California Pulse


  • iStock-1302468198.jpg

    Milbank Issues Bonuses To Associates, Special Counsel

    Milbank LLP is continuing to lead the way on bonuses, confirming Monday it has issued a round of special bonuses ranging from $6,000 for the class of 2026 and 2025 associates to $25,000 for the class of 2021 associates and beyond.

  • iStock-1714410877.jpg

    Law Firms Expand AI Roles Beyond C-Suite To Lawyer Ranks

    BigLaw firms are expanding artificial intelligence-focused roles from the C-suite to associate and partner levels.

  • 'False Innuendo': Sanctioned Davis Wright Atty Rips Fee Bid

    A Davis Wright Tremaine LLP partner sanctioned for subpoena tactics is fiercely contesting a plaintiffs firm's six-figure fee bid, telling a California federal court that the request misleadingly cites alleged misconduct in separate litigation, reflecting a "naked attempt to prejudice the court's view of counsel."

  • iStock-2212158811.jpg

    Law Firms Face Hard Calls As Income Partner Ranks Swell

    Large law firms have grown their non-equity partner tiers at a relatively rapid clip in recent years, with some implementing the position for the first time. For many firms, that means hard decisions around how they will trim the ranks and remain profitable are on the horizon.

  • cburusco_blue.png

    Ex-Sidley Insurance Atty Joins Hinshaw In LA

    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP said Thursday it has hired a former counsel in Sidley Austin LLP's insurance practice as a partner for its Los Angeles office.

  • LegalLions.png

    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP and McGuireWoods LLP lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fourth Circuit reversed class certification in an investor lawsuit against Boeing over the company's alleged concealment of safety issues with its 737 Max fleet.

  • Ryan Hassanein RH.png

    RH Picks McKesson Exec As New Legal And Compliance Chief

    Luxury home furnishing company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, has appointed a new top legal and compliance leader from McKesson Corp.

  • IMG_1781.jpeg

    Gordon Rees Doubles Office Space With Fresno, Calif., Move

    To accommodate a rapidly growing roster, Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani LLP recently moved its Fresno, California, team to a new space in the city that is more than double the size of its prior location.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry marked another busy week with new insight into law school grads and expanded BigLaw firm offerings. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • iStock-482587009.jpg

    Report Links Diversity To Financial Results, Warns Boards

    An analysis of nine years' worth of federal workforce data covering 1,482 public companies released Thursday links diverse management teams with companies that financially perform significantly better than Homogeneous ones, while all white male teams consistently underperformed.

  • Robert Burrus.png

    Ex-McGuireWoods Chair Remembered As Brilliant, Fair Leader

    Former McGuireWoods LLP Chairman Robert L. Burrus, who helped expand the firm's global footprint and launch its government relations arm, is being remembered as a fair, kind and brilliant leader whose recent death leaves a long-lasting legacy at the firm and his alma mater, the University of Richmond.

  • Michelle B. Abidoye FordHarrison.png

    FordHarrison Rehires Ex-Amazon Labor Exec In Los Angeles

    A former FordHarrison LLP attorney who worked in-house at Providence Health and Amazon has returned to private practice in the firm's Los Angeles office.

  • iStock-2160961111.jpg

    Sheppard Wants Attys To Treat AI Like A 2nd-Year Associate

    As some law firms are engrossed with adopting certain artificial intelligence tools, Sheppard believes greater gains can be achieved by focusing on a technology-based program that promotes behavioral changes in how attorneys and staff view AI tools.

  • Gov't Attys May Face Broader Duty To Report Misconduct

    Attorneys representing the government could face "more demanding" obligations to disclose misconduct by people within their client organizations than attorneys representing private entities, according to an ethics opinion issued Wednesday by the American Bar Association.

  • 2_up_JL.png

    Jackson Lewis Names New Employment Litigation Co-Leaders

    Jackson Lewis PC announced the elevation of two office managers and longtime firm attorneys to co-leaders of the employment litigation group this week.

