Features

The Fourth Amendment and ESI
Courts have long acknowledged that searches of computers and other mediums storing electronic information (ESI) often involve a degree of intrusiveness much greater in quantity and in kind from searches of other containers. This article reviews some recent case law that spotlights this ever developing area of the law.
Features

The 4th Amendment and ESI
Courts continue to grapple with the specificity of description required by these warrants for electronically stored evidence so as not to undermine the particularity required by the Fourth Amendment.
Features

Supreme Court Unwilling to Rule On Constitutionality of Florida and Texas Social Media Legislation
The court's unwillingness to issue a final decision at this early stage indicates how much is at stake for social media moderation of users' postings. The outcome could set a crucial precedent affecting the regulation of content on social media platforms, influencing how these entities manage user-generated content and exercise their editorial discretion.
Features

Supreme Court Limits Impact Fees
In April, the U.S. Supreme Court decided Sheetz v. County of El Dorado, holding that legislatively-imposed fees on development are subject to the same constitutional scrutiny as fees imposed by administrative bodies. The Court's decision may have an impact on fees New York municipalities impose on developers in lieu of developer-provided parkland.
Features

The Guaranty Law Continues to Divide Opinion
This article discusses the recent developments surrounding the constitutionality of the Guaranty Law. In particular, we address the Southern District's view that the statute is unconstitutional and the splintered view of the statute's constitutionality expressed by New York State courts.
Features

Owners Have No Constitutional Right to Expand Nonconforming Uses
Can a municipality's refusal to permit expansion of a pre-existing nonconforming use constitute a federal constitutional violation?
Features

Municipality's Refusal to Permit Expansion of a Pre-Existing Nonconforming Use Doesn't Violate Constitution
Can a municipality's refusal to permit expansion of a pre-existing nonconforming use constitute a federal constitutional violation? The federal district court for the Eastern District of New York faced that question and awarded summary judgment to the municipality, rejecting the landowner's substantive due process and takings claims.
Features
The First Amendment and the Lanham Act At the Supreme Court
In March, the Supreme Court heard a blockbuster trademark case with significant implications for trademark law. After argument, reversal seems likely as questioning from the justices suggests that a long-standing precedent is unlikely to survive unscathed. But the Court also indicated concern over the broader implications of this case in the arts, entertainment, and publishing. Here's what you need to know about Jack Daniel's v. VIP Products.
Features

Supreme Court Finds 2017 Bankruptcy Fee Increases Unconstitutional But Leaves Remedy Unclear
The Supreme Court concluded that because the 2017 amendments exempted debtors located in two States, it was not "uniform" as it did not apply equally to all debtors regardless of where they were situated and, therefore, the statute was unconstitutional.
Features

Efforts to Provide Out-of-State Abortion Travel Benefits Face Rapidly Shifting Legal Landscape
Employment attorneys say the breadth of new state laws — and the pace at which they are going into effect — means in-house counsel at companies trying to create workarounds for employees in states with restrictive abortion laws by providing benefits that would allow them to travel out-of-state to access abortion services will need to be on high alert, since keeping up on top of the laws will be key to limiting their exposure to litigation — or even criminal penalties.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- The 'Sophisticated Insured' DefenseA majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.Read More ›
- A Lawyer's System for Active ReadingActive reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.Read More ›
- The Brave New World of Cybersecurity Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitfalls and OpportunitiesLike poorly-behaved school children, new technologies and intellectual property (IP) are increasingly disrupting the M&A establishment. Cybersecurity has become the latest disruptive newcomer to the M&A party.Read More ›
- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.Read More ›
- Guidance on Distributions As 'Disbursements' and U.S. Trustee FeesIn a recent case from the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, In re Paragon Offshore PLC, the bankruptcy court provided guidance on whether a post-plan effective date litigation trust's distributions constituted disbursements subject to the U.S. Trustee fee "tax."Read More ›