The Legal Intelligencer Blog

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is Duane Morris picking up 16 lawyers from Dewey & LeBoeuf’s New York, Boston and Washington, D.C., offices. As reporter Gina Passarella writes, the team of nine partners, three counsel and four associates is led by New York-based corporate partner Elizabeth W. Powers.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that the defense opened Tuesday in the trial of Monsignor William J. Lynn, with a focus on Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua’s control.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes about a new Philadelphia Traffic Court rule that aims to prevent lengthy jailings.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, James A. Matthews III writes the first part in a series on attorney-client privilege within the client organization.

In a Commentary on Page 7, Judi Cohen writes about mindfulness and stress and handling the demands of being a lawyer.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is a federal judge greenlighting an $11 billion whistleblower suit alleging that Pittsburgh-based Education Management Corp. defrauded the government of federal student aid. As reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes, the suit alleges the company violated the terms of the Higher Education Act, which bars the distribution of incentives to college recruiters based on the number of students they draw.

Also above the fold on Page 1, Saranac Hale Spencer writes that a legal malpractice claim is being allowed to proceed in a wrongful firing case in which the lawyer, James E. Ellison of Rhoads & Sinon, advised the Harrisburg School District on its decision to fire three top administrators.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that medical malpractice reform, 10 years in, is being credited for a lighter caseload in Pennsylvania.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Zack Needles writes that a suit against Citizens Savings Bank Inc. alleging that it cashed 86 forged checks is being allowed to proceed by a Lackawanna County judge.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, Hayes Hunt and Jonathan R. Cavalier write about three key uses of social media for corporate counsel.

In an Immigration Law column on Page 7, Matthew T. Galati writes that the USCIS has implemented a new policy involving transgendered persons.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is Morgan, Lewis & Bockius adding a total of 65 attorneys from the troubled firm of Dewey & LeBoeuf. As reporter Gina Passarella writes, Tuesday brought official news that Morgan acquired Dewey’s Moscow and Almaty, Kazakhstan, offices.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that Conrad O’Brien co-founder and skilled trial lawyer William J. “Billy” O’Brien has died.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Zack Needles writes that a Bucks County firm and former shareholder have sued each other over the firm’s succession plan. The leader of the firm formerly known as Mellon Webster & Shelly was diagnosed with a serious illness, leading to the questions about succession.

Also below the fold on Page 1, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that Jeffrey B. Rotwitt filed an answer Tuesday that said former state Senator Vincent J. Fumo blocked an alternate family courthouse site.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Ben Present writes that the state Supreme Court justices mulled a 19-year-old H&R Block class action during oral arguments Tuesday in Harrisburg.

Also on Page 3, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that lawyers in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex-abuse trial argued yesterday over the deposition of a priest’s alleged supervisors.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, Mark Harris writes about managing risk with an “austerity workforce.”

In an Employment Law column on Page 7, James W. Cushing writes about further development of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Monday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

The top story this morning is a Philadelphia jury awarding $78.5 million in the case of a child who has cerebral palsy because of a loss of oxygen during a delay in her delivery. As reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes, the verdict against Pottstown Memorial Medical Center in Montgomery County is the second-largest medical malpractice award in Philadelphia since 2000.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes that a teenage defendant pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and is likely to be deported to his native Pakistan. Mohammed Khalid, 18, is the youngest person in the country to be arrested on terrorism charges.

Below the fold on Page 1, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes about three hormone-replacement therapy rulings that favored the defense.

Also below the fold on Page 1, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius is set to add two foreign Dewey & LeBoeuf offices, according to a source for Legal affiliate The Am Law Daily. The offices would be in Kazakhstan and Moscow.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Zack Needles writes that an expert witness has won judgments against the law firm that hired him and the professional group that suspended him.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In an Antitrust Law column on Page 5, Carl W. Hittinger and Lesli Esposito write that the floodgates have opened regarding antitrust and health care.

On the Law Technology News page, a predictive coding order is drawing caution and excitement, and Thomson Reuters and LexisNexis have released corporate counsel tools.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Friday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

The top story this morning is PNC Financial Services Group announcing that Robert F. Hoyt will be taking over as general counsel at the end of the month. As reporter Gina Passarella writes, longtime GC Helen P. Pudlin is retiring May 31 from the Pittsburgh company, and Hoyt, senior deputy general counsel, will be taking over.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that a Philadelphia judge has ruled contacting an expert’s employer is sanctionable. Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Jacqueline F. Allen granted a plaintiff’s motion for sanctions against defense counsel Nancy Raynor, in part by ordering Raynor to refrain from contacting the plaintiff’s experts or their employers.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that the passage rate for Pennsylvania’s February bar exam was less than 60 percent.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In a Bankruptcy Update on Page 5, Francis J. Lawall writes that a lack of bond debt is not a bar to Chapter 9 in Alabama.

In an Asset Management column on Page 7, David B. Bruckman and James A.J. Revels writes about naming a non-spouse beneficiary of an individual retirement account.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is Saul Ewing opening a Pittsburgh office by bringing on four attorneys from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis. As reporter Gina Passarella writes, the office will fit into a market that has become sought after not just because of the Marcellus Shale and work relating to it, but because of all the shale play brings with it.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes that U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Chief Judge Theodore McKee said that a limit on lengthy briefs announced in January is working.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Zack Needles writes that a worked injured in a wall collapse has settled his lawsuit for $2.6 million with the general contractor, a subcontractor and the site owner.

