THE CHEETAH BRIEF – 47TH EDITION
A federal judge in Pennsylvania sanctioned two attorneys after identifying multiple AI-generated “hallucinations” in a court filing, concluding they violated Rule 11 by submitting false citations without proper verification. U.S. District Judge Mark A. Kearney imposed a $4,000 monetary sanction and non-monetary sanctions on New York attorney Yen-Yi Anderson, along with non-monetary sanctions on local counsel Jeffrey J. Goldin, who also signed the filing. The court found the motion to dismiss contained fabricated or inaccurate legal authorities drafted by a law clerk using AI and inadequately reviewed by both attorneys. While the judge declined to refer either lawyer for disciplinary action due to remedial steps taken, he emphasized the sanctions were intended to deter conduct.
MARKET MOVEMENTS
Hogan Lovells funds practice, Richard Madris, joins Norton Rose Fulbright
Two Wilmer IP partners, Alexis Cohen and Gregory H. Lantier, decamp to Sidley in D.C.
King & Spalding adds five healthcare financing and litigation partners, Rachel Gilbert, Cat Kirkland, Renee Rayne, Jim Gilliam and John Connell, from Burr Forman
Davis Polk adds Paul Weiss tax partner, Brian Grieve, looking to bolster funds practice
FIRM SPOTLIGHT - AKERMAN LLP
Akerman is a nationally recognized Am Law 100 firm with more than 700 lawyers across 25 offices, offering a full-service platform that spans litigation, corporate, real estate, regulatory, and strategic counsel across key industries. Founded in 1920 in Florida, the firm has grown into a nationwide and global practice, earning recognition for innovation and forward-thinking leadership. Akerman is known for its deep bench of trial lawyers, top-ranked real estate and corporate practices, and seamless cross-practice collaboration, while also prioritizing culture, flexibility, professional development, and connection through its “culture without badge swipes” philosophy. The firm’s model is designed to support high-performing lawyers with the resources of a large platform and the agility of a unified, people-first organization.
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Sheppard Mullin surpasses $1.3B in revenue in 2025. The firm’s revenue per lawyer in 2-25 rose 6.5% to roughly $1.34 million
47% of firms recently surveyed reported an increase in client demand for alternative fee arrangements last year and another 49% are expected to experience that same demand this year
Partner hiring was up 10% in 2025, according to Firm Prospects’ data. Counsel hiring rose by 12% from 2024 to 2025 among Am Law 200 firms. Associate hiring increased by 5%
According to a new survey conducted with 360 GCs and senior in-house attorney, state-sponsored cyberattacks topped the list of geopolitical threats and increasing litigation risk, with 73% of firm reporting heightened exposure, and 27% saying risks from cyberattacks have increased significantly
Big Law’s High-Stakes Merger Votes
Three major potential Big Law—Hogan Lovells—Cadawalader, Ashurst-Perkins Coie, and Winston & Strawn-Taylor Wessing—are entering critical partner voting phases, where outcomes are often determined long before ballots are cast. While formal votes focus on governance, compensation, and structure, experts say the real battle plays out behind the scenes as firm leadership works to build partner confidence, align cultures, and manager power dynamics. Accelerated timelines, geopolitical and regulatory pressures, and complex cross-border structures—particularly in the Winston Taylor and Ashurst-Perkins Coie deals—underscore how modern law firm mergers hinge less on legal mechanics and more on trust, persuasion, and internal cohesion.
New Lawsuits Claim ChatGPT Worsened Mental Health
OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman face two new California lawsuits alleging that ChatGPT worsened plaintiffs’ preexisting mental health conditions and triggered episodes of AI-induced psychosis, bringing the total number of similar product liability suits in the state to 11. The complaints argue that changes introduced with GPT-40—including weakened safety guardrails, anthropomorphic and sycophantic design features, and enhanced memory—fostered emotional dependency and reinforced delusional thinking, leading to psychiatric hospitalizations. OpenAI has acknowledged past issues with sycophantic behavior, says it has rolled back certain updates, and is reviewing the claims while continuing to strengthen mental health safeguards.
