Recently, a prominent Georgia trial lawyer was ordered to pay his former paramour $6 million in child support payments. Willie Gary, whose law practice is based in Florida, claimed in court papers to have a net worth of $60 million. Gowins v. Gary, No. 2004CV88406. (Fult. Super. Ct., July 15, 2004). Gary is known in Georgia law circles for his representation of race discrimination plaintiffs against The Coca-Cola Co., and Centennial Olympic Park bombing victims suing Atlanta Olympic organizers. His Web site boasts of winning a $240 million verdict against The Walt Disney Co. in 2001 in an intellectual property theft case; a $139.6 million verdict against brewer Anheuser-Busch; and a half-billion-dollar verdict against the Loewen Group, a large Canadian funeral-home chain.
- July 28, 2005ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |
Domestic violence cases are heard in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division - Family Part, a court of equity. This is the same arm of the court that can restrain or force a person's actions under Crowe v. Di Goia, 90 N.J 126 (1982), terminate a marriage, award custody, order the payment of support, sell property, tell parents when they can see a child, and decide numerous other substantive issues that can dramatically affect a person's life.
July 28, 2005David S. Carton and Whitney G. FishIn my experience as both a matrimonial and a criminal defense lawyer, the most difficult cases to handle are custody disputes involving false accusations of sexual abuse of a child. The overriding presumptions, that the child must be protected and that the alleged perpetrator is a source of danger to the child, coupled with multiple layers of civil and criminal litigation, require a unified theme with vastly different approaches to the various proceedings. This alone makes this type of case different from any other representation an attorney undertakes.
July 28, 2005Joseph P. BluthSuccessful franchisors that seek to expand their systems and new companies that are attracted to the concept of franchising face numerous legal, financial, and logistical challenges in developing and implementing a successful growth strategy. Anticipating those potential difficulties before they arise and finding ways to avoid them altogether are among the most important services that franchise counsel can provide. The 38th annual International Franchise Association ("IFA") Legal Symposium in May 2005 included two well-attended sessions that addressed the major issues that franchisors often face when trying to expand their systems.
July 28, 2005Kevin AdlerHighlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
July 28, 2005ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |Some Oldsmobile franchisee-dealers remain dissatisfied with the financial settlements offered by General Motors Corp. ("GM") as compensation for GM's decision in December 2000 to phase out its Oldsmobile product line. Of the approximately 2800 Oldsmobile dealers who were operating when GM announced its phase out, fewer than 100 have not come to an agreement with GM, according to the automaker. Although numerous lawsuits have been filed in the past 2 1/2 years and some remain active, none have gone to trial so far.
July 28, 2005Kevin AdlerHighlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
July 28, 2005Genevieve Beck and Jon SwierzewskiRecent rulings of interest to you and your practice.
July 28, 2005ALM Staff | Law Journal Newsletters |The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) provides two avenues by which a U.S. concern can be prosecuted for improper payments to foreign officials: the anti-bribery provisions, and the books-and-records and internal-control provisions. Somewhat unclear, however, is the kind of involvement in a foreign subsidiary a U.S. parent must have such that it might be exposed to criminal or civil enforcement. This article explores liability for misconduct of foreign subsidiaries and what preventive measures a parent can take.
July 28, 2005Jacqueline C. Wolff and Keith Lieberthal