Hard times bring opportunities, and the network of small and midsize law firms called Meritas hopes that more general counsel come knocking as their companies look for ways to cut costs. Cost savings isn’t the only reason to use one of Meritas’ 170 firms, which are based in more than 60 countries (and 49 states). The firms and their clients also tout personal service, geographic reach and quality control.
Posts on ‘August 25th, 2009’
Two Courts, Two Views of ‘Rambus’
Two courts viewed Rambus’ document retention policy differently to determine whether spoliation occurred. E-discovery counsel should carefully consider when the obligation to preserve documents takes effect, say Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell attorneys Michael Sutton and David Terrell.
SEC Blames Law Firms for BofA’s Failure to Disclose Merrill Bonuses
When a federal judge refused to approve a proposed $33 million settlement of SEC charges that Bank of America failed to inform shareholders of its agreement for billions in bonuses to Merrill Lynch employees in advance of their merger, he said he wanted to know more. An SEC brief claims that Wachtell, Shearman & Sterling and BofA’s in-house lawyers decided exactly what to put in and to keep out of the merger agreement and proxy statement. Bank of America argues that it didn’t fail to disclose the bonuses at all.
A Candid Conversation With Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
Former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales this month began his tenure as a visiting professor at Texas Tech University. His first class is “Contemporary Issues in the Executive Branch,” and when it comes to his students, all topics are open for discussion, he says. Texas Lawyer’s John Council interviewed Gonzales about a wide range of topics: the so-called “torture memo,” his controversial visit with then-AG John Ashcroft in the hospital and his involvement in the firings of nine U.S. Attorneys.
AG Holder Names Prosecutor for Review of CIA Interrogation Practice
Career federal prosecutor John Durham, who is overseeing the investigation of the destruction of CIA interrogation tapes, has been tapped to explore potential violations of anti-torture laws rooted in the interrogation of certain detainees, Attorney General Eric Holder Jr. said Monday. The Office of Professional Responsibility submitted to Holder a report Monday that recommended the DOJ re-examine earlier decisions, made under the Bush administration, to decline to prosecute apparent violations of anti-torture laws.
Justice O’Connor Presents the Supreme Court, Middle School Edition
Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s “Our Courts” Web site, aimed at middle school students, has gone live with two interactive animated games that will, she hopes, engage young people in learning about and appreciating the role of courts in their daily lives. In one of the games, the player helps a hypothetical female swing-vote justice — hmm, who might that be? — reach a decision in a First Amendment case. The game’s full Court, by the way, is composed of five women and four men.