Category: News Feeds

*
Brad
Pitt
and
Angelina
Jolie
are
now
divorced…
8
years
after
the
fact.
[CNN]

*
Trump’s
TikTok
brief
is…
flimsy.
[One
First]

*
Pressure
mounts
to
regulate
insurance
companies
using
AI
algorithms
to
deny
claims.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Justice
Breyer
to
start
hearing
appellate
cases
again.
[Reuters]

*
Full
ethics
inquiry
required
to
decide
that
a
state
judge
can
accept
a
$250
gift
card
from
a
non-profit
if
it
is
a
retirement
gift.
Clarence
Thomas
giggles.
[New
York
Law
Journal]

Hanukkah
and
Christmas
are
nearly
upon
us,
and
everyone
in
the
legal
profession
is
ready
to
ring
in
the
New
Year,
so
it’s
finally
time
to
reveal
the
seven
finalists
for
our
sixteenth
annual
holiday
card
contest.
But
first
let’s
give
shout-outs
to
some
honorable
mentions
(click
on
each
firm’s
name
to
see
its
card):

1.

Armond
Wilson:
Behold,
another
holiday
blockbuster
card
from
the
nation’s
4th
best
law
firm
in
Patent
Office
litigation,
per

Patexia.
In
this
Home
Alone-inspired
hit,
our
nominator
behooves
you
to
“Keep
some
claims,
ya
filthy
animal!”

2.

Diaz
Trade
Law:
“No
one
has
more
fun
asking
CBP
to
forgive
a
client
for
not
paying
$40M
in
duties
over
10
years
than
Diaz
Trade
Law,”
says
our
nominator.
“And
with
47
federal
agencies
involved
in
regulating
imports
of
goods
into
the
United
States,
DTL
truly
means
it
when
they
say
then
untangle
regulations.”

3.

Shaw
Keller:
Happy
holidays,
from
your
lawyers’
pets!
This
card
features
paintings
of
all
manner
of
pets,
up
to
and
including
a
bird
and
a
horse.
“We
allowed
one
posthumous
pet
because
otherwise
one
of
our
associates
would
have
had
a
plastic
plant,”
says
our
nominator.

And
now,
the
seven
finalists,
in
alphabetical
order.
Again,
click
on
each
firm’s
name
to
view
its
card.
Please
note
that
most
of
these
cards
have
SOUND,
so
you
might
want
to
turn
your
sound
off
or
down,
or
use
headphones.
Explanatory
comments
come
from
firm
representatives
unless
indicated.

1.

Butler
Snow:
“This
year,
we
decided
to
take
another
compelling
look
at
lawyers
over-lawyering
seemingly
simple
things.
Admittedly,
it’s
a
bit
of
an
extension
of
our
award
winning
2023
holiday
card.
But
if
it’s
not
broke,
don’t
fix
it,
right?”
Yet
another
excellent
submission
from
lawyers
who
can’t
help
themselves
but
to
over-lawyer
everything.
Our
favorite
part
was
when
of
them
said
they
should
stitch
a
suggested
holiday
greeting
disclaimer
on
a
sweater
—
“This
holiday
greeting
is
for
informational
purposes
only.
It
does
not
constitute
an
offer,
promise,
or
guarantee
of
any
kind.
Peace,
love,
and
joy
are
subjective,
and
experiences
may
vary.”
—
and
they
actually
did!
(By
the
way,
where
can
we
get
that
sweater?)

2.

Cades
Schutte:
A
truly
wonderful
holiday
card
that
shares
the
“spirit
of
aloha,”
straight
from
the
Hawaiian
islands.
Our
nominator
says,
“We
feature
our
client,
Furukawa
Living
Treasure,
a
beloved
senior
community
in
Honolulu,
that
was
about
to
be
shut
down
due
to
permitting
issues.
Through
their
tenacity
and
strong
will,
they
survived
and
are
now
celebrating
their
25th
anniversary.
Our
attorneys
were
honored
to
join
Furukawa’s
anniversary
festivities
and
make
origami
aloha
shirt
crafts
with
the
kupuna
(seniors)
of
the
community.”
This
one
made
us
feel
happy
—
how
very
sweet!

3.

