The Legal Intelligencer Blog

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 lawyers making closing arguments in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest sex-abuse trial. As reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes, a prosecutor charged that Monsignor William J. Lynn lied to an investigating grand jury and on the stand. The trial is expected to go to jury today.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Gina Passarella writes that Pepper Hamilton has continued its leadership changes by naming a new managing partner. Thomas J. Cole Jr. will be the new MP, effective Jan. 1, 2013, the firm announced Thursday.

Below the fold on Page 1, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that a Philadelphia jury has awarded $4.2 million for a one-third ownership stake in a granite and marble company with disputed ownership.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Gina Passarella looks at how Pennsylvania firms fared in the Am Law 200 rankings released yesterday. Despite most of the five Pa.-based firms in the second hundred having increases in gross revenue, it was tough sledding to move up the list.

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 the First Circuit ruling DOMA is unconstitutional.

In a Law Firm Management column on Page 5, Edwin B. Reeser writes about the economic benefits of three different types of lateral hires.

In an Intellectual Property column on Page 7, Lewis R. Clayton writes that trademark owners have gained leverage in keyword ad wars.

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 Tuesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer, which also includes this week’s edition of Pennsylvania Law Weekly. 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 paper also includes the Women in the Profession supplement, so check out the whole thing, including videos of the roundtable discussion.

The top story in today’s Legal is reporter Gina Passarella’s look at multi-office lateral groups in the wake of Cozen O’Connor wooing nine intellectual property attorneys from four different Duane Morris offices. There can be logistical challenges in making moves like this, but the benefits can make up for it in the end.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporters Ben Present and Zack Needles write that the Lackawanna County guardian ad litem has asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed against her for allegedly threatening parents with sanctions if her recommendations were not followed. The guardian ad litem, Danielle Ross, claims she has judicial immunity. The county’s common pleas court was also named a defendant in the lawsuit, and earlier this month asked to be dismissed from the matter, asserting 11th Amendment immunity.

Below the fold on Page 1, Zack Needles writes about an Erie County judge’s siding with the defense in a slip-and-fall case, ruling that residents in snowy locales should expect icy hills.

Also below the fold on Page 1, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that the judge presiding over the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest sex-abuse trial must decide whether to hear from additional accusers who claimed in 2010 that they were sexually abused by defrocked priest Edward Avery.

In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Saranac Hale Spencer writes that an anti-fracking group has added defamation and conspiracy claims to its suit against a private surveillance company that the government allegedly hired to watch over it.

Also on Page 3, Saranac Hale Spencer writes that a Medicare contractor has claimed immunity before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

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

In a Legal Marketing column on Page 5, Stacy West Clark writes about time she has spent with multimillion-dollar rainmakers and some tips and observations she gained from it.

In a Cyberlaw column on Page 7, Jeffrey N. Rosenthal writes about online dispute resolution.

Today’s lead story in PLW is the Pennsylvania Superior Court granting a new trial to a Pennsylvania couple pursuing a bad-faith claim against their insurance carrier. As Ben Present writes, it shows that a consumer law violation may provide a path for proving bad faith.

Below the fold on Page 1, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that the Pennsylvania custody law has changed for deployed soldiers.

On Page 3, Dan McCormick writes that cost of living adjustments are marital property, according to a Superior Court panel.

There’s much more inside this week’s PLW, including Samuel C. Stretton’s Ethics Forum, in which he says that clients’ notes subject to attorney-client privilege must be clearly marked as such; Matthew Weisberg’s Commentary on the legal profession in which he writes about when and how to seek a judge’s recusal; a billboard ban passing constitutional muster, according to a Delaware County judge; expert testimony is required in a dispute involving SEPTA and a supplier; and Joel A. Rose’s Law Firm Management column, in which he writes about proven strategies for effectively implementing the two-tier partner structure.

