply Now › We are seeking an attorney with a minimum of four years of experience in transactional work to join our well-established, nationally renowne... Apply Now › |
