Long-Term Care Litigation Sees Surge

Plaintiffs and defense lawyers told The Legal that litigation against nursing homes and other facilities that provide care to older Pennsylvanians has ticked upward in the last decade, along with increased advertising by plaintiffs firms.

Computer Forensics and E-Discovery: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part III

During the third CLE hour presented in September at The Legal Intelligencer?s first annual Litigation Summit in Philadelphia, panelists discussed computer forensics and e-discovery. They included Jeff Sassinsky of Sassinsky Data Services, Robert J. Genis of Sonin and Genis, Shawn Huston of MerlinOne, Michael Burkhardt of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, and Melinda S. Sungenis of the TASA Group. Here is a summary of some of the main points from the program.

In-House Counsel Say They're Seeing Litigation Increase

More than one-third of general counsel in a recent survey said the number of legal disputes their companies have been involved in increased during the last 12 months. And only 7 percent said they'd seen a decrease.

E-Discovery and Social Media: Recap From TLI Litigation Summit, Part II

In September, The Legal Intelligencer hosted its first annual Litigation Summit in Philadelphia. This blog covers some of the information provided by Peter L. Mansmann, CEO of Precise Inc., who spoke about e-discovery challenges, solutions and trends. He was joined by Erin C. Burns of Roda Nast, Tara Gill Nalencz of Rawle & Henderson and Stuart Clair of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. During the program, I shared some of this information via Twitter with followers of the program?s hashtag. Here are some of the key points.

Court gives Post-Gazette OK to intervene in healthcare litigation

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (AP) - U.S. District Judge Joy Flowers Conti today granted the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's motion to intervene in a legal thicket involving the city's biggest health care players, in which some 70 documents are now hidden from public view.

E-Discovery and Social Media: Recap From TLI Litigation Summit, Part II

In September, The Legal Intelligencer hosted its first annual Litigation Summit in Philadelphia. This blog covers some of the information provided by Peter L. Mansmann, CEO of Precise Inc., who spoke about e-discovery challenges, solutions and trends. He was joined by Erin C. Burns of Roda Nast, Tara Gill Nalencz of Rawle & Henderson and Stuart Clair of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney. During the program, I shared some of this information via Twitter with followers of the program?s hashtag. Here are some of the key points.

Economic Damages and Using Experts: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part I

At The Legal Intelligencer's first Litigation Summit in Philadelphia, a panel on working with economic damages experts included advice on what attorneys should look for in selecting the right expert witness and tips on how attorneys and experts can work together more effectively through discovery, preparation of expert reports and trial.

Damages: Recap from TLI Litigation Summit, Part V

The damages portion of The Legal Intelligencer's first Litigation Summit in September was presented by Frank D. Tinari, the principal economist of the Tinari Economics Group, along with Kristin Kucsma from the same organization, Jane A. North, a partner with Deasey, Mahoney, Valentini & North, and Lawrence R. Cohan, a shareholder with Anapol Schwartz.

Pepper Hamilton Lures Five From Linklaters for White-Collar Litigation Group

By Christine Simmons All Articles 

New York Law Journal

February 28, 2013

A group of five Linklaters attorneys has joined Pepper Hamilton's white-collar litigation and investigations group in New York. Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton said Larry Byrne and Ruth Harlow are now partners and former Linklaters associates Martin Bloor and Linda Regis-Hallinan will join as of counsel in Pepper's white-collar practice. The new group from Linklaters also includes an associate. The firm's New York office now numbers about 40 lawyers.

Byrne also will become a managing director of the Freeh Group International Solutions, a risk management firm founded by former FBI Director Louis Freeh and acquired last year by Pepper Hamilton. A former federal prosecutor, Byrne served as head of Linklaters' U.S. litigation practice from 2006 to 2011 and co-managing partner of the New York office from 2007 to 2011. He represents clients involved in government and internal investigations, as well as related trial and appellate matters. Harlow focuses on regulatory investigations and complex commercial litigation.

Pepper Hamilton Lures Five From Linklaters for White-Collar Litigation Group

By Christine Simmons All Articles 

New York Law Journal

February 28, 2013

A group of five Linklaters attorneys has joined Pepper Hamilton's white-collar litigation and investigations group in New York. Philadelphia-based Pepper Hamilton said Larry Byrne and Ruth Harlow are now partners and former Linklaters associates Martin Bloor and Linda Regis-Hallinan will join as of counsel in Pepper's white-collar practice. The new group from Linklaters also includes an associate. The firm's New York office now numbers about 40 lawyers.

Byrne also will become a managing director of the Freeh Group International Solutions, a risk management firm founded by former FBI Director Louis Freeh and acquired last year by Pepper Hamilton. A former federal prosecutor, Byrne served as head of Linklaters' U.S. litigation practice from 2006 to 2011 and co-managing partner of the New York office from 2007 to 2011. He represents clients involved in government and internal investigations, as well as related trial and appellate matters. Harlow focuses on regulatory investigations and complex commercial litigation.

Davis Polk Launches Hong Kong Litigation Practice With Clifford Chance Hires

Davis Polk & Wardwell has recruited two Clifford Chance partners to launch a Hong Kong litigation practice.

Martin Rogers, the former head of Clifford Chance's Asia Pacific disputes practice and co-head of its regional financial regulatory practice, and partner James Wadham are both set to join Davis Polk "in the near term," according to Thomas Reid, the New York-based firm's managing partner.

