“Making sure all of these employees are safe is one matter, but firms also need to be wary of what upping sticks means for their legal entitlements, according to workplace lawyers,” reports Justin Cash in FN London.

Thousands of staff from UK-headquartered companies are heading for the exit in Russia. From law firms and consultancies to banks and retail brands, a drip has turned into a flood as the international community piles pressure on Vladimir Putin to stop an escalating conflict.”

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“Way, way back in January, Milbank introduced a new salary scale that served as a catalyst for the mad race to increase associate salaries at Biglaw and boutique firms across the country. One of the firms that matched Milbank  at first quietly doing so under cover of its annual review process, before a,” reports Staci Zaretsky in Above The Law.

“Formal announcement was made was Cooley. Since then, the firm has been silent through the introduction of two more salary scales, one from Davis Polk and one from Cravath. On Friday, the firm finally addressed salaries once again. Cooley, of course, is matching the Cravath salary scale, like all other firms that wish to remain elite during.”

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“Veritiv Corporation announced today that Susan Salyer, Veritiv’s Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance and Sustainability Officer, will be promoted to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, effective June 1, 2022. Ms. Salyer will succeed Mark Hianik, current Senior Vice President General Counsel,” reports PR Newswire in their blog.

“In her expanded role, Ms. Salyer will be responsible for Veritiv’s Legal and Corporate Security teams as well as her current Compliance and Sustainability oversight function. Susan joined Veritiv in 2012 and has held a variety of Legal and Compliance positions including Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer. Ms. Salyer.”

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“A $38.5 million settlement has been reached between the builders of a bridge over the 91 Freeway in Corona and nine workers injured when part of the structure collapsed in 2015. A Riverside County Superior Court judge signed off on the deal on Wednesday, March 9, said Chris Aitken, the attorney for,” reports Brian Rokos in East Bay Times.

“Chaffee, 56, said he remembers what he was doing five minutes before the accident but not the collapse itself. Chaffee will receive a little more than $5 million, Aitken said. Chaffee said he can’t bend over or walk long distances without a cane. He also has difficulty controlling his emotions. I’d still love to be working, Chaffee said in.”

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“Yellow Corporation has agreed to a multi-million dollar settlement in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) alleging the trucking giant engaged in fraud. In an announcement last week, Yellow Corp. said it has reached a $6.8 million settlement to end a legal battle with the,” reports Transportation Nation in their blog.

“We are pleased to have come to a resolution, said Darren Hawkins, CEO of Yellow. Now we can continue to focus on the important work ahead. With our nation’s current supply chain constraints and the critical role Yellow plays in delivering freight, there’s no time for distraction Specifically, the United States lawsuit filed in 2018  alleged that.”

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“Intellectual property may be among the most important assets in online 3D virtual worlds such as Meta’s metaverse, but guarding those assets will likely invite a flurry of complex, new legal challenges,” reports Matthew Cutler & Mark Spinelli in JD Supra.

“The proponents of “Web 3.0” have lofty goals to create a collaborative space that comprises a seamless experience across the virtual world(s) designed by developers and companies. These virtual worlds come with their own complex economy involving digital assets—both virtual and tangible—and each grounded heavily in decentralized finance.”

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“War and oil are inextricably linked. World War I launched the modern oil age, turning a little-used fuel into the engine of the 20th century. World War II remade how oil was transported, as newly developed pipeline technology helped crude-oil carriers avoid the Nazi submarines lurking in the Atlantic,” reports Avi Salzman in Barrons.

“Now, a new war in Europe has shaken the world. The U.S. isn’t sending troops, but its oil and natural gas are weapons in a financial war against Russia. The solution seems easy: turn on the taps again; beat the bad guys. Citigroup predicts that hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, may soon become a patriotic duty, with roughnecks.”

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“After nearly three years without a contract, hundreds of hours of negotiating, a teachers’ strike and the intervention of an arbiter, an agreement has been reached for teachers and professional support staff in the Redbank Valley School District. Following a lengthy executive session, the nine,” reports Evanne Gareis in The Courier Express.

“School board unanimously approved the Act 88 Arbitration Determination issued by the Board of Arbitration for the Redbank Valley Education Association RVEA, as well as a tentative agreement between the district and the Redbank Valley Educational Support Professionals RVESP during a special meeting called prior to Tuesday night.”

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“This is according to various outlets including The Times, who report: It will be impossible to renegotiate contracts with existing players, but existing players and staff’s salaries will still be paid under the licence. An emergency meeting is taking place at Stamford Bridge this morning. Abramovich is unable,” reports Rob Swan in Give Me Sport.

