The world of litigation is rapidly evolving. Learn how to get more from your investments, improve outcomes, and seize the opportunities inherent in change.
Drive Better OutcomesBy the end of 2018, we developed strong relationships with more insurance carriers and corporations than in any other year during my tenure, growing our client base by 15%. Because of both this accomplishment and a 10% increase in revenue from the previous year, we entered 2019 with our confidence at an all-time high.
Drive Better OutcomesAs the new year begins, I would like to recognize the profound successes of Esquire’s 2018 company performance, the hard work and dedication of Esquire’s employees, and our valued partnerships with our loyal court reporters. In particular, I am incredibly proud of the outstanding performance of the finance team members during a year of growth and change.
Drive Better OutcomesI am proud to announce a year of record success for Esquire in 2018. Using a consistent approach to problems, Esquire met and exceeded its financial targets and laid the foundation for unprecedented growth.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Pretrial polls of potential jurors are not per se prohibited. When conducted properly, polls can allow counsel to test arguments, theories of the case, and potential testimony before trial. Cochairs of the Section of Litigation’s Ethics & Professionalism Committee crafted a guideline for lawyers on how to carefully administer pretrial polls to avoid sanctions.
Navigate Litigation 2.0This case specifically highlights the importance of conflict checks before beginning litigation. Section leaders from the Ethics & Professionalism Committee of the ABA Section of Litigation warn that this is an issue that needs to be explored with the client at the very outset.
Navigate Litigation 2.0A court ruling recently solidified the majority perspective that attorneys have an ethical duty to turn over and surrender their entire file to clients upon termination of representation. It is important for litigators to be cautious and aware of their individual jurisdiction’s interpretation of Model Rule 1.16 to avoid sanctions.
Navigate Litigation 2.0The future of medical devices and the current uses of hybrid medical devices affects the way lawyers defend clients in product liability cases. As the future of medical devices continues to develop, lawyers must devise strategies to avoid preemption when dealing with lawsuits involving Class III medical devices.
Drive Better OutcomesIt is the job of the attorney or firm to confirm a claim’s ability to be upheld prior to the proceedings. In order to avoid sanctions, the evidence specific to the case must be carefully, meticulously, and factually analyzed prior to filing the suit.
Drive Better OutcomesWhen navigating medical malpractice litigation, lawyers will benefit from gathering all necessary evidence related to the standard of care specific to the case beforehand in order to explicitly testify as to how it was broken from negligent practices.
Build the Bottom LineIt’s important to understand the appropriate model rules and due diligence procedures when representing clients who may have committed a fraudulent crime. Musk’s case reminds lawyers why abiding by rules outlined by the SEC is necessary.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Copying clients on emails sent to opposing counsel, whether through “cc” or “bcc” commands, may have serious consequences affecting attorney client privileges. While communicating with parties is necessary for driving litigation forward, lawyers must adopt responsible email strategies to avoid breaching attorney-client privileges.
Navigate Litigation 2.0ABA Model Rule 1.1 states that a lawyer is obliged to provide competent representation through the appropriate legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation — but how does this apply in a world of changing technological developments?
Drive Better OutcomesThe American Bar Association amended the Model Rule of Professional Conduct 8.4 to address harassment and discrimination in the workplace – proving ethical rules apply not only to legal landscapes but to matters of personal conduct too.
Drive Better OutcomesAs technology changes, so do the rules governing litigation. Continuing to learn about best practices is necessary in an age of rapid technological development, and staying abreast with the latest changes gives any lawyer an advantage in conducting his or her case.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Appearance-of-impropriety standards are no longer sufficient in determining when former clients may or may not disqualify counsel. Judiciary officials argued lawyers must abide by more objective standards as outlined by Model Rule 1.9 Duties to Former Clients when conducting litigation with former clients.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Conducting a deposition is a crucial part of the litigation process. While the rules for administering a deposition clearly define when and how a deposition should be conducted, they remain less certain about the deposition’s location.
Drive Better OutcomesLitigators will want to keep a close eye on all matters of communication and be careful not to assume privileges automatically exists between a client and third parties. If third parties don’t provide the necessary information and legal advice for the client’s case, that information will not remain privileged and may come under scrutiny by court officials and opposing parties.