  • iStock-1423145798.jpg

    More Associates Are Leaving Their First Legal Jobs Early

    Nearly 12% of the class of 2024 have already left their first jobs at the top 50 firms, and Kirkland & Ellis LLP has taken in the most first-year laterals, according to new statistics from legal data company Firm Prospects LLC.

  • iStock-1761638528.jpg

    Law School Paths Emerge For Navigating Students' AI Use

    The University of Chicago Law School and the University of California, Berkeley School of Law have laid out two approaches for regulating student AI use, charting divergent paths when educational institutions across the nation are looking for guidance on how to grapple with the role of the technology in legal education.

  • Thompson Hine Opens Energy Practice With 4-Atty Team

    Thompson Hine LLP on Wednesday announced the opening of an energy practice with a four-lawyer team split between the East and West coasts.

  • Earns AT and T.JPEG

    Ex-AT&T Attorney Whistleblower Denies Violating Ethics Rules

    A former AT&T attorney and whistleblower who is accused of violating lawyer-client privilege 18 years ago while exposing purported company wrongdoing has vehemently denied the charges in his reply and motion to dismiss the disciplinary case in Washington, D.C.

  • Defaults Didn't Deny Users Ad-Free Search, Google Says

    Google again is pushing a California federal judge to toss consumer antitrust claims accusing it of shutting out rival search engines that offer better privacy safeguards and no ads, arguing they still haven't shown harm, and thus standing to sue, from the contracts making it the default search engine.

  • 121745.png

    Cybersecurity Atty Joins Constangy Brooks From Perkins Coie

    Constangy Brooks Smith & Prophete LLP announced Monday that an experienced cybersecurity and data privacy attorney has joined the firm's Orange County, California, office as a partner from Perkins Coie LLP.

  • Torosian_Mike_Professional_Cropped.jpg

    Mintz Adds Baker Botts Venture Capital Ace In San Francisco

    Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo PC announced Tuesday that it has bolstered its venture capital and emerging companies practice with a San Francisco-based corporate partner who came aboard from Baker Botts LLP.

  • s-waqar-hasib.jpeg

    Eversheds Sutherland Adds Longtime DOJ Prosecutor In Calif.

    Eversheds Sutherland has grown its litigation offerings in California with the addition of a veteran prosecutor from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California.

  • iStock-1088968022.jpg

    States Make Up Growing Front In Litigation Finance Battle

    U.S. business interests are turning to state legislatures to stymie litigation funders after a string of failed efforts in Congress, fueling a flurry of recent legislation that could shape the future of the multibillion-dollar industry.

  • iStock-2229920029.jpg

    To Move The Needle, Top Firms Scout Practice Group Leaders

    Practice group leaders at the 50 largest law firms in the U.S. by revenue are increasingly on the move, with data showing lateral hiring rising substantially in the position over the last five years as law firms look to make good on their growth strategies via splashy additions.

Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the California Pulse archive.

Expert Analysis

  • Why Law Firm Leaders Should Care About Student Debt Crisis Author Photo

    ​​​​​​​As the student debt crisis evolves under changing federal policies, firms that proactively address the burden will have significant advantages in recruiting and retaining the best young lawyers, says Brian Kabateck at Kabateck.

  • Series

    Talking Mental Health: Encouraging New Attys To Find Joy Author Photo

    Rudene Haynes at Hunton discusses her experiences as a hiring partner, common sources of stress that newer attorneys face and steps that law firms can take to protect their attorneys' mental health and encourage personal life fulfillment.

  • Fla. Bar's Cyber Incident Response Plan Sets Precedent Author Photo

    The incident response plan developed by the Florida Bar's cybersecurity and privacy committee might not seem all that consequential, but it's a long overdue framework that could go a long way toward protecting the highly sensitive data law firms handle — and could even set a model for other professional organizations to follow, says Chris Boehm at Zero Networks.

  • Why Attorneys Should Write About Justices' Minority Opinions Author Photo

    Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s searing dissents this past term serve as a reminder for attorneys to analyze U.S. Supreme Court minority opinions in their thought leadership for three key reasons, says Jessica Kaplan at Legally Penned.

