Facts & Figures: Businesses spending more on both in-house and outside counsel
From legal salary discrepancies to Douglas Arnstens sentencing, an inside look at the numbers that count
October 19, 2012 at 08:02 AM
11 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.com
Flagging Faith
Much of the American public has already lost faith in the executive and legislative branches of government, so perhaps it's no surprise that many people have doubts about the judiciary as well. In its first poll for the Defense Research Institute, Langer Research Associates found that less than 10 percent of respondents were “very confident” that civil courts were fair, while more than half admitted that they themselves would be biased against corporations if serving on a jury.
41% Respondents who are not confident that the civil law system is fair and just
54% Respondents who would favor an individual over a corporation in a lawsuit
59% Respondents who reported a bias against insurance companies, the most bias against any type of business
32% People who said they would be biased against small businesses, the least bias against any business
64% People who would favor a small business over a large corporation in a lawsuit
Imprisoned Embezzler
The long saga of Douglas Arntsen is finally over, as the former Crowell & Moring associate was sentenced to jail Thursday for embezzling money from his former clients. Beginning in 2009, Arntsen stole millions of dollars from several escrow accounts that the firm maintained and spent the cash on expensive meals, sports tickets and strip clubs, according to prosecutors. The party ended in 2011, however, when authorities arrested Arntsen following his flight to Hong Kong. Read on for the numbers behind his sentencing:
4 Charges to which Arntsen pled guilty (three counts of grand larceny and one count of scheme to defraud)
4-12 years Length of Arntsen's prison sentence
$10.8 million Restitutions that he must make to two clients in addition to his prison term
Spending Surge
According to a recent HBR Consulting survey of 260 companies, in 2010 and 2011, businesses spent more on both in-house legal departments and outside counsel than they did in the preceding two years. More than half of the companies surveyed reported that they had added more staff lawyers in the two years covered by the survey. See more of their responses below:
5% Median increase in international legal spend among respondents
4% Median increase in U.S. legal spending
$458 Average hourly rate for the three top-billing U.S. firms, up more than $45 from the last survey
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Who Got The Work
Eleanor M. Lackman of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp has entered an appearance for Canon, the Japanese camera maker, and the Brooklyn Nets in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The case, filed Sept. 16 in California Central District Court by T-Rex Law on behalf of technology company Phinge Corporation, pursues claims against the defendants for their ongoing use of the 'Netaverse' mark. The suit contends that the defendants' use of the mark in connection with a virtual reality platform will likely create consumer confusion. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, is 2:24-cv-07917, Phinge Corporation v. Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network, LLC et al.
Who Got The Work
Fox Rothschild partner Glenn S. Grindlinger has entered an appearance for Garage Management Company in a pending lawsuit over alleged wage-and-hour violations. The case was filed Aug. 31 in New York Southern District Court by the Abdul Hassan Law Group on behalf of a manual worker who contends that he was not properly compensated for overtime hours worked. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, is 1:24-cv-06610, Bailey v. Garage Management Company LLC.
Who Got The Work
Veronica M. Keithley of Stoel Rives has entered an appearance for Husky Terminal and Stevedoring LLC in a pending environmental lawsuit. The suit, filed Aug. 12 in Washington Western District Court by Kampmeier & Knutsen on behalf of Communities for a Healthy Bay, seeks to declare that the defendant has violated the Clean Water Act by releasing stormwater discharges on Puget Sound and Commencement Bay. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle, is 3:24-cv-05662, Communities for a Healthy Bay v. Husky Terminal and Stevedoring LLC.
Who Got The Work
Caroline Pignatelli of Cooley has entered an appearance for law firm Cooley, partner Matt Hallinan, retired partner Michael Tu and a pair of Cooley associates in a pending fraud lawsuit related to the firm's representation of startup company Carbon IQ and founder Benjamin Cantey. The case, filed Sept. 26 in New Jersey District Court by the DalCortivo Law Offices on behalf of Gould Ventures and member Jason Gould, contends that the defendants deliberately or recklessly concealed critical information from the plaintiffs regarding fraud allegations against Cantey. Gould claims that he would not have accepted a position on Carbon IQ's board of directors or made a 2022 investment in the company if the fraud allegations had been disclosed. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch, is 3:24-cv-09485, Gould Ventures, LLC et al v. Cooley, LLP et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom have stepped in to represent PDD Holdings, the operator of online marketplaces Pinduoduo and Temu, in a pending securities class action. The case, filed Sept. 30 in New York Eastern District Court by Labaton Keller Sucharow and VanOverbeke, Michaud & Timmony, contends that the defendants concealed information that rendered the growth of PDD unsustainable and posed substantial risks to PDD’s business, including merchant policies that made it unprofitable for vendors to do business on PDD platforms; malware issues on PDD applications; and PDD’s failure to implement effective compliance systems. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen, is 1:24-cv-06881, Macomb County Retiree Health Care Fund v. Pdd Holdings Inc. et al.
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