Above the Law got its hands on an email sent out by Paul Hastings that on the surface promotes diversity, but does so by praising male partners.

Editor Kathryn Rubino comments: “Paul Hastings seems to think men at the firm need a pat on the back for ‘including [women] in client work’ and other basic stuff they should be doing anyway. Pro tip: If you’re trying to promote diversity, giving (mostly) white men center stage is doing the very, very least you can do.”

The firm-wide email, reproduced on Above the Law’s website, features photos of each of the nine male “champions” and promotes their practice areas. The promotion is followed by praise from unnamed women, such as “[He] is a true champion to women and men at the firm and is also just a nice guy!”

Read the Above the Law article.

Bloomberg Law is reporting that three associates sued Morrison & Foerster on Monday, alleging it discriminated against them and held them back in their careers after they became pregnant.

The plaintiffs, women lawyers practicing in California, allege they were denied work opportunities because of their gender, and that they were cut out of their practice groups following maternity leave, reports Stephanie Russell-Kraft.

The three unnamed plaintiffs, who are suing the firm on behalf of a putative class of female attorneys at the firm, claim in their complaint that “At MoFo, the mommy track is a dead end.” A spokesman for the firm disputed the claim.

Several Big Law firms, including Proskauer Rose, Sedgwick, and Chadbourne & Parke (now Norton Rose Fulbright), have been hit with allegations of gender discrimination in recent years, but this is the first suit focusing on maternity discrimination, according to Russell-Kraft.

Read the Bloomberg article.

Above the Law reports that the names of some of the biggest law firms in the country have come to light after the Department of Justice seized records from the home and office of Donald Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

“The first Biglaw firm caught up in the mess is Squire Patton Boggs. Last year the firm announced a strategic alliance with Cohen, but as the heat’s been turned up, they’ve sought to distance themselves,” writes editor Kathryn Rubino.

Other firms’ materials could have been caught in the raid, including Morgan Lewis, Gerstman Schwartz Malito, and Cole Schotz, the article states.

Read the Above the Law article.

Above the Law has published its latest Power 100 law firm firm ranking, which measures firms’ reputations and their appeal as potential employers for  talented lawyers.

Editor Elie Mystal focuses on results for Jones Day, which fell 33 spots in the rankings, from number 18 to number 58.

“Jones Day declined in every objective data point we measured. But the objective points are only half of the methodology,” Mystal writes. “The other half is a reputation survey, and that’s where Jones Day got stuffed in a locker and ridiculed by all the cool kids.”

He posits that the firm’s association with President Donald Trump may have led to the sharp decline. Partner Don McGahn took on the job as White House Counsel, and the firm was quick to associate itself with the new administration in 2017.

Read the Above the Law article.

CRE8 Independent Consultants presents a free on-demand workshop on law firm process improvement, offering 20 ideas in 20 minutes.

Today, to attract and maintain clients, law firms are being asked to lower fees through discounted rates, alternative fee arrangements, fixed fee through the life of the matter, and to follow client guidelines that restrict who can bill and what expenses can be charged, the company says on its website. Firms can respond by writing off charges (losing profitability) or by examining their internal processes to determine how to increase efficiency and to improve quality. How should AmLaw 100, and 200 law firm Executive Directors, Chiefs, and Partners respond to these challenges? Education is the first step.

This workshop in 20 minutes discusses:

• what are the internal, and external signs a law firm needs process improvement,
• over twenty different areas within a firm that can benefit from process improvement,
• how a firm can use procedural changes (non-technology) to reduce costs, mistakes, communication issues, and re-work; while improving quality and client service,
• why process improvement is important before installing a new computer system,
• process improvement methods for law firms,
• a five-step process improvement method to improve a law firm,
• how to engage professional and administrative staff to participate in, and support the successful roll-out of process changes, and
• how to create a culture within the firm to sustain on-going process improvement.

Sign up for the on-demand workshop.

In the era of online content marketing, the press release seems as quaint and outdated as the fax machine. But a well-written, concise, timely press release remains one of the most potent vehicles for getting your law firm’s story in front of important audiences, writes Amy Boardman Hunt for Muse Communications.

“The reason press releases are more important today is that we’re no longer solely, or even primarily, interested in winning over increasingly hard-to-win-over reporters,” she explains. “Lawyers and law firms who use content marketing are essentially their own publishers now. As long as you have a website, social media or email (ideally, all three), you can tell your own story directly to your clients and potential clients.”

She discusses four reasons why an old-fashioned press release is still a great way to get your story out there, and offers advice on how to get attention for the news.

Read the article.

Bloomberg Law is reporting that Bill Voge, the managing partner and chair of Latham & Watkins, has stepped down and resigned from the firm after admitting to inappropriate personal conduct of a “sexual nature,” the firm announced on Tuesday.

