California Pulse


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    BigLaw Enters Its Post-Partnership Era Of Governance

    The days of BigLaw equity partners having a say in the daily operations of a law firm are all but gone, as firms shift away from consensus and toward executive decision-making amid fierce competition in the legal industry.

  • Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar

    This past year, 10 lawyers across the country at plaintiffs' firms big and small helped secure millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for their clients, going up against powerful defendants like Google, Monsanto and the Trump administration, earning the attorneys recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2026.

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    Frost LLP Hires Two Commercial Litigation Pros For LA Office

    Frost LLP has brought on two experienced commercial litigation attorneys who specialize in real estate and other practice areas as partners for its Los Angeles office in order to "increase the firm's capacity in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation," the firm announced.

  • Law360 Pulse Spotlight On Mid-Law Work

    Mitchell Silberberg's representation of pop star Dua Lipa in a suit against Samsung and Kelley Drye's work in securing a $2.25 billion settlement in connection with the deadly Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse lead this edition of Law360 Pulse's Spotlight On Mid-Law Work, recapping the top matters for Mid-Law firms from May 8 to 22. 

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    Nossaman Adds Fennemore Craig Employment Atty In SF

    Nossaman LLP has expanded its employment law offerings in San Francisco with the addition of an attorney from Fennemore Craig PC.

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    Rimon's Managing Partner On Full-Service Firm Evolution

    Rimon PC's managing partner talks to Law360 about the firm's work towards becoming a full-service operation, its domestic and international expansion and the impact of outside investment both internally and externally

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    Fed. Judiciary Urged To Drop Unified Atty Admission Effort

    The federal judiciary should scrap any proposal to do away with state bar admission requirements for U.S. district courts and create a national district court bar, according to a recent report finding it would undercut those courts' control over bar membership and that it lacks the necessary support.

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    UC Berkeley Law Adopts Sweeping Restrictions On AI Use

    The University of California, Berkeley School of Law has adopted a sweeping new policy that restricts the use of artificial intelligence by students, saying the measure aims to ensure "our courses focus on requisite cognitive skills by default."

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    How Ariz. Law Firm Experiment Created A New Kind Of Lawyer

    Those vying to do business as part of Arizona’s non-attorney law firm ownership experiment were, at one point, willing to pay a premium for a local lawyer who could help them clear the state’s regulatory hurdles. But recently, stricter regulations and a handful of disciplinary cases have slowed what some say could have continued to be a flourishing market.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Morrison Foerster LLP, Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz and Dechert LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after a California federal jury cleared OpenAI and executives Sam Altman and Greg Brockman of allegations that they breached the nonprofit's charitable trust by converting to a for-profit.

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    Genesis AI Adds Ex-Google, Twitter Atty As Legal Head

    Paris-based robotics and software company Genesis AI has recently expanded its professional team, hiring a former in-house counsel for Twitter and legal adviser for Google to lead its legal strategy, as well as a new head of operations.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry had another action-packed week as attorneys landed new roles across the country. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Immigration Judges' 'Anxiety' Dialed Up Amid Mass Exodus

    Current and former immigration judges spoke on a web panel Thursday about threats to the independence of immigration judges and the strains on the immigration system, such as a massive backlog of cases at a time when many judges have been pushed out or fired.

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    Debevoise Adds Bonus Pool For Partners, Retains Lockstep

    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is creating a bonus pool for partners and retaining its lockstep compensation model, the firm confirmed Thursday.

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    Law Firms Rework Talent And Knowledge Plans For AI Era

    Law firms are preparing for a new artificial intelligence-driven future, with leaders adjusting talent and institutional knowledge strategies to make the most of new technologies.

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    Law Firms Are Behind Trophy Leasing Momentum

    Law firms made up nearly 22% of all leases in the premium U.S. office market above $100 per square foot in the first quarter of 2026, according to a recent report from real estate brokerage firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc.

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    Debevoise Names 16 New Partners As London, NY Dominate

    Debevoise & Plimpton LLP said Thursday that it is elevating 16 lawyers to its partnership, with London and New York accounting for most of the U.S. firm's promotions round.

  • Blank Rome Adds 2 Infrastructure Pros To LA Office

    Blank Rome LLP has hired two attorneys from Norton Rose Fulbright and Nossaman LLP as partners for its real estate team in Los Angeles, the firm announced Tuesday.

  • Hagens Berman Says Apple Smear Job Can't Stop Withdrawal

    Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP urged a California federal judge to allow one of its named plaintiffs to withdraw from an Apple iCloud antitrust case, saying Apple Inc.'s filed opposition is rife with "misdirection and ad hominem" attacks and not about the merits of the dispute but "smearing opposing counsel."

  • LA Judge Who Told Juror To 'Learn English' Gets Disciplined

    A judicial ethics panel has admonished a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge over her comments to two prospective jurors that they should "learn English" and that they're "not doing anything in our society," finding the remarks amounted to misconduct that undermined public confidence in the judicial system's integrity and impartiality.

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    Atty Withdrawals Not Limited To Fee Conflicts, ABA Says

    Lawyers whose clients fail to hold up their end of valid engagement agreements are clear to cease their representation, so long as certain criteria are met, according to the American Bar Association's ethics committee's latest guidance, published Wednesday.

