PAGE 15: SHERIFF’S SALE THE OLDEST LAW JOURNAL IN THE UNITED STATES 1843-2021 PHILADELPHIA, THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 VOL 263 • NO. 72 $5.00 Morgan Lewis Large Firms May Increasingly Sue – INSIDE THE LEGAL – REGIONAL Partner to Lead DOJ Excessive Fees? � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 Clients for Nonpayment of Fees The outlook is uncertain for a suit claiming pelvic mesh users paid Criminal Division excessive legal fees in multidistrict BY JUSTIN HENRY when flexibility in litigation, after the New Jersey Supreme BY DAN PACKEL Of the Legal Staff collections can be Court declined to provide guidance in a The American Lawyer key to maintain- choice-of-law dispute. conomic pressures accelerated ing solid client President Joe Biden on Monday nominated by the COVID-19 pandemic have relationships. NATIONAL Morgan, Lewis & Bockius partner and for- forced many law firms into difficult But law firms are Legal Tech Company �� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 4 E Joinder, a solutions-based mer top New Orleans federal prosecutor conversations with clients, as they aim also on alert for ex- engagement platform that got Kenneth Polite to serve as assistant attorney to balance flexibility during an economic ploitation by clients its start as an electronic filing general for the Justice Department’s criminal downturn with their own budgetary con- citing the economic system inside of Orrick, Herrington & division. straints. In some instances, the challenge is MINKOFF tribulation of the last Sutcliffe’s corporate group, officially Polite served as U.S. attorney for the leading to lawsuits. 12 months as a pretext to avoid costs, attor- launched its product onto the open legal Eastern District of Louisiana from 2013 to Over the last 12 months since the onset of neys say. Industry leaders also said a large tech market Tuesday. 2017, having been nominated to the role by the pandemic, Am Law 200 firms including portion of these claims by law firms don’t President Barack Obama. He joined Morgan Blank Rome, Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, show up on the public record because the YOUNG LAWYER Lewis’ global disputes and investigations Armstrong Teasdale and Baker McKenzie, services contracts include an arbitration pro- Onboarding During Pandemic �� � � � � � � 5 team as a partner in Philadelphia in July among others, have sued clients for allegedly vision for settling fee disputes. Contributor Osazenoriuwa Ebose 2018. unpaid legal fees, court filings show. “As firms become billion-dollar-plus big discusses some keys to success “We are proud of our partner Kenneth Attorneys who represent law firms in businesses, they tend to be run more like when integrating into a new workplace. Polite and his nomination to serve as collections disputes say firms are wary to big billion-dollar-plus businesses,” said one of the highest-ranking officials at sue clients over unpaid fees because it po- Ronald Minkoff, a litigation group partner IMMIGRATION LAW at Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz, who repre- the Department of Justice. Kenneth is a tentially leaves them vulnerable to coun- Nonimmigrant Visa Ban Expires � � � � � 7 strong leader with impeccable credentials terclaims of legal malpractice. They say sents law firms in fee collections disputes. “If After much speculation, the who will continue in this role his deep law firms see litigation as a last resort, they feel that a client is taking advantage of Biden administration has opted DOJ continues on 10 especially during an economic downturn Nonpayment continues on 10 to allow former President Donald Trump’s nonimmigrant visa ban to expire March 31, contributor Andrew J. Zeltner Legal Technology writes. Nepotism, or Perceived Nepotism, at INDEX Evolves, but Business Classified � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 12 Law Firms and What to Do About It Public Notices��������������������14 Models at Firms Don’t Legal Listings ��������������������16 BY DYLAN JACKSON While issues of perceived nepotism BY DAN CLARK The American Lawyer have cropped up recently at Boies Schiller Corporate Counsel Flexner, that is far from the only legal or- Nepotism, or perceived nepotism, is not ganization that has had to grapple with the When Scott Mozarsky was handling mergers necessarily unique to law firms. But it’s delicate business of balancing the relation- and acquisitions as general counsel of UBM common in the industry given the smaller ship between family members and the or- plc, someone on the other end of the deal size of law firms compared to corporations, ganization’s best interests. Courts and even would say he has to agree to a term because and the view held by many that law is a law schools have been accused of nepotism, Postal ID on Page 8 that is what the market dictated. Mozarsky profession, not an industry. Nepotism continues on 10 Technology continues on 8 www.TheLegalIntelligencer.com THE MASTERS: SM&B HAS MORE ATTORNEYS WITH NO, NOT MASTERS IN TRIAL THE GOLF ADVOCACY THAN ANY TOURNAMENT FIRM IN THE WORLD 2 • THE LEGAL INTELLIGENCER THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 VOL P. 1986 PEOPLE IN THE NEWS SPEAKERS ELECTED AND APPOINTED Pond Lehocky Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr announced that Gregory J� Nowak, a Partner at Giordano partner partner Matthew M. Haar was named man- Melissa Chandy is aging partner of the firm’s Harrisburg office. set to present a CLE Haar began working with the firm 20 Troutman Pepper, Dies at Age 61 on dispute resolu- years ago. tion through the Haar focuses his practice on corporate Gregory J. funds business. Prior to that, he served Dispute Resolution and commercial litigation with an empha- Nowak, a part- as a partner at Stradley Ronon Stevens Institute during the sis on complex insurance and reinsurance ner at Troutman & Young. 