Navigate Litigation 2.0In a decision made by the Supreme Court in the Fall of 2017, justices announced independent cause for appeal by a party in consolidated cases cannot be denied. Their resolution is a reminder for lawyers and officials to expect appeals by parties in consolidated cases and to take the necessary steps to enter into the appeal process.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Engaging in online threads, posts, or tweets that reveal sensitive information may waive confidentiality. The trick is discerning if the information that’s posted qualifies as one of the exceptions to Model Rule 1.9.
Drive Better OutcomesLitigators construct clawback agreements that allow parties to retrieve important documents without having client-attorney privileges revoked. But the successful retrieval of documents is only possible when clawback agreements are prepared properly.
Build the Bottom LineHiring third parties to conduct international business is appealing, but companies should consider the risks of working with third parties before they find themselves in trouble – or a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.
Drive Better OutcomesMany questions arise as to how one should proceed with a deposition in which two clients provide testimony for the same case. Before agreeing to joint defense, it’s important to consider all possible outcomes for the case and how you should proceed – or if you should proceed at all.
Drive Better OutcomesApproaching an AIA trial deposition is starkly different from a standard litigation deposition, and there are 4 elements of AIA depositions that litigators must know to handle them appropriately.
Navigate Litigation 2.0As biometric litigation continues to grow in scope, so too will advances in biometric scanning technology to help protect the rights of those from whom data is collected.
Navigate Litigation 2.0With the Federal Rules of Evidence’s amendment of Rule 902, certain types of machine-generated data and forensic electronic evidence are now deemed self-authenticating.
Build the Bottom LineWhen an industry is confronted with a new technology that seeks to improve the efficiency of tasks, the workers of that industry are naturally inclined to feel concerned about how that technology may disrupt the way the industry runs. Currently, artificial intelligence (AI) in litigation is transforming the profession through automation of such time-consuming tasks […]
Drive Better OutcomesWhen those parties and companies refuse to make voluntary changes to improve such climate change factors as pollution output and planet-harming resource gathering methods, activists looking to protect the planet have no other choice but to take them to court.
Build the Bottom LineAn extremely close 5-4 ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court confirmed that employment agreements that state employees must give up their rights to pursue class action claims are legal. Many cases may be settled in arbitration – but is it a change for the better?
Navigate Litigation 2.0Houston-based oilfield services company Oil States International, Inc. challenged the legality of inter partes review (IPR), a patent review process that allows the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to hold hearings with patent challengers and patent holders to determine the validity of a patent. The company argued that IPR violated the right of defendants […]
Navigate Litigation 2.0A reversed ruling from July 2017 could reopen a precedent that junk science evidence is admissible in court, which may allow several thousand cases to run through the judicial system based on refuted scientific theories.
Navigate Litigation 2.0In a world in which social media gives customer and companies the opportunity to say anything about one another instantly, there is a heightened danger of violating the commercial disparagement tort.
Drive Better OutcomesThe $2.24 billion class-action market has been the driving force behind some of today’s most helpful consumer-side changes. As the momentum of positive change accelerates, so too will the total cost of class-action defense.
Drive Better OutcomesAssignment of benefits started out as a convenience for Florida residents [but]…has become a vehicle for fraud and claim build-up by some vendors.”
State Farm Florida spokesperson Michal Brower via Insurance Journal.
Build the Bottom LineLaw firms are investing more money in information security these days because their clients are effectively demanding it.
More than 2 in 5 lawyers (41 percent) recently interviewed by Robert Half Legal were planning to spend more on information security-related tools and services in the next 12 months.
Navigate Litigation 2.0The Americans with Disabilities Act has made public accommodations like retail stores more accessible to people with disabilities. Which raises the question – would those retail stores’ websites be considered public accommodations?
Navigate Litigation 2.0The pace of climate litigation is anything but glacial. We’ve seen a flurry of important developments in just the 90 days since we first blogged about the new climate litigation movement. Plaintiffs are pressuring oil companies for compensation and governments to fight climate change.
Build the Bottom LineDrones are soaring in popularity and, given the cloudy legal atmosphere, have injected jet fuel into aviation law practices.
What are the rules for flying them? Who makes the rules? And what if you feel threatened by a drone?
