Features

ESports Streaming Deal Part of Law Firm Practice Aims
It's a deal that provides a potential look into a future where esports, like traditional sports before them, provide a potentially lucrative practice area for firms that want to plant a flag in that plot.
Features

Treatment of Straddle Year Federal Taxes in Bankruptcy Cases
When does a tax liability claim arise in a bankruptcy case? The issue was recently addressed by the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware which ruled that federal income taxes for the year in which a debtor files for bankruptcy are entitled to priority treatment as administrative expenses when the end of the taxable year occurred after the bankruptcy petition date.
Features

Lease Default Provisions Face Scrutiny During COVID-19
As rent defaults skyrocket in 2020, practitioners reviewing the default provisions in their clients' commercial leases must ask themselves a crucial question: Does the provision set out a conditional limitation or a condition subsequent?
Features

Nondischargeability Judgment Requires Willful and Malicious Injury Under Section 523(a)(6)
In re Smith The Bankruptcy Appellate Panel for the Tenth Circuit recently joined the majority of circuit courts of appeals in finding that a creditor seeking a judgment of nondischargeability must demonstrate that the injury caused by the prepetition debtor was both willful and malicious under Section 523(a)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code.
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Artist's Parents Get Dispute With Manager Sent to Arbitration Reasons for Approval of Pro Hac Vice Application in Music Litigation Third Circuit Knocks Down Right of Publicity Claim Over Character in Gears of War Video Game
Features

Recently Introduced Bill Would Limit ITC 'Domestic Industry by Subpoena'
Patent infringement disputes in the United States are not only heard in district courts. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) also decides high-stakes intellectual property disputes — with the remedy for the IP rights holder not being damages, but rather an exclusion order that can block a competitor's importation of infringing articles into the U.S. That remedy can be incredibly powerful for companies engaged in stiff competition in the U.S. market.
Features

Possible Long-Term Impacts of COVID-19 on Commercial Real Estate
While it is likely that the long-term impact of COVID-19 on commercial real estate will be significant, the short-term effect may be to accelerate sector and geographic trends that were already prevalent before the pandemic emerged.
Features

Cash Flows for Bankruptcies During COVID-19
Chapter 11 petition strategy will almost invariably require and depend upon cash flow for continued use of leased stores and restaurants. To say the least, for those companies that filed for bankruptcy on the eve of the COVID-19 shutdowns, the strategies — and available cash flows to pay landlords — did not go as planned.
Features

Valuations Forecasted to Decline in COVID-19's Wake
Taking a pulse on the impact of the pandemic on all sectors of global commercial real estate, valuation firm Duff & Phelps, in conjunction with the GRI club, surveyed over 300 directors on the state of affairs.
Features

Legal Tech: Fall 2020's Most Interesting E-Discovery Cases
In this quarter's Case Law Review, we'll take a look at recent rulings that cover the discoverability of ESI on sources other than a computer, whether social media posts offer any degree of privacy, and the importance of proportionality when attempting to compel production during litigation.
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- The 'Sophisticated Insured' DefenseA majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.Read More ›
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- The Brave New World of Cybersecurity Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitfalls and OpportunitiesLike poorly-behaved school children, new technologies and intellectual property (IP) are increasingly disrupting the M&A establishment. Cybersecurity has become the latest disruptive newcomer to the M&A party.Read More ›
- 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 ›
- Guidance on Distributions As 'Disbursements' and U.S. Trustee FeesIn a recent case from the Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware, In re Paragon Offshore PLC, the bankruptcy court provided guidance on whether a post-plan effective date litigation trust's distributions constituted disbursements subject to the U.S. Trustee fee "tax."Read More ›