After about a year of deliberation among the bar and the court, the CA Supreme Court has adopted the so-called lawyer “snitch” rule, requiring attorneys to report misconduct by their peers, beginning August 1, 2023.

You can read more about it at the LA Times or at The Recorder.

The new rule obligates attorneys to notify the CA State Bar if they have, according to the rule, “credible evidence that another lawyer has committed a criminal act or has engaged in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit” or other wrongdoing that “raises a substantial question as to that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness.”  Misconduct is defined in the rule here.

As mentioned in the LA Times, attorneys who do not comply face penalties of up to a three-year suspension of their law licenses.

In July 2020, the Uniform Commercial Real Estate Receivership Act became law, marking a new era for Florida courts — and the culmination of four years of relentless diplomacy by the Business Law Section.  And if you click on that link, you’ll see it is a pretty complicated statute!

The Florida Bar describes the act as follows:

“Drafted in 2015 by the National Conference of Commissioners of Uniform State Laws, UCRERA creates a process for state courts to appoint a receiver in disputes that arise over commercial real estate, typically a default.

Supporters say that once appointed by the court, a neutral receiver can manage an asset and prevent it from falling into disrepair.”

You can read more from the bar about the act and the instrumental way in which Florida’s Business Law Section helped get the act passed here.

Even though the act is 1.5 years old, many attorneys and commercial real estate owners are still unfamiliar with the law and process.

So we’re holding a program all about it on January 31, 2023 that will be taught by one of the two task force members involved in getting the act passed: Kenneth Murena with Damian Vallori (receiver’s counsel and a federal court-appointed receiver).

Also joining the faculty is esteemed judge Lisa Walsh.

You can register for the program, or pre-purchase the recorded package, here.

Judge Walsh will also be joining our 12th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp on June 2nd.  Please email us at info@pincusproed.com if you would like a coupon for that program. We will have it up on our website by the end of the year.

Our latest featured speaker is Lisa Haidostian from McDermott Will & Emery!

Lisa will be speaking at our upcoming 9th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp in Chicago on December 6th. Thanks so much for speaking for us, Lisa!

Lisa Haidostian focuses her practice on complex civil litigation. She has worked on significant matters involving products liability, trusts and estates controversies, tax controversies and internal government investigations.

Lisa has a wide range of litigation experience in both federal and state court, including taking and defending depositions, arguing motions, working with expert and fact witnesses, and managing complex electronic discovery.

Lisa serves on her Firm’s Recruiting and Pro Bono Committees and co-chairs the Firm’s Chicago Associates’ Forum. Lisa also maintains an active pro bono practice, including having first-chaired and won a jury trial on behalf of an indigent plaintiff who sustained injuries from an attack.

Our latest featured speaker is Michelle West from Robinson Calcagnie!

Michelle will be speaking at our upcoming 14th Annual Superior Court Boot Camp in Los Angeles on November 8th. We’re glad to have you with us, Michelle!

Michelle West joined Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. in 2008 and has devoted her practice to obtaining recovery for individuals who are catastrophically injured due to defective products including vehicles, tires, skylights, machinery, and pharmaceuticals, among others. In addition to her work in product liability, Ms. West also handles cases involving premises liability, government claims, dangerous condition of public and private property, industrial or construction accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, amputation, carbon monoxide poisoning, injuries on cruise ships and excursions, and accidents involving big-rig trucks and other commercial vehicles.

Ms. West has recovered numerous seven figure results for her clients at both settlement and trial. Ms. West has also prepared appellate briefs for the California Court of Appeal, including the California Supreme Court, and has argued in front of the 2nd District Court of Appeal in Los Angeles.

Ms. West has an AV rating‚ the highest rating for legal ability and ethical standards under the peer review system of Martindale-Hubbell. Ms. West was also recognized as a Southern California Rising Star in 2010 and 2011 (an honor given to no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys under the age of 40 or practicing less than 10 years) and has also been selected as a 2016 Southern California Superlawyer. In 2014 Ms. West became a Fellow of the ABOTA National Trial College. Ms. West is admitted to the California Bar and the United States District Court‚ Central District. She is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California‚ Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles‚ Orange County Bar Association‚ Orange County Trial Lawyers Association‚ Los Angeles County Bar Association‚ and Women’s Lawyers Association of Los Angeles. Ms. West also serves on the Orange County Bar Association’s Administration of Justice Committee, a “blue ribbon” committee which reviews and comments on rules of court and other subject provided for public comment by the Judicial Council, Superior Court and the California State Bar, upon approval by the Executive Committee.

Michelle West graduated cum laude from Pepperdine University School of Law where she graduated in the top 10 percent of the class. Ms. West was an editor of the Pepperdine Dispute Resolution Law Journal‚ a member of the Moot Court Board, and a research assistant to Professor Kristine S. Knaplund. Ms. West received several awards for achievement during law school including the Witkin/West Group award for Academic Excellence for the highest grade in several courses and the CALI Excellence for the Future Award. Ms. West was also on the Dean’s Honor List. She received her undergraduate degree cum laude from the California State University at Long Beach.

In her free time‚ Ms. West enjoys marathons, ultra-distance running events and triathlons (completing 10 full Ironman® triathlons and achieving All World Athlete status). Ms. West has completed more than 50 marathons, several 50-85 mile runs, several 100 mile runs (finishing 1st place female twice), and the 135 mile Badwater® ultramarathon. Ms. West has finished in the top 100 women in the Los Angeles Marathon‚ has run the Boston Marathon twice‚ and raised money for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital for the Marine Corps Marathon. Ms. West has also completed numerous ultra-distance cycling events, including over 50 century and double century rides, and raised money for cancer research with the Orange County Livestrong® Century Ride.

As part of her charity work, Ms. West serves as a Silver Level Honorary Board Member of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities (LATLC), an organization that makes a positive difference in the lives of needy persons and groups in the greater Los Angeles area.

It’s an exciting time in L.A. with the new Rams stadium being built and Faith Pincus’ niece is handling corporate and individual sales. Since she is Faith’s niece, we get to pass on the info everywhere and encourage you to call her if your firm or company would like some type of corporate subscription or if you’d like early access to seats as an individual.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to get and utilize seats, call or email Faith’s niece, Sydney Pincus, at (424) 396-6855 or spincus@lased.com. Get a sneak peak of the new stadium here!

Our latest featured speaker is John Ruskusky from Nixon Peabody!

John will be speaking at our upcoming 9th Annual Circuit Court Boot Camp in Chicago on December 6th. We’re looking forward to your presentation, John!

John Ruskusky, a partner in Nixon Peabody’s Commercial Litigation practice group, is a trial attorney who represents companies and individuals in their business disputes.

John has more than twenty years of trial, arbitration and counseling experience involving the management of complex business disputes and disputes involving law firms. He counsels businesses and their executives, members and owners in a wide range of disputes, including large business transactions (such as distribution and purchase agreements), medical devices, fiduciary duty claims and dissolution and valuation.

He also represents business clients with pre-litigation resolution of claims against their former professionals, including a recent case that settled with a multimillion-dollar payment to the client relating to faulty tax and transactional advice.

John represents corporate clients in a variety of False Claims Act cases, including those at the pre-intervention stage. His experience includes Department of Defense, Department of Education and General Services Administration matters. Additionally, he represents clients in government investigations and proceedings, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service.

John also represents corporate clients in a variety of construction and real estate disputes, including construction defect and delay, property management, general contract, indemnity, Fair Housing Act and zoning matters.