This author has yet to write their bio.Meanwhile lets just say that we are proud Shirish Gupta contributed a whooping 32 entries.
The following resource aims to help California lawyers close their practices, whether you’re a Baby Boomer lawyer retiring, a Great Recession graduate who became an involuntary solo but is now finding a job, or about to be elevated to the bench. This article is written in conjunction with presentations I’ve given in 2014 on behalf of CEB (Continuing Education for […]
Congratulations to Salil Bali and his charity, Grameen Foundation, for winning my inaugural World Cup Challenge. A donation of $250 has been made in Salil’s name to Grameen Foundation. Salil won by correctly picking Germany to win and The Oranje (aka The Netherlands) to come in 3rd. For those suffering withdrawals from 3-a-day matches, see the top 15 goals […]
When I first looked into the issue of whether solo lawyers should Incorporate or Operate as a Sole Proprietorship in 2011, I concluded that most would be better off operating as Sole Proprietorships. It’s cheaper and easier to manage. That conclusion is strengthened given the California Court of Appeals’ decision in Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. v. Weinberg […]
In honor of the resurgence of soccer in the US, I launched a World Cup challenge (which Salil Bali won by picking Germany to win) and made it really simple. No need to guess who will make it out of pool play or fill out a complete 64 match bracket. Just predict the winner. Of course, […]
On April 29, 2014, the US Supreme Court unanimously made it easier for district courts to award attorneys’ fees in patent cases. In Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc., No. 12-1184 (2014), the court held: Attorneys’ fees may be awarded in exceptional cases (35 U.S.C. section 285), not just sanctionable cases. Exceptional means “one […]
In January 2014, I presented to 50+ corporate counsel about the career value of being active on social media. With few exceptions, in-house don’t tweet. And when they do, it’s usually about their personal life (kids, travels, foodieism). Outside counsel, however, often share their views on the law and their practice. For some, it’s a […]
Congratulations on starting your own solo law practice in California! But first, you’ll have to decide what form your practice will take – sole proprietorship or corporation. Those are your only two options because partnerships and limited liability partnerships are out. By definition, a solo attorney does not have a partner. The LLC option is […]
Company parties are likely to be a bit less “festive” as courts come down on parties with open bars and unlimited drinks. In July 2013, the California Court of Appeals was the latest to hold that an employer may be liable if its employee gets intoxicated at a company party, makes it home safely and then injures […]
In the Spring of 2013, I was recruited to mediate Superstorm Sandy insurance coverage disputes between New Yorkers and their carriers. At the peak in June, I was mediating 4 disputes a day in Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. The homeowners’ stories were, to say the least, heartbreaking. More than just the physical destruction, the families […]
Habits We all develop habits. A habit is a behavior that we once consciously decided to do and then it became automatic. For example, when addressing a group, we may start looking left and then panning right. It’s not something most of us think about, we just do it. In fact, in Charles Duhigg’s bestseller, […]