Commercial Law

Features

A large number of lawsuits already have been filed against the entities associated with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig, many of which raise interesting coverage issues, particularly with respect to specialty environmental coverages and first-party business interruption and damage claims. Even more significant insurance exposures may be posed in the future, however, as new parties are joined to the litigation and general liability policies are tested in response to third-party claims for bodily injury and property damage.

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The federal government prohibits "any person" from intercepting oral, wire or electronic communications. Federal Wiretapping Act, 18 U.S.C. ' 2511(1). Though "any person" sounds universal enough, the definition of "any person" is complicated by exceptions created by federal circuit courts.

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The Department of Labor (DOL) has issued guidance covering situations in which a pension plan, by virtue of its holdings of its employer's stock, is a potential claimant in a securities fraud suit.

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If a would-be intern or trainee is actually an employee by another name, an employment relationship exists, and the intern or trainee is entitled to all the benefits and protections of federal law. These include the rights to minimum wage, overtime, and a discrimination-free workplace.

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Understanding how providers address the rating categories of the ACC Value Index as part of their everyday services and practices will make it much easier to assess the value received ' and should result in a much more predictable, cost-effective approach for managing the process.

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Particularly given the dramatic shifts in the real estate market in recent years, and the unpredictability of interest rates, inflation, taxes and other economic factors going forward, greater attention is being focused on ground leases. Here's why.

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In a decision that could have wide-ranging consequences for secured lenders and the distressed debt market, a divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has held that secured creditors do not have an absolute right to credit bid the value of their loans in Chapter 11 plan-based sales of assets.

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When municipalities enact zoning ordinances that restrict the location of adult uses, they must take care to assure that adequate alternative sites remain available.