The Latest

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  Corporate counsel merit raises averaged 4% in 2023: salary survey

  In-house lawyers have very different views of their work-life balance satisfaction depending on whether they work fully remote or in the office, according to an annual survey.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Court tosses journalists’ ‘reverse discrimination’ challenge to Gannett’s diversity policy

  The plaintiffs still have a chance to amend their complaint to sufficiently allege a cause of action for disparate treatment, the court said.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Wendy’s hires US operations lead, chief legal officer as executive shuffle continues

  The burger brand remade much of its leadership this year as it looks to return to net unit growth in the U.S.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Tech companies in EU face 100 laws, 270 regulators

  Without the wherewithal of U.S. tech giants, companies find EU laws overbearing, a report says. 

  Compliance

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  TikTok fights for a legal path to continue its U.S. business

  The online video platform argues that a law forcing it to divest its U.S. operation or shut down violates its First Amendment rights.

  Lawsuits and Litigation

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  SEC charges leaders of online pharmacy in $170M fraud case

  SEC Chair Gary Gensler has stepped up enforcement since 2021, targeting investor fraud, cyber-related misconduct and misleading financial reporting.

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  BMO’s $564M Ponzi verdict tossed by appeals court

  A panel of judges at the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals threw out a bankruptcy court ruling that the bank aided and abetted the Ponzi scheme of former businessman Tom Petters.

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  Legal chief is at center of Norfolk Southern CEO’s ouster

  After quickly rising to the top legal seat, Nabanita Nag was let go, along with her boss, Alan Shaw, after the two were found to be having an affair.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Legal budgets will get an AI-inspired makeover in 2025: survey

  Nearly every general counsel is budgeting to add generative AI tools to their departments — and they’re all expecting to realize efficiencies by doing so.

  Legal Operations

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  Inside the chaotic legal battle between SQRL and Blue Owl

  Even after Blue Owl terminated the leases for 223 c-stores this spring, SQRL’s owner, Gas Hub, is refusing to vacate the locations. But a new court ruling, if upheld, may change that.

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  FTC cracks down on subscription traps

  The Biden-Harris administration is taking to task companies that trap consumers in recurring subscriptions and make it nearly impossible to cancel.

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  3rd Circuit revives lawsuit against DOL’s home care wage-and-hour final rule

  The agency argued that a lawsuit filed by several home care companies was barred by a federal statute of limitations, but the court disagreed, overturning a district court decision.

  Lawsuits and Litigation

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  Q&A

  Lessons from a legal career in the military, the NFL and government

  As he leaves pro football, lawyer Todd Jones discusses NFL conduct rules and how states could fill federal regulatory gaps under a second Trump term.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Opinion

  Applying Six Sigma principles to in-house legal departments

  The widely recognized technique for operational improvements was pioneered by manufacturing companies but its principles can work well for legal teams. 

  Legal Operations

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  How to make generative AI legal tools valuable in your workflows

  Once this new legal tool has arrived, there are some clear tips on how to succeed with implementation — and a few responsibilities lawyers assume when using it.

  Legal Technology

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  House Financial Services panel hearing probes proxy advisors’ ESG influence

  Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., said advisors are becoming “de facto standard setters” for governance, while a witness compared them to consultants who help investors “sift through mountains of data.”

  Emerging Issues

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  Businesses mull derisking as uncertainty persists

  While the “boil” appears to be coming off inflation, companies are still grappling with uncertainty around elections and rates, Citigroup’s Mark Mason said Monday.

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  TD to pay CFPB $28M for giving credit agencies inaccurate data

  The penalty is hardly the largest that Canada’s second-largest lender expects. TD is facing criminal and civil investigations into its U.S. anti-money laundering program and anticipates a fine in the billions of dollars before year’s end.

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  Don’t assume quitting means losing your performance shares, equity specialists say

  The terms of the management team’s equity pool could include a “tail” that lets executives who leave reap their unvested compensation after the company is sold.

  Contracts

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  How antitrust law led to the telephone

  Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray developed their technology for “harmonic tones” after a federal law fueled an R&D boom by lowering entry barriers for telegraph companies, an economist says. 

  Emerging Issues

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  What to do when your CLM integration suffers a rough debut

  Migrating to a sophisticated contract-management system often means glitches and a learning curve for employees. Here are some tips to mitigate the frustration.

  Contracts

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  The fintech CEO who is becoming a frequent flier with SpaceX

  On Jared Isaacman’s second trip to space, the billionaire plans to become the first private spacewalker. Shift4 investors will need to follow space news to learn about it.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Companies lean on AI in push to curb cyber insurance costs

  Half of business leaders responding to a Delinea survey said their organization was able to negotiate a lower cyber insurance rate after using AI.

  Data Privacy

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  White House calls for stronger labor standards across federal agencies

  The federal government considers itself a “model employer,” in that private sector employers often follow its lead.

  Hiring/Talent

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  Parties can contract around transfer of attorney-client privilege

  The default in Delaware is for privilege to transfer to the surviving company post-merger but parties can agree to keep it within the target company, the state’s Superior Court says.

  Contracts

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