Features
Prominent Trial Lawyer Loses Support Fight
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. <i>Gowins v. Gary</i>, 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.
Features
Dealing With Domestic Violence
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 <i>Crowe v. Di Goia</i>, 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.
False Allegations of Sexual Abuse in a Custody Case
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.
Managing Franchise System Growth from the Start
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.
News Briefs
Highlights of the latest franchising news from around the country.
Features
Oldsmobile Dealers, GM Remain at Odds
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.
Features
Court Watch
Highlights of the latest franchising cases from around the country.
In the Courts
Recent rulings of interest to you and your practice.
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Removing Restrictive Covenants In New YorkIn Rockwell v. Despart, the New York Supreme Court, Third Department, recently revisited a recurring question: When may a landowner seek judicial removal of a covenant restricting use of her land?Read More ›
- Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the RoughThere is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.Read More ›
- The Brave New World of Cybersecurity Due Diligence in Mergers and Acquisitions: Pitfalls and OpportunitiesLike poorly-behaved school children, new technologies and intellectual property (IP) are increasingly disrupting the M&A establishment. Cybersecurity has become the latest disruptive newcomer to the M&A party.Read More ›
- A Lawyer's System for Active ReadingActive reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.Read More ›
- Digital Dibs: Rival Views of Generative AI CopyrightsGAI platforms like ChatGPT and OpenAI often require very little human input, shattering this legal landscape's framework by posing a simple question: Who authored the material? We'll explore how two countries are answering this question in different ways.Read More ›