Author: TSA Press

Historically, Haynes and Boone has come in all over the map when it comes to bonuses. It’s another firm with a black box bonus structure that leaves associates scrambling to figure out exactly why they’ve made what they’ve made in any given year. So far, the tips we’ve received are mostly negative — with associates complaining that the arcane formula the firm uses shortchanges folks at more senior levels. That said, if precedent is any guide, Above the Law will shortly receive a tip from an associate earning a full market bonus under the formula. How does a firm end up with such a spread? One tipster has a theory.

For the record, if it even needs repeating, black box bonuses are rarely good news for associates. In the best of cases it’s used to obscure downward trend line in compensation. In the worst of cases it’s used to atomize the work force and conceal arbitrary or discriminatory pay practices. It’s just a killer for firm morale to have everyone looking over their shoulder wondering if they’re getting paid what they deserve. And sometimes, this leads to associates trying to reverse engineer the formula to square bonuses with their friends.

One associate who admits to not having fully cracked the code claims to have worked out one insight:

They seem to have taken on an “Eat-what-you-kill” standard for associates. So if you do work for a client with low negotiated rates you are going to be compensated less than someone doing the same work for another client that pays more for the same work.

There’s a certain appeal to the eat what you kill model. After all, you can end up on top of the world with a cut of a multimillion dollar payday. But you can also find yourself turning out your pockets because you’ve been working on low paying matters for a practice group that simply gets paid at lower rates.  Making these associates functionally second-class citizens isn’t only unfair, it can actually undermine a firm’s shared mission with associates avoiding partners offering lower rate work. Sure, sometimes the partners with lower rate work are poor fits for the firm, but just as often those partners are doing work servicing clients who bring in bigger paydays for other practice groups. That work needs to be handled without associates ducking it to preserve their bonuses.

In any event, Haynes & Boone folks should let us know (anonymously of course) what they’re getting so we can test out this theory. Good luck to everyone out there.

Please help us help you when it comes to bonus news at other firms. As soon as your firm’s bonus memo comes out, please email it to us (subject line: “[Firm Name] Bonus”) or text us (646-820-8477). Please include the memo if available. You can take a photo of the memo and send it via text or email if you don’t want to forward the original PDF or Word file.

And if you’d like to sign up for ATL’s Bonus Alerts, please scroll down and enter your email address in the box below this post. If you previously signed up for the bonus alerts, you don’t need to do anything. You’ll receive an email notification within minutes of each bonus announcement that we publish.

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Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

The holiday season is upon us, and yet again, you have no idea what to get for the fickle lawyer or law student in your life. We’re here to help.

We’ve got an eclectic selection of fantastic legally themed holiday gifts for you to choose from, so settle in by that stack of documents yet to be reviewed and dig in.

We have so many offerings this year that we’ve categorized everything so you can either peruse the whole post or click on the link below to jump directly to the category that you think best suits your shopping mission:

Books
Apparel & Accessories
Games
Food & Drink
Desk Toys & Office Decor
Movies & Television
Luggage

(Disclosure: When available, we have used affiliate links.)

Books

Do you have a reader on your hands? Of course you do, you’re buying for an attorney! Grab a nice book to curl up with this holiday season — or to read on their next flight to some far-flung deposition.

Former Acting SG and current Hogan Lovells litigator Neal Katyal (with Sam Koppelman) just released Impeach: The Case Against Donald Trump, a straightforward account of the mounting evidence against the president. You can check out an ATL interview with Katyal about the book here.

My Mom, The Lawyer is a children’s book from Michelle Browning Coughlin, founder of MothersEsquire, a nonprofit organization devoted to gender equity in the legal profession. All proceeds benefit MothersEsquire in its mission.