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    Goodwin Adds Another Jones Day Atty To Newest Calif. Office

    Goodwin Procter LLP announced on Tuesday that it has brought a former Jones Day lawyer to its newest office on the West Coast.

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    Michael Best Taps Jones Lang LaSalle Exec For COO Role

    Michael Best & Friedrich LLP has welcomed a new chief operating officer from real estate brokerage firm Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., where he held senior chief operating officer and strategic leadership roles.

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    Seyfarth Brings On Former Husch Blackwell Litigator In LA

    Seyfarth Shaw LLP has added a former Husch Blackwell partner in its downtown Los Angeles office.

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    How AI Is Reshaping The Balance Between Firms And Clients

    As artificial intelligence tools speed up some legal work, a panel of experts on Wednesday demonstrated that there is some agreement between law firms and clients on new billing practices and whether AI will replace lawyers.

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Expert Analysis

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Tips For Landing The Client Pitch Author Photo

    In today’s competitive legal market, successful attorneys treat the pitch process with general counsel like the beginning of a relationship, not a one-off sale — showing up with curiosity, commercial awareness and the ability to engage in a meaningful way from the start, says Andrew Dick at The L Suite.

  • Making Legal Cents: Strategy That Stays In Motion Author Photo

    Instead of lurching between year-end strategic planning season and springtime panic mode, firms need a framework that helps them identify what clients and the market need throughout the year, and then actually adjust course, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

  • Roundup

    Legal Tech Talks Author Photo

    Company founders, attorneys and other professionals working in the legal tech space share their journeys into the industry, challenges they face when working with law firms and legal departments, and common misconceptions about technology.

  • 4 Tips For Attys To Turn An Interim Job Into A Long-Term Role Author Photo

    As some attorneys seek interim roles amid economic uncertainty, big-picture thinking and a few proactive steps can help to turn those short-term assignments into long-term positions, says Amy Vanderhoof at Major Lindsey.

  • The Augmented Lawyer: AI Exercises For Junior Attorneys Author Photo

    As artificial intelligence tools become increasingly adept at handling entry-level legal tasks, firms and organizations must consider new ways to train and mentor junior attorneys to prepare them for leadership in an AI-integrated profession, say attorneys at KXT Law.

  • Series

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Embrace LinkedIn Author Photo

    Attorneys who recognize LinkedIn as a powerful professional platform can gain significant competitive advantages in business development via strategic content creation, meaningful industry discussions and consistent visibility within target markets, says Agatha Mouillet at Horvitz & Levy.

  • Guidance For Attorneys As Tariffs Reshape Legal Hiring Author Photo

    As law firms and in-house legal departments grapple with the uncertainty of evolving tariff policies, attorneys at all career stages should consider how to lean into these shifts to best position themselves for long-term opportunities, says Rena Barnett-Matthews at Attorney Career Coach.

  • How Firms Can Plan For Succession Of Admin Professionals Author Photo

    Many law firms are familiar with the need for attorney succession plans, but it’s also essential to plan for the succession of administrative professionals — from human resources personnel to finance leaders — to ensure continuity of critical day-to-day operations, say Eryn Carter and Travis Armstrong at the Association of Legal Administrators.

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    Expanding The Reach Of A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    I co-founded the Legal Mentor Network with the goal of providing free legal mentoring to law students and early career attorneys, and the experience has highlighted how nonprofits can grow with the help of strong sponsorships and volunteers who all operate from a positive place, says Chrystal Mauro at the Legal Mentor Network.

  • How 1Ls Can Plan For Sped-Up Summer Associate Hiring Author Photo

    The ever-earlier recruiting of summer associates sets high stakes before new law students may even realize, but 1Ls can better land a good 2L summer fit if they hit their first semester focused on the hiring timeline and ready to ask important questions about their would-be firms, says Kate Reder Sheikh at Major Lindsey.

  • How GCs Can Help Build A Geopolitical Command Center Author Photo

    In the face of sustained regulatory and economic uncertainty, general counsel can help businesses move from reactive to proactive management by building a clear, cross-functional geopolitical command center that monitors and coordinates responses to a wide spectrum of issues, says Lars Faeste at FTI Consulting.

  • For Some Lawyers, Building A New Practice Makes Perfect Author Photo

    Leaving an established law firm to start a boutique business of your own requires not only vision and resilience but also a solid business plan to help mitigate risks and increase your chances of unparalleled personal and professional success, says Rebecca Palmer at the Rebecca L. Palmer Law Group.

  • Beyond Billable Hours: The Unseen Labor Of Women In Law Author Photo

    The legal profession has a critical role to play in reducing attrition of women lawyers by addressing the disproportionate burden of the mental load — the often-unseen work of managing tasks and anticipating needs in both personal and professional realms, says Michelle Browning-Coughlin at Northern Kentucky University’s Chase College of Law.

  • 10 Key Strategies For Successful Lateral Partner Integration Author Photo

    To help ensure new partners and practice groups are successfully integrated, firms should embrace specific structured practices that recognize each lateral's distinct value, personalize their integration plans and proactively address transition complexities long after onboarding ends, say Elizabeth Kennedy at NewEdge BD and Erika Steinberg at CMO2Go.

  • How Firms Can Manage DEI Commitments Amid Headwinds Author Photo

    By recalibrating how they structure and communicate their inclusion efforts, law firms can reduce legal exposure and preserve their values, says Angela Vallot at VallotKarp Consulting.

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