Features

Supreme Court's October Term 2018 Contains Hints of Things to Come
Part Two of a Two-Part Article In Part One of this article last month, we discussed several of the key business crimes cases from the recently concluded October Term 2018. We resume this discussion in Part Two of our article and offer some concluding thoughts about where the Court may go next in the years to come.
Features

Insider Trading Policies and Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity has been a high priority topic for the SEC the past few years. In September 2017, the SEC created a Cyber Unit within its Enforcement Division. This Cyber Unit had over 225 active investigations at the SEC's 2018 fiscal year end. The SEC has focused in particular on cybersecurity risks facing public companies.
Columns & Departments
In the Courts
Maryland's Largest Ever Ponzi-Scheme: Kevin Merrill Sentenced to 22 Years in Prison for $396 Million Consumer Debt Fraud
Columns & Departments
Business Crimes Hotline
Former Keppel Lawyer Who Cooperated with U.S. Government Fined and Sentenced to Probation for His Role in Petrobras Bribery Scheme
Features

Overview of Limitations on Employee Compensation in Bankruptcy
Recognizing the potential consequences, companies in Chapter 11 bankruptcy often try to reduce employee uncertainty by seeking authority from the bankruptcy court. The Bankruptcy Code, however, imposes a variety of limitations on the ability of a debtor-employer to provide certain types of compensation and benefits to "insiders," a term that is broadly defined in the Bankruptcy Code.
Features

Third Circuit Allows Repossessing Secured Lender to Hold Collateral Pending Bankruptcy Stay
"[A] secured creditor [has no] affirmative obligation under the automatic stay to return a debtor's [repossessed] collateral to the bankruptcy estate immediately upon notice of the debtor's bankruptcy," the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit held on Oct. 28, 2019 in In re Denby-Peterson.
Features

Sympathy for the Debtor? Not When It Comes to Student Loans
The assumption that bankruptcy can't relieve a borrower of student loan obligations is incorrect, however a debtor must provide compelling evidence that an undue hardship will result if the debtor is required to repay the loan.
Features

Increasing Client Requirements: Securing Law Firms for the 21st Century
Clients expect sophisticated and secure systems to keep their information safe. This obviously makes your IT professional's job much harder. Additionally, attorneys expect instant performance and near 100% up time. Achieving the delicate balance between accessibility and security is a challenge.
Features

Law Firm Debt Levels Shrink as Partners Put More Skin in the Game
What Does Widespread 'Deleveraging' Mean for Law Firm Health? Industry watchers say law firms have become less reliant on bank debt over the past decade, as they explore other funding options. Often, that means raising capital from partners, or turning to other, less common sources.
Features

Exit Strategies: Aging Partners Are Forcing Firms to Reconsider Retirement
Baby boomers control an outsize portion of law firm business. As they inch toward retirement, how are firms preparing for the transition process?
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
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- Law Firms and the Rise of HospitalityThe law firm office cannot remain unchanged, as if frozen in time set to some date prior to the onset of pandemic, when the terms and meaning have all changed. In fact, the office must now provide benefits or an experience the lawyers and staff cannot get at home.Read More ›
- From the PTO to the FDA: What to Consider When Branding Clinical TrialsThe legal implications of branding generally arise initially for companies during the process of selecting a company name and any initial product or service names. For drug development companies, however, careful consideration should also be paid to the implications of branding a clinical trial.Read More ›
- Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel'Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel is a continuation of the discussion of client expectations and the disconnect that often occurs. And although the outside attorneys should be pursuing how inside-counsel actually think, inside counsel should make an effort to impart this information without waiting to be asked.Read More ›