“As things stand, after his assets were frozen. However, the sale could still go ahead if no proceeds went to the Russian billionaire, according to a report from iNews. The Blues have been given a special license to continue with football-related activities but can’t sell tickets to fans who aren’t season-ticket holders. The club’s merchandise.”

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“There is a marked contrast between the lack of due diligence over the awarding of PPE contracts in 2020 and the over caution and delays when issuing visas to Ukrainian refugees (UK ministers considering climbdown on Ukraine visa restrictions, 9 March). Time for the prime minister to put his money,” reports The Guardian in their blog.

“Heather Stewart explores ways the chancellor might ease the cost of living crisis (What can Rishi Sunak do to relieve the cost of living crisis?, 10 March). One thing that seems to be flying under the radar is that Rishi Sunak has frozen personal tax allowances until 2026, so has already nailed his colours to the mast for another four years.”

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“It’s never paid more to be a Big Law associate Cravath Swaine & Moore just made sure of that by announcing yet another pay bump for mid-level and senior associates. Yet, firms still can’t seem to get enough associates in the door. I’ve been asking law firm leaders lately whether they think there are actually,” reports Roy Strom in Above The Law.

“People who can do the job of a Big Law associate, or whether the current talent shortage is an artificial result of maximizing profits. No, it’s not artificial, one Am Law 50 firm chair told me. Our microchips are great legal talent. And the truth is there are only so many people who fit the mold. To cut it in Big Law, the chair said associates need.”

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“CRB has appointed Courtney Holt as General Counsel. Holt succeeds Jim Scott, who will retire later this year after eight years as CRB’s in-house counsel and several years before that as outside counsel. Holt, a 2011 graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, joined CRB in,” reports Clean Room Technology in their blog.

“Assistant General Counsel, responsible for a broad range of legal matters including contracts, disputes, corporate law and governance, compliance, employment, and other areas of law relevant to the company’s business. In her new role, Holt will direct all aspects of CRB’s legal affairs, ensuring compliance for the company’s policies and business.”

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“U.S. Bank Stadium officials have signed off on their share of a $1.25 million settlement with a Wisconsin man whose foot was injured outside a stadium gate at a Garth Brooks concert nearly three years ago. Tom and Diana Ugoretz of Marshfield, Wis., said a large steel hydraulic wedge-shaped barrier,” reports Rochelle Olson in Star Tribune.

“The couple sued the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA), which owns and oversees the stadium on behalf of the public, along with the stadium’s operator, builders and security personnel including a Minneapolis police officer. The suit says that the couple sought more than $50,000, standard for Minnesota a personal injury cases.”

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“New Jersey will receive $641 million from the $26 billion nationwide opioid settlement, Gov. Phil Murphy and Acting Attorney General Matthew Platkin said on Friday. The settlement was originally announced in July 2021, and covers three major pharmaceutical distributors of opioids McKesson,” reports Maggie Mancini in Philly Voice.

“State officials say that the money will be allocated for use to bolster harm reduction programs, treatment strategies, and drug prevention.The money will be split evenly 50% going to the state, and the other 50% going to individual municipalities across New Jersey. This is a historic moment in our fight to combat the opioid crisis in New Jersey.”

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“Kaulkin Ginsberg Company has released the 10th version of its report on the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry. The Kaulkin Report, 2022 Edition combines the latest research data with informative interviews featuring ARM industry executives and other subject matter experts,” reports ACA International in their blog.

“It takes an in-depth look at the history and economic impact of the ARM industry, the various client markets that ARM companies serve, and the most important operational, technological, economic and compliance-related trends, according to a news release.”

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Sidley is pleased to announce that Joanna Rubin Travalini has joined the firm’s Securities Enforcement and Regulatory group as a partner in its Chicago office. Ms. Travalini’s practice focuses on regulatory investigations and enforcement, internal investigations, securities litigation, and accountants and professional liability. She joins Sidley from Winston & Strawn, where she was a partner in the Securities Litigation Group.

In her practice, Ms. Travalini represents financial institutions, accounting firms, public companies, and their executives and employees in regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings, including investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), and state regulatory agencies. Joanna also has represented clients in litigation adverse to these agencies. She is knowledgeable about SEC regulations, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and PCAOB rules and auditing standards.

Previously, Ms. Travalini was a project manager at Deloitte, where she analyzed quality assurance reviews and assessed regulatory and risk issues for member firms. Earlier in her career, she was an audit senior in Deloitte’s audit and enterprise risk services practice, where she conducted audits and attestations for clients in the financial services and manufacturing industries and performed client risk assessments under Sarbanes-Oxley. She is also a CPA.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Joanna to Sidley,” said Yvette Ostolaza, chair-elect of Sidley’s Management Committee and global co-leader of Sidley’s Litigation group. “Joanna’s depth of experience, including her CPA qualifications, as well as her formidable litigation and investigations knowledge, makes her a strong addition across multiple practice areas. She is a terrific complement to our outstanding team.”