Navigate Litigation 2.0Three intriguing new cases related to privacy, legal and personal, just cropped up: A court deals another blow to Facebook’s face-recognition program. A landowner fights to keep spy cameras and border patrollers off his ranch. And a lottery winner tries to stay anonymous. Lottery winner won’t identify herself Can you blame the lottery winner? She […]
Navigate Litigation 2.0Malpractice litigation isn’t what it used to be. Successful medical malpractice claims have been falling in number over recent decades. The trend could shift, however, if litigators gravitate toward new, tech-related frontiers of the practice.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Sale of recreational cannabis is legal in a handful of states with more expected to follow, raising new product liability questions for sellers, regulators, insurers, and litigators. For instance, should cannabis be treated like liquor or be considered an unreasonably dangerous product?
Drive Better OutcomesPlaintiff attorneys: you might want to reconsider your definition of art.
Defense attorneys: be careful what your clients demolish, and how they demolish it.
Artists: your community just got bigger.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Confidentiality may be a non-negotiable condition for a victim to secure a settlement, so granting it may be your first job if you’re a plaintiff attorney. And confidentiality clearly protects manufacturers’ reputations, so obtaining a protective order may be your first job as a defense attorney.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Numerous claims have been filed across the country by cities (including New York), counties and states against makers and distributors of prescription painkillers. Delaware, for example, just became at least the 15th state to sue, according to Reuters. The lawsuit, filed in a state court, targets a number of drug makers, distributors and retailers.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Climate-related efforts have spread from the science community to politicians to regulators to activists – and now, increasingly, the courts. As of last May, the United States had 654 climate change litigation cases – almost three times that of the rest of the world combined – and the number of countries in which climate change […]
Drive Better OutcomesWhat do fashion, the Supreme Court, and GMOs have in common? Class-action litigation. Here are some recent noteworthy developments in the category with implications for 2018.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Got responsibilities? Of course you do, lots of them.
Competent lawyering means knowing the law, honing skills, and preparing thoroughly. But that’s just in reference to your cases. A whole other set of responsibilities is cropping up around the technologies you or your firm might use to do your work.
Navigate Litigation 2.0A new year prods us to stop reflecting and start anticipating, so let’s get right to 2018’s crystal ball. Particularly intriguing are prognostications around data, artificial intelligence, analytics and machine learning – terms that overlap.
Navigate Litigation 2.0The Internet of Things, among a handful of new technologies transforming the way we live, is also shaping up to be a ripe area for litigation. Expect to see claims around IoT security, privacy, data ownership and profit-sharing.
Drive Better OutcomesLaw never takes a vacation, but legal professionals do. Or should if they want to stay fresh, productive and familiar to their families.
So as we enter the time of year reserved for loved ones, here’s Esquire’s Holiday Wish List for you, our clients.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Blockchain – the hot new distributed ledger technology that underlies cryptocurrency – is also shaping up to be a rollicking arena for intellectual property litigation.
Drive Better OutcomesAn interesting experiment is under way in Colorado.
Policy makers have changed the rules of construction defect litigation in hopes of reengineering the housing mix. Condo development has essentially stalled despite the state’s status as a millennial magnet.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Pretty amazing: Workers can now punch in simply by touching a fingerprint scanner. The technology, however, is a landmine in what one writer calls “the next class-action battleground.”
Navigate Litigation 2.0Litigation finance, a term that didn’t resonate with most of us five years ago, now signifies a rapidly growing way that legal bills are getting paid.
Industry watchers are examining the potential of the funding instrument to change the way litigation happens, support the growth of innovative firms, and enrich investors. Also being tracked are the risks to the emerging practice.
Drive Better OutcomesIt’s fun to be spooked when it’s candy-hunting kids in costumes but kind of creepy if you find yourself in a twisted legal situation. To mark the holiday, here’s a smattering silly or strange stories from our world:
Drive Better OutcomesThe rule of law is a delicate thing. If some individuals have more access to the justice system than others – say, the wealthy more than the indigent – faith in the entire institution falters.
Drive Better OutcomesA cyberattack can rain pain onto businesses that are victimized. The crime ruins reputations, shatters relationships, and drains resources as you struggle to contain the crisis.
