Litigation

Compiled through industry research, industry participants' expertise and ELFA member input, the trends are designed to help businesses and other organizations as they execute their equipment acquisition strategies during the coming year.

Ubiquitous news of law firm data breaches, even among BigLaw, spotlights a treasure trove of trade secrets, confidential and strategic transactions, and sensitive client information. No wonder law firms are perceived to be attractive targets of cyber-attacks. Attractive? You can't help that. Easy? Not so fast.

In a case decided on Oct. 17, 2016, the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania rejected a long-standing position taken by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue dealing with when renewal periods must be added to the initial term of a lease for realty transfer tax purposes.

SXSW Conference
The Changing Analysis of Copyright Infringement in Music

Despite the established purpose of a compensatory damage award, there are occasions when a verdict is so excessive it could only have been arrived at in an effort to punish, rather than to compensate. In those instances of a "runaway" jury award, there are two generally recognized forms of relief available to address the excessive verdict: a new trial as to damages only, or remittitur.

Part Two of a Two-Part Article
A continuation of the discussion regarding the fact that the Connecticut Supreme Court is currently considering whether the state should abandon its traditional strict product liability standard for design defect claims and replace it with section 2(b) of the Restatement (Third) of Torts, which requires plaintiffs to prove the manufacturer's foreseeability of harm, and prove the effectiveness of a reasonable alternative design in order to recover damages for product-caused injuries.

This article provides an overview of the "reptile method," why it can be successful if not rebutted, and some ideas on how a defendant can present a more fulsome story about its good conduct, actual legal obligations and the facts to the jury.

In the case of Caltagirone v. Cephalon, Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas Judge Denis P. Cohen has granted the plaintiff the right to subpoena documents concerning pharmaceuticals manufacturer Cephalon from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern Dirstrict of Pennsylvania. Here's an analysis of the ruling.