Columns & Departments
Counsel Concerns
A Philadelphia-based litigation funding company is suing a California law firm and its client over the alleged failure to repay funds loaned to help support the client during his copyright suit against musical artist Usher and various record labels.
Columns & Departments
Movers & Shakers
Movement among franchise attorneys and executives.
Features
Key Considerations When Purchasing A Franchise
Buying a franchise can be a great path to business ownership for your clients. Unlike starting a business from scratch, they will be able to leverage the benefits of an established brand and a proven operating plan. But how to decide which franchise to buy?
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Cartoon Network Mobile App Users Android ID Isn't "Personally Identifiable Information" under the Video Privacy Protection Act<br>Court Says Republication Rule Alive in Tennessee But Dismisses Defamation Claims by Disqualified American Idol Finalist<br>Toto Denied 50% Royalty for Digital Download Sales
Features
The Brave New World Of Internet Copyright Trolls
Copyright trolls are in the business of acquiring the right to bring lawsuits against alleged infringers and threatening to file copyright infringement claims in order to induce rapid settlements against large groups of defendants.
Features
Insurance Coverage In Trademark Disputes
On Aug. 20, 2014, summary judgment was granted to the plaintiff insurance company, upholding its denial of coverage to indemnify judgments in two trademark counterfeiting cases. <i>United States Fidelity & Guarantee v. Ashley Reed Trading.</i> The opinion provides insight to trademark practitioners about insurance coverage and provides information about strategies for trademark owners' enforcement efforts.
Features
Social Media Invades and Modernizes Employment Practices
While there are not currently any laws in the United States forbidding employers from gleaning information from social media ' whether during the hiring process or at any point in the employment relationship ' improper use can get them into trouble.
Features
Rocket Matter Case Study
Each system reviewed had features that raised the interest of at least one of our testers. Overall though, the most effective criteria we applied was: "Does it work for us?" Did the product function as promised and fit with the way our users envisioned themselves using the system? And I must emphasize the word envisioned because this move was such a departure for some that it was unlike anything they had experienced before. Ultimately, we determined that system to be Rocket Matter.
Features
Deferred Compensation Plans under Section 409A
Section 409A applies to any arrangement that postpones payments of compensation to subsequent years. The Notice spells out what is and is not deferred compensation, Single-person Plans, "defined benefit" non-qualified plans, Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans (SERPs) and arrangements for non-employees (directors, trustees and independent contractors).
Features
Plugging Profitability Leaks
We've long known that vague, incomplete or misunderstood instructions from partners to associates is a prime source of profitability leaks ' revenue lost because of all the time spent on reinventing the wheel, because of do-overs, and because of significant amounts of time written down or eventually written off. We've also long known that an amazingly simple delegation improvement technique can help reduce write-downs of time by up to 18%.
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MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- Private Equity Valuation: A Significant DecisionInsiders (and others) in the private equity business are accustomed to seeing a good deal of discussion ' academic and trade ' on the question of the appropriate methods of valuing private equity positions and securities which are otherwise illiquid. An interesting recent decision in the Southern District has been brought to our attention. The case is <i>In Re Allied Capital Corp.</i>, CCH Fed. SEC L. Rep. 92411 (US DC, S.D.N.Y., Apr. 25, 2003). Judge Lynch's decision is well written, the Judge reviewing a motion to dismiss by a business development company, Allied Capital, against a strike suit claiming that Allied's method of valuing its portfolio failed adequately to account for i) conditions at the companies themselves and ii) market conditions. The complaint appears to be, as is often the case, slap dash, content to point out that Allied revalued some of its positions, marking them down for a variety of reasons, and the stock price went down - all this, in the view of plaintiff's counsel, amounting to violations of Rule 10b-5.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- The DOJ Goes Phishing: The Rise of False Claims Act Cybersecurity LitigationWhile the DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative is still in its early stages and cybersecurity regulations are evolving, whistleblower plaintiffs have already begun leveraging the FCA to pursue alleged noncompliance with government cybersecurity requirements.Read More ›
- What Does 2024 Hold for Cybersecurity?Our annual poll of experts on the trends and developments to watch out for in 2024 in AI, data privacy, cybersecurity, e-discovery and more.Read More ›