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Features

The Applicability Of The WARN Act To Law Firms Image

The Applicability Of The WARN Act To Law Firms

Leslie D. Corwin

In addition to its obligations to its clients and creditors, a law firm partnership which is in dissolution, or about to merge or be sold, may have certain statutory obligations to its employees. In recent years there has been litigation surrounding whether the Workers Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) is applicable to partnerships, and in particular, law firm partnerships.

Outsiders As Overseers Image

Outsiders As Overseers

Ward Bower

In the wake of Enron, WorldCom, and other corporate scandals, corporate governance has come under the microscope. One reform that has been widely endorsed is the election of more independent, outside, nonexecutive directors to boards of publicly owned corporations. Outside corporate directors provide not only accountability but also perspective, diverse experience, and credibility. <br>Law firms might well benefit from outside directors in the same way. Indeed, some non-U.S. firms have already done so.

Look Before You Leap Image

Look Before You Leap

Jeffrey Lowe

One of the most difficult decisions any partner faces is whether to make a lateral move. Unlike associate lateral moves, which are relatively straightforward and can be accomplished in as little as one week, the issues facing partners are far more complex, and the process can typically take three to four months ' sometimes much longer. <BR>Before making the leap, partners should consider these questions.

Features

Successful Succession Planning For Law Firms Image

Successful Succession Planning For Law Firms

Alan R. Olson & Debra L. Rhodunda

Succession planning is one of those management issues that rarely gets much attention until a senior partner or rainmaker announces plans to leave or retire ' and then the firm goes into crisis mode.

Features

Case Briefs Image

Case Briefs

Compiled by Thomas O. Mulvihill

Highlights of legal bill auditing cases.

Features

Insurers' Billing Complaints Image

Insurers' Billing Complaints

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

Insurers and auditing firms say that the following types of billing inconsistencies are the most common.

Features

It's Not What You Bill, It's What You're Paid Image

It's Not What You Bill, It's What You're Paid

Kevin Adler

Over the past two decades, the monitoring of legal bills by insurance firms that are paying for outside counsel has become standard practice. Whether using in-house accounting staff or hiring a third party, insurers have put attorneys on notice about what they will pay for, and how work must be documented. In turn, attorneys who defend insurance cases have had to adjust the way they do business.

Features

Attorneys' Major Complaints Image

Attorneys' Major Complaints

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

Attorneys who conduct a large number of insurance defense cases say that they face these problems with the insurance companies that they represent.

Features

Methodology of an Auditing Firm Image

Methodology of an Auditing Firm

Kevin Adler

Judy Brompster of Accountability Services (New York) says that some auditing firms are too prescriptive in their approach. "How can an auditing firm say that a deposition should take 40 minutes?" she asks. "Some take more, and some take less."

Features

BREAKING NEWS Image

BREAKING NEWS

ALM Staff & Law Journal Newsletters

Major setback for same-sex marriage advocates.

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MOST POPULAR STORIES

  • The 'Sophisticated Insured' Defense
    A majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.
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  • Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric Code
    In an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.
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