California Pulse


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    McGuireWoods Adds Seyfarth Shaw Labor Litigator In LA

    McGuireWoods LLP continues its West Coast expansion, announcing Monday it is bringing in a Seyfarth Shaw LLP labor and employment litigator as a partner in its Los Angeles office.

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    Lowenstein Sandler Hires CFO Formerly With Paul Weiss

    Lowenstein Sandler LLP announced Monday that it has hired a new chief financial officer with over 20 years of experience in the field from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP.

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    Mid-Law Led The Way On 1st Quarter Law Firm Mergers

    U.S. law firms announced 25 combinations during the first quarter of 2026, according to the Law360 Pulse Merger Tracker. Of those, the vast majority involved a midsize law firm acquiring a smaller firm.

  • Can State Courts Tame The 'Wild West' Of Judicial Security?

    As threats against local judges continue to ramp up, protection and incident tracking varies not only from state to state but county to county, making it difficult to draw the national judicial security landscape. Now, lawmakers are looking to use federal resources to even out disparities.

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    Law Firms Weigh ChatGPT As New Advertising Platform

    New advertising options on the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT have piqued the interest of some law firms, but most are still in a wait-and-see mode as a pilot ad program remains in testing.

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    Barnes & Thornburg Snags PFAS Expert From Venable

    Barnes & Thornburg LLP is beefing up its product liability and mass torts practice with the addition of a Venable LLP partner known for representing and counseling companies in environmental and toxic tort-related matters, including issues involving so-called forever chemicals, the firm announced Thursday.

  • Schneider Wallace Loses Bid For Bigger Piece Of $75M Fee

    A California federal magistrate judge on Friday rejected Schneider Wallace Cottrell Kim LLP's bid to increase its cut of a $75.4 million fee award for representing plaintiffs in a $228.5 million Sutter Health antitrust deal, saying lead counsel Constantine Cannon LLP's allocation of $1.4 million to Schneider Wallace was fair.

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    From IP To IMDB: This Atty Plays A Lawyer On TV Too

    While Tremayne Norris was in Hollywood with a recurring role playing a lawyer on Netflix’s "The Lincoln Lawyer," he was also making partner at a real litigation boutique in New York City.

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    Carlton Fields' CEO On How Firm Has Lasted 125 Years

    Earlier this year, Florida-based Carlton Fields LLP announced that the firm is celebrating its 125th anniversary, an occasion Gary Sasso, longtime president and chief executive officer, said is especially notable considering all the different historical and industry challenges that have presented themselves during that time.

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    Manning Kass Names Orange County Co-Managing Partners

    National litigation firm Manning & Kass Ellrod Ramirez Trester LLP has announced new leadership in its Orange County, California, office with a trial attorney with more than a decade at the firm and the office's founder teaming up to serve as co-managing partners.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Alliance Defending Freedom, Pearman Law Firm PC and attorney Barry Arrington lead this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a Colorado ban on therapy intended to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity amounts to viewpoint discrimination against a Christian therapist.

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    Legal Sector Lost 700 Jobs In March, Ending Hiring Streak

    The legal sector began to slow down in March after a year and a half straight of gains, with 700 fewer people employed in lawyer, paralegal and other law-related professional roles last month than in February, according to seasonally adjusted data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • Law360 Announces The Members Of Its 2026 Editorial Boards

    Law360 is pleased to announce the formation of its 2026 Editorial Advisory Boards.

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    Senior Lawyers Survey: Tell Us About Your Career

    How are senior lawyers adapting to evolving career paths and emerging technologies? Share your perspective in this five-minute survey.

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    Why These Senior Attorneys Can't Quit Being Lawyers

    Slightly more than 1 out of 8 lawyers in the United States were age 65 or older in 2025. Law360 Pulse spoke with several senior attorneys who said they plan to continue working full time, finding the job to still be professionally and personally rewarding.

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    The Gray Exit: Senior Attorneys Confront A New Legal Reality

    BigLaw's upper ranks were long anchored by partners who extended their careers deep into older age. But in a post-pandemic market shaped by tighter economics and stricter succession planning, federal labor data suggest that late-career longevity has stalled.

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    Which GCs Sold Stock In March? Venture Global, Alphabet

    Several general counsel welcomed spring by harvesting some fresh stock sales in March. Keith Larson of Venture Global led the way with sales valued at $76.8 million. United Therapeutics' Paul Mahon sold $8.4 million in stocks, while Alphabet's Kent Walker unloaded $2.5 million worth.

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    Intel Lands Zoom's COO As Its New Legal Chief

    Intel Corp. has hired Zoom Communications Inc.'s chief operating officer to serve as its new top attorney, replacing the technology company's outgoing legal chief following a four-year stint in the role.

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    AI Demand Pro Hires Ex-Oculus Publishing Director As CEO

    AI Demand Pro, which develops an artificial intelligence platform for personal injury law firms, announced the appointment of Aaron Davies, who was a lead at Meta's virtual reality subsidiary Oculus, as its chief executive officer.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    The legal industry kicked off April with another busy week of BigLaw hires and insights about how attorneys use artificial intelligence. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

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    Latham Adds Wilson Sonsini Tech Transactions Pro In Calif.

    Latham & Watkins LLP is expanding its California team, bringing in a Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC tech transactions ace as a partner in its Bay Area offices in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

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    Taylor Duma Closing Reflects Atlanta's Growing Competition

    The closure of Atlanta-based Taylor Duma LLP on Tuesday highlights the threat regional firms face as more and more outside firms open offices in the city, intensifying the competition for legal talent that cannot always be tackled through a merger partnership.

