Inappropriate behaviour, crowdsourcing and ripping up the appraisal rulebook – the best of Legal Week over the last week
The best news, interviews and analysis from Legal Week and ALM over the last week
January 26, 2018 at 06:20 AM
3 minute read
Three months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal engulfed Hollywood, sexual harassment still tops the news agenda. With the legal profession as guilty as any other, growing numbers of firms are being drawn into the headlines.
Lawyers at Mishcon de Reya, BLP, Fried Frank and Kingsley Napley have found themselves embroiled in this week's scandal – the revelations of groping and inappropriate behaviour at the men-only Presidents Club Charity dinner.
While there are no insinuations that any of the four men were involved in the allegedly inappropriate events taking place at the dinner, their names were on the guestlist for the controversial evening, where sexual harassment was revealed by an undercover Financial Times reporter.
Meanwhile, at Dentons, a partner from legacy Scots firm Maclay Murray & Spens has been suspended in response to allegations of inappropriate behaviour.
Far away from salacious stories and bad behaviour, a host of firms have been rethinking their strategy, putting people and technology very much at the centre of efforts.
Slaughter and May has overhauled its associate appraisal system, while DLA Piper – currently in the midst of voting for its new senior partner – has shaken up its billings targets (among many other measures) following a firmwide crowdsourcing initiative.
Here's the best of the rest of Legal Week during the last seven days:
- New tech, non-lawyer partners and global growth on CC agenda as Layton eyes radical change
- Partners predict rising revenues and more UK mergers amid buoyant business confidence
- Milbank continues London push with hire of Shearman high yield star
- Dealmaker: Freshfields Charles Hayes on making partner, rare breed cattle and texting legal advice Conflict concerns or a planned refocus? Mayer Brown London exits prompt strategy questions
- Carillions legal services arm faces fire sale as dozens of in-house lawyers brace for last paycheque
- What it takes to be a great modern litigator: seven top tips from lawyers and clients
- Eversheds Sutherland sets sights on integration and common culture in new strategic plan From AXA to PayPal, World Bank and Diageo: the female GCs transforming the legal world
- BLP-Bryan Cave merger vote delayed as firms face tax hit
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Who Got The Work
J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
Who Got The Work
Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
Who Got The Work
Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
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