Shook, Hardy & Bacon has suspended a Miami lawyer after he objected when a pregnant opposing lawyer sought a continuance because her due date coincided with a trial date, reports the ABA Journal.

According to a statement provided by the law firm’s administrative managing partner, Paul Reid has been suspended pending further review by firm management.

Christen Luikart of Murphy Anderson in Jacksonville, Florida, is the opposing lawyer who sought the delay.

Reid argued his client had been injured five years ago and “parental leave is not a compelling circumstance justifying the severe prejudice” that will be caused by delaying the trial.” The court overruled his objection.

Read the ABA Journal article.

Papa John’s International Inc. founder John Schnatter is suing the pizza chain, demanding internal files related to directors’ handling of his ouster for using a racial slur during a media-training session, reports Bloomberg via the Los Angeles Times.

Schnatter, who owns 29% of the company, resigned as chairman this month but remains on the board.

The report continues:

“Mr. Schnatter sought to inspect documents because of the unexplained and heavy handed way in which the company has treated him” after news surfaced of his use of a racial epithet, the founder’s lawyers said in the suit. After the report, Schnatter resigned as chairman of Papa John’s but later said he regretted the decision.

Read the LA Times article.

Bloomberg Law is reporting that a former Dentons associate who stole the firm’s confidential files and then tried to extort cash and artwork from the firm now faces attorney discipline charges.

The complaint names Michael Bernard Potere, who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to federal prison for unauthorized computer access. The complaint was served July 10 but recently posted. The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission’s alleged ethical violations based on the criminal conduct.

Potere, an associate in Dentons’ Los Angeles office from 2015 until June 2017, downloaded numerous confidential firm documents, such as financial reports, documents about partner meetings, client lists, billing information, and recruiting-related information, ARDC said. He then threatened to send the documents to a legal website unless the firm paid him $210,000, according to reporter Mindy L. Rattan.

Read the Bloomberg Law article.

Attorneys at Texas-based Deans & Lyons and Brian Branch of New Mexico are suing ZTE USA, the domestic subsidiary of the Chinese cell phone company ZTE Corp., on behalf of a New Mexico man who suffered life-altering burn injuries he attributed to his recently purchased ZTE ZMax Pro Blu phone catching fire while he slept.

According to a release from the firm, the fire occurred after Jose Perez of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, plugged in the phone he had bought just weeks earlier, placing it beside his bed to charge. According to the lawsuit, the phone overheated and ignited while he slept. Perez sustained second- and third-degree burns that left him in critical condition. Still hospitalized nearly nine months later, Perez has had multiple surgeries and skin grafts, and is permanently disabled.

“We believe this phone was dangerous and the manufacturer knew it,” said Deans & Lyons co-founder Michael Lyons, who represents Perez. “We can demonstrate that this phone did not meet recognized industry standards concerning its Chinese manufactured lithium ion battery and its charging system.”

The suit alleges the ZTE phone uses a non-standard, terraced-cell design with non-compliant overhang between the electrodes, leaving it susceptible to overheating, exponentially increasing fire risks, according to the lawsuit.

“Cutting corners is an extension of ZTE’s corporate conduct that includes misappropriation of U.S. intellectual property, lying to the U.S. Government, and, according to the Pentagon, threatening the security of the United States. We intend to hold them accountable for this tragedy,” said Lyons.

The lawsuit, filed July 23, is Jose Antonio Perez v. ZTE (USA), Inc., MetroPCS Texas, LLC, and Ultimate Wireless CSR, LLC, Cause No. D-101-CV-2018-02167 in New Mexico’s First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe County.

Nationally recognized business leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs will meet in Dallas August 16 for S.H.E. Summit Bacardi Dallas, a full-day program that convenes female and male leaders to network and accelerate the global advancement of women with a goal of reaching gender equality by 2030.

The event will be at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

Dallas-based Munck Wilson Mandala partnered with S.H.E. Summit and Bacardi’s Women in Leadership Initiative to bring the event to Dallas for the first time. Keynote speakers include Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, who is revamping the team’s corporate culture; fitness expert Ellen Latham, creator and co-founder of Orange Theory Fitness; local WFAA news contributor and former anchor Shelly Slater; and S.H.E. Summit CEO and founder Claudia Chan.