  • 3 Business Development Lessons From Mozart's 'Magic Flute' Author Photo

    Mozart’s opera “The Magic Flute” offers a useful framework for attorneys to build relationships and develop new business, inspired by Prince Tamino’s curiosity, courage and consistency, says Paul Manuele at PR Manuele Consulting.

  • 5 Ways Legal Teams Can Use KPIs To Quantify Their Value Author Photo

    As in-house legal departments are increasingly expected to do more with less, developing a thoughtful framework to measure key performance indicators can help them both maximize and demonstrate their contribution to business success, say co-founders at New Era ADR.

  • Series

    Defining The Culture For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    We co-founded The International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators to connect leading trial lawyers, litigation experts and academics, and our experience has shown that embracing opportunity, responding fearlessly to market realities, and relentlessly defining the organization’s culture have all been integral to success, say Stéphane Bonifassi, Lincoln Caylor and Elizabeth Ortega.

  • 5 Emerging Themes Shaping Lateral Partner Moves This Year Author Photo

    A few key trends have arisen in partners’ lateral movements in the first half of 2025, reflecting a legal market defined by macroeconomic uncertainty, shifts in firm structures and rising scrutiny of firm affiliations, say legal recruiters at Macrae.

  • Series

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Be A Mentor Or Mentee Author Photo

    Mentorship is a powerful tool for business development when both mentors and mentees approach their relationships with strategic purpose, ensuring professional success while supporting broader business goals, say Angela Liu at Dechert and Jessica Lewis at WilmerHale.

  • 4 Biz Dev Steps For Attys Who Don't Know What They Want Author Photo

    Junior attorneys are increasingly expected to start building books of business while they are still figuring out their long-term career goals, but a few pointers can help young lawyers develop business even when they’re uncertain about their future direction, says Lana Manganiello at Practice Growth Partner.

  • Protecting Client Funds From Cyberattacks Author Photo

    As cyberattacks on law firms continue to escalate, bar associations, law firms and individual lawyers must all take steps to protect client funds in attorney trust accounts — from imposing cyber hygiene mandates to reimagining malpractice coverage — because once that money is gone, it’s generally gone for good, says Michael Epstein at The Epstein Law Firm.

  • Making Legal Cents: For Billing, Think Value, Not Time Author Photo

    Pricing strategy is one of the most consistently discussed but underleveraged tools in a firm's arsenal, and rather than keeping hourly billing because it's easy, firms should consider their differentiators when structuring more effective fee models, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.

  • Series

    Achieving Organic Growth For A Legal Nonprofit Author Photo

    We started Law Rocks to promote music education for underprivileged youth and raise funds for local nonprofits, and our 15-year journey has shown that enthusiasm, persistence and a great network can lead to a surprising amount of organic growth, say Nick Child and Ted Scott at Secretariat.

  • Series

    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Engage With The Media Author Photo

    Business development is all about awareness — and by taking existing skills and adapting them to build media relationships and thereby address today's audiences, lawyers can expand their outreach and use thought leadership to build a more complete, compelling personal brand, says Michael Goodwin at Stanton PR.

  • What GCs Value Most: 7 Habits Of Great Relationship Partners Author Photo

    When seeking outside legal advisers, general counsel want commercially savvy lawyers who cultivate relationships of trust with their in-house counterparts, back up the GC's authority and focus on actionable advice instead of abstract legal analysis, say Andrew Dick at The L Suite and Rob Morvillo at Olo.

×

Law360

Law360 Law360 UK Law360 Tax Authority Law360 Employment Authority Law360 Insurance Authority Law360 Real Estate Authority Law360 Healthcare Authority Law360 Bankruptcy Authority

Rankings

NEWLeaderboard Analytics Social Impact Leaders Prestige Leaders Pulse Leaderboard Women in Law Report Law360 400 Diversity Snapshot Rising Stars Summer Associates

National Sections

Modern Lawyer Courts Daily Litigation In-House Mid-Law Legal Tech & AI Small Law Insights

Regional Sections

California Pulse Connecticut Pulse DC Pulse Delaware Pulse Florida Pulse Georgia Pulse New Jersey Pulse New York Pulse Pennsylvania Pulse Texas Pulse

Site Menu

Subscribe Advanced Search About Contact