Lawyer - News

The Supreme Court of Georgia has upheld a $13 million judgment against Ford Motor in a suit brought by the widower of a woman killed when a truck slammed into the rear of her 1985 Mercury Marquis, leading to her death at the scene, according to a brief in the case. Plaintiffs lawyers' theory was that Ford's design of the Marquis made the fuel tank too vulnerable and that the design of a trailer hitch made by co-defendant Draw-Tite involved dangerous bolts that punctured the tank, resulting in the fire. No comments

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will once again hear an appeal in a class action suit filed in 1993 over the way H&R Block worked its rapid refund program. The justices will decide whether the Superior Court misapplied the aggrieved party doctrine and whether it erred in rejecting the trial court's ruling that H&R Block's claims could be tried on a classwide basis. No comments

The next time pro-industry Republicans in Washington state, Oregon or Idaho saber-rattle about splitting the 9th Circuit because it's too cozy with environmentalists, don't be surprised if judges use as a shield. Several judges on an en banc court in that case Thursday appeared ready to overturn the panel decision that had enjoined a logging project in Idaho. The U.S. Forest Service had approved the project, despite concerns about its impact on wildlife. No comments

Defense firm Margolis Edelstein is currently involved in litigation with a former partner in its Wilmington, Del., office over allegations that the former partner breached his fiduciary duties to the firm. Margolis Edelstein alleges that Jeffrey K. Martin ceased acting as a partner in the firm and acted solely for his own benefit prior to his resignation from the firm, including soliciting firm clients to transfer business to himself, according to court papers. No comments

Howrey has recruited a New York litigation partner from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft. Gregory G. Ballard has focused primarily on securities litigation but he also has handled a number of complex commercial cases. Washington, D.C.-based Howrey opened its 20-lawyer New York office in 2006. No comments

He may be a conservative now, but Steven Bradbury has liberal roots. The acting chief of the DOJ's influential Office of Legal Counsel campaigned for Jimmy Carter in 1976 and volunteered for Democrat Gary Hart's presidential primary campaign in '84. Reviled by Democrats for his legal work on interrogation techniques and warrantless wiretapping, Bradbury burnished his conservative credentials as a law clerk. Friends and former colleagues say he is an honest lawyer who's been vilified for unpopular positions. No comments

A judge has approved a settlement, apparently totaling $4.25 million, of a suit against Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker. The suit had alleged that some of the firm's lawyers helped Mobile Billboards of America and its affiliates sell investments in roving billboards that they should have realized were a scam. The settlement is under seal, but the judge's order says the firm "would have little incentive to pay $4.25 million" absent assurances the firm would not be subject to "further liability" to buyers. No comments

Punitive damages cannot be awarded as a general deterrent but only to deter and punish the defendant who committed the wrong, the New Jersey Supreme Court held on Thursday. The justices also said jurors weighing punitives should consider the defendant's financial condition not only at the time of the verdict but also at the time of the wrongdoing, even if the defendant is now defunct and without assets. No comments

After testing out the benefits of client interviews through a consulting firm, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll has hired former reporter Debra Nussbaum as a full-time client interviewer. The idea of bringing on a client relations manager is a hot topic that many of the country's largest law firms are just now testing out. One consultant says the use of these positions could really bolster the number of times clients refer the firm and could, ultimately, reduce or eliminate the need for law firm marketing. No comments

Last year's decision by a Pennsylvania federal district court in a case involving the online virtual world, , reflects the growth of litigation over virtual world property. As participation in virtual worlds increases, lawsuits will likely grow in number. No comments