With the movie set to be released this month, this is a good time to check out Just Mercy, Bryan Stevenson’s 2015 account of the Walter McMillian case. I’m not sure “spoilers” applies to non-fiction, but if you’re buying for the type that wants to see the movie cold, just get the book and they can read it later. Speaking of movies, Dark Waters with Mark Ruffalo is already out, and you can read all about that legal battle against DuPont in Exposure.

You’d think a lawyer wouldn’t need a book like this, but then you hear the positions the SG’s office is willing to take these days and realize everyone could use a refresher, like How To Read The Constitution and Why by CBS Legal Analyst Kim Wehle. Eric Foner also has a historical look at The Second Founding charting the effort to remake the Republic.

Finally, two entries charting the epic failures of the system and the delinquent efforts to right the ship. Rachel Denhollander’s What Is A Girl Worth? discusses her role in breaking the silence surrounding USA Gymnastics and its years of covering for Larry Nassar. Ronan Farrow covers some of the same ground in Catch & Kill: Lies, Spies, and the Conspiracy To Protect Predators

apparel & accessories

RBG has gotten the Goddess Coin treatment over at Awe Inspired. Dissent Pins also sells a line of pins and necklaces in honor of the justice and Etsy offers some cute Supreme Court pins as well.

ESK Esq. has a whole line of apparel for the lawyer out there including a stylized view of glorious Blackacre of Property Law fame and an International Shoe logo for Civ Pro nerds. If you’re buying for a law student this season, consider this Lawyer-Loading shirt or this shirt featuring the refrain of law students everywhere.

Here’s a shirt for every good Sunny fan who knows the benefit of a solid education in Bird Law. Here’s a Nelson & Murdock shirt for the comic book set — I’m still searching for a Goodman, Lieber, Kurtzberg & Holliway shirt for the fan that wants to be really obscure.

There’s even a shirt for the office holiday party.

Here’s a Legal Pad Bow Tie. Is the lawyer in your life a nerd or a complete nerd? Because if it’s the latter, then you absolutely have to buy this legal pad bow tie, the perfect sartorial statement against the kids and their damn computer note-taking.

What better stocking stuffer than… stockings.

Games

Looking for a diversion from billable hours?

The LAWSUIT! board game makes a fantastic holiday gift for clients, lawyers, friends, and family. The game’s setting is the day-to-day operation of a law firm where players bring fictitious lawsuits with whimsical premises, and can elect to settle or appeal cases.

Makers of the official chess set of the Supreme Court Historical Society! Approach the Bench makes great gifts for attorneys, law students, or anyone in the legal profession. They offer courtroom-themed chess sets, Judge, Blind Justice, and Attorney bottle stoppers, ornaments, and lawyer, Judge, and Blind Justice chocolate bars!

FOOD & DRINK

This wine bottle holder is so delightfully weird that it comes all the way back around into awesome. There’s some serious detail work on this thing.

Or for the more honest out there, we have this World’s Okayest Lawyer Mug.

What better way to get into the holiday spirit than to enjoy some holiday spirits? Caskers, founded by Harvard Law grads, curates all varieties of the best craft spirits from around the world and offers discounts of up to 40% of retail prices.

Teak & Twine offers gift boxes for all people and occasions. While everything is customizable, here are a few suggestions for curated boxes that the folks there suggested:

• For the attorney who has everything, The Tuxedo: Sophisticated and classic, this gift features elevated edibles.
• For your top clients, The Foodie – The most mouth-watering of our gifts and our top corporate seller.
• For the hardworking law student, The Dream Job – A fine notebook and coffee: law school essentials!

Do we have puns? Sure! And another one. Even this stretch of one.

Chocolate Text lets you send chocolate messages to anyone you desire. Personally, I’d go for “You’ve Been Served.” You can also order a “Selfie Tin.” Simply upload a picture and Chocolate Text places it on a tin of your choice of sweet treats. The perfect place for that photo of your favorite lawyer shaking hands with a Supreme Court justice or walking up to get their degree.