Informative workshops, thought-provoking panel discussions, and keynotes will cover everything from ascending to leadership, to building a network, to breaking barriers in male-dominated industries. Attendees from large and small corporations, including AT&T, Kendra Scott, Bacardi, Southern Glazers, Tiff’s Treats, and many others will hear inspiring stories and meet exceptional leaders.

“S.H.E. Summit is an event that invites everyone, men and women, profit and non-profit, community and corporate organizations to join forces and help raise women to their highest potential,” said Munck Wilson Mandala attorney Jessica Spaniol, a moderator for the program.

Learn more at www.shedallas.com. For more information, contact Shannon Tipton at 972-628-4500 or stipton@munckwilson.com.

The most marketing-adept lawyers find ways to get multiple uses out of informative content — such as CLE presentations, blog posts and media interviews — by recycling their content in a variety of other formats, writes Amy Boardman Hunt for Muse Communications.

In the article, she discusses two ways to recycle content.

Then she offers some real-world examples of great recycling, including, for example, an insurance coverage lawyer who republished  a CLE program on insurance changes as a white paper and a blog post. Another example is a jury consultant who co-wrote an article for a legal publication and aimed at general counsel. The consultant then posted a reprint of the article on her site, excerpted the article on her blog, promoted it on social media and in her firm’s e-newsletter.

Read the article.

Perkins Coie announced that Adrian Rich has joined the firm’s Emerging Companies & Venture Capital (ECVC) practice as a partner in the firm’s Palo Alto office.

Thee firm said Rich has more than 15 years of experience counseling high-growth emerging companies and their investors. In a release, the firm said his education in biomedical engineering and economics helps him in counseling clients from inception to exit, assisting them with financial and strategic investments, licensing, strategic partnerships, acquisitions and public offerings, as well as routine corporate matters. Early in his career, Rich focused almost exclusively on medical device and biotech clients. In more recent years, his practice has broadened to include technology companies, big data, artificial intelligence/machine learning, AR/VR and blockchain, as it applies to business processes, data science and education.

“With his exceptionally diversified background, Adrian offers insightful counsel to life sciences and cutting-edge technology companies on a wide range of matters,” said Buddy Arnheim, Co-Chair of Perkins Coie’s ECVC practice. “As a trusted advisor on private and public securities offerings, licensing, incubators and small fund formation, Adrian is a key addition to the high level of support we provide our clients in the Bay Area and beyond.”

In addition to his traditional Silicon Valley startup corporate practice, Rich has represented venture funds and incubators in their operations and has worked for several life science incubators and their associated investment funds. Rich also represents several social impact companies and investors supporting clean water and gender and racial equality in the venture environment. Rich earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and received a B.S. from Johns Hopkins University in biomedical engineering and also qualified for a B.A. with honors in Economics. Before joining Perkins Coie, he was a partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP.

“Adrian is a substantively experienced ECVC attorney with deep roots in the Bay Area venture capital and startup communities,” said Lowell Ness, Office Managing Partner of Perkins Coie’s Palo Alto office. “Adrian’s solid reputation and extensive industry knowledge is a tremendous fit for our ECVC team. We’re thrilled to have him join Perkins Coie.”

Lance E. Gibbons has rejoined Littler as a shareholder in the Washington, D.C., office. Previously a partner at NT Lakis, LLP, Gibbons’ return to Littler marks the eighth shareholder to join the firm since January.

“Lance is a strong addition to the talented group of shareholders we’ve added this year, as he offers clients experienced counsel on labor and employment regulatory matters at all levels of government,” said Alison N. Davis, Littler’s office managing shareholder in Washington, D.C. “His extensive experience before the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs will deepen Littler’s position as the foremost advisor of management on anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action regulations.”