The firm said Voge made a series of voluntary disclosures to the firm’s executive committee and then resigned. The conduct he described “involved the exchange of communications of a sexual nature with a woman whom he has never met in person and who had no connection to the Firm.”

“Latham was ranked as the top grossing law firm in the world in 2017, with $2.8 billion in revenue, more than 2,200 lawyers and offices flung all over the world,” writes reporter Casey Sullivan.

Read the Bloomberg article.

Making sure a firm’s website is compliant with State Bar of Texas advertising rules is just one of the many responsibilities for Texas lawyers and law firms who are launching a new site or updating an existing site, writes Bruce Vincent in a blog post for Muse Commuinications.

“Just like television or print advertisements, websites are considered advertising by the State Bar of Texas,” he explains. “That means that your site’s content must be submitted for approval to the State Bar Advertising Review Committee, which has maintained responsibility for approving and monitoring legal advertising, including websites, for more than 20 years.”

He discusses some common ad rules violations, such as misrepresenting specialization and professional honors, making unfair comparison to other firms, improperly listing verdict amounts, and including photos of non-lawyers.

Read the article.

Image by NY Photographic

The California Supreme Court has ruled that failed law firms are not entitled to fees earned on legal matters that are in progress – but not completed – at the time the firm closes its doors, reports Bloomberg Law.

“Any expectation the law firm had in continuing the legal matters cannot be deemed sufficiently strong to constitute a property interest allowing it to have an ownership stake in fees earned by its former partners, now situated at new firms, working on what was formerly the dissolved firm’s cases,” according to the court’s opinion.

Reporter Elizabeth Olson writes that the estate of bankrupt Heller Ehrman LLP “brought suit against 49 law firms to recover millions of dollars it said were owed from legal work that the firm’s former partners had taken with them to their next legal workplace. But this ruling appears to let the law firms off the hook.”

Read the Bloomberg article.

Blockchain technology is now being used to build tools and infrastructure that help lawyers draft contracts, record commercial transactions, and verify legal documents, reports Jasmine Ye Han in an article for Bloomberg Law.

She writes about the increased efficiency and uniformity blockchain can provide in contracting, its used in other legal documents, the skills and role of lawyers in blockchain, and the challenges ahead for the technology.

Read the article.

When Akin Gump first-year associates found out they wouldn’t be getting bonuses about two months ago, they weren’t happy. But now  the firm has responded to pressure by announcing prorated bonuses to their first-years, according to Above the Law.

“Just goes to show, if you’re unhappy about something at your firm, perhaps some pointed criticism is the way to go,” suggests Kathryn Rubino, an editor at Above the Law.

An earlier article pointed out that Akin Gump grosses $980 million a year, with profits per partner of $2,100,000.

Read the Above the Law article.

Jones Day is the strongest law firm brand in the U.S. for the second consecutive year after surpassing five-year leader Skadden last year, according to the latest Acritas US Law Firm Brand Index.

Even though Skadden strengthened its brand this year, Jones Day has seen a larger gain and increased its lead on the market.

Lizzy Duffy, VP of Acritas US said: “Jones Day is more favored this year for its practical style of delivery, along with its global coverage and breadth of services – all areas we know align with clients’ evolving needs especially now that half of legal departments are assigning responsibility for optimizing legal operations.”

Latham & Watkins holds down the third spot on the list.

Read the article.

Practice management company Clio will present a complimentary webinar discussing how clients choose lawyers, based on the findings of the 2017 Legal Trends Report.

The 60-minute webinar will be Thursday, Feb 15, at 1 p.m. Eastern time.

Clio says on its website: “What matters most to clients in choosing a lawyer is responsiveness and preferable communication and payment methods, according to the 2017 Legal Trends Report. This webinar will cover the findings of the report and its 5,000 responses, and share insights into how lawyers can act on this information, and how technology can service clients.”

Register for the webinar.

Akerman LLP announced David I. Spector has commenced his three-year term as the firm’s ninth chairman and CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2018. He succeeds Andrew Smulian, who concludes a decade-long tenure as chairman and CEO.

“It is the highest professional honor to serve as chairman and CEO of Akerman,” said Spector. “I am humbled to lead the next phase of our firm’s journey as we build on the remarkable foundation created by Andrew’s visionary leadership. Our firm today serves many of the world’s largest companies and financial institutions across the Americas, we have exceptional talent at all levels of our enterprise, and we are leading the market in client service innovation. I could not be more confident about our future.”

In a release, the firm said:

Spector will lead the strategic growth of the firm, advance client-driven initiatives and address challenges affecting the firm’s many communities. In addition to serving on the firm’s Board of Directors and the Executive Committee, Spector founded Akerman’s Fraud and Recovery Practice Group, one of the largest legal teams in the United States dedicated to the eradication of fraud. He previously served on Akerman’s Strategic Planning Committee and is a leader in many of the firm’s client-driven initiatives.

