Litigation

Buyers generally assume that the multi-page "free and clear" order, which typically follows the sale hearing, will insulate them from any of the seller's current (and often) future liabilities. However, that is not always the case.

Federal Circuit Clarifies Pleading Requirements for Patent Cases and Affirms Grant of Summary Judgment of Invalidity under 35 U.S.C. §101 Federal Circuit Holds that Pendency of Motions Unrelated to Interlocutory Judgment Does Not Toll 30-Day Limit to File Notice of Appeal

Secretly recording conversations or interviews is a dirty business, and it is almost never conducted by the government with the best interests of the witness in mind.

Zoning Amendment Did Not Lapse

Under §301 of the U.S. Copyright Act, state law claims that are "equivalent" to exclusive rights in copyrights granted by federal law are preempted by the federal statute. To survive preemption, courts consider whether a state law claim in a lawsuit has an "extra element" that qualitatively distinguishes it from a federal copyright claim.

Activision Blizzard and a trial team led by San Francisco-based Durie Tangri partner Daralyn Durie recently faced down a $400 million copyright suit in the Eastern District of Texas. In this Q&A, Durie talks about the strategy and the theatrics of the four-day trial.

Since the pandemic began, lawyers have been using the coronavirus to justify nonpayment of rent, construction delays and even termination of labor contracts. But the prospect of litigating a contract cancellation based on force majeure is still so fraught with peril that many breach-of-contract disputes end in an amicable resolution.

In June, New York's lawmakers approved amendments to the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, exempting cooperative corporations from some of the most onerous provisions, and clarifying others. Once signed, the new legislation will not only be a huge victory for the thousands of cooperative apartment buildings but also for many potential purchasers who were unable to purchase in those buildings as a result of the Act.