Elite Firms Rethinking Comp: The Morning Minute
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October 02, 2023 at 06:00 AM
4 minute read
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WHAT WE'RE WATCHING
COMPENSATION RECONFIGURATION - In Big Law, money talks, but not everyone likes what it has to say. Though few law firms in the Am Law 100 still use a pure lockstep partner pay system, many struggle to strike a balance between seniority and productivity that doesn't alienate key stakeholders. Rainmakers expect to be paid commensurate with their productivity, while lifers expect to be rewarded for their loyalty and longevity. But, as recent years' economic cycles highlight the financial disparities between different practice areas, and partner pay surpasses $20 million at some firms, firm leaders have a reinvigorated interest in reevaluating their comp systems, Law.com's Justin Henry reports.
TAKING LESSONS - Earlier this week, we told you about the rise in "side hustles" among Big Law attorneys. While some might worry an ancillary gig could get in the way of their practice, those lawyers who have dabbled in other pursuits say the experience has actually made them better at their main jobs. For example, John McBride, a Norton Rose Fulbright partner who also co-founded a Chicago-based cocktail bitters company called Devil's Retort in 2009, told Law.com's Andrew Maloney his side business has given him a deeper appreciation for his law clients. "My business couldn't afford to pay my legal rates," he quipped. adding. "I think something that really does apply to my legal work is just recognizing how complex regulation, employment—all these things are."
ON THE RADAR - Edmund Polubinski, Marie Killmond and Patrick W. Blakemore from Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for UiPath, a software developer focused on automating repetitive workflows, its CEO and CFO in a pending securities class action. The case, filed Sept. 9 in New York Southern District Court by Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd and Robbins, accuses the defendants of falsely misrepresenting the company's financial growth and failing to identify its lack of sustained competition with enterprise software vendors such as, Microsoft; IBM; and Salesforce. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote, is 1:23-cv-07908, Gera v. UiPath, Inc. et al. Stay up on the latest state and federal litigation, as well as the latest corporate deals, with Law.com Radar.
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Who Got The Work
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.
Who Got The Work
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.
Who Got The Work
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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