Connecticut Pulse


  • Conn. Top Social Services Atty Tapped As Interim Dept. Leader

    Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont has named Susan Hamilton, the general counsel of Connecticut's Department of Children and Families, as the agency's interim leader.

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    Mid-Law Mergers: Some Eye Gains, Others Under Pressure

    Mid-Law firms are increasingly eyeing tie-ups despite this year's lag in mergers, although industry observers note that some firms are jumping on opportunities while others are seeking a lifeline.

  • Connecticut Powerhouse: Pullman & Comley

    Pullman & Comley LLC's highlights this year include representing Sacred Heart University in its $15 million acquisition of Notre Dame Catholic High School, helping national real estate developer Bluewater Property Group as it seeks to develop a 3.2 million-square-foot Amazon distribution center, and persuading a state court to halt the Connecticut Siting Council's alleged overreach in placing transmission towers.

  • Financial Firm Can't Pierce Atty-Client Privilege, Judge Rules

    Wealth Enhancement Group LLC cannot override privilege laws to view communications between a former financial adviser's new employer and its lawyers at Spencer Fane LLP, according to a Connecticut judge who viewed the contested documents privately.

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    Legal Rates Surge Moderates, But Pressure Remains High

    As legal departments face mounting pressure to manage costs, increases in hourly billing rates from law firms appear to be moderating, with the first few months of 2025 presenting a snapshot of this reality, according to a recent report from Wolters Kluwer's ELM Solutions.

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    The Top In-House Hires Of August

    Legal department hires in the last month included high-profile appointments at the Association of Corporate Counsel, GE Vernova, and a California legal legend joining an AI startup named Anthropic. Here, Law360 Pulse looks at some of the top in-house announcements from the past few weeks.

  • Connecticut Powerhouse: Wiggin And Dana

    This year, Wiggin and Dana LLP attorneys successfully defended one of the highest judgments in Connecticut history and prevailed in an unusual win in a remote education suit from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Rocker Fights YouTuber's Atty Fees After Defamation Loss

    The singer for the popular rock band Falling In Reverse is challenging a request that he pay $40,700 in defense attorney fees incurred by a YouTube personality he unsuccessfully sued for defamation, calling the amount unjustified and "grossly disproportionate" to the work that attorneys with Cohen and Wolf PC had to perform.

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    The 2025 Regional Powerhouses

    Law360's annual list of regional powerhouses reflects not only the work of exemplary firms, but also emerging legal trends in each state, from matters involving Colorado's growing life sciences industry, to an uptick in bankruptcies in Delaware, to the continued flurry of intellectual property litigation in California.

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    Law360's Legal Lions Of The Week

    Sullivan & Cromwell LLP leads this week's edition of Law360 Legal Lions, after the Fifth Circuit vacated a pair of Biden-era regulations aimed at bolstering transparency in the short-selling market.

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    Scores On July Bar Exam Rise Amid Dip In Test Takers

    The number of examinees passing the multistate bar exam in July continued to gain momentum, with near record highs seen this summer over the past 12 years, according to an announcement from the National Conference of Bar Examiners.

  • Atty Wants To Pause Law School Loan Case Judgment For Ex

    A Florida attorney has asked a Connecticut trial court judge to pause an unjust-enrichment judgment requiring him to repay his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child over $30,000 after the court said she "unwisely" cosigned his law school loans, saying the state judgment must be stayed pending the resolution of a separate federal lawsuit between the onetime couple.

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    Law360 Names Attys Who Moved Up The Firm Ranks In Q2

    A promotion to partner or election to practice group chair means a slew of new responsibilities and also lots of well-deserved recognition. Law360 reveals the list of attorneys whose commitment to legal excellence earned them highly coveted spots in the law firm leadership ranks. Find out if your old legal friends — or rivals — moved up in the second quarter of the year.

  • Voir Dire: Law360 Pulse's Weekly Quiz

    BigLaw firms announced a slew of new hires this week as the legal industry sees August recede in the rearview mirror. Test your legal news savvy here with Law360 Pulse's weekly quiz.

  • Judge Rejects Reed Smith's Sanctions Bid In Doc Feud

    A New York federal judge has ordered the new owner of international shipping company Eletson to turn over documents requested by competitor Levona as the latter company looks to vacate an allegedly fraudulent $102 million arbitral award, while also ruling that Reed Smith LLP's threat of sanctions is unfounded.

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    In Their Words: Will AI Kill The Billable Hour?

    The rising use of generative artificial intelligence tools that allow attorneys to get work done faster is creating tension with the traditional model of billable hours. Here, six legal leaders give their take on whether AI will eliminate the billable hour.

  • FedArb Hires Ex-RTX Legal Chief As Commercial Mediator

    California-based alternative dispute resolution service Federal Arbitration Inc., or FedArb, announced Wednesday the hiring of a former corporate vice president and chief litigation counsel at aerospace and defense conglomerate RTX Corp. as a Connecticut-based mediator and arbitrator focused on commercial matters.

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    Recruitment Biz Hudson Global Names Post-Merger CLO

    Following the completion of its merger with Star Equity Holdings Inc., recruitment company Hudson Global Inc. has named a new chief legal officer, a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing shows.

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    Harris Beach Office Leader Talks Post-Merger Growth

    Alfred R. Casella, a veteran trusts and estates attorney at Harris Beach Murtha Cullina PLLC, was recently named the managing partner of the firm's Hartford, Connecticut, office. In an interview with Law360 Pulse, Casella discussed the office's growth, hiring trends, what practice areas are busy and the momentum the firm has seen since the January combination.

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    Law Firm Real Estate Report

    Several law firms in the Mid-Atlantic region experienced a busy month of office moves in August, with New Jersey in particular seeing a number of relocations.

