+ Law firms on track for profit boost.

Follow the biggest developments in courts, law firms and legal practice with Reuters. Subscribe for $1/week.

 

The Afternoon Docket

The Afternoon Docket

A weekly newsletter by Reuters and Westlaw

 

By Sara Merken

What's going on this week?

U.S. law firms enjoyed a strong second quarter thanks to increases in demand for their services and their billing rates; Illinois became the second state to enact legislation limiting investors' influence on law firms; and Davis Polk sued its former energy client to recover $3.3 million in fees. Plus, the latest Billable Hours, and your weekly Career Tracker.

The quiet consensus fueling US court secrecy

 

Public access is a cornerstone of the U.S. court system. So why do litigants so often succeed in keeping documents secret? 

New research from Stanford Law School contends that the legal system offers little incentive for anyone to challenge efforts to keep court records secret, including plaintiffs' lawyers on the other side of a sealing request and the judges who routinely sign off on them. 

In this week's Power of Attorney, Sara Randazzo speaks with plaintiffs' lawyers about when and how they push back on court secrecy. As one told her: "You have to pick your battles." Read the column here.

 

Industry updates

  • High demand, high rates put US law firms on track for profit boost
  • New Jersey ruling could imperil state law aimed at protecting judges' personal data
  • Law firm Davis Polk sues energy client Enel over legal bills
  • Illinois governor signs bill limiting investor influence on law firms
  • Law firms Herbert Smith, Goodwin hit by data breaches
  • US Supreme Court case tests fees for immigration detainees
  • Law grads reach settlement in class action over botched California bar exam
  • US legal sector employment grew again in July
  • Law firm Simpson Thacher wins malpractice trial over stock sale
  • US scrutinizes more schools over admissions practices, diversity and pro-Palestinian protests
  • Former lawyer at Tom Girardi's firm gets time-served in client funds case
  • Washington allows some law grads to skip bar exam after botched test
  • Kennedy Center ordered to pay legal fees to musician who canceled show after Trump name change
 
 

Career tracker

In New York:

Sidley added energy and infrastructure partner Sharanyaa Kruti Vasan from Milbank … Hogan Lovells Cadwalader brought on Eric Fishman from ArentFox Schiff as its U.S. sports and entertainment lead, and structured finance partner Joanna Suna from Mayer Brown … Paul Weiss picked up capital markets partners Peter Byrne from Cooley and Tristan VanDeventer from Ropes & Gray … Smith, Gambrell & Russell hired transport partner Simone Riley from Vedder Price … King & Spalding tapped structured finance partners Jonathan Ching and Andrew Kummer from McDermott … Cleary Gottlieb brought on Raunaq Kohli as head of its energy and infrastructure group from Jenner & Block … Hecht Partners added IP litigation partners Michael DeVincenzo, Andrea Pacelli and Charles Wizenfeld from King & Wood … Orrick hired Michael Keeley from Kirkland as global head of capital markets … David Chidekel joined Dorf Nelson & Zauderer as head of the media, entertainment and technology practice from Pierson Ferdinand.

In D.C.:

Nixon Peabody hired former Acting Assistant Secretary of War Peter Belk … Seyfarth Shaw hired Nathan Muyskens as co-chair of its white collar practice from Greenberg Traurig.

In Los Angeles:

Healthcare litigation lawyer Adam Wentland joined Polsinelli from Theodora Oringher … King & Spalding added healthcare litigation partner Jonah Retzinger from Nixon Peabody. 

In San Francisco:

Paul Weiss added life sciences transactions partner Ian Edvalson from Wilson Sonsini … Capital markets partner Ben Richards joined Orrick from Kirkland.

In Boston:

DLA Piper hired emerging companies and venture capital partners