Build the Bottom LineThe internet continues to dismantle institutions. Two decades ago, consumers would buy everything they needed from one or two department stores. Then the internet came along, and that became the store: Consumers searched first for the product they wanted, hardly caring at all which retailer it came from. If it came from Sears, great. Amazon? That was great, too.
Build the Bottom LineLaw firms used to choose their own service providers.
Almost universally, they hired their favorite firms for court reporting, copying, records retrieval and review, mediation and arbitration, investigation, interpreting, jury selection, e-discovery and more.
Drive Better OutcomesMy first deposition seemed to go pretty well. It was 17 years ago. I left the room feeling good about how I handled a hostile witness. But when I read through the transcript a few days later, I cringed a bit. I hadn’t done quite as well as I initially thought. The questions I asked […]
Navigate Litigation 2.0It’s been more than a century since the invention of the legal pad, a staple of this profession (and, incidentally, Seinfeld’s canvas of choice for four decades).
Are you a legal pad lawyer? Or an iPad lawyer?
Drive Better OutcomesWith 40,000 members, the CLM is the largest insurance industry professional trade association for claims and litigation professionals. We are the consulting arm of the CLM, and we advise litigation and claim executives, law firms, and service and technology companies on how to make their businesses stronger.
Drive Better OutcomesCourt reporters have seen it all: successful depositions, failed depositions, civilized ones and heated ones. They’ve worked with meticulous attorneys, impulsive attorneys, those who stick to a script, and those who go with their gut.
Build the Bottom LineCorporate legal departments that hire a nationwide company to provide deposition services for their law firms may be requiring some of their firms to adapt to new ways of doing business. However, many law firms find that these types of arrangements have advantages.
Drive Better OutcomesA Q&A with Esquire CEO Terrie Campbell The first in a regular series of Q&A’s with friends, clients and employees of Esquire.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Much has changed since I left full-time litigation. Back then, and we’re talking fewer than five years ago (lest I sound like an old man lamenting my two-way uphill walk to school), nobody I knew was using the deposition technology that’s available today. Almost everything happened in person, and the work product was usually trapped in paper.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Unfortunately, cybercriminals see law departments and firms as enticing targets: They are replete with financial data, personal information (such as the plaintiff registry in a class action), and the kind of confidential information that tips multimillion-dollar cases. As the ABA (PDF) put it: Law firms are targets for two general reasons: (1) they obtain, store […]
Build the Bottom LineSome of the most impactful moments of my career are tied to the pro bono work I’ve done. Without pro bono, it’s unlikely that I would’ve had the opportunity to participate in a Supreme Court case (PDF). But as thrilling as that was, it was the pro bono representation of a widow who had lost faith in the legal system that sticks out as a highlight of my career.
Build the Bottom LineAs my company’s general counsel, I depend heavily on my outside law firms and lawyers. I value these relationships – and my lawyers do, too, since I pay their bills. I’m writing this post to help outside lawyers keep inside counsel happy.
Drive Better OutcomesWe recently blogged about the rapid growth of bet-the-company litigation. Short version of that post: the number of companies involved in such cases is quadrupling. If you’re corporate counsel, you want to do your best to avoid such risky, resource-devouring litigation, and survive it when it’s inevitable.
Navigate Litigation 2.0If you work in a law firm, you’re probably feeling the pressure: corporate legal departments have been increasingly aggressive in demanding better value from their law firms for the money they’re paying.
Drive Better OutcomesCorporate law departments and insurance claims organizations continue to consolidate their outside law firms in order to control spending, streamline processes and improve performance. But why do these organizations often restrict their consolidation effort to the law firms?
Drive Better OutcomesAlthough corporate litigation spending is flat, the number of companies managing “bet-the-company” litigation has quadrupled in the last two years, posing new challenges to corporate counsel, outside counsel and litigators.
Bet-the-company litigation can be any legal action that threatens the existence of the company or major line of business, whether or not the case goes to trial.
Navigate Litigation 2.0Cybersecurity is only as strong as your weakest link. No matter how well you shore up your firm or corporate legal department, you can still become vulnerable through a vendor. That was the case for Target and Home Depot, which have suffered costly, embarrassing, and damaging breaches that jeopardized customer relationships.
