LJN Newsletters

On May 21, 2008, President Bush signed into law the Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008. This act prohibits employers and insurers from discriminating against individuals based on an individual's genetic information. The Act, which, on the employment side, is patterned after Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, creates a new federal cause of action for genetic discrimination, providing for jury trials, compensatory damages and punitive damages.

The present economic climate is predictive of increased bankruptcy filings, liquidations, and other insolvencies. Under the appropriate circumstances, a company's directors' and officers' liability policies are potential corporate assets that should not be forgotten or ignored.

While insurers have often tried to exclude losses for arson occurring in a vacant building under the typical vandalism exclusion, there is no clear consensus for how a given court may rule in such a situation. The biggest hurdle appears to be the differing opinions of the "average" insurance purchaser from state to state, and there appears to be very little rhyme or reason for the difference in results.

Highlights of the latest intellectual property news from around the country.

After a successful willful infringement verdict, which subsequently resulted in treble damages, the issue of willful infringement may not yet be decided.

Who's doing what; who's going where.

Health'care-industry bankruptcy cases are unique in complexity and sensitivity. As such, health-care bankruptcy cases are financially and legally multifaceted, and may contain political dynamics often unseen in other types of bankruptcies.

While an attorney may believe he is fulfilling his professional duty by assisting a corporate client in effectuating a financial transaction, if such transaction is ultimately found to be a fraudulent transfer or a breach of the fiduciary duties of one or more of the corporate client's principals, the attorney who counseled the client on such transaction could find him- or herself liable for aiding and abetting a deepening insolvency.