Davis
Wright
Tremaine:
The
firm’s
“in-house
creative
team,
Studio
DWT,
proudly
presents
a
delightful
3D
animated
holiday
video
set
in
a
whimsical
gingerbread
ski
lodge
and
resort.
This
festive
video
celebrates
the
sweet
moments
that
inspire
us,
connect
us,
and
make
our
shared
successes
possible.
Studio
DWT’s
expert
storytellers
and
film
producers
have
brought
their
unique
vision
to
life,
delivering
a
heartfelt
message
of
warmth
and
joy
for
the
season.”
This
one
is
a
real
work
of
creative
art.
Nice
job!

4.

Harness
IP:
“Our
video
holiday
card
stands
out
with
its
unique
blend
of
history,
creativity,
and
holiday
cheer.
By
showcasing
historic
patents
on
sleigh
bells,
we
bring
a
fun
twist
to
a
timeless
holiday
tradition,”
says
our
nominator.
“The
whimsical
elf
band
adds
an
extra
layer
of
charm,
turning
the
story
behind
these
classic
inventions
into
an
engaging
musical
celebration.
This
delightful
mix
of
educational
and
festive
elements
creates
a
captivating
narrative
that
connects
the
past
and
present,
making
it
both
entertaining
and
meaningful.
It’s
not
just
a
card—it’s
an
experience
that
captures
the
spirit
of
innovation
and
joy
that
defines
the
holiday
season!”
This
holiday
card
has
everything
you
could
possibly
want
—
and
you
can
even
download
an
app
to
turn
your
phone
into
a
set
of
sleigh
bells
each
time
you
move
it!
Absolutely
amazing!

5.

Larson
•
King:
This
firm
knows
that
Above
the
Law
editors
are
suckers
for
law
revue
videos,
and
this
is
simply
the
best.
The
11-time
holiday
card
contest
finalist
really
stole
the
show
with
this
submission.
From
our
nominator:
“Our
2024
greeting
highlights
Minnesotans’
love
of
music
by
featuring
assorted
parodies
of
throw-back
tunes
with
a
legal
twist.
Take
a
blast
into
the
past
by
listening
to
hits
such
as

We
Be
Billin’
(Run-D.M.C’s

You
Be
Illin’),

Don’t
Stop
Appealin’
(Journey’s

Don’t
Stop
Believin’),

Material
Witness
(Madonna’s

Material
Girl),
and

Brief
It
(Michael
Jackson’s

Beat
It).
Also
included
is
Minnesota’s
own
Prince,
featuring

I
Wanna
Be
Your
Lawyer
(a
parody
of

I
Wanna
Be
Your
Lover).
The
songs
were
custom-created
for
this
video
by
a
local
Minneapolis
musician
and
vocalist.”
We’d
definitely
pay
the
low,
low
price
of
$9.99
for
all
of
these
tunes!
We

LOVED
this
one!

6.

McBrayer:
A
hilarious
take
on
the
Ebenezer
Scrooge
story,
featuring
Bob
Cratchit
as
a
“former
abused
clerk/new
partner.”
This
lawyerly
view
of
the
Christmas
classic
had
us
cracking
up.
From
our
nominator:
“We
like
to
think
that
we
could
have
helped
famous
miser
Ebenezer
Scrooge
find
the
right
path
in
life
without
supernatural
intervention.
Here’s
our
take
on
how,
with
McBrayer
attorneys
playing
the
roles
of
famous
Dickens
characters
or
simply
themselves.
We’re
biased,
but
our
Scrooge
may
be
one
of
the
better
ones
committed
to
screen.”

7.

Morse:
From
our
nominator:
“This
year
we
decided
to
really
showcase
the
‘human
side’
of
our
team
by
presenting
their
many
creative
talents
in
a
printable,
shareable,
and
downloadable
e-book
full
of
crafty
DIY
projects
and
gift
options!
The
Morse
team
has
been
finding
creative
solutions
to
legal
issues
for
more
than
30
years,
but
did
you
know
we
can
also
make
a
mean
batch
of
holiday
dog
cookies,
whip
up
some
super
cute
snowman
bath
bombs,
or
decoupage
a
favorite
piece
of
furniture??
But
of
course,
when
it
comes
to
your
legal
needs,
don’t
do
it
yourself!
Call
us.
😉”
Wow!
This
e-book
looks
like
it
could
actually
be
very
helpful
for
those
who
need
to
entertain
elementary
school
students
who
are
home
during
winter
break.
Looking
forward
to
creating
homemade
cookie
mason
jars,
sugar
scrub
sand
art,
and
playdough
thanks
to
Morse!

