Decisions of Interest
Recent rulings of importance to your practice.
Class Action Waivers in Commercial Agreements
While the legal status of class action waivers is evolving in the United States, largely due to a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year, franchisors that operate in the United States and Canada also should be aware of the differences in how the two countries address this important element of franchise contracts.
Features
Divorce Cases Are Complicated by New Maintenance Rules
A new system for calculating interim maintenance awards in matrimonial actions, adopted last year to make no-fault divorce more palatable, is under fire from many attorneys who say it is confusing, and potentially inequitable.
Child Testimony
The testimony of children in family proceedings is governed by unique rules that derive from the tension between due process and the protection of children. Here's what you need to know.
Features
Fighting Against the 'SUNY Cap'
A recent decision handed down by the Manhattan Supreme Court is highlighting the fact that although the SUNY cap has its place, it is not the last word. That case, <i>Pamela T. v Marc B.</i>, deserves a serious look.
The Doctrine of Equitable Tolling and Vaccine Claims
The limitations period for the filing of claims under the "Vaccine Act" has kept many from recovering for vaccine-related injuries. Still, claimants try to stretch the boundaries, offering varying reasons for why their cases should not be time-barred.
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MOST POPULAR STORIES
- 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 ›
- 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 ›
- The DOJ Goes Phishing: The Rise of False Claims Act Cybersecurity LitigationWhile the DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative is still in its early stages and cybersecurity regulations are evolving, whistleblower plaintiffs have already begun leveraging the FCA to pursue alleged noncompliance with government cybersecurity requirements.Read More ›