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 Swartz (Personal Injury), Dorothy K. Phillips (Family Law) and Cliff Rieders (Civil Practice).
But let's begin with The Legal.
Once again, U.S. Courthouse Correspondent Shannon P. Duffy has the front-page top story, who has another e-discovery case out of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. For plaintiffs, the cost of losing is skyrocketing in antitrust and other complex, document-intensive cases now that the federal courts are routinely approving hefty bills for e-discovery services in the standard taxation of costs. Illustrating that trend is the recent decision by the clerk in the Eastern District to tax costs of more than $576,000 against the losing plaintiffs in In re Aspartame Antitrust Litigation.
Below the fold, reporter Gina Passarella writes that K&L Gates has put a new office managing partner in place in its Pittsburgh headquarters after the former head took on a new role co-leading the firm's recently created energy, infrastructure and resources practice group.
Inside, in our Page 3 Regional News section, reporter Zack Needles writes that Bala Cynwyd, Pa.-based law firm Seitzinger & Randazzo has challenged as unconstitutional provisions of the Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Act limiting attorney fees, but a Commonwealth Court panel said the state legislature may impose a ceiling on fees in certain situations.
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. Don't miss today's announcement on Page 2 of the 27 attorneys who have been named The Legal's 2011 "Lawyers on the Fast Track!"
The Legal's contributed columns begin on Page 5, with a Business of Law column by Frank Michael D'Amore, who explores the benefits of balancing zealous advocacy with fairness. The second contributed article is a preview of our "Construction Law" supplement by Jason Richey and John Estep of K&L Gates, who wonder if Pennsylvania oil and gas wells are ripe targets for mechanics’ liens. Watch for the full supplement in The Legal on August 16!
Today's Pennsylvania Law Weekly section begins with an analysis article by reporter Ben Present, who writes that an insured in an underinsured motorist case may obtain discovery into her insurance carrier's evaluation of her claim, a Dauphin County judge has ruled, but defense attorneys have called the order an "aberration," asserting such discovery is prohibited under state rules of civil procedure in post-Koken auto insurance litigation.
Also on the PLW front page, Zack Needles reports that aviation lawyers say airline claims are up, and air crash cases remain steady.
The PLW has much more, so head to the main website of that section to check out even more.
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!
Jaime Bochet is the Magazines & Supplements Editor for The Legal. Follow her on Twitter at @JaimeBochetTLI or e-mail [email protected].
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