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A recent decision from the Ohio Supreme Court may have an impact on the marketability of commercial lease agreements. In <i>Preferred Capital, Inc. v. Power Engineering Group, Inc.</i>, 112 Ohio St. 3d 429, 860 N.E.2d 741 (2007), the court held that an open-ended forum selection clause, often referred to as a 'floating forum clause,' was not enforceable. The <i>Preferred Capital</i> court found that a floating forum clause in a lease agreement, which provided that any lawsuit arising from the lease would be venued in the state of the lessor's <i>or its assignee's</i> principal place of business, was unreasonable and contrary to public policy. While one might conclude that the subject forum clause is innocuous, the court took issue with the fact that the designated forum could be transferred to another jurisdiction if the lease agreement were assigned. In other words, if the lease were assigned to an assignee with a principal place of business that differed from that of the lessor, the appropriate forum would change. Another significant consideration for the court was the disparity of information between the parties. At the time the lease agreements were executed, the lessor was aware that the leases would be assigned to a company that was based in a foreign jurisdiction. The court's refusal to enforce the forum clause was based, in large part, on the lessor's failure to disclose that information at the time the parties entered into the lease.

Recent rulings of interest to you and your practice.

As the baby boomer generation ages, a greater and greater concentration of wealth is being held in retirement plan benefits. Dealing with the complexities of retirement plan benefits, whether it be via a prenuptial agreement or a divorce settlement, is unavoidable. An inadequate understanding of how these plans work can make a significant difference in your client's tax bill.

In what appears to be an issue of first impression in a case over the disposition of the remains of a divorcing couple's deceased son, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania has ruled that trial courts have the authority to order the division of cremated remains where the loved ones are in a dispute. Nevertheless, the court found that the Court of Common Pleas of Schuylkill County had abused its discretion in ordering the division of ashes and remanded the case back to the trial court.

The news is full of stories about the substantial, long-term effects of the subprime mortgage crisis on the mortgage-lending industry. But little has been written about how it will affect other market segments like the leasing industry. There will certainly be spillover, although it won't be as dramatic. This article explores what the leasing industry should be looking for, and doing, in response to this crisis.

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Recently, the New York State Court of Appeals equitably estopped a man from denying paternity in order to protect the child's best interests. The man had no biological link to the child, but was deceived by his paramour into thinking that he was the father. <i>Matter of Shondel J. v. Mark D.</i>. The impact this ruling could have on same-sex couples and the children of their unions is potentially significant ' not just for couples in New York, but for same-sex couples in all states that value the best interests of the children of those unions.

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Very few firms, even in the legal market ' the industry that pioneered the enterprise use of mobile devices ' have deployed additional applications to their mobile users. According to ILTA's 2006 Technology Survey ' Aggregate Answers from 'Large' and 'Very Large' firms, aggregate usage of PDAs at large firms is pegged at 74%, yet only 5% of those firms offer any of their users a mobile version of one of any lawyer's core applications, time entry.

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Stan Soocher shares the latest news.