Commercial Law

In the movies, it seems that monsters are always up to no good ' making mayhem or setting fires. But in a federal court in Philadelphia recently, a couple dozen movie monsters made some important new law and set a few significant precedents in the area of copyrights and trademarks that may help to define the doctrine of fair use for years to come.

Recently, physicians and other health care providers have been inundated with information regarding electronic medical records ("EMR"). However, it is believed that the vast majority of health care transactions are still taking place on paper.

Lawyers who specialize in divorce and custody disputes say they have witnessed a flood of activity in family courts in recent months due to the state of the economy.

Franchisors and franchisees will be heading into uncharted territory in New York state when a new law takes effect in December 2009 requiring that every franchisor must provide the Department of Taxation and Finance with contact information and extensive sales and tax data about each franchisee that is operating in the state.

After a pharmaceutical or medical device manufacturer initiates a recall, its duties pursuant to FDA laws and guidelines do not end there. The FDA has set out certain responsibilities and steps that a manufacturer must or should follow after initiating a recall. Pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, however, can effectively combine their post-recall duties and responsibilities with a proactive preparation of a defense of potential litigation.

When should an attorney confess his mistakes to those he fights for? The answer is not always easy, and a lawyer's inclination to admit wrongdoings might depend on how he perceives a client.

The article herein takes the discussion of alternative billing a step further with information from Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). How does a law firm or in-house counsel do it and what steps can taken to create a competitive advantage with alternative billing?

In-house counsel and their outside counterparts routinely struggle with the problem of when and how to issue legal hold notices. When is litigation reasonably anticipated? Who should get the notice? Should the notice be tailored to the case or based on a rigid template? One question that should have a consistent answer is whether the notice should be in writing.