California Pulse


  • Alaska-Hawaiian Merger Judge Mulls DQ Over O'Melveny Ties

    The parties in a consumer lawsuit challenging Alaska Airlines' 2024 acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines have been notified that the federal judge recently assigned to the case intends to disqualify himself unless they sign a waiver over one of his retirement accounts being tied to O'Melveny & Myers LLP, which is representing Alaska Airlines.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    Partnership promotions, BigLaw hires and firm merger votes helped make this another action-packed week for the legal industry. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Ramey Says Sanctions Violation Was 'Misunderstanding'

    William Ramey, an intellectual property attorney sanctioned in several federal jurisdictions, told a California federal judge Thursday that any violations of a previous sanctions order regarding his ability to practice law in the state were due to "good-faith misunderstanding of the scope of the court's order — not willful disregard."

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    Companies Are Quietly Signing ESG Deals With Investors

    Activist investors are being cautious by introducing far fewer proposals during the 2026 proxy season, and some companies are being equally wary by negotiating deals behind closed doors rather than allowing shareholders to vote on issues, according to data in an annual proxy review released Thursday.

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    BigLaw Hiring Heats Up In Q1 As Firms Chase Partner Talent

    Large U.S. law firms started 2026 with a surge in lateral moves that boosted partner hiring to the highest level in six years, but softened on associate additions, according to new data from legal intelligence provider Firm Prospects.

  • Calif. Lawyer Sues Over State Bar Investigations

    A California trial lawyer claimed in a federal lawsuit filed Wednesday that he has been unfairly investigated by the state bar since 2019, alleging the office "illegally prioritizes revenue-generation over protection of the public."

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    Nixon Peabody Names Entertainment And Sports Team Heads

    Nixon Peabody LLP has appointed two new leaders for its growing entertainment and sports practice, to which it also added a pair of Los Angeles-based associates.

  • Nossaman Adds Procopio Construction Trio In California

    Nossaman LLP has deepened its infrastructure group by adding a pair of partners and an associate to its Orange County roster who joined from Procopio Cory Hargreaves & Savitch LLP.

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    Katten's Profits Per Equity Partner Climb To $3.32M

    Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP has reached several key financial growth milestones in the less than two years since litigator and former federal prosecutor Gil Soffer became chair of the Chicago-headquartered firm, without jumping into the recent law firm merger frenzy.

  • John Eastman Disbarred Over Bid To Overturn 2020 Election

    California's highest court on Wednesday ordered the disbarment of California attorney John Charles Eastman, who a state bar court found had helped plan and promote President Donald Trump's strategy to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

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    Consumer Cases Drive Class Action Spike, Report Says

    Federal class action filings spiked in 2025 after nearly a decade of relative stability, fueled by a surge in consumer protection lawsuits tied to data breaches, digital commerce and online accessibility claims, according to a new report from Lex Machina.

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    Ex-DOJ Antitrust Atty On Google Case Joins Wilson Sonsini

    A lead attorney on the U.S. Department of Justice Antitrust Division's monopolization cases against Google LLC who left the agency last week joined Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday as a partner.

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    Sotomayor Apologizes For 'Hurtful' Comments About Kavanaugh

    U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor publicly apologized Wednesday for comments she made at a University of Kansas appearance earlier this month criticizing Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

  • DOJ Atty Slapped With $250 Sanction For Missed Deadlines

    A California federal judge hit a U.S. Department of Justice attorney with a $250 sanction for repeatedly missing deadlines in a noncitizen's habeas corpus case, rejecting his assertions that his need to juggle tasks under a 300-plus caseload should excuse him.

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    Aviation Co. Hermeus Taps Veteran Aerospace Atty As GC

    Hermeus, a venture-backed defense aviation company that recently moved its headquarters to Los Angeles from Atlanta, has tapped a former Relativity Space attorney to serve as its new general counsel and executive leadership team member.