Is a lawyer having a good day or a bad day? This wine glass will let everyone know. Meanwhile this wine glass explains why the lawyer is drinking today.

Finally, a Zazzle user has a take on the ubiquitous “Keep Calm” motif, with these “Keep Calm and Call A Lawyer” candy jars.

Desk Toys & Office Decor

Lawyers spend most of their lives behind their desks, so why not spice them up a little? Sure they might appreciate a framed picture of their loved ones, but these thoughtful trinkets might make for better conversation pieces.

This is a cute business card holder of a female lawyer sitting at her desk — making it very meta. This glass card holder can be personalized.

And then there are Funko Pops. You know, those big head toys that seem to be everywhere these days. They even make Golden Girls Funko Pops now, which seems like the border of market saturation. But there are some legal Pops out there like this one of Matt Murdock or this lawyer She-Hulk one. There’s a Citadel-dwelling Lawyer Morty from Rick and Morty. And, obviously, there’s Saul Goodman and Jimmy McGill. For that matter, Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer.

It’s not exactly meant for the desk, but this is a nice decorative touch for the office. It’s a framed copy of the patent artwork for the gavel. Specifically, U.S. Patent 2,755,833 — also known as the Hollow-Headed Gavel With Telescopic Handle Section.

Someone at CafePress has a billable hours clock available to mix decor with some wit.

movies & Television

Lawyers may not have a lot of free time, but when they have a chance to catch up with the world, they can thank you for providing them something fantastic for their viewing pleasure.

Like the complete series of Law & Order. If you wanted to know what twenty season bundle of disks looks like, well there you go.

Speaking of series, the complete runs of Perry Mason, Matlock, and Ally McBeal are all available. Personally, I’d take the various seasons of Harvey Bridman or Better Call Saul though.

There was a stellar RBG documentary last year that you can pick up. We reviewed the film here.

Classical movie buffs might appreciate this 50th Anniversary Edition of 12 Angry Men or an opportunity to revisit Atticus Finch before he became a racist in Go Set A Watchman. On the ridiculous side, perhaps they’d enjoy Al Pacino’s turn as Satan in Devil’s Advocate. Then there’s the greatest courtroom film of all time, My Cousin Vinny.

Luggage

The essential gift for a traveling lawyer! The ScanFast Briefcase from Mobile Edge is a TSA-compliant laptop bag that allows the traveler to keep their laptop inside their bag while passing through TSA security checkpoints. This makes traveling with your laptop simple while keeping your laptop secure.

For a less standard design, check out this option (which also comes in three other color combinations). The bag is still TSA-compliant and boasts rich pink suede and brown faux-leather exterior highlighted by a bright color-accented satin lining. A matching shoulder strap, separate zippered workstation for files, and a trolley strap for rolling luggage included. Carries a Lifetime Warranty!

Seriously, peruse all of the MobileEdge offerings while shopping.

If you come across any more cool holiday gift ideas for attorneys, send them our way! We’re always looking to add more to the annual guide.

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Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

Slack’s initial public offering was pretty successful. Set to go off on the New York Stock Exchange at $26, its shares actually fetched $38.50 at their debut. (It has been all downhill from there, and now you can have some at about $21.) No wonder Ken Griffin’s little market-making business has made him $5 billion richer.

On the other hand, perhaps Slack’s IPO was a little too successful? And maybe some other tech unicorn IPOs, too? (Citadel also managed Uber’s listing, which, it must be said, priced at the low end of its range and not 50% above it.) The SEC’s just wondering out loud here. In information-request form.

For many young men in urban areas, especially immigrant teens who don’t speak the dominant language, who are picked on in school, and whose parents work two jobs or still live in their home countries, gang membership provides a home away from home, protection, and a passage to manhood.

Most of the murder cases I’ve handled over the past five years have been gang related. From the infamous “Junior” case, where subsets of the same gang fell upon each other, to wars among neighborhood toughs fighting over the block’s marijuana trade — shooting, stabbing, and fighting is, unfortunately, how gangs function.

