BLP's new merger play, pay to stay and law's Weinstein issue: the best of Legal Week over the last week
The best news, interviews and analysis from Legal Week and ALM over the last week
October 17, 2017 at 11:17 AM
2 minute read
Eighteen months after its merger talks with Greenberg Traurig fell apart in the public eye, Berwin Leighton Paisner has renewed its efforts to crack the US, confirming that it is in discussions with Missouri-based Bryan Cave about a potential union.
The talks, set to go to a partner vote later this year, represent a much more modest proposition than Greenberg but, also in contrast to Greenberg, partners believe a deal is much more likely to happen this time.
Elsewhere, fresh from a spate of partner exits globally, we broke the news that Ropes & Gray has been offering associates retention bonuses of up to $50,000 to stay with the firm instead of following their partners out of the door to firms such as Kirkland & Ellis.
And following the shocking recent revelations regarding Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, we also carried out our own investigation into the level of sexual harassment women are experiencing within law firms – finding that nearly two-thirds of female respondents have been sexually harassed while working at a law firm.
We also look at why firms need to take the issue more seriously and encourage women to come forward without fear of recrimination.
Other highlights on Legal Week over the last week
- Law firms falling behind on technology and client expectations, says PwC report
- CC ups use of 'superpoint' tier with at least three London partners now on £2m
- The British Legal Awards 2017: have you made the shortlist?
- What happens to Kirkland's legions of salaried partners?
- Ex-Linklaters financial regulatory partner joins BLP after Latham move falls through
- Why your law firm isn't anywhere near as profitable as you think
- PwC launches on-demand flexible lawyering service for clients
- Skadden M&A partner and English law practice founder Hatchard to retire
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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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