Defending a law firm (Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.) and a former in-house general counsel, Eric J. Shames, in a sexual harrasment case brought on by Irina Alter, a paralegal who worked at the investment boutique from 2002 to 2003 is Pennsylvania-based Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young and Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler. And after the sexual harassment and discrimination charges were filed, two months later, Shames signed a joint representation letter sent to him by Patterson Belknap, stating that if a conflict arose, the firm “would no longer represent” Oppenheimer and another company officer but “could continue to represent Shames.

However, when Oppenheimer and Alter reached a settlement, Shames failed to settle and now the firms still representing him want out. According to Shames, their withdrawal raised “legitimate concerns” that he would not be able to properly defend himself. A Manhattan judge agreed. Ruling that his representation could not withdrawal a few days before trial, Justice Judith J. Gishe said that neither firm has shown that the attorney-client relationship with Shames was “irrevocably broken.”

Therefore, the trial will go on…

Popularity: 3% [?]

The ongoing financial crisis has sent many lawyers packing. To cut corners, law firms are laying off lawyers. At AmericanLawyer.com, a list of firms in the “layoff” red zone are displayed - (see below).

Therefore, if you work at one of these firms, beware!

The List

Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll
Bell Boyd & Lloyd
Bingham Mccutchen
Blank Rome
Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft
Clifford Chance
Dechert
Dewey & Leboeuf
DLA Piper
Duane Morris
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson
Heller Ehrman
Holland & Knight
Hunton & Williams
Jenner & Block
Katten Muchin Rosenman
Kaye Scholer
Loeb & Loeb
McKee Nelson
Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy
Moore & Van Allen
Morgan & Finnegan
O’Melveny & Myers
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe
Patton Boggs
Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
Powell Goldstein
Reed Smith
Seyfarth Shaw
Shutts & Bowen
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan
Synnestvedt & Lechner
Taylor Wessing
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner
White & Case
Winstead

Popularity: 7% [?]

Extra! Extra! Read all about the law firms currently hiring. Yes, you heard right. Despite the economy meltdown, intellectual property work is still up and running and law firms are currently hiring lawyers.

Rising demand from clients for enforcement of patents and general counseling in the area, Merchant & Gould; Wildman, Harrold, Allen & Dixon; and McAndrews, Held & Malloy are a few of the firms who have recently added new lawyers to their growing team.

“So far, we’ve been insulated from what other law firms are experiencing out there,” said Merchant & Gould Managing Director Randall King, referring to the financial turmoil that has caused some firms to lay off lawyers, implement hiring freezes or disband altogether. “Generally, I think IP firms are somewhat insulated.”

Needing defense against “patent trolls” and wanting to protect their patents from rivals to “ensure the revenue that flows from them,” patent litigation work is continuously picking up and has been in the past six months.

“We have not deviated from our model whatsoever in light of the economic crunch,” said John Letchinger, the chairman of Chicago-based Wildman’s intellectual property practice. “We’re not finding our clients shying away from investing in intellectual property.”

Popularity: 6% [?]

The National Law Journal’s Erwin Chemerinsky wrote about Dennis Jacobs, the chief judge of the 2nd Circuit, who is very vocal about his poor opinions of pro bono work. In Chemerinksy’s eyes, Jacobs is disgraceful. Pro bono work is a way to help the community. However, Jacobs refers to it as an “antisocial” and self-serving activity that law firms use to recruit and “give solace” to associates.

According to Chemerinsky, a law professor, he pushes his students to do pro bono work, which helps people who cannot afford legal services. Without the work of lawyers giving to those in need, so many people would fall victim to the law itself. Money is power and without the green, anything can happen. Pro bono work, in my opinion, is highly admirable. It is definitely needed and I, too, feel that calling it “antisocial” is dead wrong. Giving is getting and I commend all lawyers who have given back, especially in today’s economy.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Law firms are pinching pennies by boycotting an annual holiday party and giving that money to charities instead. According to The National Law Journal, “Foley & Lardner’s Orlando, Fla., office decided a couple of months ago not to hold its annual holiday party, which typically draws as many as 700 employees and clients, said Karen Keene, the regional marketing manager for the firm.

“The office will instead donate money to several charities serving seniors, handicapped people and families in need,” she said. “We are primarily doing it because we want to be sensitive to what’s happening in the community with the economy and we felt it was the right thing to do.”

In Orlando, GrayRobinson plans to donate $150,000 instead of throwing a big bash!

