Features

The Way Big Law Reacts to Economic Cycles Is Unrealistic, Unhealthy and Inhumane
The problem isn't that economies are cyclical, that's a fact of life. The problem here is that Big Law can sometimes have unrealistic reactions to both upturns and downturns. If this happens, it's not in the interests of their own attorneys or their clients. It's inhumane and unhealthy.
Columns & Departments
Fresh Filings
Notable court filings in entertainment law.
Features

Online Extra: The Other Recent Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Against Ed Sheeran
The lion's share of attention to copyright-infringement claims against Ed Sheeran over his song of the Year "Thinking Out Loud" recently focused on the trial in New York federal court in which a jury found in Sheeran's favor in the lawsuit brought by the heirs of a co-author of the 1970s soul-song classic "Let's Get It On." But in September 2022, a related infringement suit over the same songs' matching chord progression and harmonic rhythm was allowed to go forward.
Features

SEC Selective Enforcement Throws Doubt On Whether Securities Rules Apply to Crypto
Digital assets have created a jurisdictional tug of war between the SEC and the CFTC over whether cryptocurrencies should be regulated as commodities or securities. Also tugging on that rope sit those who say cryptocurrencies are neither, and need new bespoke rules.
Columns & Departments
Real Property Law
Mortgagee's Action to Vacate Tax Sale Should Not Have Been Dismissed Even Though Redemption Period Had Expired Landowner Has Right of Access Across State Lands Part Performance Exception to Statute of Frauds Inapplicable Emails Insufficient to Satisfy Statute of Frauds Statute of Limitations Does Not Bar Claim to Remove Cloud on Title Purchase Option Not Assignable Buyer Recovers Down Payment When Seller Failed to Deliver Certificate of Occupancy Nassau County's Recording Fees Held Excessive and Improper Section 265-a Authorizes Rescission of Termination Agreement Prescriptive Easement Claim Fails for Failure to Establish Hostile Use
Features

Delaware Bankruptcy Court Provides Guidance On Drafting Proxies
Proxies in voting and support agreements, secured debt instruments, and other corporate documents should be drafted in a manner that fully reflects the intended scope of the parties' proxy relationship.
Columns & Departments
Landlord & Tenant Law
Tenant's Failure to Restore Premises At End of Lease Constitutes Breach Fraud Exception to Four-Year Lookback Period Inapplicable Guaranty Clause Did Not Bind Tenant's Principal
Features

Using the Generational Gap to Enhance Engagement
For over a decade, starting when the first millennials graduated law school, efforts to seamlessly integrate — or, perhaps in some cases, strong-arm — new hires into the law firm business model have been a source of focus; and, for many, consternation. Distinct contrasts in ways of working, personal motivators and prevailing attitudes have left many leaders frustrated and disillusioned.
Columns & Departments
Players On the Move
A look at moves among attorneys, law firms, companies and other players in entertainment law.
Features

Big Law Leaders Grappling With Attorney Disengagement
Unlike burnout or "quiet quitting," which arguably stemmed from mostly short-term dynamics, observers point to a collision of current and long-term trends, such as post-pandemic work and generational shifts, that have led lawyers today to be less committed to or fulfilled in the profession as they were a decade ago.
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
- 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 ›
- 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 ›
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.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 ›