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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING

SIDEBAR - The Big Law lifestyle is not famous for its copious free time. But changing professional norms, added workplace flexibility since the pandemic, and more avenues than ever to explore and get paid for other interests have led the number of lawyers with side gigs to rise to "astonishing" levels, consultants and firm leaders told Law.com's Andrew Maloney. But that may not fully explain it. Daniel Farris, partner-in-charge of the Chicago office of Norton Rose Fulbright, had another theory about what could be driving the trend: "a healthy dose of skepticism" from younger lawyers about how the industry has traditionally functioned, along with a broader trend toward hustle culture in society.

PROCESSING FEES - For e-discovery professionals, saddled by some of the most time-consuming and expensive work within legal, generative AI has shown substantial promise. But, as Law.com's Isha Marathe reports, it's also shown a pretty massive price tag. Speaking at Relativity Fest 2023 recently, Matt Jackson, Sidley Austin's counsel of data analytics and discovery, said a tool's cost is likely the most important indicator of adoption for the firm, and genAI tends to generate sticker shock. But Michael Cichy, the litigation support general manager at Foley & Lardner, added that what you shell out upfront could end up saving you money and headaches in the long run because of genAI's ability to, for example, catch errors earlier in the e-discovery process.

ON THE RADAR - Jabil Inc. has agreed to divest its mobility business to handset components and mobile phones manufacturer BYD Electronic (International) Co. Ltd. for a total consideration of approximately $2.2 billion. The transaction, announced Sept. 26, is expected to close within the first two quarters of Jabil's current fiscal year 2024. St. Petersburg, Florida-based Jabil was advised by a Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom team including partners Alexandra McCormack, Allison Schneirov and Jonathan Stone. Counsel information for BYD Electronic, based in China, was not immediately available. Stay up on the latest state and federal litigation, as well as the latest corporate deals, with Law.com Radar 


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By Allison Dunn