It is hard to believe that nearly four years have passed since I walked across the stage, received my diploma, passed the bar exam and started practicing law at Lewis Wagner LLP. I wanted to provide new lawyers, especially those who just graduated from law school, with some tips that I believe are critical to hit the ground running.
With so many emerging technologies, it can be difficult to know which solutions are the most beneficial to implement and which are just this year’s jargon that will ultimately result in financial waste.
Bill Hutchens taught me this lesson, along with the value of humor — in life and law. We recently lost Bill after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease (a condition with which, coincidentally, my father, also a lawyer, was afflicted).
The valuation of closely held companies is a large and growing practice. However, most people are not aware of this valuation activity because the companies being valued are closely held and, thus, private in nature. Additionally, since closely held entities are typically smaller than publicly traded entities, fewer investors are affected by the results of such valuations.
Do your clients’ estate plans typically include a trust? If so, have some of those clients nominated an individual person to serve as trustee? If you answered “yes” to those questions, ask yourself if you could do the same to this one: Do those clients, or better yet those individual trustees, understand the fundamental duties and the breadth of the obligations they have agreed to undertake?
In-house and outside counsel face many challenges managing company data. One significant challenge is employee use of software applications which are not part of the employer’s official information technology infrastructure. The use of technology outside the official IT structure (often called “shadow IT”) raises a variety of problems and potential costs for in-house counsel and others who deal with the organization’s data, such as outside litigation counsel.
When it comes to due diligence in merger & acquisition transactions, cybersecurity should be a primary consideration for companies in all industries. Because what you don’t know about your target company could hurt you later.
With “Avengers: Infinity War,” directors Anthony and Joe Russo have brought us a classic film that will wrap up the longstanding Avengers series. “1945” is a film that teaches all of us the importance of remembering the past. Without doing so, mankind cannot hope to eliminate its mistakes.
We all know the variety and levels of stress associated with practicing law. There are constant demands on our time, intense pressures of performing well and obtaining good results for our clients, the assumption that we are all constantly available through technology, and our own self-driven motivators that led us to our chosen profession. But it is important to have the right amount of balance within your career and within your home life.
In 2010, three Columbia University researchers worked with the Israeli justice system and looked at over 1,000 rulings made in the courtroom, over almost a year, about probation and parole. The results showed, as blogger Alex Mayyasi wrote on the website Priceonomics, that “the judges’ decision-making ability was as lousy as a kindergartener’s focus right before a snack break.”
Money laundering is transferring the proceeds of an unlawful activity by means and methods that are designed to conceal the nature or source of the money. 18 U.S.C. § 1956. The Bank Secrecy Act requires financial institutions in the United States to file a report for any deposit or withdrawal of more than $10,000. In evaluating liability for money laundering, there are two threshold issues to keep in mind.
In the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” Stephen Covey talks about the principle of beginning with the end of your life in mind. I suggest a smaller version of the concept. Ask yourself each week, “what do I want/need to accomplish this week?” Write down the items. As you look at the list, think of how you would bill your client for accomplishing that task.
Two films based on historical events of the past 50 years leave reviewer Bob Hammerle with distinctly different views of each.
The thought of mentoring junior attorneys can be a restraining force in itself. Some of you are probably thinking, “Been there, done that!” having invested in a junior attorney (or more than one) who then opened their own practice, joined another practice or wasn’t a good match after all. But even given what seems like a daunting task, it can be done.
I completed Love First Clinical Intervention Training last May. The five-day intensive training covers every aspect of intervention. Trainees are taught first and foremost on the importance of leading with love.
I’ve gotten to know Indiana Lawyer’s 2018 Leadership in Law honorees a bit in the past few weeks. What I’ve learned is, in addition to being collectively capable of handling just about any legal matter imaginable, our Distinguished Barristers and Up and Coming Lawyers also demonstrate the spirit, dedication, humanity and drive to make their profession and their communities better.
On May 5, our faculty, staff, friends and family will gather in Indiana University’s beautiful auditorium to celebrate the IU Maurer School of Law Class of 2018. Presiding at our commencement ceremony is a privilege, and our graduates will go on to do great things. I look forward to having them return to the school to hear of their continued success.
In the 25 years since Ross Stoddard’s first program on mediation, he has conducted over 4,500 additional mediations. This highlights the growth of the mediation process in Indiana and in all other states.
A primary reason for an unsuccessful mediation is when an impasse occurs and parties are unwilling to compromise further to reach resolution. Lawyers representing clients in mediation should see it coming and try to avoid it if they really want to settle their case. Avoiding an impasse should not only be the duty of the mediator, but of participating counsel.
I am often asked, “What can I do to be healthier, more energetic, and lose weight?” Here are my Top 10. When you have them mastered, send me an email and I’ll give you the next 10.