Reid says the move was driven by the demand of domestic and international clients facing a rising tide of enforcement actions in Asia. "We certainly have seen our clients asking for help in enforcement matters in Asia with increasing frequency," he says.

The move is the firm's second major expansion into Hong Kong practice in recent years. Though it opened its Hong Kong office in 1993, Davis Polk, like many Wall Street firms, only practiced U.S. law in the region until 2010, when it launched a Hong Kong capital markets practice. Since then, most of Davis Polk's major New York rivals, including Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Sullivan & Cromwell have launched similar practices.

But Hong Kong capital markets have been in a severe slowdown since the end of 2011, and Davis Polk's push into local litigation reflects a desire to create a more balanced practice in the region.

Several firms have deployed litigation partners from the U.S. and elsewhere to advise companies in Asia on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or Securities and Exchange Commission investigations. But Davis Polk is also eyeing the more active financial regulatory stance that Hong Kong's Securities & Futures Commission has adopted under chief executive Ashley Alder, a former partner at the firm now known as Herbert Smith Freehills.

The SFC recently announced a new Companies Bill that would make auditors criminally liable if they knowingly or recklessly omit a required statement from an auditor's report. And Hong Kong's securities regulator announced last week that banks could be held criminally liable if the companies they sponsor in IPOs provide false information on their prospectuses. Rogers has already been working with Davis Polk Hong Kong partner Bonnie Chan in advising 23 investment banks in their interactions with the SFC, says Reid.

Qualified in England and Hong Kong, Rogers has been a partner at Clifford Chance since 2002, when he moved to that firm from the Hong Kong office of Herbert Smith, where he had worked for 14 years and had been named Asia managing partner just prior to leaving.

Wadham began his career in New Zealand, where he worked for Auckland's Russell McVeagh. He joined Clifford Chance in Hong Kong in 2002 and became a partner in 2007. Like Rogers, he focuses on advising clients in the financial services industry. He is admitted in New Zealand, Hong Kong and England.

In a statement, Clifford Chance said it continued to have a strong litigation and dispute resolution practice in the region, noting its announcement last week of a formal law alliance with Singapore litigation boutique Cavenagh Law.

"We have every confidence this will not affect our relationships with our institutional clients as Clifford Chance offers the highest quality advice and service across the broadest range of international law expertise available in the market," the firm said.

Davis Polk Launches Hong Kong Litigation Practice With Clifford Chance Hires

Davis Polk & Wardwell has recruited two Clifford Chance partners to launch a Hong Kong litigation practice.

Martin Rogers, the former head of Clifford Chance's Asia Pacific disputes practice and co-head of its regional financial regulatory practice, and partner James Wadham are both set to join Davis Polk "in the near term," according to Thomas Reid, the New York-based firm's managing partner.

Reid says the move was driven by the demand of domestic and international clients facing a rising tide of enforcement actions in Asia. "We certainly have seen our clients asking for help in enforcement matters in Asia with increasing frequency," he says.

The move is the firm's second major expansion into Hong Kong practice in recent years. Though it opened its Hong Kong office in 1993, Davis Polk, like many Wall Street firms, only practiced U.S. law in the region until 2010, when it launched a Hong Kong capital markets practice. Since then, most of Davis Polk's major New York rivals, including Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Sullivan & Cromwell have launched similar practices.

But Hong Kong capital markets have been in a severe slowdown since the end of 2011, and Davis Polk's push into local litigation reflects a desire to create a more balanced practice in the region.

Several firms have deployed litigation partners from the U.S. and elsewhere to advise companies in Asia on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or Securities and Exchange Commission investigations. But Davis Polk is also eyeing the more active financial regulatory stance that Hong Kong's Securities & Futures Commission has adopted under chief executive Ashley Alder, a former partner at the firm now known as Herbert Smith Freehills.

The SFC recently announced a new Companies Bill that would make auditors criminally liable if they knowingly or recklessly omit a required statement from an auditor's report. And Hong Kong's securities regulator announced last week that banks could be held criminally liable if the companies they sponsor in IPOs provide false information on their prospectuses. Rogers has already been working with Davis Polk Hong Kong partner Bonnie Chan in advising 23 investment banks in their interactions with the SFC, says Reid.

Qualified in England and Hong Kong, Rogers has been a partner at Clifford Chance since 2002, when he moved to that firm from the Hong Kong office of Herbert Smith, where he had worked for 14 years and had been named Asia managing partner just prior to leaving.

Wadham began his career in New Zealand, where he worked for Auckland's Russell McVeagh. He joined Clifford Chance in Hong Kong in 2002 and became a partner in 2007. Like Rogers, he focuses on advising clients in the financial services industry. He is admitted in New Zealand, Hong Kong and England.

In a statement, Clifford Chance said it continued to have a strong litigation and dispute resolution practice in the region, noting its announcement last week of a formal law alliance with Singapore litigation boutique Cavenagh Law.

"We have every confidence this will not affect our relationships with our institutional clients as Clifford Chance offers the highest quality advice and service across the broadest range of international law expertise available in the market," the firm said.

NFL Tries to Frame Concussion Litigation As Labor Dispute

The multidistrict litigation brought by thousands of current and former football players who have suffered from the effects of repeated concussions should be dismissed because the responsibility for players' health rested with the individual teams, not the league, the National Football League argued in its motion to dismiss.