23rd Personal Injury litigation, including cases regarding bad Pepper Hamilton Outside of his legal work, Nowak was CHANDY Potpourri on April 20. faith and extra-contractual liability. Sanders, died a board member of the Economy League The virtual CLE is part of the all-day He represents both insurance companies April 11 at the of Greater Philadelphia and Pennsylvania conference and will be available on-de- and insureds in a variety of insurance related age of 61, ac- Economy League Inc. and served on mand following the conference. litigations, including complex coverage and cording to an an- the finance committee of his church, St. Attendees can register and learn more at contractual disputes, antitrust matters, bad-faith nouncement from Philip Neri. www.adrdri.com. actions, and rehabilitations and liquidations. NOWAK his firm. He also served as an adjunct faculty Chandy began focusing her practice ex- Haar handles extra-contractual liability Nowak worked in Troutman Pepper’s member at Cornell Law School, where he clusively on Pennsylvania workers’ com- cases for other clients in the financial ser- investment management and corporate earned his Juris Doctor. pensation law after graduating from Penn vices industry. He is also involved in the practices, where he handled complex He is survived by his wife, Denise State Dickinson Law. energy field, handling matters for clients securities law cases. He particularly fo- (nee Maggetti); his children, Elise, Chandy is a certified specialist in related to oil and gas development, pipe- cused on regulatory compliance and op- Gregory, Matthew and Madeleine; his Pennsylvania workers’ compensation by lines and wind energy. erational matters involving hedge funds mother, Mary (nee Onuschak) Nowak; the Pennsylvania Bar Association sec- He also has experience handling litiga- and other investment funds. sister, Victoria Cacchio (Louis); sisters- tion on workers’ compensation law as tion in employment law, including matters A statement from the firm said that and brothers-in-law; and his nieces and authorized by the Pennsylvania Supreme involving sex, race and age discrimination. Nowak “was a talented and accomplished nephews. Court. Haar is a member of the firm’s Marcellus attorney, a trusted adviser to his clients A socially distanced funeral service is She was also elected to the Pennsylvania Shale and oil and gas practices. He has ex- and colleagues alike, and a dear friend to set to be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Saint Association of Justice board of gov- perience litigating disputes related to explo- everyone at Troutman Pepper.” Philip Neri Church in Lafayette Hill. A ernors and is also an active member ration, production and transportation of oil He began working at legacy firm link to the live-streamed service will be of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers and natural gas, in state and federal courts Troutman Sanders in 2002 after leaving available at Nowak’s memorial web page Association, the American Association as well as Pennsylvania state administrative his position as executive vice president at at Lownes.com. for Justice and the American Bar agencies. Gartmore Global Investments Inc. In that In lieu of flowers, donations can be Association. Additionally, Haar is an adjunct profes- role, he oversaw Gartmore’s acquisitions made to LaSalle University or Holy She also serves as the chair for the firm’s sor at Penn State Dickinson Law where and helped the company grow its hedge Ghost Preparatory School. • diversity, equity and inclusion committee. he instructs courses on problem solving. • VOL P. 1987 THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2021 THE LEGAL INTELLIGENCER • 3 REGIONAL NEWS Excessive Fees? Court’s Plea for Help Unheeded in Choice-of-Law Question BY CHARLES TOUTANT At the Third Circuit, Judge Thomas Jersey’s public policy interest in regulating Dougherty and Mark Tallmadge of Bressler New Jersey Law Journal Ambro, joined by fellow Third Circuit Judges those who use its courts compels applica- Amery & Ross in Florham Park, New Jersey, Stephanos Bibas and Jane Roth, said the tion of the state’s contingency fee rules to who did not respond to a request for com- he outlook is uncertain for a suit court of appeals failed to locate “any binding a malpractice dispute between out-of-state ment on the Supreme Court order.