In a release, the firm said Gibbons advises companies on compliance with the array of employment-related requirements associated with government contracts, as well as in preparing for and resolving OFCCP audits. He also has experience on matters before other workplace regulatory and enforcement agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

“Littler has continued to increase its profile and influence around the globe and here in Washington, and I’m excited to return to the firm,” Gibbons said. “In addition to drawing on Littler’s robust platform and resources to serve clients, I look forward to supporting the firm’s efforts to engage with the government on behalf of employers on labor and employment related developments.”

Gibbons will work closely with members of Littler’s Workplace Policy Institute, a resource for employers to ensure that they have a voice in legislative and regulatory developments that impact their workplaces and business strategies.

During his time at NT Lakis, Gibbons also served as assistant general counsel to the Center for Workplace Compliance. Earlier in his career, he served as senior counsel to National Labor Relations Board Member Peter C. Schaumber.

Gibbons received his J.D., with distinction, from Ohio Northern University College of Law and his B.S. from Miami University.

Attorneys general in 10 states and the District of Columbia have recently launched an investigation into the employment practices of eight fast-food franchises, according to the Fisher & Phillips Non-Compete and Trade Secrets Blog.

Associate Liane Dublinski Kozik writes that the group sent a joint letter to the companies requesting information on the companies’ use of restrictive covenants including “‘employee non-competition,’ ‘no solicitation,’ ‘no poach,’ ‘no hire,’ or ‘no switching’ agreements (collectively referred to as ‘No Poach Agreements’).”

“No-poach agreements should be limited in scope and duration, and if no-hire provisions are included, they should be limited to upper-level management,” she advises. “State-level scrutiny from legislators and attorneys general is not going away and likely to only increase.”

Read the article.

A common attraction at major U.S. waterfronts and tourist destinations, the amphibious WWII-era vehicles known as Duck Boats have a long record of design flaws that make them unstable in rough water with often tragic results, according to a post on the web site of Androvett Legal Media & Marketing.

When a sightseeing boat in Branson, Missouri, sank last week in a sudden storm, killing 17, the tour company’s president acknowledged that the boat should not have been on the water during the storm. Safety experts renewed criticism of the boat’s unstable design, including a canopy that can prevent occupants from escaping. More than 40 people have died in Duck Boat accidents since 1999.

“The problems with these boats are well-known. This latest tragedy should spur operators everywhere to take a close look at safety procedures and design issues and ensure that personnel are properly trained to respond to emergencies,” said Steve Fernelius of Houston-based Fernelius Simon, who represents plaintiffs and defendants in personal injury and product liability litigation. “This tragedy must prompt operators to re-examine procedures to ensure there is no chance passengers will be caught in rough water. As these tragic deaths continue to be associated with Duck Boats, the potential liability for operators continues to grow.”

Colin Stretch, Facebook’s top lawyer and the man who led Facebook’s investigation into Russian election interference efforts following the 2016 U.S. presidential election, is leaving the company at the end of the year, according to a Recode report.

Stretch posted on Tuesday that he’s planning to leave the company but will stay on until the end of the year to help find his replacement, writes reporter Kurt Wagner.

Wagner adds:

Stretch’s departure comes during a stressful time for Facebook’s legal team. Not only is the company still grappling with the controversial role it played in the 2016 U.S. election — Russia used to platform to try and divide U.S. voters with inflammatory and inaccurate posts — but it’s also gearing up for the 2018 midterms. Company executives have been open in saying that they expect foreign governments might try again to sway voters.

Read the Record article.

Victims of a mass shooting at a Las Vegas country music festival said they were outraged when they learned they were being sued by the company that owns the hotel where the gunman opened fire, reports the Associated Press.

At a press conference, one of the victims, Jason McMillan, a 36-year-old Riverside County sheriff’s deputy who was shot and paralyzed, said he can’t believe MGM officials would try to foist blame onto anyone but themselves. Other survivors, victims’ relatives and attorneys railed against the decision to file lawsuits against hundreds of victims.

“MGM Resorts International sued victims in at least seven states last week in a bid to get federal courts to declare the company has no liability for the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history,” writes Amy Taxin.