“It has always been a priority of GrayRobinson to give back,” said the firm’s founder, J. Charles Gray. “This year, we think that needs to be done on a larger scale to ensure those in need have the resources to weather these tough times.”

Popularity: 4% [?]

Look out lawyers, firms are offering employment to NONlawyers! Yep, that’s right! No law degree is a prerequisite for teaming up with law firms with public policy and lobbying practices. Anticipating overhauls in how the nation pays for multi-billion-dollar infrastructure projects and regulates financial services, firms want anyone with connections.

It’s all about who you know, baby!

“Clients want governmental relations, communications and all forms of public-issues management, all the things you need to do a political campaign on an issue,” said Scott Segal, co-head of Houston-based Bracewell & Giuliani’s federal government relations and advocacy practice from the firm’s Washington office.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Well, here’s something you don’t hear every day…Microsoft Corp. is teaming up with 25 law firms AND one actress to launch a pro bono initiative to represent immigrant children in the U.S.

Is it Madonna? Nope. It’s Angelina Jolie.

Together, she and Microsoft are starting a program that will seek to help roughly 8,000 children who get separated from their families and have to proceed through the U.S. immigration process without representation.

“Part of what we’re trying to do is approach pro bono in a holistic rather than piecemeal way,” said Brad Smith, general counsel of Microsoft.

Microsoft and Jolie plan to raise awareness of their program and get even more help and support from law firms. Unaccompanied to the United States for many reasons including being separated from their families during the process of escaping another country or running from abuse, these children are vulnerable and need assistance. KIND wants to change proceedings and offer them more security, safety and a fair shake at entering the United States and getting adequate care.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Downsides always have bright sides and smaller law firms will vouch for that. With big firms usually attracting clients willing to pay even bigger bucks for their services, the economy’s shaky downfall has caused everyone to make financial adjustments. Therefore, those big firms are being traded in for smaller ones due to their much more reasonable bills.

Having fewer ties to the “financial sector’s heavy hitters,” the smaller firms are experiencing less of an impact from the economic meltdown. Although smaller firms do state that certain practice areas, for example, real estate, transactions and public offerings are down, practice areas such as bankruptcy and restructuring are way up, enabling these mid-size firms to possibly even surpass their 2007 financial performance.

“In this type of downturn, we expect to see some negative impact on the firm, but not to the extent you see with the New York firms,” said Alan Levin, managing partner at Indianapolis’ Barnes and Thornburg, which has 446 attorneys and seven offices, including four in Indiana. “Our economy is not quite as tied to the highs and lows of the financial markets.”

Thus, people are turning to these smaller firms for services. For instance, a large Colorado-based client moved his antitrust business from an East Coast firm to Holme Roberts.

“We were $250 or $300 less [per hour] than the East Coast firm,” said the branch spokesperson.

According to Dykema Gossett Chairman Rex Schlaybaugh Jr., who is located in Michigan, “That trend becomes accelerated in tough economic times. Purchasers of legal services have found that there is tremendous value in what I call ‘Main Street’ firms as compared to ‘Wall Street’ firms.”

Popularity: 6% [?]

Americans are shaking in their shoes as the shaky economy lacks stability and a promising near future. Therefore, folks are closely holding onto the cash in their wallets, fearful of what may come. Jobs are being lost by the hundreds of thousands and that could equal disaster for many of us. As a result, law firms are feeling the snowball effects of this economic crisis.

Since lawyers bill by the hour, collecting their paychecks is solely based on the clients ability to pay. With things becoming so tight, however, who knows if that will happen. It’s definitely a gamble and firms are feeling the heat. While the pressure is on to get paid, lawyers face a difficult dilemma. Attempting to receive a payment that was rightfully earned by them, they must also figure out how to be patient with their clients and remain flexible during this stressful time.

“It’s a balance that always exists, but in this market it becomes heightened,” said Paul Irving, co-chairman of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The demise of Wall Street’s top players has been a major gain for some law firms. As they say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. Hughes Hubbard & Reed has its 12 bankruptcy lawyers busy, busy, busy handling the mess after the meltdown. The firm has boomed the practice group by two-thirds with the timely acquisition of a bankruptcy creditors’ rights and finance boutique, Luskin, Stern & Eisler.

Joining Hughes Hubbard are partners Nathan Eisler, Michael Luskin, and Richard Stern. And the main cause behind all the big changes came after the Lehan Brothers empire came crumbling down.

Popularity: 4% [?]