Navigate Litigation 2.0I blogged the other day on why you’d want to, or need to, video-record a deposition: a witness being out of the country, outside subpoena power, sick, or otherwise unavailable. Or maybe a key witness for your side is better on camera than in print. (On the flip side, you’d want to video-record opposing witnesses who discredit themselves on camera).
Drive Better OutcomesVerdicts often come down to who tells the better story. As a litigator, you sometimes need help telling your story, so you turn to an expert witness.
When you work with experts, are you getting everything you need from them? Many lawyers aren’t.
Navigate Litigation 2.0I was a big-firm litigator for 14 years before joining Esquire as general counsel. I loved the chess match, the battle, and pinning opposing witnesses down.
But on one particular day, in a complex securities arbitration, I found myself sitting in the witness chair.
Drive Better OutcomesThe aging workforce poses risks for every business – and law firms are hardly an exception. The vast majority of managing partners are baby boomers, age 52 to 71. Are you prepared for upcoming decades? It’s not easy.
Drive Better OutcomesDid you know that nearly half of AmLaw partners are 52 or older? (This includes non-equity partners, too.) In fact, in the next five years, one in six current partners will retire and 38% will retire in the next decade.
Drive Better OutcomesComplex litigation. It’s a synonym for high stress, and it’s daunting for law firms, lawyers and the people who support them. What exactly does the term complex litigation mean? It generally signifies a case with high stakes, complicated procedures, multiple parties, multiple jurisdictions, media scrutiny, lengthy discovery and big investments in time and money. Class […]
Navigate Litigation 2.0The law is made up of words, documents and abstractions. Many of us love this stuff. And we’re good at it. But it can put the rest of the world to sleep.
Take jurors, who live normal lives steeped in TV and
Build the Bottom LineThe world has gone digital – well, most of the world has. We’ve digitized the way we work, communicate, analyze, predict, sell and buy. The practice of law has gone digital as well. There’s electronic case research, court filings, discovery, records management, video testimony and more.
So why do depositions still have to be so paper-intensive?
Build the Bottom LineWe don’t usually traffic in alphabet soup, but we know insurance defense, and we know how important each of these acronyms is to your business. They’re major costs you want to reduce. If you’re a claims exec, you know exactly what I’m talking about. If you’re new in the industry, let me explain.
Drive Better OutcomesIt’s the same in law as it is in sports: great performances build on good practice.
For young attorneys, though, opportunities to practice depositions can be scarce, especially in real-life settings. That’s because litigation is increasingly focused on bet-the-company matters, and in those matters, senior litigators take center stage.
Drive Better OutcomesPracticing law can be stressful, and the stakes don’t get much higher than defending a high-profile class-action suit. Except when you’re defending one of the biggest companies on the planet. And you’re the lead attorney on the case. And it’s looking like you’ll have to miss the most important deposition in the case.
Drive Better OutcomesRemote depositions are an exciting, rapidly maturing method for making depositions more cost-effective and strategic. Download our eBook to learn: What are remote depositions? Why should you care about remote depositions? What are some use cases for taking remote depositions today? Eight best practices for conducting effective depositions using remote technology.
Navigate Litigation 2.0International litigation poses a host of challenges for firms and their clients, and the demand for services related to this litigation is rising.
The share of corporate counsel needing to conduct cross-border discovery rose to 41 percent in 2015-2016, up from 35 percent the year before.
Navigate Litigation 2.0As general counsel, you typically let your outside attorneys manage your cases. You can’t be everywhere at once and only have so much bandwidth to monitor each discrete activity—from the initiation of a suit through judgment—in each of the dozens or hundreds of matters on your plate.
Drive Better OutcomesMaybe you’re considering remote depositions to save yourself (and your clients) time, money, and headaches. Or you’re already doing depositions remotely and want to improve. Either way, these six factors will help you get the most success, savings, and satisfaction out of your remote depositions.
Build the Bottom LineGrandparents chat face-to-face with grandkids over iPhones. Facebook users broadcast live from concerts and games. Pundits Skype into CNN every day. Yet lawyers still fly around the country with boxes of hard-copy exhibits to conduct depositions in person. Why?
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