North America/US - Page 156
Fashion industry gets academic programme in New York
Fashion law has been officially recognised at Fordham University, New York as it launches a postgraduate degree in the subject.
GCs no longer at the helm of compliance and ethics
Chief ethics and compliance officers are increasingly reporting to the CEO or board of directors and not the general counsel, according to new research.
Jury acquits in first US unlawful surveillance case involving a drone
A professional video-maker at rock concerts had faced a sentence of up to a year in jail if found guilty in a New York state court of second-degree attempted unlawful surveillance - by filming a medical centre.
GC doubles predictability of legal spend in transformation plan
VMWare, the cloud services business, saved US$2.8b in 2014, improved staff retention and cut legal spend by 25 per cent as a proportion of revenue as a result of a three-year transformation programme.
Lawyers attend New York mindfulness event
Some 80 lawyers recently attended a mindfulness event at the Garrison Institute which is dedicated to contemplation, action and transformation - a sign of a growing desire among some lawyers to reduce stress and connect better with the natural world.
IP boutiques suffer in the US while larger firms grow teams
Corporate counsel behaviour - particularly a new willingness to settle and to accept calculated risks - is leading to fewer patent cases that get fought to the end and, therefore, less work for specialist boutiques, according to BTI Consulting.
M&A energy pipeline in US looks strong despite oil price slump, says Norton Rose
M&A activity looks likely to increase in Q3 as companies begin reorganisations, according to William Wood, head of energy and infrastructure for Norton Rose Fulbright in the US.
Litigation lawyers describe the personal damage of handling disputes
A specialist in running happy, functional law practices who has spoken to lawyers 'across the US' has found particular problems amongst litigators who tend to share the 'sentiment that litigation is generally a lose-lose proposition'.
Texas law firms move out of lobbying marketplace
Some of the larger Texas law firms have been gradually reducing their lobbying work over the last 20 years - with a number of them focusing more on global opportunities.
Privacy issues loom large on NY reinsurance arbitrations
Confidentiality agreements are often insufficient to overcome strong presumption of public access to judicial records in New York federal courts.
Insurers face class action threat
Insurers in the US are more likely to face class action threats - as new research from Carlton Fields Jorden Burt shows.
Texas law firm takes on insurers over floods
Houston-based McDonald Worley is offering to look into cases where people or businesses feel they have been unfairly turned down by insurers or have been subject to delays.
Lawyer fined $15k over frivolous motions on insurance company
The case has been going on for 17 years, including four hearings at the Nebraska Supreme Court and the possibility of a fifth.
Monster's general counsel describes Apple as a 'bully'
Apple has revoked Monster's authority to make licensed accessories for its devices, which Monster claims is retribution for the lawsuit it has brought against Apple unit Beats Electronics LLC.
Former law firm head accused of faking invoices worth $7m
The head of failed Florida-based Butler & Hosch has been added as an individual defendant to a class action complaint brought by some ex-employees - and has been accused of creating $7m of false invoices that were not sent to clients.
Ex-Dewey employee testifies on payment reclassification to chairman
The employee says that he agreed to reclassify a $1.4m payment to the then chair Steven Davis because he feared he would lose his job if he did not.
Freshfields beefs up US disputes team with senior Simpson Thacher hire
Linda Martin, famed for her role in the Accenture - Andersen separation, joins the 15-partner and 70-associate US Freshfields dispute resolution team in New York in September.
Setback for law firms on bankruptcy fees as Baker Botts loses on Asarco
Baker & Botts has lost its long-running case about claiming costs over disputed fees - after the Supreme Court has held against it over the Asarco bankruptcy.
US immigration lawyers fall out over invite to White House director
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) has decided to go ahead with a keynote speech delivered by a senior White House official - despite opposition by several members who claim the administration has been hostile to immigrants.
King & Spalding 'conspired' on crucial information in fatal GM case, lawyer claims
The Atlanta-based US firm which represents half of the Fortune Global 100 has been accused by a plaintiff lawyer of conspiring to hide faulty ignition switches with its client General Motors in the case in which 60 people lost their lives in crashes.