Where a creditor retains a professional to advance a particular position in a Chapter 11 case whose efforts result in the making of a substantial contribution to the case, such creditor can potentially get reimbursed for all of its out-of-pocket expenses, including for reasonable compensation for professional services rendered.
Coming into 2010, it has become clear that, for law firms, not only is electronic billing here to stay, but adoption by corporate clients will continue to accelerate.
We have known for some time that the law profession is aging. Until now, the effect that such aging could have on law firm revenues has been entirely masked by law firms raising hourly billing rates well in excess of general inflationary pressures, rising costs of operations and the increased experience of its practitioners. Now we are in an environment where competitive and market forces will almost certainly alter the ability to raise hourly billing rates consistent with historic patterns. The time has come to embrace alternatives to hourly pricing.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California denied a motion to exclude the expert testimony of a witness who has worked in advertising and celebrity endorsements for more than three decades.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California determined, in a case transferred to it from a New York federal court, that the New York court properly exercised jurisdiction over California defendants, who had hired the plaintiff, a New York lawyer, for entertainment matters.
Reduced sales of DVDs and increased piracy of filmed entertainment are affecting the profits of studios and other financiers of motion pictures. To lessen this impact, changes are being made in deal terms offered to creative talent ' such as actors and creative producers ' and new relationships are emerging among such talent, financiers and distributors of theatrical motion pictures.
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers ("ICANN") plans to issue generic top-level domain names ("gTLDs") beyond the current 21 top-level domain names ("TLDs") such as .com and .net. For the first time, trademark owners may use their marks as gTLDs; for example, .nike. The application process is complex, and trademark owners have no guarantee that they will secure gTLDs for their marks. e-Commerce providers, however, can use trademark-law strategy to gain advantages during the application process.
Science tells us that most of an iceberg is hidden beneath the surface of the ocean. e-Commerce law tells us the same thing about Web-site development: The "Web front" that shoppers see can be dwarfed by the hidden, or invisible, "back office" ' the contracts, negotiations and software that make e-commerce Web sites possible. Yet it is that back office that can be the difference between a profitable site and one, like a true iceberg, that is merely adrift and fraught with potential hazards.
Last month, the authors discussed "substantial conflicts of interest" in various cases involving an insured's right to select its own defense counsel. Part Two herein continues this discussion
As recent litigation has demonstrated, the use of new communications devices with new capabilities is having an effect on how attorneys and their clients communicate, and, therefore, is raising issues in attorney-client privilege.
