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Expert Analysis

• Law Firm Executive Orders Create A Legal Ethics Minefield

  

  Recent executive orders targeting BigLaw firms create ethical dilemmas — and raise the specter of civil or criminal liability — for the government attorneys tasked with implementing them and for the law firms that choose to make agreements with the administration, say attorneys at Buchalter.

• Reviewing Calif. Push To Restrict Private Equity In Healthcare

  

  A recent proposed bill in California aims to broaden the state's existing corporate practice of medicine restrictions, so investors must ensure that there is clear delineation between private equity investment in practice management and physicians' clinical decision-making, say attorneys at Debevoise.

• Firms Must Embrace Alternative Billing Models Or Fall Behind

  

  As artificial intelligence tools eliminate inefficiencies and the Big Four accounting firms enter the legal market, law firms that pivot from the entrenched billable hour model to outcomes-based pricing will see a distinct competitive advantage, says attorney William Brewer.

• How Attorneys Can Master The Art Of On-Camera Presence

  

  As attorneys are increasingly presented with on-camera opportunities, they can adapt their traditional legal skills for video contexts — such as virtual client meetings, marketing content or media interviews — by understanding the medium and making intentional adjustments, says Kerry Barrett.

• Patent Drafting Pointers From Fed. Circ. COVID Test Ruling

  

  The Federal Circuit's recent decision in DNA Genotek v. Spectrum Solutions provides several best practice pointers for drafting and prosecuting patent applications, highlighting how nuances in wording can potentially limit the scope of claims or otherwise affect claim constructions, says Irah Donner at Manatt.

• Series

  Baseball Fantasy Camp Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  With six baseball fantasy experiences under my belt, I've learned time and again that I didn't make the wrong career choice, but I've also learned that baseball lessons are life lessons, and I'm a better lawyer for my time at St. Louis Cardinals fantasy camp, says Scott Felder at Wiley.

• 2 Recent Federal Decisions Affecting State CIPA Cases

  

  Two recent cases may help stem the tide of the ever-increasing number of California Invasion of Privacy Act complaints filed in federal court, but won't prevent plaintiffs from filing in state courts, so companies need to shift their focus from Article III standing to statutory standing, says Matthew Pearson at Womble Bond.

• Series

  Adapting To Private Practice: From Fed. Prosecutor To BigLaw

  

  Making the jump from government to private practice is no small feat, but, based on my experience transitioning to a business-driven environment after 15 years as an assistant U.S. attorney, it can be incredibly rewarding and help you become a more versatile lawyer, says Michael Beckwith at Dickinson Wright.

• And Now A Word From The Panel: MDL Hubs

  

  The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation showed a willingness in 2024 to establish new multidistrict litigation proceedings in cities with both less MDL and air traffic, including states that had no other pending MDL proceedings, but the overall number of pending MDL proceedings has dwindled down, says Alan Rothman at Sidley.

• Service By Token Is Transforming Crypto Litigation Landscape

  

  As the Trump administration advocates a new course of cryptocurrency regulation, courts in the U.S. and abroad are authorizing innovative methods of process service, including via nonfungible tokens and blockchain messaging, offering practical solutions for litigators grappling with the anonymity of cyber defendants, says Jose Ceide at Salazar Law.

• Opinion

  After Fires, Calif. Must Streamline Enviro Reviews For Housing

  

  Recent waivers to the California Environmental Quality Act and other laws granted by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to expedite reconstruction of residential property damaged in the Los Angeles wildfires are laudable — but given the state's widespread housing shortage, policymakers should extend the same benefits to other communities, say attorneys at Alston & Bird.

• PG&E Win Boosts Employers' Defamation Defense

  

  A California appeals court's recent Hearn v. PG&E ruling, reversing a $2 million verdict against PG&E related to an ex-employee’s retaliation claims, provides employers with a stronger defense against defamation claims tied to termination, but also highlights the need for fairness and diligence in internal investigations and communications, say attorneys at Kaufman Dolowich.

• How Calif. Algorithmic Pricing Bills Could Affect Consumers

  

  California's legislative efforts to regulate algorithmic pricing may address antitrust and fairness concerns, but could stop retailers from providing consumer discounts, says Alyssa Sones at Sheppard Mullin.

• State Securities Enforcers May Fill A Federal Enforcement Gap

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission appears poised to take a lighter touch under the new administration, but state enforcement efforts are likely to continue unabated, and potentially even increase, particularly with regard to digital assets and ESG disclosures, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• Firms Still Have Lateral Market Advantage, But Risks Persist

  

  Partner and associate mobility data from the fourth quarter of 2024 shows that we’re in a new, stable era of lateral hiring where firms have the edge, but leaders should proceed cautiously, looking beyond expected revenue and compensation analyses for potential risks, say Julie Henson and Greg Hamman at Decipher Investigative Intelligence.