Nathan Koppel and Ashby Jones shock the world in the WSJ today with news that the "'Billable Hour' [Has Come] Under Attack" and that, "In Recession, Clients Push Law Firms for Flat-Fee Contracts".
Big clients seem to have learned that paying by the hour promotes waste. The risk of sloppy, useless, and hurtful work falls
The world we live in — at least the for-profit piece of it – uses software and high-level math to help figure out what makes our hearts sing and shout. If sellers know our likes and loves, they can refine and target their pitches and sell more stuff.
Algorithms, you know.
Today the Second Circuit gave its blessing
Alexandra G. White likes patents.
The Federal Circuit said in Akazawa v. Link New Technology Int'l, Inc., 520 F.3d 1354 (Fed. Cir. 2008), that state law decides who owns a federal patent. Unless Party X assigned the patent to Party Y. Then federal law controls. Of course.
Anyway, a case the court ruled
The American Antitrust Institute has filed an amicus brief in PSKS, Inc. v. Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc., No. 09-40506 (5th Cir. Aug. 15, 2009). The brief, AAI Legal Advocacy Director Richard Brunell, argues that the Fifth Circuit ought to shun a full "rule of reason" probe of resale price-fixing claims in favor
Note the HFCS (the green stuff).
Blawgletter doesn't imbibe much in the way of your juices — your oranges, your apples, your tutti-fruttis — or of your teas — even orange pekoe and oolong. And we sure don't drink Snapple®, despite (because of?) its "Made from the Best Stuff on Earth®" boast. It
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) knew how to beseech.
Lawyers who follow the Fifth Circuit will read the title of this post and think plaintiffs lost again. Why? Partly because that court deserves its rep for pro-defense outcomes, esp. in smiting class actions. But also partly due to Blawgletter's use of "stock drop", a phrase that (to some) screams "stick up".
They came, they saw, they transferred — and centralized.
The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation met in Portland, Oregon, on July 30. The orders have begun to flow.
The results so far:
Southern District of Florida
In re Optimal Strategy U.S. Equity Fund Securities Litig., No. 2073
Southern District of New York
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Philip Weiser went to the home last week of the world's biggest, baddest high tech seed seller to serve notice that it and other Big Ag firms will soon get a well baby check up. A not very friendly one.
Mr. Weiser spoke at the 11th annual conference of the Organization for Competitive
Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) does like to have fun. Lately he's had it at the expense of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce set.
A short while ago, Senator Specter put in play an oh-so-brief but mighty potent bill that would revert federal courts to the pre-Iqbal and Twombly standard of pleading claims.
This week, he
Hmmm. This place looks strangely familiar.
Today we journey to the land of Blawgletter's legal schooling — the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. We do so not to visit the question of same-sex marriages, nor the issue of banning class actions in arbitration clauses. We travel thither instead to look at how well law firms do vis-a-vis clients that take