Litigation

Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.

This article discusses the trend toward increased corporate litigation investment, preparedness and use of internal and external resources to simplify the process of responding to document-intensive requests. It also highlights recent common-law examples of where corporate litigation preparedness and/or response efforts have fallen short, resulting in costly consequences.

Setting aside the contentious issue of whether stimulus activities are good for the economy at large, it is important that applicants for, and recipients of, stimulus funds realize that participation in these programs could result not only in significant benefits, but also in exposure to legal liability.

The Axcelis decision demonstrates the continued reluctance of Delaware courts to allow plaintiffs to utilize DGCL ' 220 as a means to troll for lawsuits against corporations.

National rulings of importance.

Recent rulings of interest to you and your practice.

A recent indictment of a former Member of Congress has rekindled the legal debate over the scope and effect of the Speech or Debate clause and perhaps presages a return to the Supreme Court for a ruling to settle the conflict among the circuit courts about interpretation of the Clause.

On Oct. 16, 2009, federal agents arrested Raj Rajaratnam, the founder of hedge fund Galleon Group, in an alleged insider trading scheme that involved well known public companies and thus far 20 defendants, including lawyers, stock traders, management consultants, and executives inside the issuers themselves. Wiretapping was part of the case.