UCLA Takes Think Tank Plunge With ‘Strategic Alliance’

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The UCLA School of Law announced last week that it has formed a “strategic alliance” with Rand Corp., a Santa Monica-based think thank.


The goal of the alliance is “to improve public policy through the marriage of rigorous policy analysis and outstanding legal scholarship.”


The initiative was kicked off with a conference at the law school entitled “Transparency in the Civil Justice System,” which explored the potential costs and benefits of increased secrecy in the nation’s civil justice system.


Michael Schill, dean of the UCLA School of Law, was pleased by the alliance.


“We are thrilled to be joining with Rand, whose extensive policy analysis and expertise is unparalleled,” Schill said in a statement. “Together we will build on our capabilities and leverage UCLA School of Law’s tradition of deep legal and empirical research.”


Rand’s involvement in the alliance is spearheaded by members of its Institute for Civil Justice, which conducts research on many aspects of civil justice, from trends in litigation and jury verdicts to compensation systems and alternative dispute resolution.


“We are delighted to bring the empirical work of Rand’s Institute for Civil Justice together with the academic resources of UCLA School of Law,” Michael Rich, executive vice president of Rand Corp. said in a statement.



Bleak View

Two recently released surveys offer somewhat pessimistic outlooks of the legal industry.


A survey conducted by Citi Private Bank reveals that 30 percent of law firm managing partners expect business to decline at least slightly over the next six months. In total, 80 percent of these law firm leaders expect the business conditions in the legal profession to show no improvement or get worse, according to the survey, which collected opinions from 100 managing partners at the nation’s largest law firms.


Some law firms, particularly those involved in bundling loans, have already seen a decrease in business as a result of the economic downturn, highlighted by a weakening dollar, falling home prices and a tightening in the credit market.


And corporate transactions are not the only legal matters that appear to be decreasing.


According to an annual survey of in-house attorneys, released last month by the law firm Fulbright & Jaworski LLP, major corporations’ exposure to lawsuits has declined versus last year.


According to the staff attorneys at 250 “major U.S. corporations,” 17 percent of respondents said their companies were not targeted in a new lawsuit over the past year, which is up 6 percent versus last year’s survey.


And only 22 percent of in-house counsel said they expect to see the number of legal disputes their companies face increase over the next 12 months, which is down 11 percent from last year.


But there was a silver lining, of sorts, for law firms. Even with the softening of litigation activity, a third of companies represented in the survey face at least 25 active lawsuits and 18 percent are defending against 100 or more domestic cases.



Labor Issues

The law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP announced last week that attorney Colleen Regan joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner. Regan was previously a partner in the local office of McGuire Woods.


Regan’s practice includes advising employers on state and federal wage and hour issues, and anti-discrimination and anti-harassment laws. She has also represented employers in employment related class action lawsuits.


“In addition to her stellar courtroom experience, Colleen is a well-rounded labor and employment attorney with a robust single plaintiff practice and a sophisticated advice and counsel practice,” Kenwood Youmans, managing partner of Seyfarth Shaw’s Los Angeles office, said in a statement. “She adds strength to our thriving labor and employment practice.”


Seyfarth Shaw is a Chicago-founded firm with over725 attorneys practicing in 10 offices.


The firm’s 35-year old Los Angeles has 100 attorneys.


“I’m delighted to join Seyfarth Shaw’s renowned labor and employment legal team,” Regan said in a written statement. “The firm’s national platform combined with its solid depth in the field will help me deliver consistent, outstanding results to my clients.”



New Face

Jerry Marks, the managing partner at the Los Angeles office of Heller Ehrman LLP, has joined the local office of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy.


“Attorneys of Jerry’s Caliber are rare,” said Ken Baronksy, managing partner of the Los Angeles office of Milbank Tweed. “Jerry brings the right combination of excellence in lawyering, prominence and team-oriented style. We see tremendous synergies between his practice and Milbank’s corporate and litigation practice.”


Marks’ practice includes representing investment banks, accounting firms and corporate officers in securities litigation.



Staff reporter Drew Combs can be reached at [email protected]., or (323) 549-5225, ext. 228.

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