Now
it’s
time
for
our
audience
to
vote.
We’ll
keep
the
polls
open
through

TUESDAY,
DECEMBER
31,
2024,
at
11:30
p.m.
(Eastern
time).
This
gives
you
ample
time
to
campaign
for
your
pick
over
the
holidays
(but
please,
don’t
cheat).

CLICK
HERE
TO
VOTE.

Thanks
to
all
the
entrants
and
nominators,
good
luck
to
the
finalists,
and
happy
holidays
to
all!
Above
the
Law
is
happy
to
celebrate
holiday
cheer
with
you!

---

Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to

email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.

*
Brad
Pitt
and
Angelina
Jolie
are
now
divorced…
8
years
after
the
fact.
[CNN]

*
Trump’s
TikTok
brief
is…
flimsy.
[One
First]

*
Pressure
mounts
to
regulate
insurance
companies
using
AI
algorithms
to
deny
claims.
[Bloomberg
Law
News]

*
Justice
Breyer
to
start
hearing
appellate
cases
again.
[Reuters]

*
Full
ethics
inquiry
required
to
decide
that
a
state
judge
can
accept
a
$250
gift
card
from
a
non-profit
if
it
is
a
retirement
gift.
Clarence
Thomas
giggles.
[New
York
Law
Journal]

These
changes
are
detailed
in
Statutory
Instrument
197
of
2024,
which
is
cited
as
the
Public
Service
(Amendment)
Regulations,
2024
(No.
3).
The
regulations
state:

IT
is
hereby
notified
that
the
Public
Service
Commission,
in
terms
of
section
31
of
the
Public
Service
Act
[Chapter
16:04]
and
with
the
concurrence
of
the
Minister
of
Finance,
Economic
Development
and
Investment
Promotion
and
the
Minister
of
Public
Service,
Labour
and
Social
Welfare,
has
made
the
following
regulations:-

1.
These
regulations
may
be
cited
as
the
Public
Service
(Amendment)
Regulations,
2024
(No.
3).

2.
These
regulations
shall
come
into
effect
on
the
1st
January,
2025.

3.
The
Public
Service
Regulations,
1992,
published
in
Statutory
Instrument
1
of
2000,
are
amended
by
the
repeal
of
sections
17
and
18
and
the
substitution
of-

“Pensionable
age,
retirement
and
mandatory
retirement

17.
(1)
Subject
to
section
18,
a
member
appointed
on
pensionable
terms
of
service-

(a)
before
the
effective
date,
may
have
a
pensionable
age
of
sixty-five
years
with
option
to
retire
at
seventy-
years
on
full
pension:

Provided
that
any
retirement
after
the
year
of
sixty-fifth
anniversary
and
before
the
seventieth
anniversary
shall
be
deemed
to
be
early
retirement;

or

(b)
on
or
after
the
effective
date,
shall
have
a
pensionable
age
of
seventy
years.

(2)
A
member’s
pensionable
age
shall
be
recorded
on
the
member’s
record
of
employment
for
pension
purposes.

(3)
The
Paymaster
shall,
on
the
1st
June
each
year,
provide
all
heads
of
Ministry
or
department
with
a
list
of
members
who
will
reach
the
age
of
sixty,
sixty-five
or
seventy
years
during
the
ensuing
year.

Retirement
before
reaching
pensionable
age

18.
(1)
A
member
may,
on
giving
three
months’
notice
of
retirement,
be
permitted
by
the
Commission
to
retire
before
pensionable
age
at
any
time
after
attaining
the
age
of
sixty.

(2)
The
Commission
may,
on
giving
the
equivalent
appropriate
period
of
notice
prescribed
under
section
15(2)
for
the
resignation
of
a
member,
require
a
member
to
retire
on
or
after
the
date
on
which
such
member
attains
the
age
of
sixty:

Provided
that
a
member
who
having
been
a
member
on
pensionable
conditions
of
service
immediately
before
the
effective
date,
has
had
continuous
service
as
such
member
since
that
date,
may
not
be
required
in
terms
of
this
subsection
to
retire
before
attaining
the
age
of
seventy
years.”

