Features
eBay Inc., et al. v. MercExchange LLC
The Supreme Court's May 15 decision in eBay Inc., et al. v. MercExchange LLC (eBay) is already a landmark in patent law. The unanimous Court rejected the general rule, previously applied by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, that a permanent injunction will issue against patent infringement absent exceptional circumstances. Instead, the Supreme Court held that, consistent with the 'long tradition of equity practice,' a patent holder must satisfy a four-prong test.
The Oz Illusion: The Expert Behind the Curtain
Notwithstanding all the criticism of baseless opinions expressed in courts by experts, more often than we would wish to contemplate, case outcomes are dictated by expert witnesses ' and some of those witnesses have no empirical bases for the opinions that they express (Eaton, L., 2004. For Arbiters in Custody Battles, Wide Power and Little Scrutiny. <i>The New York Times</i>, 5/23, p. 1).
Features
The Bankruptcy Hotline
Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.
Converting a Chapter 7 to a Chapter 13
It has been a prevailing view in practice under the Bankruptcy Code that a Debtor has an absolute one-time right under Section 706(a) to convert a case from Chapter 7 to another Chapter, the most common scenario involving conversion from Chapter 7 to Chapter 13. However, two recent circuit level cases, reflecting the case law trend, have found that a motion to convert a Chapter 7 to a Chapter 13 may be denied if not made in good faith.
Features
Pitfalls of Critical Vendor Litigation
The latest development in 'critical vendor' litigation occurred in the case where much of it began ' the Kmart Corporation bankruptcy case. On April 12, 2006, United State Bankruptcy Judge Susan Pierson Sonderby denied motions to dismiss lawsuits seeking the return of critical vendor payments, paving the way for the cases to proceed to trial. Although Judge Sonderby's decision was not published, this latest chapter of the Kmart story is worth noting.
Enron Court Says Transferred Claims Remain Tainted
two recent decisions by the Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York serve to reemphasize a maxim well known to those regularly involved in the distressed debt industry. Participants in the market for distressed claims must be aware of the inherent risks and uncertainties in dealing with post-petition debtors, and they must protect themselves accordingly.
Features
News Briefs
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
Features
IFA Legal Symposium: Franchise CEOs Emphasize Importance of Legal Counsel in Wide Variety of Business Issues
Legal counsel to franchise systems have responsibilities that range from drafting and updating UFOCs, to assisting with purchases of new systems, to monitoring legislative and regulatory activity. Which of these services are most needed by franchisors, and how can in-house or outside counsel maximize their value? A special CEO Roundtable session at the International Franchise Association ('IFA') Legal Symposium in Washington, DC, in May tried to answer some of those questions by bringing together four veteran franchisor CEOs who detailed how they work with inside and outside counsel and where they see legal flashpoints in franchising today.
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