Read the AP article.

Bloomberg Law is reporting that a virtual currency operator accused of running off with investor funds after a 2013 hack and lying to investigators has accepted a plea deal with federal prosecutors in New York.

Reporter Lydia Beyoud writes that Jon E. Montroll of Saginaw, Texas, faces up to 40 years in prison.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a July 23 statement accompanying the plea agreement that Montroll “repeatedly lied during sworn testimony and misled SEC staff to avoid taking responsibility for the loss of thousands of his customers’ bitcoins,” in 2013, Berman said.

Read the Bloomberg Law article.

In a new video, lawyers from Tyler, Texas-based Martin Walker PC discuss a recent medical malpractice case that yielded their client a $43.32 million verdict, including $25 million in exemplary damages.

Jurors found the hospital grossly negligent in its retention and supervision of a doctor on probation whose abandonment and improper care led to a patient’s complete loss of his quality of life and ability to provide for his family, plaintiff’s lawyers said.

A statement from the firm continued: “In reaching the gross negligence verdict, jurors agreed that the hospital had put its patients in extreme risk by allowing Dr. Gary Boyd to treat them even though the Texas Medical Board had placed him on probation which automatically suspended his hospital privileges pursuant to the hospital’s bylaws and policies.”

After the jury’s verdict, the case settled for $9 million, with the defendants agreeing not to appeal, according to the firm’s video.

Watch the video.

AZA is ranked among the nation’s top mid-sized law firms and among the top 10 for quality of work and top 15 for hiring selectivity by Vault rankings.

Vault, which recently released its 20th law firm ranking guide to help law students and lawyers, included AZA in its “Top 150 Under 150.” This is a listing that uses employee surveys to identify the best law firms to work for across the country.

AZA, or Ahmad, Zavitsanos, Anaipakos, Alavi & Mensing P.C., was one of only 26 Texas firms included on the list. The only other mid-sized Texas-based firm on the list with AZA for top quality of work and selectivity in hiring is Susman Godfrey LLP.

AZA’s  top quality of work ranking can be seen here.

“It’s no surprise that AZA would rank at the very top among law boutiques. We are trial lawyers, and we get our newest attorneys into court immediately so that they are comfortable before a judge and jury. Plus, we represent Fortune 500 companies in complex commercial cases so the work is always interesting,” said firm founding partner John Zavitsanos.

AZA’s Fortune 500 clients include: Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE:APC), Apache Corp. (NYSE:APA), Chevron (NYSE:CVX), Enterprise Products Partners LP (NYSE:EPD), Group 1 Automotive (NYSE: GPI), Halliburton Corp. (NYSE:HAL), Huntsman (NYSE: HUN), Liberty Mutual, National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NYSE:NOV), Noble Energy (NYSE: NBL) and NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG).

AZA’s top hiring selectivity rankings can be seen here.

“We also pick our new lawyers carefully from the best law schools and take laterals from some of the best firms in the country,” Zavitsanos said.

Hanzo, a pioneer of contextual collection and dynamic web content software, and ediscovery software provider Zapproved announced a partnership to increase the connectivity and simplicity of the ediscovery lifecycle, the companies said in a release.

The release continues:

Hanzo and Zapproved offer complementary products that together provide a cost-effective, secure, and efficient means of managing ediscovery. When paired, Zapproved’s Z-Discovery platform, an intuitive ediscovery software solution set for corporate legal and compliance teams, and the contextual collection and preservation capabilities of Hanzo, simplify and streamline ediscovery processes for corporate legal professionals.

“The Hanzo team is delighted to collaborate with Zapproved to simplify users’ daily workflow,” said Mark Williamson, CTO and Cofounder, Hanzo. “Our two companies share a common dedication to problem-solving through engineering and we look forward to working together for the benefit of our customers.”

This partnership signals a shared appetite to work towards a more connected legal ecosystem. Customers will use Z-Discovery’s Legal Hold Pro component to place a legal hold — notifying the organization not to delete electronically stored information (ESI) because of impending litigation. Customers will then use Hanzo to collect and preserve that data in a legally defensible manner. Clients can then utilize Z-Discovery’s Digital Discovery Pro system to rapidly process, review, and produce data for litigation, regulatory, and compliance matters with ease.