Post
published
in:

Featured

Cheap
Firms
Fold
And
Give
Out
Special
Bonuses:

Ho
shows
some
love,
Coie
hands
out
financial
Perkins.

Check
Out
The
List
Of
Firms
Spreading
The
Money
Around:

Don’t
see
yours?
Let
us
know!

Second
Circuit
Hands
Trump
A
Holiday
Loss:


Carroll
II
is
still
good
law.

Ed.
Note:
Welcome
to
our
daily
feature

Trivia
Question
of
the
Day!

What
is
the
only
college
football
bowl
game
named
after
a
legal
technology
company?

Hint:
This
year’s
matchup
happens
today,
and
will
pit
the
Hawkeyes
vs.
the
Tigers.

See
the
answer
on
the
next
page.

Healthcare
organizations
in
the
U.S.
lose
an
average
of
$1.9
million
during
each
day
of
downtime
following
a
ransomware
attack,
according
to

new
research
from
software
company

Comparitech.

A
ransomware
attack
is
a
major
headache
for
any
organization,
but
the
destructive
effects
are
particularly
calamitous
for
attacks
waged
against
healthcare
organizations,
the
report
noted.
These
attacks
force
healthcare
providers
to
take
their
systems
offline,
making
it
difficult
to
provide
care
and
access
patient
data
until
the
hackers
are
paid
a
fee
or
IT
specialists
remove
the
ransomware.

It’s
no
secret
that
these
disastrous
ransomware
attacks
are
becoming
more
and
more
common
in
the
healthcare
sector.
The
report
pointed
out
that
there
have
been
654
individual
ransomware
attacks
on
medical
organizations
since
2018
—
with
143
individual
attacks
being
recorded
last
year
alone. 

Last
year’s
143
ransomware
attacks
resulted
in
more
than
26.2
million
patient
records
being
exposed,
the
report
noted.

The
rate
of
ransomware
attacks
in
the
healthcare
industry
is
likely
to
increase
even
more
in
2025,
predicted
Rebecca
Moody,
Comparitech’s
head
of
data
research.

“With
the
likes
of
LockBit

revealing
its
latest
version
[last]
week
and
an
influx
in
new
ransomware
gangs
making
key
claims
this
month
(e.g.
Interlock
claiming

the
attack
on
Texas
Tech
University
Health
Sciences
Center
which
breached
nearly
1.5
million
patient
records),
ransomware
attacks
on
healthcare
organizations
remain
just
as
much
of
a
threat
as
they
have
in
recent
years
—
if
not
more
so,”
Moody
wrote
in
an
emailed
statement.

Comparitech’s
report
revealed
that
the
average
ransom
amount
demanded
during
a
healthcare
cyberattack
is
$1.18
million.
But
the
cost
of
an
attack
goes
far
beyond
just
the
ransom.

Even
if
an
organization
pays
the
ransom
fee
to
decrypt
its
systems,
it
is
“highly
likely”
the
organization
will
still
face
a
slew
of
expensive
recovery
costs,
Moody
pointed
out.

“Recovery
costs
include
those
required
to
restore
systems,
the
cost
of
specialist
teams
to
help
overcome
the
attack
(and
overtime
for
employees),
lost
revenue
due
to
downtime,
and
the
cost
of
providing
identity
theft
protection
to
people
impacted
in
a
data
breach,”
she
explained.

All
healthcare
providers
need
to
have
a
clear
plan
in
place
in
the
event
that
their
systems
are
impacted
by
a
ransomware
attack,
Moody
declared.

This
includes
establishing
an
incident
response
team,
creating
a
strong
communication
plan,
and
crafting
step-by-step
instructions
for
how
the
threat
should
be
managed
—
such
as
removing
infected
systems
from
the
network
and
how
to
recover
data
—
Moody
stated.
She
also
said
carrying
out
regular
backups
is
critical
when
it
comes
to
limiting
downtime
from
cyberattacks.

Photo:
WhataWin,
Getty
Images