Spector joined Akerman in 2009 and built a national trial practice devoted to the investigation and litigation of complex fraud schemes, and unfair and deceptive practices, on behalf of the largest U.S. insurance companies and self-insured retailers. His work has carved a groundbreaking path in plaintiff-side fraud investigation and litigation, and developed case law that helps corporations recover financial losses caused by fraudulent acts. Spector has handled a series of cases involving issues of first impression that have had a significant implication in the eradication of fraud. He also has significant experience in defending law firms from claims of legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duties. His work earned him rankings in Chambers USA, Best Lawyers and other industry publications.

The firm also announced the following changes: Sandra Heller succeeds David Spector and Michael Goldberg as chair of the Fraud and Recovery Practice Group, expanding on her former role as deputy chair of the group. Jonathan Awner and Carl Roston, who previously served as co-chair of the M&A and Private Equity Practice, succeed Mary Carroll as co-chairs of the Corporate Practice Group. Eric Rapkin, who recently served as the Fort Lauderdale office managing partner, succeeds Richard Bezold as chair of the Real Estate Practice Group. Leslie Miller Tomczak will assume the role of Fort Lauderdale office managing partner, succeeding Eric Rapkin.

Amy Boardman Hunt of Muse Communications writes that she frequently sees lawyers having trouble with marketing, especially when they have to assert that they’re good at something and ask for business.

In a post on the Muse website, she first addresses the reason marketing makes people uncomfortable: “There are a lot of nuanced and interconnected reasons that mostly boil down to this: it doesn’t align with the way lawyers want to see themselves. Lawyers didn’t go to law school to be business people or sales people. They went to school to be thinkers, advocates and counselors.”

Then she discusses some of the finer points of writing, speaking, social media, videos and podcasts, client alerts/newsletters, networking, staying in touch, and more.

Read the article.

Large companies increasingly want to work with smaller, more innovative law firms but have trouble finding them due to over-reliance on personal connections, according to a new survey reported by Courthouse News Service.

“Along with an increasing preference for smaller firms, the survey revealed the levels of dissatisfaction rated three times higher with bigger firms—19 percent as opposed to 6 percent,” writes Matthew Renda.

Renda quotes Joel Hyatt, CEO and co-founder of Globality, the company that commissioned the study:

“It’s clear clients are increasingly unhappy with larger legal providers. They’re expensive, aren’t as innovative, and don’t provide the same level of customer service smaller firms can offer.”

Read the CNS article.

Jessica Barger

Appellate and civil litigation law firm Wright & Close LLP has changed its name to Wright Close & Barger LLP, adding the name of partner Jessica Zavadil Barger along with the names of firm founders Tom Wright and Howard Close.

“We are very happy to recognize Jessica’s legal talents and business acumen through this name change,” said Wright. “She has been an outstanding leader for this firm and an outstanding fighter for her clients. Renaming the firm to include her is well-deserved.”

Barger has experience handling both trial and appellate cases, handling a variety of commercial disputes including insurance defense and coverage matters, product liability, premises liability and personal injury defense. She is Board Certified in Civil Appellate Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Read the article.

Above the Law reports that Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart nonequity shareholder Dawn Knepper has hit her employer with a $300 million purported class-action suit alleging gender discrimination and unequal pay.

In her complaint, Knepper alleges: “Through formal policies and widespread practices, [Ogletree’s] male leadership interferes with, limits, or prevents female shareholders from receiving the appropriate credit for the business they bring to the firm and their hard work in running complex and demanding cases day-to-day.”

Kathryn Rubino writes that the complaint also alleges that on average, women shareholders make  to to $110,000 less than their male counterparts. And the complaint notes that while women represent about 58 percent of associates at Ogletree, a mere 32 percent of shareholders are women.

Read the Above the Law article.

In a 2018 client advisory released in conjunction with Hildebrandt Consulting, Citi analysts said they expect modest growth in law firm revenues and profits-per-equity partner, reports Bloomberg Big Law Business.

Reporter Stephanie Russell-Kraft writes that the analysts expect high variability in individual firm performance to continue to drive consolidation.

“In 2017, Citi analysts found that law firm revenue was driven primarily by rate growth rather than a growth in demand for services,” Russell-Kraft writes. “And yet, despite this slight decline in demand, firms added to their headcount at a 1.7 percent pace, driving lawyer productivity down 0.6 percent.”

Read the Bloomberg article.

Minority lawyers now make up 16 percent of law firms — a record high — but remain scarce at the top, where only 9 percent of law partners are people of color, according to new data collected by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association.

Put another way, The Washington Post reports, nearly half of their white counterparts make partner, while the vast majority of minorities remain associates.

Reporter Tracy Jan writes that only 11 percent of general counsel at Fortune 500 companies are black, Hispanic, Asian or Native American even though minorities make up a third of the legal profession as a whole.

Read the Post article.