That’s why when I recently saw the revival of “West Side Story” in previews at the Broadway Theater, I was saddened to realize how little has changed in gang violence since the 1957 play was written. Sure, the Sharks and the Jets don’t exist, but today’s gangs, like the Bloods, Crips, MS13, Trinis, etc., still attract the same crowd -– bored, hostile, young men, roaming the streets
looking for power, kicks, and meaning in their lives.

Although I’ve seen “West Side Story” many times, this most recent version hits harder than any I’ve seen before. Gone is the light-hearted ballad, “I Feel Pretty,” the frilly costumes at the high school dance, and the humorous denseness of Officer Krupke. In their place is hard-core grit, open lust, violence, and police brutality.

The play begins with the Jets walking front and center, punked-out in tattoos and piercings, wife-beater tees and low-slung pants. It looks more like a line-up than a chorus line. The Sharks follow on stage, intermingling with the Jets in slow-motion, sizing up their enemies.

Each nuance of the actors’ steely glances is displayed along a huge wall at the back of the stage as a hand-held video camera sweeps slowly from face to face. The technique, used throughout the play, creates a multidimensional flux of space and time where anything could happen and does, from a sudden rainstorm to the back wall opening to reveal (and partially obscure) further sets within.

The effect at times is vertiginous. Dancers move in front of ever-shifting video of empty streets bordered by scaffolding, barren factories, and police staring down gun barrels at cuffed perps.

I wondered what Leonard Bernstein would have thought of this new, tougher, and less romanticized version.

Although not a lyric or note was changed, by updating the clothes, choreography, and gestures, and adding tattoos and piercings, even G-rated lyrics like “Officer Krupke, krup you!” didn’t seem out of place despite anachronisms like gang members taking selfies or filming police
encounters on cellphones.

It was leaner, faster-paced and more poignant than the original. This is no mere reworking of an old theme, but a hardening of its message: kids and racism run amok, where only a sacrifice -– the death of the kid looking to escape — brings people together.

Gang warfare in urban areas is as strong as ever. With waves of new immigrants, enhanced hostility toward them, insufficient money for public schools, and the ever-widening gap between rich and poor, I fear the tragedy of “West Side Story” will keep getting replayed long after this incarnation finishes its run.

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Toni Messina has tried over 100 cases and has been practicing criminal law and immigration since 1990. You can follow her on Twitter: @tonitamess.

* Right now, one out of every four circuit judges in the United States is a Trump appointee. [Washington Post]

* Some scholars are arguing President Trump cannot be considered impeached until articles of impeachment are sent to the Senate. Legal experts make things so confusing. [Fox News]

*An Alabama judge has been arrested for stealing nearly $50,000, and he left a paper trail of about 70 checks proving his misdeeds. This judge should leave criminal acts to the professionals. [News Maven]

* A FISA court judge has ordered the Justice Department to turn over materials related to an F.B.I. lawyer connected with the Carter Page investigation. [New York Times]

* An attorney convicted of shooting a fellow club patron has been sentenced to prison. Wouldn’t want to be in court with this lawyer… [The Oklahoman]

* An NYC realtor is suing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for allegedly stiffing him on a hefty commission. [New York Post]

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Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at jordan@rothmanlawyer.com.

The Vigil was critical of the deal Mbeki brokered between Mugabe and Tsvangirai in 2008 but we were just as critical of the MDC for accepting it.  Nevertheless, the subsequent government of national unity turned around the economy and brought rapid growth until Zanu PF greed could no longer be contained and it rigged the 2013 elections so it could steal the new riches.

Chamisa was a member of that flawed coalition and will no doubt have learnt lessons. Certainly, no similar arrangement should be accepted which would leave Zanu PF in control when they are the ones who have brought the country to the brink of catastrophe.

