Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass is ranked third nationally in Law360’s article naming the 25 Ceiling Smashers – law firms with the top female partner percentages.

The 25 Best Law Firms For Female Partners by Jake Simpson

Law360, New York (April 20, 2014, 4:29 PM ET) — Law360 is pleased to announce its 2014 class of Ceiling Smashers, the 25 U.S.-based law firms out of nearly 400 surveyed that have the highest percentage of female partners.

The Glass Ceiling Report: 2014, based on a survey of more than 380 law firms, found that while women make up 43 percent of the nonpartner ranks at U.S. law firms, they comprise just 21 percent of partnerships.
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While no U.S. firm has 50 percent or more women at the partner level, the inaugural class of Ceiling Smashers all fall well above the average. Women make up at least 29 percent of the partnership at all the Ceiling Smashers, and at the top 10 firms, at least one-third of partners are women.
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Congratulations to all the 2014 Ceiling Smashers.

Justice & Diversity Center Honors Outstanding Legal Services and Diversity Educational Program Volunteers

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of California Carol Corrigan was on hand to present awards

April 18, 2014 — San Francisco – The Justice & Diversity Center (JDC) of The Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF) celebrated its most outstanding volunteers at its annual Appreciation Celebration on April 17.

More than 250 people attended the event, held at the Louis B. Mayer Lounge at UC University of California College of Law, San Francisco. Guest of honor Associate Justice Carol Corrigan, Supreme Court of California, provided inspirational remarks at the awards ceremony and greeted awardees. JDC honored the top 15 percent of the volunteers in its Pro Bono Legal Services Program, Homeless Advocacy Project, and Diversity Educational Programs with Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Certificates. JDC also recognized four individual volunteers and a law firm with special awards.
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Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass received the 2013 Outstanding Law Firm in Public Service Award. The firm was the second to sign onto JDC’s Right to Civil Counsel Pilot Program, and in 2013, the firm’s attorneys volunteered on behalf of low-income tenants, consumers and taxpayers. In addition to its pro bono legal services work, in 2013, Coblentz also sponsored one of JDC’s Bay Area Minority Law Students Scholarships, a $30,000 three-year commitment, and hosted a reception introducing the scholarship recipients to their donors.”

Coblentz recipients honored with Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service Certificates were Jeff Bernstein, Jana Contreras, Bejan Fanibanda, Fred Fields, Mark Hejinian, Misti Schmidt and Katharine Van Dusen.

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Tim Crudo is quoted in “Gibson Dunn, Fenwick Advise HP on $108 Million FCPA Settlement” by Julia Love, The Recorder
April 09, 2014

SAN FRANCISCO — Hewlett-Packard Co. will pay more than $108 million to resolve allegations that it bribed foreign officials in Russia, Poland and Mexico to win lucrative government contracts.

The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice announced sweeping settlements with HP on Wednesday that address alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in the three countries. As part of the deal, HP’s Russian subsidiary admitted it paid bribes to land a technology contract with the Russian government and will plead guilty to violating the FCPA. The company’s subsidiaries in Mexico and Poland also admitted wrongdoing in exchange for nonprosecution and deferred prosecution agreements, respectively.

HP will shell out nearly $76.8 million in criminal penalties and forfeiture. The company will also pay almost $31.5 million to settle administrative proceedings brought by the SEC. HP and its subsidiaries netted about $29 million from the schemes, according to the SEC’s order.
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Wednesday’s deals settle the matter for HP, but its employees may not be in the clear. Both the SEC and the DOJ have vowed to go after individuals in recent years, and FCPA cases are no exception, though the prosecutions can be tricky to carry out, lawyers say.

“I think that if they can make cases against individuals, they will,” said Timothy Crudo, who heads the white-collar defense and government enforcement practice group at San Francisco’s Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass. “But these kinds of cases often by definition involve folks in far-off countries.”

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