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 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.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal

Welcome to your Thursday 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 on this packed news day is the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejecting ERISA benefits for plaintiffs in a class action brought against electronics giant Siemens. As reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel writes, Judge Morton I. Greenberg, writing for a unanimous panel, said in Shaver v. Siemens Corp. that Siemens is entitled to summary judgment because it did not violate ERISA by not providing “permanent job separation” pension benefits if the plaintiffs’ employment terminated because of job movement, product line relocation or location closedown.

Also above the fold on Page 1, reporter Gina Passarella writes that a Philadelphia jury has awarded $12.88 million to a 50-year-old woman for injuries suffered following a thyroidectomy. The woman suffered catastrophic brain injuries and is now comatose after she was given drugs that caused vomiting after her surgery, resulting in bleeding in her neck that cut off her airway.

Below the fold on Page 1, Gina Passarella writes that Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads is set to significantly expand its New York office with the acquisition of two smaller firms this month.

Also below the fold on Page 1, Amaris Elliott-Engel writes that Willie F. Singletary has submitted his resignation as a Philadelphia Traffic Court judge. Singletary was suspended without pay Jan. 5 for allegedly showing a photograph of his genitals to a Philadelphia Parking Authority contractor.

In more Regional News on Page 3, Gina Passarella writes that the state Supreme Court has reversed a ruling that would have transferred around $700 million to the state MCARE Fund to pay for abatements of doctors’ annual assessments.

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 Law Firm Management column on Page 5, Joel A. Rose writes about how to approach a law firm merger or acquisition, including a checklist of important things to keep in mind.

As it is Thursday, this week’s Young Lawyer column is on Page 7, as Harris A. Dainoff writes five tips for making the adjustment from law student to lawyer, focusing heavily on the importance of communication skills.

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 Tuesday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer, the first edition of the new year. 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 in the state Supreme Court in an emotional distress suit from a woman whose doctor interpreted her ultrasound during pregnancy as normal but whose child was subsequently born with birth defects. The vote was split 3-3 in Toney v. Chester County Hospital and, as reporter Ben Present writes, “Without a seventh vote, the evenly divided Supreme Court let stand the opinion of a split en banc panel of the state Superior Court that one high court opinion in support of affirmance called ‘flawed.’”

On the bottom of Page 1, Michael A. Riccardi takes a look back at the past year for the state Supreme Court. It was a relatively quiet 2011, but there were a few big decisions, including the February decision in Gillard v. AIG Insurance Co., which made it clear that privilege is a “two-way street.”

Today’s Page 3 story comes from reporter Gina Passarella, who writes that a federal judge in Western Pennsylvania adopted a California test to determine if a party is owed attorney fees for a misappropriation of trade secrets claim that is made in bad faith. U.S. District Court Judge William L. Standish of the Western District of Pennsylvania said no case in the state had previously dealt with bad faith in this context.

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.

Today’s Law Firm Management column comes from Joel A. Rose, who writes about personal goal-setting and the use of personal attorney business plans.

In this week’s Business of Law column, Frank Michael D’Amore takes a look at methods to drive revenue at your firm. As he writes, “Once assessed, revenue that fits a firm's business model is what makes it go.”

As it is Tuesday, it’s also your chance to read this week’s Pennsylvania Law Weekly. The lead story for PLW, written by reporter Ben Present, involves the plaintiffs finally winning a round when it comes to discovery of Facebook pages. The ledger had been leaning in the other direction after three decisions on the matter favored the defense. The most recent decision comes from a Philadelphia judge, who denied an insurance company’s request to probe a Facebook page in an injury case because the insurer had not identified any public information on the page that would trigger discovery.

Ben Present also wrote the story you’ll find on the bottom of Page 1 in this week’s PLW, taking a look at Dan Pellegrini’s new role leading the Commonwealth Court.

There is plenty more inside this week’s PLW, including reporter Gina Passarella writing that HIPAA doesn’t bar disclosure of nonparty medical records, Samuel C. Stretton’s weekly Ethics Forum and Jeff Jubelirer’s 10 public relations trends to watch for in 2012.

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.

