For most attorneys, December is dominated by celebratory events ' and each one can be an opportunity to make new contacts and further existing ones. People are generally relaxed and in good spirits at holiday parties; therefore they are often receptive to making new acquaintances. By taking a strategic approach to your holiday party planning, you stand to benefit from them greatly.
In order to discourage and, possibly, sanction an employee for bringing a suit, even where he or she has signed a release, employers have historically added to the release agreement a covenant not to sue. That covenant usually includes a promise that the employee will not sue, and that, if the employee does file suit, he or she must pay the employer's defense costs in addition to his or her own attorneys' fees and costs. Recent cases have called into question the viability, utility, and even the lawfulness of covenants not to sue, such that employers may well decide to forego them when drafting releases of age discrimination claims.
Last month, we discussed voluntary and incentive-based wellness programs, which are usually offered to employees on a voluntary basis, with various incentives often added to foster continued participation. We went on to discuss mandatory programs, which a minority of employers provide to encourage employees to get healthier by providing extensive health care services ' but that also require certain conduct, such as giving up alcohol and tobacco. This month, we continue with an in-depth discussion of the risks associated with mandatory programs.
Thus there are numerous options available to you as in-house counsel if you are faced with a preference action. Knowing how to act, and how quickly, might make the difference between hanging onto the funds you received prior to your clients' bankruptcy, and having to hand them all over to the trustee to be redistributed among all the creditors.
Although a corporation obviously cannot be put in prison, saber-rattling by the government concerning a possible indictment is indeed a draconian threat. In January 2007, Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA) introduced Senate Bill 186, the 'Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act of 2007' ('S. 186'). If enacted, S. 186 would straightforwardly 'prohibit' U.S. Attorneys from conditioning any civil or criminal charge decision upon, or use in deciding whether an organization is 'cooperating' with the government, 'the provision of counsel to, or contribution to the legal defense fees or expenses of, an employee of that organization.' In July 2007, Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA) introduced House Bill 3013 ('H.R. 3013'), a virtually identical bill (and bearing the same name) in the House. Here's why.
This edition of the Quarterly State Compliance Review looks at some legislation of interest to corporate lawyers that went into effect during the last three months, including amendments to Nevada's corporation and unincorporated entity laws. This edition also discusses recent decisions of interest from the courts of Delaware, New York and California.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT) gave FERC the authority to assess penalties under the Natural Gas Act and Federal Power Act of up to $ 1 million per day per violation. FERC has expanded its Office of Enforcement, called for heightened industry compliance programs and self-disclosure of misconduct, and is newly focused on enforcement rather than on traditional ratemaking. Two years into the EPACT era, FERC has used its newly acquired authority vigorously.
Arbitration/NFL Agent Contracts
Copyright Exemption/Subject-Matter Jurisdiction
Sampling/Copyright Infringement
Trademark Infringement/TV-Reality Series
Once again, Law Journal Newsletters are on the forefront with the publication, in this month's issue of Marketing the Law Firm, of the Third Annual MLF…
A profile of Claudia M. Freeman, Director of Marketing & Communications, Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.
