NewsFeeds for 11.12.09

Suit Alleges Harassment at Williams Mullen (Style Weekly)
The suit further alleges that Robert E. Eicher had several sexual relationships with employees and publicly described his sexual encounters with them. The suit describes what’s referred to as the “cucumber incident.”

Virginia-Based LeClairRyan Seeks to Grow in California (Law.com)
Like so many newcomers to California, leaders at Virginia-based LeClairRyan have big hopes of expansion. One problem: Nobody here knows who they are. Although the 310-lawyer firm’s roots go back more than 20 years on the East Coast, even its top partners acknowledge that when it comes to growing in the West, reeling in laterals may be tough.

UVa posting its doctors’ financial deals online (Daily Progress)
It’s a decision that mirrors a national trend in the health-care industry toward stricter reporting standards and also part of a years-long progression at UVa toward greater transparency.

White-Collar Defendants: Sit Down and Shut Up (Slate)
Lessons from the Bear Stearns acquittals.

Upbeat reports lift home builder stocks (Washington Post)
The building sector appears to be benefiting from an uptick in buyers lured by low interest rates, low home prices and an $8,000 tax credit that’s been available since early last year, experts who track the industry said. The builders have whittled down their supply of homes, which helps set them up for a rebound.

The World’s Most Powerful People (Forbes)
There are only 67 slots on our list–one for every 100 million people on the planet–so being powerful in just one area is not enough. Lastly, we insisted that our choices actively use their power

VCs Change Their Tune (WSJ)
The pressure of the recession hasn’t been all bad. It’s forced many small businesses across the country to reinvent themselves by developing new revenue streams and strategies to cope with dwindling resources. The venture-capital firms that support those businesses have also had to make adjustments. Just as small retailers have had to devise new ways to pinpoint customers willing to spend but also able to pay, VC firms have had to seek out entrepreneurs ambitious enough to try starting a business in this environment but also smart enough to manage their risk.