Successful Rainmakers Stay the Course

By Kimberly Alford Rice
Special to the Legal

Taking proactive, consistent steps to build and strengthen professional relationships is imperative to developing a solid practice. In fact, research teaches us that in order to even appear on prospects' mental radar, one must make contact with them at least seven to 10 times in a calendar year. Yet when some lawyers sense they are not yielding the results they expect, they often become frustrated and simply give up. To that I say, stay the course.

One of the main character differences between lawyers who give up on their client development activities and successful rainmakers is that the latter are committing to staying the course despite lackluster short-term gains. We all "know" that there is no substitute for thoughtful efforts targeted to getting in front of qualified prospects on a regular and consistent basis. Despite that simple truth, lawyers (especially those who do not have and/or execute an integrated marketing plan) frequently employ a gunshot approach that renders few or no meaningful results.

Though I am not the greatest sports fan, I do know that in baseball if a batter hits 30 home runs in a full season of 600 at bats, he will most likely be named an All Star and receive a hefty salary increase. An important point to remember, then, is that in addition to implementing a focused approach to building professional relationships that are likely to result in increased client retentions, you must be prepared to strike out on occasion. Do not be dissuaded.

Successful rainmakers understand this concept thoroughly and embrace it. They build relationships constantly with clients, referral sources and prospects by being helpful to others and by making connections. They recognize that to build a relationship is to stay in the top of potential clients' minds when business and legal issues arise. 

They also know that generating work means taking calculated risks and that only 20 percent of their activity will ultimately yield direct results. They also know that while it is critical to be strategic about where to invest their time and energy, it is impossible to know in advance which of the 80 percent of their activity will be wasted.

In many ways, direct rejection is easiest to accept. "Our company has decided to hire firm Y because they have more experience handling securities fraud" does not leave much room for ambiguity. You will not be retained. It's clear when you receive this feedback that it is time to move on. However, you can leave the door open for other types of work. Perhaps the client will retain your services when they have matters in which you do have extensive experience.

Another matter altogether, though, is the unanswered phone call or e-mail. This is much more challenging and presents some of the greatest obstacles for lawyers working diligently to build a practice.

As we all struggle to effectively manage our communications, everyone has a preference in how they want to communicate. In light of that and the sheer volume they receive, some folks simply do not respond to or even acknowledge all of their messages. 

It is frustrating when someone does not respond to a message that we have sent via e-mail, left on voice mail or with a secretary; it feels like rejection. When two or three messages go unanswered, most will give up. To save our bruised egos any further indignity, we simply stop trying. However, to do so, we leave opportunity on the table.

Here is the good news: Silence is not a "no;" it can merely be the temporary absence of "yes."

Until a prospect tells you directly that she or he is not interested, you have no idea why they are not responding; and if the individual is someone with whom you really want to do business, you should keep trying.

Using a "multimedia" approach can also be helpful: send an e-mail first, then call and leave voicemail, followed by checking with a secretary, and then possibly even sending a letter -- mix up your approach.  Be sure the contact is on your frequent contact list to receive articles and updates, etc.

In some ways, it is vain to perceive that a lack of response has anything to do with you. There are many reasons why someone may not be returning your call, responding to your e-mail or other communication.

Coaching lawyers over many years, I have heard countless anecdotes along the theme "I met this potential client nearly five years ago, hadn't connected in months and out of the blue, I receive a call that he has a matter he wants me to handle."  Who hasn't experienced or at least heard a similar story?

In most cases, my clients were eventually retained and the new clients apologized for being so unavailable for a time.  In these scenarios, the potential clients' unresponsiveness had nothing to do with my clients and they would have forfeited a new client had they not persisted.

The bottom line is this: Building a healthy practice requires you to persevere despite immediate circumstances. If you have a strategic plan of action in which you target qualified prospects in a meaningful way in a consistent and persistent manner, you will ultimately develop the business you are working for and your professional satisfaction will grow as a result of it.

Kimberly Alford Rice is principal of KLA Marketing Associates, a business development advisory firm focusing on legal services. As a law marketing authority, she helps law firms and lawyers develop practical business development and marketing strategies that lead directly to new clients and increased revenues. Additionally, she provides career management services to lawyers in transition. She can be contacted at 609-458-0415 or via e-mail at kimberly@klamarketing.net.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal (and Delaware!)