Also below the fold on Page 1, Saranac Hale Spencer writes that the ACLU is seeking to block the state voter ID law.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that as savings are stagnating, the First Judicial District has asked for more funding during a lengthy round of Philadelphia City Council budget hearings.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, Gina Ameci writes about the challenging personalities to be encountered during employee performance reviews.

In an Intellectual Property column on Page 7, Anthony S. Volpe and Carey Kulp write about improving the likelihood that you own the IP rights to a property.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is a split en banc state Superior Court panel barring a venue change from Philadelphia to Dauphin County in a suit against Harrisburg law firm Keefer Wood Allen & Rahal and other defendants. As reporter Zack Needles writes, the panel ruled 6-3 to reverse a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas ruling that had granted the defendants’ petition to change venues for forum non conveniens, a ruling that was then upheld 2-1 by a three-judge Superior Court panel.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes on yesterday’s events from the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest sex-abuse trial. Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said she would not prospectively rule on whether prosecutors could introduce defrocked priest Edward V. Avery’s guilty plea to sexually abusing D.G., who is set to testify today, until after cross-examination is conducted.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes that a federal judge has denied a $926,000 referral fee to an attorney who referred cases to a class action RICO suit that settled for hundreds of millions of dollars in 2009.

In more Regional News on Page 3, David Gialanella of Legal affiliate New Jersey Law Journal writes about a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruling that the government does not need to send a lawyer or other representative to administrative or litigation proceedings for a successful adversary to win attorney fees incurred in fighting the government’s action.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, Steven D. Usdin and Nella M. Bloom write about identifying signs that a company is in financial distress.

In a Media Law column on Page 7, Gayle C. Sproul and Michael Berry write that the press and public should be free to tweet from court.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is career defense veteran James C. Haggerty is leaving insurance firm Swartz Campbell, along with Bucks County solo attorney Terry Goldberg, to join Philadelphia-based plaintiffs firm WSK Lawyers. As reporter Zack Needles writes, the firm plans to change its name to Haggerty Goldberg Schleifer & Kupersmith.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Ben Present writes that a Philadelphia judge has granted partial summary judgment to a man who had his leg partially amputated above the knee after a 10-year-old ran him over with a 5-ton track loader. The child’s operation of the heavy-duty machinery came under the discretion of his father and was known by the vehicle’s rental company.

Below the fold on Page 1, Zack Needles writes that Cozen O’Connor is continuing its aggressive approach to hiring, announcing Tuesday that it has brought three Dewey & LeBoeuf attorneys into its Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg offices. On Monday the firm announced it had a hired a group of Duane Morris patent litigators.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that Geoffrey R. Johnson is leaving Sprague & Sprague after 28 years to open his own practice. His last day at the firm was April 5.

Also on Page 3, the Barnes Foundation’s general counsel was found dead in his home at 47.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 5, Hayes Hunt and Jonathan R. Cavalier write about an employer’s duty to report crimes by employees to the police, discussing a few hypothetical scenarios that might come up.

In a Law Firm Management column on Page 7, Edwin B. Reeser writes about undercapitalization and overdistribution and how they relate to large law firms and their value.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to email any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.

Barnes Foundation GC Found Dead

By Ben Seal
Of the Legal Staff

The general counsel for the Barnes Foundation was found dead in his home on April 14, according to published reports. Brett Miller, who took on the role for the fine arts foundation in 2009, was 47. The Legal’s sibling publication Corporate Counsel has more on the story. Among the largest issues Miller dealt with in his role as GC for the foundation was moving parts of its extensive art collection from the Merion, Pa., home of Dr. Albert Barnes to a new facility near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The collection’s new home is set to open May 19.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Wednesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Today’s top story is the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit hearing arguments and weighing the intent and vulgarity of bracelets worn in the Easton Area School District with the phrase, “I [heart] boobies,” for which two middle school students were suspended. As reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes, the students, who wore the bracelets were for breast-cancer awareness, are being backed by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that a proposed state-law class action filed against Discover Bank and several Pennsylvania-based debt collection law firms alleges that the credit card lender has been collecting on debts that it no longer has a beneficial interest in.

Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Zack Needles writes that Luzerne County Chief Public Defender Albert J. Flora Jr. has filed a class action suit against the county and County Manager Robert C. Lawton for “deliberate indifference to the funding needs” of the Adult Unit of the Luzerne County Public Defender’s Office. Flora is joined by three indigent adult criminal defendants in the suit.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Zack Needles writes that Nelson Levine de Luca & Horst has hired Stanley Jablonowski to be its first vice president of business development. Jablonowski had previously been with insurance and financial company Selling Technologies Inc. as its chief executive officer.

Also on Page 3, Saranac Hale Spencer writes that the federal court in Pennsylvania’s Middle District will apply Georgia Law in a case that touches five states.

As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section, including a federal court finding that a Ford surcharge on New Jersey dealers is legal.

In an Employment Law column on Page 5, Sid Steinberg writes about individual arbitration agreements being applied to class actions.

In this week’s GC Mid-Atlantic column on Page 7, Joseph A. Martin writes about Section 337 of the Tariff Act, which is a new weapon in the war against foreign trade secret misappropriation.

If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.