Ex-Heller Employees Sue Former Partners

Former employees of Heller Ehrman sued at least 179 former partners on Friday, including former Chairman Matthew Larrabee, demanding they fork over million for the largest group of creditors in the defunct firm’s bankruptcy. Heller’s 800-plus former employees say they are owed accrued vacation and severance as guaranteed by the firm’s policies, the 60-day notice required by federal and state WARN Acts, and penalties for failure to give that notice.

Finding Plaintiffs Lawyers Committed Fraud, Judge Dismisses Tort Cases Against Dole and Dow Chemical

A California judge last week dismissed from the bench two tort cases
against Dole and Dow Chemical, ruling that Los Angeles plaintiffs lawyer
Juan Dominguez and co-counsel in Nicaragua committed a “fraud on the
court” and a “blatant extortion” of the defendants and other
manufacturers of the chemical DBCP, which had been blamed for causing
sterility. The ruling puts in doubt billion in pending judgments that
Dominguez has won in dozens of similar suits.

Midwest’s Midsize Law Firms Faring Better Than Large Urban Rivals

Midsize law firms in the Midwest, outside the biggest cities, are hiring lawyers, opening offices and bringing on new associates this fall as they fare better than many larger urban rivals in the face of the recession. Firm leaders say their better fortunes are mainly tied to being less dependent on capital markets and big M&A work than their megafirm brethren. Less expensive overhead, lawyers with broader skill sets and lower billing rates have also helped the Midwest firms escape the need to ax employees and expenses.

As Pay Cuts Replace Perks, Associates Keep Heads Down

With law firms unloading scores of attorneys amid the economic downturn, associates are finding that the balance of power has shifted away from them and into the hands of law firm managers. Gone are the days — as recent as a year ago — when firms had to pile on the perks to keep associates from jumping ship. Not only are associates now less likely to ask for anything possibly construed as an accommodation, they’re also less vocal about problems and concerns that they’d bring up in better times, experts say.

Developing a Portal to Share Firm Content

Technology once used solely to power attorney-client collaboration can be used to develop content management systems that share data among office locations. At Sedgwick Detert, extranet technologies were used to construct a Web-based CMS with complex, shared data storage.

Companies Considering Layoffs in China Must Coordinate With Government

China’s enactment of a new Labor Contract Law two years ago was widely hailed as a great leap forward for workers. Few could have foreseen how quickly the law would be tested. The global economic crisis has led to lower demand for Chinese exports, and that in turn has resulted in the elimination of perhaps 20 million jobs. Companies looking to scale back in China will find that all options — including layoffs — are still on the table, but that close coordination with the government is a must.

Defense Lawyers’ Groups Back Ex-Qwest CEO’s Appeal

Two groups have filed a friend-of-the-court brief asking the Supreme Court to review former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio’s insider trading conviction. The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York Council of Defense Lawyers filed the brief last week. Nacchio has begun serving a six-year sentence on 19 counts of insider trading based on allegations that he sold million worth of stock in 2001 based on nonpublic information that Qwest faced financial risk.

GE Appoints Bourgeois as New General Counsel

General Electric has appointed a new general counsel, Hendrik Bourgeois, who replaces Mark Elborne in the role. Bourgeois was formerly European senior counsel for competition, regulation and government relations at GE, and a lawyer at Jones Day. The internal restructuring sees Elborne — who served as GC for just under three years — take on a new non-legal role as national executive for Northern Europe, dealing with strategic issues for the company.

Lawyers Challenge Limits of 2005 Bankruptcy Act

As the economy tanks and bankruptcy filings soar, bankruptcy lawyers challenging a 2005 law’s restrictions on how they can assist debtors contend that there is an urgent need for guidance from the nation’s highest court. For the past four years, consumer bankruptcy attorneys and lawyers representing the credit industry, along with their national associations, have filed lawsuits around the country attacking attorney-related provisions in the 2005 Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act.

Qualcomm to Pay $891 Million to Settle Massive Patent Suit With Broadcom

Chip maker Qualcomm Inc. said late Sunday it will pay Broadcom Corp. 1 million over four years to settle a longstanding dispute over patents and royalties. The company said it will pay 0 million of the settlement in the quarter ending June 30. The agreement dismisses with prejudice all litigation between the companies, including overseas, with Broadcom agreeing withdraw its complaints to the European Commission and the Korea Fair Trade Commission.

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