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Welcome to your daily round-up of stories in today's edition of The Legal Intelligencer. Click the links below to access stories directly, or head to The Legal homepage.  (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

Just as Tuesdays always include our Pennsylvania Law Weekly section, Wednesday is the unofficial "Day of Delaware," when we roll out the fresh ink from our First State to the south. That includes the Delaware Law Weekly, available online at www.delawarelawweekly.com, as well as our newest product, the Delaware Business Court Insider, an online newsletter that definitely warrants a look.

But more about Delaware in a bit … let's get to today's Legal.

Topping the front page, U.S. Courthouse Correspondent Shannon P. Duffy has news that deals a legal setback to the Obama administration: "A federal judge in Harrisburg has struck down several provisions of the Affordable Care Act after concluding that the law's 'individual mandate' is an unconstitutional extension of Congress's authority under the Commerce Clause. 'The issue is whether Congress can invoke its Commerce Clause power to compel individuals to buy insurance as a condition of lawful citizenship or residency,' U.S. District Judge Christopher C. Conner wrote in his 53-page opinion in Goudy-Bachman v. United States."

Below the fold, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel was there as the Supreme Court heard (televised) oral arguments in an historic setting in Old City Philadelphia yesterday. In the case she covered, a state Supreme Court justice characterized the drugmaker Wyeth as asserting that there is enough protection for persons harmed by prescription drugs in federal regulation of the release of drugs onto the market, and limiting plaintiffs to lawsuits for drugmakers' alleged failures to adequately warn of risks.

Today's Page 3 Regional News story is by reporter Zack Needles, who chronicles the growth of an area law firm: Philadelphia-based Zarwin Baum DeVito Kaplan Schaer Toddy has acquired four transactional lawyers from the Philadelphia office of Maryland-based Offit Kurman, saying increased work in that practice area over the last few months has necessitated the growth.

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

Today's contributed columns begin on Page 5 with an "Employment Law" column by Sid Steinberg of Post & Schell, who writes that as cases under the amended Americans with Disabilities Act begin to reach the courts, less emphasis will be placed on whether an employee is "disabled" and a greater emphasis will be placed on the questions of whether an employee is a "qualified individual" under the act and whether an employee could be reasonably accommodated.

Page 7 features our weekly "GC Mid-Atlantic" page, with an article from affiliate Corporate Counsel magazine, which profiles the new head of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), Joe West.

As we move south in our weekly coverage to Delaware, we'll stop first at the Delaware Law Weekly, where reporter Jeff Mordock has the top stories. Please note: all of our Delaware coverage is for paid subscribers, but you can register for a free 30-day trial by clicking here.

In the top slot, Jeff writes that four Sussex County residents have filed a lawsuit accusing the county's legislative council of explicitly endorsing Christianity by beginning each meeting by reciting the "Our Father."

Jeff also reports that St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Co. has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove itself from the duty of defending or reimbursing the Beebe Medical Center in Lewes, Del., from civil lawsuits related to the crimes committed by former pediatrician Earl Bradley.

Finally, we'd like you to meet (if you haven't already) the Delaware Business Court Insider.  As the name suggests, this is a national product covering the latest news, analysis and cases from the Delaware Chancery Court, Bankruptcy Court and Supreme Court. The accompanying website is www.delbizcourt.com, where you can go to subscribe to this newsletter weekly. You can also follow us on Twitter at: @delbizcour.

Top stories there include the following:
- President Obama is set to overhaul the nation's patent system, but attorneys say it is too early to see how the law will affect business.
-  Plaintiffs filed yet another amended complaint in their derivative suit against News Corp., including new allegations against the company.
- Vice Chancellor Noble denies plaintiffs' request for interim attorney fees in the Novell shareholder dispute.

Have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole? E-mail me or any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal and our Delaware coverage!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail JBochet@alm.com.

Three Local Firms on 'Best Law Firms for Women' List

By Gina Passarella
Of the Legal Staff

Three Pennsylvania firms can be found among the top 50 law firms nationally for women to work.