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    Halloran & Sage Opens 5th Conn. Office With Family Law Trio

    Halloran & Sage LLP has added three attorneys from Farrell Geenty Sheeley & Boccalatte PC, establishing a family law practice group and new office on the Connecticut shoreline.

  • IP Atty Challenges 'Pittance' Valuation Of Ex-Partners' Names

    A longtime Connecticut intellectual property lawyer who left Ohlandt Greeley Ruggiero & Perle LLP to launch his own firm says the names of two deceased partners are worth more to a remaining attorney than an expert's proposed 2% licensing fee, arguing the names achieved "celebrity status" in the IP community.

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    In-House Counsel Group Names GE Appliances GC As CEO

    The Association of Corporate Counsel, the largest in-house counsel advocacy association, has named the vice president and general counsel of GE Appliances as its next president and CEO, effective in November, according to a Tuesday announcement.

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    Why This Small-Firm Lawyer Charges $3,000 Per Hour

    As a solo or small firm attorney, would you charge $3,000 per hour? Meet one attorney who does — and learn how his story of ultra-high prices could help you set your own rates.

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    Law Firms Saw Strong First Half Of 2025, Wells Fargo Says

    The legal industry saw strong performance during the first six months of 2025, according to a report released Tuesday from the Wells Fargo Legal Specialty Group, with strong growth in revenue largely driven by rising billing rates.

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Expert Analysis

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Can Law Students Build Real-World Skills? Author Photo

    Allison Coffin at Akin Gump discusses how summer associates going back to school can continue to develop real-world lawyering skills by leveraging the numerous law school resources that support professional development both inside and outside the classroom.

  • How Firm Leaders Can Build And Sustain Culture Author Photo

    In uncertain and challenging times, law firm leaders can build and sustain culture by focusing attention on mission, values and leadership development, and applying a growth mindset across their firms, says Scott Westfahl at Harvard Law.

  • The Case That Showed Me The Value Of E-Discovery Plans Author Photo

    Robert Keeling at Sidley reflects on leading discovery in the litigation that followed the historic $85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger and how the case highlighted the importance of having a strategic e-discovery plan in place.

  • Opinion

    CLE Accreditation Should Be Tied To Learning Outcomes Author Photo

    Given the substantial time and money lawyers put toward mandatory continuing legal education, CLE regulators and providers should be held to accreditation standards that assess learning outcomes, similar to those imposed on law schools and continuing medical education providers, says Rima Sirota at Georgetown Law.

  • Why You Should Leverage AI For Privilege Review Author Photo

    While many lawyers still believe that a manual, document-by-document review is the best approach to privilege logging, certain artificial intelligence tools can bolster the traditional review process and make this aspect of electronic document review more efficient, more accurate and less costly, say Laura Riff and Michelle Six at Kirkland.

  • Persuading The Court With Visual Aids In Written Argument Author Photo

    Robert Dubose at Alexander Dubose describes several categories of visuals attorneys can use to make written arguments easier to understand or more persuasive, and provides tips for lawyers unused to working with anything but text.

  • BigLaw Vs. Mid-Law Summer Programs: The Pros And Cons Author Photo

    There are major differences between BigLaw and Mid-Law summer associate programs, and each approach can learn something from the other in terms of structure and scheduling, the on-the-job learning opportunities provided, and the social experiences offered, says Anna Tison at Brooks Pierce.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Take Time Off? Author Photo

    David Kouba at Arnold & Porter discusses how attorneys can prioritize mental health leave and vacation despite work-related barriers to taking time off.

  • Law Firms Must Prioritize Mental Health In Internal Comms Author Photo

    The traditional structure of law firms, with their compartmentalization into silos, is an inherent challenge to mental wellness, so partners and senior lawyers should take steps to construct and disseminate internal action plans and encourage open dialogue, says Elizabeth Ortega at ECO Strategic Communications.

  • Our Current Approach To Trial Advocacy Training Is Lacking Author Photo

    The key to trial advocacy is persuasion, but current training programs focus almost entirely on technique, making it imperative that lawyers are taught to be effective storytellers and to connect with their audiences, says Chris Arledge at Ellis George.

  • How Women In Law Can Advance Toward Leadership Roles Author Photo

    Female attorneys in leadership roles inspire other women to pursue similar opportunities in a male-dominated field, and for those who aspire to lead, prioritizing collaboration, inclusivity and integrity is key, says Kim Yelkin at Foley & Lardner.

  • The Case That Took Me From Prosecutor To Defense Attorney Author Photo

    Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Moira Penza, now at Wilkinson Stekloff, recalls the challenges of her first case as a civil defense attorney — a multibillion-dollar multidistrict class action against Allergan — and the lessons she learned about building rapport in the courtroom and with co-counsel.

  • The Importance Of Legal Macroeconomics Education For Attys Author Photo

    Most legal professionals lack understanding of the macroeconomic trends unique to the legal industry, like the rising cost of law school and legal services, which contributes to an unfair and inaccessible justice system, so law school courses and continuing legal education requirements in this area are essential, says Bob Glaves at the Chicago Bar Foundation.

  • What ABA Student Well-Being Standards Mean For Law Firms Author Photo

    While the American Bar Association's recent amendments to its law school accreditation standards around student well-being could have gone further, legal industry employers have much to learn from the ABA's move and the well-being movement that continues to gain traction in law schools, says David Jaffe at the American University Washington College of Law.

  • Series

    Ask A Mentor: How Do I Build Rapport In New In-House Role? Author Photo

    Tim Parilla at LinkSquares explains how new in-house lawyers can start developing relationships with colleagues both within and outside their legal departments in order to expand their networks, build their brands and carve their paths to leadership positions.

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