Partner and counsel lateral hiring hit five-year highs in 2025 for Am Law 200 firms and is expected to keep increasing in 2026, but associate hiring could be on the way to a dip, according to legal industry data analysis company Firm Prospects.

The firm's revenue per lawyer in 2025 rose 6.5% to roughly $1.34 million.

"Today's tailored sanction serves more as a lesson to other lawyers who may resort to the easy way hoping to meet economic and time goals," the judge said.

Law firms have enjoyed elevated financial success in recent times, but experts say fundamental changes to the legal industry will likely force firms' hands when it comes to adopting newer, more innovative billing models.

Law firms may face instability and lagging production in the lead-up to a deal, as well as compensation issues, departures, conflicts and silos afterward.

The justices will hear Michael Salazar's request that they revive his putative class action against Paramount claiming that its news website illegally shared his personal data with Meta so that he can receive targeted Facebook advertising.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the private plane, which crashed while departing the Bangor International Airport, had eight aboard, and there were seven fatalities.

"If you look at both the Webster's Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary, the word 'sexual' means pertaining to sex or the sexes,” said an attorney representing a former TikTok employee.

“The data suggests law student recruiting may be emerging as a meaningful disruptor within legal education, according to NALP Executive Director Nikia Gray.

The Atlanta-founded firms joined others in Big Law experiencing major increases from lobbying Congress and the White House.

OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman, were hit with two new lawsuits in California state courts this week accusing their flagship chatbot product, ChatGPT, of worsening existing mental health issues in plaintiffs and even fueling episodes of AI-induced psychosis, resulting in psychiatric hospitalization for both plaintiffs.

"This isn't a Cravath story," one partner said of the talent war, which has also struck Wachtell lately. "It's a Big Law story."

The firm estimates it will add about 15-20 attorneys, giving the firm a footprint in the second-largest financial services market in the U.S.

A severe storm has resulted in the closure of New York state courts, except for criminal arraignments in New York City's five boroughs. Federal courts are also closed, except for limited virtual operations.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed a joint stipulation with the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini Trust Co. in New York federal court to dismiss with prejudice one of the agency's highest-profile civil enforcement actions.

The number of cases involving AI, crypto and tariffs increased from the prior year.

Neither CEOs nor their boards likely asked for this—a hyper-polarized political landscape—when they signed on for their job. But disruptive stuff happens: Enron, the Great Recession, COVID-19—and now this. And increasingly, society looks to the business community to address issues it feels government cannot.

"Be a continuous student of your business and industry. Be curious about the work of your leaders, peers, and team. Connecting strings of information is invaluable. Work hard but work smart—understand your level and strive to work at that level and above. Build relationships at every level. Be a functionary, leader, and strategist."

The war for legal talent is hurting even the most prestigious firms. The solution may require revisiting the private capital debate—not for the money, but for a new incentive model.

Attorneys expect a wave of litigation, and a new liability framework for deepfakes—similar to the one used to sue talcum powder and asbestos manufacturers.