Ballard Spahr, Drinker Biddle & Reath and Fox Rothschild were named to the list, compiled by Flex-Time Lawyers and the National Association for Female Executives.

The organizations offered quick facts about each of the winners to demonstrate how the firms support women.

Ballard Spahr: "Of the seven lawyers promoted to equity partner in 2010, three were women, and two of this firm's 13 offices are managed by female partners." Women comprise 25 percent of the firm's equity partners. The firm only has one partnership tier.

Drinker Biddle: "Women reside on every firm committee, and there are several women on the two most important, management and allocation." Women make up 25 percent of equity partners and 30 percent of non-equity partners.

Fox Rothschild: "Eighty-six percent of female lawyers returning from maternity leave in 2010 worked reduced hours for a period of time, and the firm's chief talent officer works directly with each returning attorney to ensure that the transition back is mutually beneficial." Women make up 17 percent of equity partners and 27 percent of non-equity partners.

The 50 firms are not ranked numerically, but rather are listed alphabetically. According to a press release about the awards, women at the 50 firms comprise an average of 19 percent of the equity partner tier, which is higher than the 15 percent nationally shown by the National Association of Women Lawyers.

All of the winning firms have written reduced-hour policies and 78 percent offer full-time telecommute policies.

Eighty percent of the firms offer mentoring programs for women, and 90 percent offer management and leadership training.

"By offering leadership and business development opportunities for women, along with generous flexibility, parental leave and childcare programs, these firms are better poised to retain and promote the brightest legal minds, with the goal of reaching parity for women in the profession," Deborah Epstein Henry, founder and president of Flex-Time Lawyers, said in a statement.

At the 50 firms, women hold 18 percent of compensation, 19 percent of executive, and 23 percent of equity partner promotion committee seats. And 78 percent of the firms offer backup childcare and 62 percent offer subsidized in-home backup childcare.

The full list of winners can be viewed here.

Gina Passarella is the senior reporter for The Legal. She can be contacted by e-mailing gpassarella@alm.com or calling 215-557-2494. Follow her on Twitter at @GPassarellaTLI.

Buchanan Ingersoll Raises First-Year Salaries Too

By Gina Passarella
Of the Legal Staff

Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney has edged up the starting salaries for its Pennsylvania first-year associates.

The firm had paid $100,000 in Pittsburgh and $110,000 in Philadelphia last year. It will increase those figures to $105,000 and $112,500, respectively, for 2011. The firm has seven first-year associates this year, with three in the firm's Pennsylvania offices. Salaries are handled on a case-by-case basis in other markets, the firm said.

The increases don't bring Buchanan Ingersoll back to its historic high levels of between $120,000 and $135,000 across its Pennsylvania locations in 2008.

Buchanan Ingersoll isn't the only firm to increase starting salaries this year. Four other Pennsylvania firms have done the same.

Blank Rome, Reed Smith, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young and Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis all increased starting salaries.

Blank Rome paid first-years in Pennsylvania $130,000 in 2010 and will pay them $140,000 in 2011. The firm has the same number of associates starting in the state this year as it did last year - six.

Reed Smith paid first-year associates $110,000 in Pittsburgh in 2010 and $117,500 in Philadelphia. This year, the firm will pay Pittsburgh first-years $125,000 and Philadelphia first-years $130,000. The associates will not start until January 2012. The firm will have 25 first-year associates across all of its offices, with 11 based in Pennsylvania. That is up from the eight first-years Reed Smith had in the state in 2010.

Schnader Harrison also pays different salaries for its Pittsburgh and Philadelphia locations, and both offices will increase starting pay in 2011. The firm paid $110,000 in Philadelphia and $95,000 in Pittsburgh last year. It will pay first-year associates $120,000 in Philadelphia and $105,000 in Pittsburgh in 2011. The firm's three first-year associates for 2011 are all based in Pennsylvania.
Stradley Ronon more than doubled its first-year class in Pennsylvania this year from three in 2010 to seven in 2011. That group is also going to see a salary bump from $115,000 to $125,000.