Sidley is “Built to Win” at each stage of the litigation process, and counts more than 750 litigators worldwide. With true geographic reach, the firm can field winning litigation teams in virtually any forum where its clients find themselves facing a dispute.

With more than 2,000 lawyers in 20 offices around the globe, Sidley is a premier legal adviser for clients across the spectrum of industries. Follow Sidley on Twitter @SidleyLaw.

Sunstein LLP is pleased to announce that firm partner Timothy M. Murphy has been named the firm’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) litigation chair.

“We are delighted to have Tim serve as the chair of the PTAB Litigation Practice Group,” said Kerry L. Timbers, Sunstein’s managing partner. “Tim’s experience handling appeals and other proceedings before the Patent Trial and Appeals Board along with his understanding of the process makes him an outstanding choice to lead the team and continue to provide value to our clients.”

Murphy’s practice focuses on developing and implementing strategies for maximizing the value of clients’ patent portfolios for litigation, licensing or acquisition, and for protecting clients’ key technologies and avoiding allegations of infringement. He has extensive experience with patent office litigation matters such as patent interference proceedings, inter partes review, and reexamination proceedings.

Sunstein’s Patent Trial and Appeals Board practice group attorneys successfully defend and uphold contested patents before the PTAB for clients who operate businesses in the United States and internationally. Our reputation for providing practical legal guidance, litigating against patents asserted by others, and protecting and defending mission-critical patents is unmatched.

About Sunstein LLP
Sunstein LLP is widely recognized as a top intellectual property firm which uses innovative approaches to solve clients’ problems and delivers significant value by helping them both win immediate objectives and address long-term business goals. For more information, visit https://www.sunsteinlaw.com/.

Foley & Lardner LLP announced today that the firm has expanded its Orlando office as Todd Miller and Andrew Finkelstein join as partners, Richard Caron joins as of counsel, and Kylie Brown joins as an associate. The addition of these lawyers, who will work collaboratively across the firm’s Finance, Transactions, and Real Estate Practice Groups and its five Florida offices, strengthens Foley’s foothold on the Florida market

The group focuses on complex transactional matters, including structured finance and secured lending, private equity and mergers and acquisitions, and real estate and other commercial transactions. They counsel clients from an array of industries such as banking and financial services, real estate, automotive, manufacturing, telecommunications, technology, hospitality, and more.

“We are pleased to welcome this skilled group of attorneys to our Orlando office as we continue to grow our presence in that market,” said Jay Rothman, Foley’s chairman and CEO. “Their extensive experience in transactions, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and real estate will benefit our clients seeking counsel on a variety of complex transactional matters.”

The incoming group commented, “We couldn’t be more excited to join Foley. This is an incredible opportunity for us to grow our practices and build on the strong reputation Foley has earned itself in the dynamic Florida market and beyond. With Foley’s resources, highly skilled team, and unmatched commitment to client service, we are confident it’s exactly the right firm to grow our practices within the years to come.”

Todd Miller – Partner, Finance Practice Group
Todd Miller focuses his practice on structured finance and secured lending transactions, including asset-backed loans. His structured finance practice includes timeshare loans, credit cards, auto, trade receivables, and other asset type securitizations on behalf of originators, underwriters, and conduit sponsors. Additionally, Miller has experience working on domestic and international project finance transactions, including real estate, equipment, and aircraft.

Andrew Finkelstein – Partner, Transactions Practice Group
Andrew Finkelstein has extensive experience representing clients in a broad range of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, leveraged buyouts, venture capital financings, joint ventures, and other direct investments. He also advises companies in securities law matters, including SEC reporting, compliance, and corporate governance. Finkelstein counsels clients across a variety of industries, including banking and financial services, telecommunications, technology, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, employee outsourcing, real estate, hospitality, restaurant chains, and more.

Richard Caron – Of Counsel, Real Estate Practice Group
Richard Caron advises clients in real estate and other commercial transactions, with a focus on the resort and hospitality industries and master-planned real estate development. His practice also includes representing private equity lenders and financial institutions in structured finance and secured lending transactions, including securitizations and other asset-backed loans.

Kylie Brown – Associate, Finance Practice Group
Kylie Brown represents companies in structured finance, mergers and acquisitions, and general corporate matters.

