Litigation

As the nation's first case involving criminal prosecutions of teenagers for "sexting" made its way to a federal appeals court in Philadelphia, all three judges seemed skeptical of the prosecutor's claim that child pornography laws are violated when a teen transmits a nude image of herself.

Film Studio Wins Tax Credit Case
One-Second Sample Isn't Automatic Copyright Infringement
"Sham Affidavit" Rule Applied in Memorabilia Suit

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California denied a motion to exclude the expert testimony of a witness who has worked in advertising and celebrity endorsements for more than three decades.

As a young associate at McManis Faulkner & Morgan, Eric Sidebotham was put in charge of a $4-$6 million gaming dispute between a Silicon Valley executive and a New Jersey casino. Little did he know then that the negotiation skills and casino-related expert witness contacts he picked up at McManis Faulkner would help keep his own two-lawyer firm afloat through one of the deepest recessions in recent memory.

A Star Trek fan who claims he was humiliated after spending more than $24,000 on fake props at a Christie's auction has had his $7 million suit against the auction house zapped by the New York Appellate Division, 1st Department.

The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California determined, in a case transferred to it from a New York federal court, that the New York court properly exercised jurisdiction over California defendants, who had hired the plaintiff, a New York lawyer, for entertainment matters.

How is loss allocated when bodily injury or property damage occurs in several successive policy periods? Can the insured choose the policy that it wishes to cover the loss, limiting itself to one deductible and forcing a single year''s primary (and excess) policy to respond?

As recent litigation has demonstrated, the use of new communications devices with new capabilities is having an effect on how attorneys and their clients communicate, and, therefore, is raising issues in attorney-client privilege.