Commercial Law

Two types of contract clauses are commonly cited when a buyer or financing source desires not to make good on its commitment. These clauses are material adverse change clauses and termination fee clauses. Several recent cases show that good draftsmanship and a clear understanding of their intended effect are essential in heading off disputes when implementing these provisions.

The Appellate Court of Illinois decided that a license to use the trademark 'March Madness' 'to advertise, promote, and sell publications, videos, and media broadcasts' included the right to deliver on-demand video content to mobile wireless devices.

With review sites, blogs and commentary appearing everywhere online ' and who knows if anyone other than these sites' creators read them ' let's examine the legal implications of online commentary, everything from writing a review of a book you love on Amazon.com, to registering a domain name and creating a Web site.

Because the challenges facing a developer multiply when it no longer owns an entire project, careful planning and documentation are required in advance of any transfer. While this article addresses issues that arise when different portions of a project are owned by different parties (transfers in general), the main focus is on the issues that arise when different portions of the project are owned by affiliated parties (transfers to affiliates), primarily because those issues are easy to overlook.

In matrimonial litigation the marital residence often constitutes the parties' most valuable asset. Equitable distribution of this asset can involve issues that may or may not have been anticipated at the outset of the litigation. Within the process of accomplishing an equitable division of the home are considerations of separate property credits, capital gains taxes, expenses relating to the residence and timing of valuation of the home. In this month's issue, we discuss separate property credits.

The latest happenings for your review.

Recent items of interest.

As the definition of family becomes increasingly complex, so does the definition of children and further descendants. Who is (and who is not) deemed to be a legal child of a marriage has implications throughout family law. How the law treats adopted children, those born out of wedlock, those born as a result of egg and sperm donation, those born via surrogates and even children conceived after the death of a parent affects support obligations,'