  • U.S. Legal Support Acquires Calif. Court Reporting Firm

    Court reporting and litigation support services provider U.S. Legal Support announced Wednesday that it has struck a deal to purchase Northern California-based court reporting firm American Reporting Services, calling the acquisition a reflection of "continued consolidation within the litigation support industry."

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    'That's The Price': Meet The Legal 'Czar' Billing $6,000 An Hour

    Want this California lawyer to work with you? Be prepared to pay up — his services cost $3,000 per hour for litigation and $6,000 per hour for compliance work, one of the highest rates of any lawyer in the United States. He spoke with Law360 Pulse about the niche market he occupies, why he charges so much, and why he calls himself “The Czar.”

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    Willkie Adds O'Melveny Litigator To Los Angeles Office

    Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP expanded its Los Angeles office with the recent addition of a litigator who moved her practice after nearly 15 years with O'Melveny & Myers LLP.

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    Higher Partner Rate Hikes Are The New Normal For GCs

    The largest law firms continued to get the bulk of the work in 2025 despite having the most expensive rates, while mid-tier firms are grabbing a bigger piece of the action, according to a new report by LexisNexis CounselLink.

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    Legal AI Giant Legora Opens San Francisco, Toronto Offices

    Sweden-based Legora, which offers a legal artificial intelligence platform, further expanded its North American footprint, announcing Wednesday the opening of a San Francisco and Toronto office.

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    Mattel Legal Chief's Compensation Dipped To $2.8M Last Year

    The legal leader for toymaker Mattel Inc. took a $540,000 hit in non-equity incentive pay, lowering his total compensation in 2025 to $2.8 million, according to a securities filing.

  • Pot Co. CFO Says Attys Must Be DQ'd In Embezzling Suit

    The former CFO of four related cannabis companies, who is accused of embezzling from those companies, is urging a California state court to disqualify the plaintiffs' attorneys, saying there is a conflict of interest between the company plaintiffs and the individual plaintiffs.

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    MoFo Brings On Former Federal Prosecutor In San Francisco

    Morrison Foerster LLP announced Wednesday that it has expanded its investigations and white collar defense group with a partner in San Francisco who has served as an assistant U.S. attorney and as a deputy attorney general with the California Attorney General's Office.

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    How Nextdoor's CLO Rose From Neighbor To Top Lawyer

    It turns out that Sophia Contreras Schwartz lives just a quarter-mile away from John Orta, who in summer 2018 was preparing to start as the first lawyer at the location-based social network that connects neighbors and fosters community interaction. Here, Contreras Schwartz shared with Law360 Pulse how her path to becoming chief legal officer was "very Nextdoor."

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    Hogan, Cadwalader Partners Vote To Forge Ahead With Merger

    Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader said Wednesday that their partners have voted in favor of their merger ahead of the scheduled launch of the combined law firm on July 1.

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Expert Analysis

  • Ask A Mentor: How Do I Adjust To In-House After BigLaw? Author Photo

    Sirisha Gummaregula at QuisLex offers advice on navigating the challenges that come with taking on an in-house counsel role after leaving law firm life, including learning your company's business goals and leading with empathy and collaboration.

  • Adapting Legal Thought Leadership To An AI World Author Photo

    As potential clients with legal questions increasingly rely on summaries generated by artificial intelligence, attorneys must rethink their content strategy to make sure AI chatbots and search overviews cite their thought leadership, say Ioana Good and Adrien Maines at Promova and Nancy Myrland at Myrland Marketing.

  • 10 Practical Tips For Attorneys Navigating High-Profile Cases Author Photo

    Complex corporate litigation now often unfolds under the glare of a parallel trial in the court of public opinion, requiring attorneys to adopt a cohesive strategy for legal filings, leadership communications and narrative control, says Monica Smith at Integer PR.

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    Biz Development Tip Of The Month: Tailor Your Personal Style Author Photo

    In an industry where competition for clients is fierce, a thoughtful approach to personal style can give you the confidence to walk into any room and own it, the magnetism to make connections that matter, and the tools to highlight your deeper professional values, says Leslie Berkoff at Moritt Hock.

  • 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.

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    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.

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