Features

Plaintiffs Bar Not Happy with J&J's Shift of Liability to Victim Fund
A bankruptcy filing allows Johnson & Johnson to shift legal liability over its talc-based baby powder into a potential $2 billion compensation program for cancer victims, but not without a big fight from the plaintiffs bar.
Features

How Disney's Motion to Compel Arbitration of Scarlett Johansson's Lawsuit Over 'Day-and-Date' Release of Black Widow Movie Might Have Played Out
Johansson alleges that, in order to generate new subscribers for Disney+, Disney intentionally interfered with her talent agreement with Disney affiliate Marvel Studios for her featured role in Black Widow — and thus allegedly induced Marvel to breach a promise in the Johansson/Marvel agreement for the film to be initially distributed in exclusive "wide theatrical release." Updated Oct. 1 to reflect a confidential settlement reached in the case.
Features

Court's Decision In Epic/Apple Battle Explained
The federal judge who presided over the antitrust showdown between Fortnite developer Epic Games Inc. and Apple Inc. found that Epic failed to prove the tech giant is a monopolist, but ordered Apple to allow certain in-app purchasing communications.
Features

Appellate Division Upholds West Side Tower
In a dispute over West Side development, the First Department handed a victory to developers seeking to build a 39-story building on the block between West 65th and West 66th Street, and Columbus Avenue and Central Park West.
Features

Sender Beware: Jurisdictional Risks of Pre-Litigation Communications
The Federal Circuit recently clarified — and lowered — the threshold to exercise specific personal jurisdiction over an out of state declaratory judgment defendant.
Columns & Departments
Real Property Law
Restrictive Covenant Enforceable Despite Permission By Successor Landowner Insufficient Evidence of Street Dedication Inadequate Notice to Mortgagee Voids Tax Sale Court Reinstates Malpractice Claim Against Lawyer Alleged to Have Solicited Transfer of Title of Residence In Foreclosure Notice of Pendency Provides Constructive Notice Servient Owner Not Entitled to Alter Easement Location Adverse Possession Defeats Co-Tenants' Partition Action
Features

11th Circuit Rules On Who Controls Copyright Case
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed a lower court ruling that its judges said could have come straight out of a telenovela, or Spanish soap opera.
Features

Counsel Concerns: Retiring Disney GC Reportedly 'Upset' Over Handling of ABC Sex Allegations Probe
When a company is confronted with a potential scandal and considering whether to launch an investigation, general counsel tend to be involved in that decision — and for good reason. But what happens when the legal chief gets leapfrogged?
Columns & Departments
Development
Planning Board Took Requisite Hard Look Under SEQRA Denial of Special Use Permit Upheld
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Recording Artist's Attorney Prevails in Lawsuit Brought Against Her by Client's Record Label
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
- Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.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 ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the RoughThere is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.Read More ›
- 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 ›