Russell Reynolds Associates asked Fortune 500 legal chiefs to rank on a scale of 1 to 10 the extent of changes they made in their first 12 to 18 months. Their most common answer was 7.

       

Decisions pending in deceptive-marketing suits against nicotine products could soon forge a path for related litigation.

       

The question now is how other firms can adapt without compromising their principles—and whether there is space to carve out a more strategic, sustainable response, Erin Harrison writes.

       

In a motion decision, a federal judge mostly sided with a New York court officer who allegedly flagged antisemitic behavior by courthouse staffers.

       

John Vecchione, senior litigation counsel at the New Civil Liberties Alliance, said the organization's suit is the first against the second Trump administration's first wave of tariffs. But the organization is happy to bring more cases for other clients—"Everyone who cares about constitutional law or trade law should be suing about this. It is illegal," Vecchione said.

       

The underlying suit brought in Hidalgo County claimed the bus company was aware "passengers were being regularly kidnapped from their buses at gunpoint, that their passengers were being beaten, held for ransom and disappeared ... [The defendants] knew danger existed while being transported in their buses, and had a duty to warn and did not."

       

About a dozen Am Law 200 firms, including at least eight Am Law 100 firms, have signed on to the brief.

       

The Third Circuit will review the partial summary judgment handed down in February.

       

Though civil servants would generally be eligible for unemployment benefits, the way the so-called Department of Government Efficiency is firing workers could complicate things.

       

Kirkland is said to be seeking a deal similar to what several other firms have already struck with the Trump administration.

       

"While recruitment, business development, and legal competency are crucial, effective leadership means holding yourself to a higher standard and leading by example. I focus on empowering our attorneys and staff with the resources they need to serve clients effectively."

       

Simply put, the old levers of profitability — billable hours and rate increases — are no longer sufficient. Firms that fail to proactively address inefficiencies risk losing market share to more agile competitors. To remain competitive, law firms must rethink traditional business models and optimize operations at every level.

       

"I would have done what they did," one Am Law 200 firm leader said. "The people who run these firms are the fiduciaries responsible for them. You have a responsibility to make it go away."

       

In this Legal Speak episode, co-hosts Cedra Mayfield and Patrick Smith interview Emily Collins, Southwest Airlines Senior Information Governance Attorney, live from the Legalweek 2025 Conference in New York.

       

In this Legal Speak episode, co-hosts Cedra Mayfield and Patrick Smith interview Subroto Mukerji, Integreon CEO, live from the Legalweek 2025 Conference in New York.

       

Signed by both former federal and state court judges, including those from local supreme courts, the brief advocates for the freedom of attorneys to take on clients.

       

“Some companies got incredibly lucky. Others are suddenly in deep trouble," Harris Sliwoski partner Dan Harris said in a blog post.

       

On Wednesday, two pharmacy benefit managers filed a motion to recuse U.S. District Judge Dan Polster after he failed to order the disclosure of alleged ex parte communications.        

It's not just top firms that are hesitant to push back at the Trump administration's assault on the industry. Deans at top law schools are staying quiet too.

       

Bakkt and its top brass are facing a complaint in Manhattan federal district court over allegations they duped the market with overly rosy projections about the firm's financial future—only for the truth to come crashing down, leaving investors with major losses.