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Simpson Thacher Misses Appeal Deadline - This One Will Go Down in Legal History

  The oops no one even envisions in a nightmare. As FT reports and Reddit comments, elite law firm Simpson made the kind of mistake that could have serious reputational, new business development and malpractice consequences. Along with all that, lower-level lawyers such as associates or those operating as counsels could lose their jobs since they are those ones responsible for filings. Partners leave that task to them.  Essentially this is what happened. Simpson Thacher & Bartlett missed the deadline in an appeal. That was associated with the UK competition regulator decision to block a merger between Simpson client Aramark and UK catering group Entier. It was because of antitrust concerns. The appeal was filed one day late. Simpson contends that represented a misinterpretation of the rules. There was a refusal to extend the statutory time limit. Therefore, Aramark must unwind the merger. Aramark has indicated that it is thinking about other appeal options. Here is a copy...

BoomerVille: Sure, Futures Are Up, But What Now Holds Is Living Below Your Income

 The meme I am hammering during intuitive coaching is this: Live below your income. That's even in retirement and semiretirement (that is, you're still bringing in income). Last year you may have taken a bucket list vacation. Next year you could be, as Rich Dad, Poor Dad predicts, homeless.   Right now futures are up. But that doesn't mean the market will be by its close tomorrow. Dow Futures 47,928.00 Fair Value 47,737.44 Change + 183.00   0.38%   Implied Open + 190.56 Be scared.

BloomerVille: Plans Undone and More, But Hold Trauma-Dumping

  It's become an evening habit, after-6: checking market futures. Right now (7:30 PM ET) here's what CNBC reports, with oil at $100 a barrel: " Futures  tied to the Dow fell 806 points, or 1.7%.  S&P 500 futures  and  Nasdaq 100 futures  each tumbled 1.5%." For us in BoomerVille that can mean our plans for enjoying life a bit have been undone.  In a more bullish time for our investments some of us have been considering lux experiences. At the top of my list is touring the locations in which great British literature and dramas had been composed and played. Yes, I would take my time. So what for the cost of inns and hotels.  We are able to move on, aren't we. Obviously I am over being bitter that my doctoral studies in literature and linguistics didn't result in a tenure-track academic job. After all, tenure itself has become as much an anachronism as a traditional career path. At the University of Akron, of the 70 professors laid off, some we...

Public Relations Jobs: Goldman Sachs' Tony Fratto Has Been Busy Guy, Same for Skadden's Luke Ferrandino

  The subunit on Reddit for public relations jobs posts laments from both in-house and agency employees about the stress generated by superiors, clients including internal ones, journalists and even shareholders.  The classic example of that could be illustrated by what Goldman Sachs' spokesperson Tony Fratto has had embedded in his recent duties. At the top of the list was being out there often delivering the financial institution's stance on the ongoing employability of its top lawyer Kathy Ruemmler. Since it was all quite positive many of us took to decoding what the statements might be revealing. For example, there was speculation that whenever a corporation indicates a controversial employee has the full support of the board that support actually might already be souring.  Well, for now, Fratto is off the hook on the Ruemmler situation. As is well-known, she resigned. There is a distancing there.  Ruemmler is using the services of her own spokesperson Jennifer ...

Work Didn't Come in: UK's Knights plc Lays Off Partners, Senior Associates, Paralegals in Leeds

  This time the axe falls on lawyers, not just professional staff. That's what's getting attention. The UK's Knights plc has been known for laying off service workers as redundant during mergers.  The story this time involves partners and senior associates, along with paralegals at the Leeds location. And the reason is different. As RollonFriday documents, the expected work didn't come in. However, CEO David Beech is jolly confident the work will eventually come in. Meanwhile those professionals were sent packing. When lawyers get caught in a layoff a tense feeling goes through the global legal sector. That's especially the situation during the intersection of so many economic and political factors. The situation is making for fear of a worldwide financial downturn.  This morning Dow futures are down. AI is such a wild card. In the US the job market news is disappointing. Worldwide gas prices surge. And the unpredictable Trump administration has about three more y...

BoomerVille: Tender Mercies

  As every one of us oldest of the boomers on blood thinners (the new 80 is still 80 and the body starts to fall apart) knows: Today oil prices have soared and the Dow has plunged. The latter is down almost 700 points. But we grab joy where we can.  Yesterday I found out that insurance will take care of all but $1,000 out-of-pocket on a dental bill. Horrors. A front tooth, the specialist concluded, wouldn't hold up for a root canal. That mandates an extraction and that means some fancy replacement engineering.  Amid such jolts as the Iran war and climate change (polar vortex) in our golden years there are those snippets of tender mercies. At the Toledo Buddhist Temple I am learning the fundamentals of radical simplicity. We don't need much, do we. I recall when I "needed" one of those big old houses on the Gold Coast of Connecticut and a cottage at the Jersey shore.  But along with that there have been tender mercies. We grab positive happenings in whatever form the...

"Retirement" - Could Just Mean No Longer Taking on So Much Stress

"I retired because my health couldn't take it." This man, a mental health professional, made clear though that he was still able and willing to work. Not just conducting therapy sessions. The stress, which worsened several medical conditions, he determined was because he wasn't a pill doctor. He really did do old-fashioned talk sessions.  For him "retirement" meant admitting he could no longer handle the demands of his long-term career. And that might be how more of us Boomers, Xers and Yers approach aging. There could be biting the bullet on why the high-paying job or enterprise had to be abandoned. You don't have to be especially in-touch with your mind and body to get when that time comes.  The psychiatrist came for coaching to test out whether some possible nexts were total fantasies or doable in terms of yielding some income. They had worked since teenage years and couldn't face the rest of a life without income from labor. Would teaching music ...