The addition of this team is the latest in a series of lateral hires to join Foley’s Orlando office. With this group, the firm has added seven attorneys in Orlando in the past few months, spanning across its corporate and litigation practices.

5 years ago, SDV opened its doors in Southeast Florida. Today, the office has grown exponentially, has a team of legal professionals and has hopes to expand even further. The growth the Naples office has experienced is nothing short of monumental. “This is a welcomed expansion. The needs of our clients grew and so did we.” says Gregory D. Podolak, Managing Partner at SDV. “I love the client base that we have. Our client base consists of a diverse range of commercially sophisticated entities, and we get to workday in and day out with people who recognize and appreciate the complexity of the things we do, they recognize that it requires diverse perspectives, risk managers, general counsel, outside coverage council, and liability council to be able to find one cohesive vision for a successful outcome.”

Offering significant value to relationships is the core of SDV’s success. Strong relationships with likeminded individuals helped SDV thrive and earn the respect of its clients and colleagues. The firm has stayed true to that model to this day.

A New Era: SBSB Law and Eastham Announce Merger
Firms join forces to create legal powerhouse in Maritime and Catastrophic Claims
HOUSTON – Schouest, Bamdas, Soshea & BenMaier PLLC, or SBSB Law, and Eastham, Watson, Dale & Forney, LLP announced today they have finalized a merger that brings together two of the most highly respected law firms in the country. The merger will combine Eastham’s renowned Maritime and Catastrophic Claims practice with SBSB’s highly respected Maritime, Longshore, Defense Base Act, and Insurance Defense practices, to create a legal powerhouse.

In the Maritime sector, the new firm, which operates as SBSB Eastham, combines SBSB’s deep bench of maritime and trial lawyers with Eastham’s decades-long history as a leader in Admiralty and Maritime law.
“Merging our firms allows us to leverage the expertise and depth of experience of both firms,” said SBSB Founder and Managing Partner John Schouest, who leads the combined firm. “The result is a team that is even more formidable. When it comes to maritime groups, I don’t know of any other with this much experience.”
“We are very excited to be joining forces with SBSB,” said SBSB Eastham Partner Robert L. Klawetter. “Not only will we be working with an outstanding group of lawyers, but we are also thrilled to be able to provide our clients with the experience, outstanding attorneys and resources this merger provides.”
SBSB Eastham partner Christina Schovajsa added, “We are confident that Clarence Eastham would be very pleased to see the legacy of the firm he founded 82 years ago continue.”
In just seven years, SBSB Law has become one of the nation’s leading firms in Admiralty and Maritime law, among other areas. The firm’s partners have decades of Admiralty and Maritime experience representing a wide array of clients, including activities associated with inland waterways, brown water commerce, offshore exploration and production, international and Jones Act shipping, and international cruise lines. The firm is also known for its deep bench of highly skilled litigators who handle a wide variety of defense work, from Defense Base Act and Longshore claims, to Class Action Defense, Commercial Litigation, General Liability, Trucking and Insurance.
Established in 1939, Eastham routinely acts on behalf of the world’s leading Protection & Indemnity Clubs and other liability underwriters and has played a key role in representing parties in virtually all of the major maritime disasters on the Texas Gulf Coast for decades. It provides legal services to a wide variety of industries, including domestic and international shipping companies, the offshore drilling industry, inland towing companies, and intermodal equipment providers and freight brokers.
“The practice of maritime law is one of our cornerstones,” said Susan Noe Wilson, SBSB Eastham Partner and Head of Litigation. “While SBSB’s current maritime work is primarily brown water – energy field, oil and gas, waterways – Eastham is primarily a blue water maritime firm. Combining the two makes this a very good marriage for all involved, especially our clients.”
The new firm’s key practice areas include Admiralty and Maritime, Defense Base Act, Longshore, Business and Commercial Litigation, Business Transactions, Personal Injury Defense, Energy, Environmental and Toxic Torts, Transportation and Trucking, General Liability, Insurance, Labor and Employment, Federal and State Workers’ Compensation, Premises Liability, Arbitration, and Appellate.
In all, SBSB Eastham has approximately 110 lawyers in six cities across the country – Houston, Corpus Christi, New Orleans, Chicago, Boca Raton, and Milwaukee.
SBSB Eastham is a group of experienced attorneys who have come together to form a law firm focused on client needs. The firm’s goal is to be the go-to resource at every stage of the legal process, bringing deeper experience, deeper commitment, and deeper insights to help solve the most complex issues. In consultation or in the courtroom, the firm will aggressively pursue a client’s best interests. For more information about the firm and its team of attorneys, visit www.sbsb-eastham.com.

Media Contact:
April Arias
800-559-4534
april@androvett.com