“With the use of social media and collaboration platforms growing rapidly, enterprises are faced with the challenge of defensibly collecting and preserving these new data sources in an efficient, repeatable way,” said Aaron Laliberte, VP of Product, Zapproved. “We’re delighted to partner with Hanzo to offer in-house legal departments the best possible set of solutions for their ediscovery needs.”

One of the first joint efforts of the partnership will be an educational webinar entitled “Best Practices for Collecting and Preserving Slack Data” on August 21st at 1:30pm ET.

Ediscovery experts will walk through the collection and preservation of Slack data to show how Hanzo and Zapproved streamline and modernize ediscovery together.

The International Association of Defense Counsel announced that Craig A. Thompson, a partner at Venable LLP, has been elected president of the IADC for the 2018-2019 term.

Thompson was officially installed at the IADC’s Annual Meeting in July in Lisbon, Portugal.

A member of the Products Liability and Mass Torts practice at Venable, Thompson has more than two decades of experience handling civil cases in federal and state courts, the firm said in a release. He represents clients in the areas of commercial litigation, product liability, premises liability, and personal injury. Thompson also is active in leading law firm inclusion and diversity initiatives, and served for five years as chair of Venable’s Diversity Committee.

In 2013, Thompson was a faculty member for the IADC’s Annual Trial Academy, which is one of the oldest and most respected programs for developing defense trial advocacy skills. In addition, he has lectured or taught at numerous law schools and currently is a featured columnist for the Minority Corporate Counsel Association publication.

Thomson has been recommended or highly ranked by top legal industry and attorney referral guides including Martindale Hubbell, Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and Legal 500. He received his J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Maryland.

Also at its Annual Meeting, the Chicago-based IADC elected Amy Sherry Fischer, a shareholder at Foliart Huff Ottaway & Bottom in Oklahoma City, Okla., as president-elect. The IADC’s immediate past president is Andrew Kopon Jr., a founding member of Kopon Airdo, LLC in Chicago.

The IADC’s other newly elected board members for the current term are:

– Frank A. Lattal, senior vice president, Claims, for Chubb Group in Hamilton, Bermuda, as the IADC’s vice president of insurance.

– Mark R. Beebe, partner at Adams and Reese LLP in New Orleans.

– Stephanie M. Rippee, member at Watkins & Eager PLLC in Jackson, Miss.

– Thomas Rouhette, partner at Hogan Lovells LLP in Paris, France.

Hogan Lovells has elected a new partner to its board. Karen Hughes has been elected as an at-large representative, and will start her role effective immediately, the firm said in a release.

The Hogan Lovells Board comprises 12 members and has supervisory responsibility for overseeing the affairs of the firm, but without executive responsibility for strategy, management, and operating decisions. It provides input to the CEO and Hogan Lovells’ International Management Committee. Members of the board make up the Compensation Committee, Finance Committee and are part of the Equity Elevation and Partner Admission Committees which they chair. Membership of the board is designed to reflect the broad scope of the business, with members representing a combination of geographic and other backgrounds. Karen will also be a member of the Finance Committee.

Hughes is a London-based corporate tax partner and Global Co-head of Tax who focuses on corporate tax advice for highly complex international structuring, including cross-border M&A transactions. She is also a member of the Hogan Lovells’ Corporate Leadership Committee, a global management team focused on the business strategy of the worldwide Corporate Group.

The board will now comprise:

Chair (and “At Large”): Leopold Gerlach
CEO: Steve Immelt
Asia Pacific Middle East: Andrew McGinty
Continental Europe: Joaquín Ruiz Echauri
Washington, D.C. area: Cate Stetson
London: Adrian Walker
The Americas: Bruce Oakley
U.S. (except D.C.): Richard Lorenzo
45 and under: Ben Higson
“At Large” representatives: Karen Hughes, Clay James, and Phoebe Wilkinson

“I am honored to welcome Karen to the board,” said Hogan Lovells Chair Leopold von Gerlach. “The board plays an important role in the governance of Hogan Lovells. Board members are expected to engage with, and to be accessible to, all partners as part of their duties and, in particular, to engage constructively with firm management in exercising the Board’s supervisory responsibility.”

Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP announced that Jeffrey Davis, Mary Elizondo Frazier and Peter Scaff have joined the firm’s Houston office as partners. Davis and Scaff will co-chair Bradley’s Oil and Gas team, and Frazier will serve on the firm’s Texas Growth and Expansion Task Force.

All three attorneys were long-term partners and practice leaders at Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, which recently merged with Foley & Lardner, LLP. At Foley, Davis served as vice chair of the Energy Litigation Practice Group and, before the merger, was a member of Gardere’s Board of Directors. At Gardere, Scaff most recently served as the firm-wide chair of Gardere’s Compensation Committee, and Frazier served as co-chair of the Associates Committee.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff, Mary and Peter to Bradley,” said Houston Office Managing Partner Ian P. Faria. “Their added depth and experience in the energy sector for handling complex litigation disputes as well as business needs are a great benefit to our clients.”

Davis added, “Mary, Peter and I are very excited about joining Bradley to help boost its already thriving energy litigation practice. We believe that Bradley provides us with the best platform to take our practices to the next level and enhances our ability to effectively serve our clients.”

In a release, the firm said Davis represents energy companies in litigation involving catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, surface and downhole tool incidents, and royalty and mineral interest disputes. He has served as lead counsel in more than 100 oilfield incident cases in state and federal courts across Texas and Oklahoma. He also represents clients in a variety of commercial and construction litigation matters, including contractual disputes, business torts, products liability, warranty, real estate and trade secrets litigation. Davis is an elected member of the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Davis received his J.D. from the University of Houston Law Center, where he was member of the Houston Law Review, and received his B.B.A. in Finance from the University of Texas at Austin.

Frazier represents clients in personal injury, premises liability, wrongful death and product liability litigation, as well as business tort disputes. The firm said she has experience with multi-plaintiff and multi-defendant oil and gas litigation cases in Texas.

Frazier received her J.D. (magna cum laude) from South Texas College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Over his 18-year career, Scaff has litigated a variety of energy industry disputes, including cases concerning joint operations, areas of mutual interest, lease acquisition, trade secrets, seismic licensing, supply chain, construction, and manufacturing. He also has experience handling cases related to oilfield operations, downhole failures and well control events. In addition to his energy industry matters, Scaff has a commercial litigation practice, handling matters involving real estate, construction, franchising, partnership litigation, misappropriation, and fiduciary litigation. He also has prosecuted a number of civil fraud and investment scheme cases, many of which involved parallel criminal proceedings.

Scaff received his J.D. (magna cum laude) from the University of Houston Law Center and his Bachelor of Arts with honors from the University of Texas at Austin.

Quarles & Brady LLP announced that Randall L. Oyler has joined the firm’s Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group as a partner in its Chicago office.

In a release, the firm said Oyler represents motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors on various dealer network matters, vehicle distribution matters, market representation strategies, dealership litigation, and corporate transactions in the automobile, motorcycle and power sports industries. Spanning more than 25 states, he has litigated dealership matters before federal and state courts and state administrative agencies.

“New business and legal challenges are emerging in the motor vehicle industry, which can impact a company’s operations, compliance and, ultimately, its go-to-market strategy,” said Paul Langer, Office Managing Partner and Chair of the Chicago Office Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice. “Randy’s deep background and experience working with prominent manufacturers and distributors will be an invaluable asset to clients who are active in these areas.”

Oyler co-founded an alternative investment management company that has raised over $100 million to fight global poverty through direct investments in micro-finance institutions in developing economies all over the world. He is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Franchising and has been recognized in Best Lawyers in America® for Franchise Law.

Oyler earned his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School, where he served as developments editor for the University’s Legal Forum, and his B.A., summa cum laude, from Wheaton College of Illinois.