Features

Expect Flurry of Bankruptcy Filings With Coronavirus Slowdown
Potential Clients Are Reaching Out to Bankruptcy Attorneys to Assess the Need for Business Filings Bankruptcy attorneys expected to get calls as the coronavirus pandemic swiftly slowed the economy — and they were right.
Features

What a Difference 3 Months Can Make
The coronavirus has brokers guessing as to how this will affect leasing in the short term, and a report says leasing activity is likely to have a degree of decline in transaction volumes compared to pre-crisis expectations
Features

Force Majeure and the Doctrine of Impossibility
The COVID-19 pandemic is resulting in landlords and tenants closely reviewing a clause in their lease that was long considered unimportant boilerplate. Yes, we are referring to the "force majeure" provision.
Features

Recovery Models for e-Discovery and Litigation Support Services that Make an Impact
In 2019, Mattern went to the market to conduct its first deep dive into e-discovery and litigation support cost recovery in the 2020 e-Discovery and Litigation Support Cost Recovery Survey. Some of the results surprised us.
Features

Venue Reform in Corporate Bankruptcies
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers has introduced a bill that aims to limit where distressed companies can file bankruptcy, making it harder for companies to file outside of the jurisdiction where they are headquartered or have most of their assets. The Bankruptcy Strategist asked Robert J. Gayda, a partner in Seward & Kissel's Bankruptcy and Corporate Reorganization Group who represents a clients in all aspects of restructuring, about his thoughts on proposed venue reform in corporate bankruptcies.
Features

Coronavirus 'Brutal' for Real Estate Transactions as Lenders Hit Brakes on Financing
Much like other everyday activities, real estate transactions are coming to a halt because lenders are holding back over the coronavirus pandemic.
Features

The Coronavirus Is Delaying a Construction Project. What Does Your Contract Say?
Construction project delays that could put developers in default of their contracts. Now is the time to re-examine those contracts to see what exactly they have agreed to.
Features

New Normal Sets In for White-Collar Lawyers in the Virus Era
In a practice that prizes in-person meetings, virtual communication has become commonplace.
Features

Legal Tech: Recovery Models for e-Discovery and Litigation Support Services that Make an Impact
With big data and the resulting explosion of electronic documents, texts, images and voicemails that are subject to discovery, the cost burden was increasing at a pace that required firms to reconsider their recovery approach. This is why in 2019, Mattern conducted its first deep dive into e-discovery and litigation support cost recovery in the 2020 e-Discovery and Litigation Support Cost Recovery Survey. Some of the results were surprising.
Features

Asset Protection, Pre-Bankruptcy Planning and Code §727(a)(2)(A)
This article examines asset protection and pre-bankruptcy planning and its impact on a debtor's discharge through Bankruptcy Code §727(a)(2)(A).
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- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.Read More ›
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