The increases at the four firms still have them below the Pennsylvania market leaders of Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Dechert and Duane Morris, which all pay first-year associates $145,000. Cozen O'Connor pays its first-year associates $135,000.

Of the four firms that are increasing associate salaries this year, only Blank Rome is bumping up its Pennsylvania pay higher than it has ever paid associates in the state. At $140,000, the firm is paying more than its peak of $135,000 in Philadelphia between 2006 and 2008.

Stradley Ronon's 2012 pay of $125,000 matches its 2006 first-year salary, but is lower than the $135,000 the firm paid in 2007 and 2008.

Reed Smith's range of $125,000 to $130,000 across the state for 2012 comes in lower than the $135,000 to $145,000 the firm paid at its peak in Pennsylvania in 2008.

Schnader Harrison's $120,000 in Philadelphia for 2011 is lower than the $135,000 the firm paid in 2007 and 2008.

Gina Passarella is the senior reporter for The Legal. She can be contacted by e-mailing gpassarella@alm.com or calling 215-557-2494. Follow her on Twitter at @GPassarellaTLI.

Fresh Ink: Inside Today's Legal (and PLW!)

By Jaime Bochet
Of the Legal Staff

Welcome to your daily round-up of stories in today's edition of The Legal Intelligencer. Click the links below to access stories directly, or head to The Legal homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)

As is the case every Tuesday, today's paper is especially full, because it includes our Pennsylvania Law Weekly section, which includes analysis pieces, our Verdicts & Settlements section, and contributed columns by Samuel Stretton (Ethics), Brandon Swarz (Personal Injury), and Jeff Jubelirer (Public Relations).

But let's begin with The Legal.

Topping today's front page, reporter Amaris Elliott-Engel has an analysis piece regarding the impact of the state Supreme Court's decision in Insurance Federation of Pennsylvania v. Koken. Even though Koken eliminated the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's command that automobile policies have mandatory arbitration clauses, attorneys around the state say that arbitration remains popular for the resolution of motor vehicle claims brought by motorists against their insurers under their uninsured/underinsured (UM/UIM) motor vehicle policies.

Below the fold, senior staff reporter Gina Passarella has the sixth and final piece in her weekly series examining the impact of e-discovery on the practice and business of law. This week, she writes that much is said about the burdens and challenges of e-discovery, and rightfully so, but the list of organizations dedicated solely to improving the process are nearly just as prevalent. 

Inside, in our Page 3 Regional News section, Gina has another business of law story, this time about a new practice. Dechert has created an outsourcing and offshoring practice under the umbrella of its intellectual property department in order to take advantage of the growing desire of its clients to outsource certain non-core business functions.

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

The Legal's contributed columns today include an "Eastern District Practice" column by Peter F. Vaira of Vaira & Riley, who discusses litigation costs that may be awarded to the prevailing party in a lawsuit pursuant to Local Civil Rule 54.1 and 28 U.S.C. § 1920. The article will not discuss the award of attorney fees.

Our second contributed article is "Upon Further Review," Howard Bashman's appellate column. Bashman hails the advent of cameras in the courtroom, calling it a "new day for openness" in the Pennsylvania appellate courts.

Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with a story by reporter Ben Present, who writes, "A controversy in Western Pennsylvania stemming from allegations that a judge ordered her court reporter to alter transcripts from a murder trial became more complicated Thursday after the court reporter's lawyer said the court reporter denies altering the transcript and plans to sue one of the attorneys alleging misconduct."

Below the fold, reporter Zack Needles has an analysis piece regarding the continuing legal troubles of the Orie sisters. He writes, "As state Sen. Jane C. Orie, R-Allegheny, faces a new round of charges and a retrial on the horizon, legal watchers say her sister, state Supreme Court Justice Joan Orie Melvin, may be feeling the heat now more than ever."

And that is just the front page! Head to the main website of the PLW section to check out even more content from across the commonwealth.

Have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole? E-mail me or any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal and PLW!

Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail JBochet@alm.com.