LJN Newsletters

Tax officials, state lawmakers and industry representatives agreed last month to establish an 18-state network for collecting taxes on Internet sales, a compact they hope will encourage online retailers and Congress to endorse a mandatory national program.

The blight of spyware has struck tens of millions of computer users across the globe. In fact, according to a recent nationwide survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 91% of Internet users have changed their online behavior for fear of becoming victims.

Recent rulings of importance to you and your practice.

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.

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.

In 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.

National rulings you need to know.

Successful 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.