'Side Hustles' on the Rise in Big Law: The Morning Minute
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September 28, 2023 at 06:00 AM
4 minute read
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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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Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
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Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
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David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
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