Mbeki too has ‘skin in the game’. He left office discredited. But the abysmal Zuma circus has since then changed the focus. So Mbeki could yet rehabilitate himself with a Christmas present for Zimbabwe.

Mbeki says he will be returning to Zimbabwe soon for more talks before end of the year. We wish him well. The main obstacle is Mnangagwa who insists he will only meet Chamisa within the framework of the Political Actors’ Dialogue. For his part, Chamisa said: ‘Dialogue must deliver true change and real reforms. When we shake hands, let us be agreeing to truly walk in the same direction, a new direction.’ (See: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/12/give-dialogue-a-chance-sadc/.)

The Vigil believes a new coalition of some sort is needed to move Zimbabwe forward – but a coalition that is not one-sided like the last one. This would be a real Christmas present for Zimbabwe.

Whether it will prevail over the apparent Christmas present delivered the other day to military headquarters in Harare we don’t know. This was a US$3.4 million Bugati Chiron, one of the world’s most expensive and fastest cars. Just right for Zim roads (see: https://www.zimlive.com/2019/12/20/worlds-fastest-car-us3-3-million-bugatti-chiron-lands-in-zimbabwe/).

Other points

• Zimbabwe faces having the assets of the state mining company seized after a final appeal of the 2014 arbitration ruling failed. Companies linked to British Virgin Islands-based Amari Holdings Ltd won the right to seize assets worth $65.9 million in compensation for Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation’s cancellation of nickel and platinum ventures formed in 2007 and 2008. The ruling by the International Court of Arbitration was made after a hearing in Lusaka. The lawyer acting for Amari, Ian Small-Smith said: ‘They seemingly still don’t appreciate how adversely this will impact the credibility of Zimbabwe as an investment destination.’ (See: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-12-18/zimbabwe-faces-mining-asset-seizure-over-canceled-joint-ventures.)
• As Vigil activists celebrate Christmas, we want you to know that the suffering people of Zimbabwe are always in our thoughts, particularly at this time.
• Thanks to those who came early to help set up the front table and put up the banners: Abigail Chidavayenzi, Tendai Chigariro, Garikai Mananje, Joyce Mbairatsunga, Esther Munyira, Ephraim Tapa and Kevin Wheeldon. Thanks to Esther and Kevin for looking after the front table, to Tendai, Abigail and Esther for handing out flyers, to Delice and Garikai for drumming and to Esther and Ephraim for photos.
• For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimb88abwevigil/. Please note: Vigil photos can only be downloaded from our Flickr website.

FOR THE RECORD: 13 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

• ROHR Valentine’s fundraising dinner dance. Saturday 15^th February 2020 from 7 pm till late. Venue: to be advised.
• The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents us.
• The Vigil’s book ‘Zimbabwe Emergency’ is based on our weekly diaries. It records how events in Zimbabwe have unfolded as seen by the diaspora in the UK. It chronicles the economic disintegration, violence, growing oppression and political manoeuvring – and the tragic human cost involved. It is available at the Vigil. All proceeds go to the Vigil and our sister organisation the Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe’s work in Zimbabwe. The book is also available from Amazon.

• Facebook pages:

Post published in: Featured

Mthuli Ncube told state-owned television ZBC News on Friday that the government would fork out 180 million Zimbabwe dollars a month on the subsidy programme and was considering subsidising other goods as well.

The southern African nation’s population is enduring the worst economic crisis in a decade and a severe drought that has left millions facing hunger. U.N. rights expert Hilal Elver warned last month that poor rains and erratic weather combined with hyperinflation had left 5.5 million people food insecure.

Low dam water levels have meanwhile led to 18-hour power cuts that have hit output from industry and mines.

The government this year reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar currency, ending a decade of dollarisation, and also removed subsidies on electricity and fuel. Both of these actions unleashed rampant inflation, while wages lag behind.