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    Snell & Wilmer Names Life Sciences Pro As San Diego Leader

    Snell & Wilmer LLP has tapped a longtime corporate attorney who specializes in the life sciences industry to be the new head of its San Diego office.

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    California Bar Exam Class Claims Paused For Mediation

    A California federal judge has agreed to stay pending claims a proposed class of California bar applicants are pursuing against the proctor of the disastrous February 2025 California bar exam, after the two sides reported they are soon to be engaged in mediation.

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    Renowned LA Public Defender Joins Stris & Maher Boutique

    Business litigation boutique Stris & Maher LLP is expanding its ranks, announcing Thursday that a renowned Los Angeles public defender is joining the firm as a partner later this spring.

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Expert Analysis

  • How To Successfully Market Your Summer Associate Program Author Photo

    Law firms can attract the right summer associate candidates and help students see what makes a program unique by using carefully crafted messaging and choosing the best ambassadors to deliver it, says Tamara McClatchey, director of career services at the University of Chicago Law School.

  • Opinion

    Judges Deserve Congress' Commitment To Their Safety Author Photo

    Following the tragic attack on U.S. District Judge Esther Salas' family last summer and amid rising threats against the judiciary, legislation protecting federal judges' personal information and enhancing security measures at courthouses is urgently needed, says U.S. District Judge Roslynn Mauskopf, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can Recalcitrant Attys Use Social Media? Author Photo

    Social media can be intimidating for reluctant lawyers but it can also be richly rewarding, as long as attorneys remember that professional accounts will always reflect on their firms and colleagues, and follow some best practices to avoid embarrassment, says Sean Marotta at Hogan Lovells.

  • Keys To Digitizing Inefficient Contract Management Processes Author Photo

    Neville Eisenberg and Mark Grayson at BCLP explain how they sped up contract execution for one client by replacing email with a centralized, digital tool for negotiations and review, and how the principles they adhered to can be helpful for other law firms looking to improve poorly managed contract management processes.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can Firms Coach Associates Remotely? Author Photo

    Practicing law through virtual platforms will likely persist even after the pandemic, so law firms and senior lawyers should consider refurbishing their associate mentoring programs to facilitate personal connections, professionalism and effective training in a remote environment, says Carol Goodman at Herrick Feinstein.

  • How Law Firms Can Welcome And Celebrate Autistic Lawyers Author Photo

    As the U.S. observes Autism Acceptance Month, autistic attorney Haley Moss describes the societal barriers and stereotypes that keep neurodivergent lawyers from disclosing their disabilities, and how law firms can better accommodate and level the playing field for attorneys whose minds work outside of the prescribed norm.

  • Law Firm Tips For Evaluating AI And Machine Learning Tools Author Photo

    Many legal technology vendors now sell artificial intelligence and machine learning tools at a premium price tag, but law firms must take the time to properly evaluate them as not all offerings generate process efficiencies or even use the technologies advertised, says Steven Magnuson at Ballard Spahr.

  • A Call For Personal Accountability On Diversity And Inclusion Author Photo

    While chief legal officers are increasingly involved in creating corporate diversity, inclusion and anti-bigotry policies, all lawyers have a responsibility to be discrimination busters and bias interrupters regardless of the title they hold, says Veta T. Richardson at the Association of Corporate Counsel.

  • Learning How To Code Can Unleash New Potential In Lawyers Author Photo

    Every lawyer can begin incorporating aspects of software development in their day-to-day practice with little to no changes in their existing tools or workflow, and legal organizations that take steps to encourage this exploration of programming can transform into tech incubators, says George Zalepa at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Supporting Associates Amid Pandemic's Mental Health Toll Author Photo

    As junior associates increasingly report burnout, work-life conflict and loneliness during the pandemic, law firms should take tangible actions to reduce the stigma around seeking help, and to model desired well-being behaviors from the top down, say Stacey Whiteley at the New York State Bar Association and Robin Belleau at Kirkland.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: Should My Law Firm Take On An Apprentice? Author Photo

    Mentoring a law student who is preparing for the bar exam without attending law school is an arduous process that is not for everyone, but there are also several benefits for law firms hosting apprenticeship programs, says Jessica Jackson, the lawyer guiding Kim Kardashian West's legal education.

  • The Importance Of Client Engagement In Law Firm Innovation Author Photo

    As clients increasingly want law firms to serve as innovation platforms, firms must understand that there is no one-size-fits-all approach — the key is a nimble innovation function focused on listening and knowledge sharing, says Mark Brennan at Hogan Lovells.

  • The Unique Challenges Facing Women-Owned Law Firms Author Photo

    In addition to establishing their brand from scratch, women who start their own law firms must overcome inherent bias against female lawyers and convince prospective clients to put aside big-firm preferences, says Joel Stern at the National Association of Minority and Women Owned Law Firms.

  • The Pursuit Of Wellness In BigLaw: Lessons From My Journey Author Photo

    Jane Jeong at Cooley shares how grueling BigLaw schedules and her own perfectionism emotionally bankrupted her, and why attorneys struggling with burnout should consider making small changes to everyday habits.

  • Why We Must Recruit And Advance More Black Prosecutors Author Photo

    Black Americans make up a disproportionate percentage of the incarcerated population but are underrepresented among elected prosecutors, so the legal community — from law schools to prosecutor offices — must commit to addressing these disappointing demographics, says Erika Gilliam-Booker at the National Black Prosecutors Association.

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