“Our target is basically to inject 180 million Zimbabwe dollars to target the (maize) meal subsidy. We also intend to include other commodities going forward,” Ncube said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Nov. 28 announced the government would scrap its plan to remove grain subsidies next year, saying this would protect impoverished citizens from rising food prices.

Scarce foreign exchange has meant that even after Zimbabweans started paying more for the power and fuel, shortages have remained widespread.

$1 = 16.2201 Zimbabwe dollars (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Tim Cocks and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)

Post published in: Featured

Moreover they can include members of their family back in Zimbabwe on their policy, ensuring that they too will be able to have a decent burial, as a result of pay-outs being in foreign currency.

The plan is affordable, secure and offers a guaranteed pay-out in the currency contracted, that is in either United States dollars or South African rands.

Those living in the SADC region will receive, for a monthly premium of R189, a pay-out of up to R210 000 for a family of six, with each family member entitled to R35 000.

For those living abroad, a family of six will receive a total of US$60 000 for funeral and repatriation expenses in the event of a bereavement for a monthly premium of only US$23,50. Each member is covered for US$10 000.

This should come as good news for the estimated three million Zimbabweans who are in the diaspora.

The realisation that in the event of death in a foreign land that final journey back home may be unaffordable lingers in the minds of many and is a constant burden at the back of their minds.

Uncertainty about whether the benefits contained in local insurance policies will be able to be paid in the currency contracted has been a major hinderance to those who might wish to have concrete plans in place.

As a result, many have had to go through the traumatic experience of having to fundraise amongst friends and on the internet to raise money for the repatriation and other funeral costs of deceased family members or colleagues.

“Zimnat is all about making life better for Zimbabweans wherever they are in the world. We have developed this solution for the peace of mind of those in the diaspora and those back home as our wish is to stay true to who we are as Zimbabweans and do things how we do them Kwedu/Ngekhaya, guaranteeing the dignity of our people’s final journey,” commented Zimnat Life Assurance managing director Workmore Chimweta.

“Zimnat Kwedu/ Ngekhaya Funeral Plan has the backing of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe, which, as reported in the mainstream media a few months back, has granted Zimnat the authority to ringfence funds related to diaspora products for investment offshore.

“This guarantees the ability of Zimnat as an underwriter to settle claims in United States dollars and South African rands,” he said.

“To make life even better, with Kwedu/ Ngekhaya members can add their family members in Zimbabwe on the same plan, enabling them to live with the peace of mind that, if anything happens, they are assured of a befitting send off,” Mr Chimweta said.

The plan is flexible. It enables a person to choose a package that meets the individual’s or family’s needs from a range of options.

Premiums are payable on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. The plan has an option for the inclusion of vigil and tombstone cover. It does not have any waiting period in the event of accidental death. No medicals are required to sign up.

Whilst this solution will enable Zimbabweans living in the diaspora to ensure their final resting place is back home where their roots lie, it will also provide relief to Zimbabweans who have sometimes failed to find closure when relatives who have passed on in the diaspora have failed to make that journey back home because of financial constraints.

The plan comes at a time when many Zimbabweans will be travelling back home for the festive season to spend time with family and friends. With this in mind and as a launch promotion for the product, Zimnat is giving local Zimbabweans an opportunity to win grocery vouchers by referring friends and family to sign up for Kwedu/Ngekhaya.

The policy can be applied for online through Zimnat’s self-help web portal, www.selfcare.zimnat.co.zw. Local residents can use the same platform to refer friends and family to sign up for Kwedu/Ngekhaya.

Zimnat Life Assurance is part of the Zimnat group comprised of Zimnat Life Assurance, Zimnat General Insurance, Zimnat Asset Management and Zimnat Microfinance which is also associated with the Sanlam group.

The group has come up with a number of innovations this year intended to make life better for Zimbabweans, with the most recent being the launch of ZFX Bureau de Change, a foreign exchange and money transfer service.

Post published in: Featured