Features

Can A LLC President File for Bankruptcy Over Objections of Debtor’s Other Members?
Through a unilateral bankruptcy filing, a president and manager of a limited liability company sought to utilize the Chapter 11 process and sell a debtor’s business as a going concern over the objection of the debtor’s other members. In this case, the issue was whether the president was authorized to do so.
Features

High National Debt Is Bad for CRE
The federal debt is a huge number at $36 trillion. That has major implications for the government and the economy. Debt numbers this large automatically send out ripples the size of tsunamis. Some of them could wash over long-term Treasury yields and then flood the cost of commercial real estate capital.
Features

What the GOP’s Tax Plan Might Actually Look Like
With Republicans poised to take control of the White House and Congress, the odds are high that key elements of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire at the end of 2025 will in fact be extended — potentially for the better part of the next decade. Still, given the relatively narrow majorities expected in both the House and the Senate, the exact path forward for tax reform and broader federal budget negotiations also includes some unknowns.
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The 2024 LTN Law Firm Tech Survey
The 2024 LTN Law Firm Tech Survey spoke with 30 technologists at top U.S. law firms to get a sense of what technology issues they faced over the past year, how their technology posture, policies and investments are changing, and their thoughts on technology’s impact on the future of the legal industry.
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Partners May Hold the Key to Transforming Their Firms Into Sought-After Opportunities
Structural, generational and workplace trends are redefining the professional development landscape. There is a new model emerging — one which recognizes the value of human skills in client development and talent retention and acknowledges the firm’s responsibility in helping budding lawyers build these skills. Yet today’s partners typically have notable gaps in the areas most needed today. One area, in particular, few get the training they need to be most effective in leadership.
Features

'Melendez/Bochner': No Guarantee the Guaranty Law Survives Constitutional Scrutiny
After nearly four years of litigation, the Second Circuit held recently that a small commercial landlord lacked standing to seek declaratory relief against the City of New York challenging the Guaranty Law under the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
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Fifth Circuit Rejects Majority 'Independent Economic Value' Test for Infringement Damages
Most of the federal circuit courts that have addressed what qualifies either as a "compilation" or as a single creative work apply an "independent economic value" analysis that looks at the market worth of the single creation as of the time when an infringement occurs. But in a recent ruling of first impression, the Fifth Circuit rejected the "independent economic value" test in determining which individual sound recordings are eligible for their own statutory awards and which are part of compilation.
Features

The Power of Your Inner Circle: Turning Friends and Social Contacts Into Business Allies
Practical strategies to explore doing business with friends and social contacts in a way that respects relationships and maximizes opportunities.
Features

Authentic Communications Today Increase Success for Value-Driven Clients
As the relationship between in-house and outside counsel continues to evolve, lawyers must continue to foster a client-first mindset, offer business-focused solutions, and embrace technology that helps deliver work faster and more efficiently.
Features

Court Rules Mere Conduit Defense Not Suitable for a Motion to Dismiss
At the motion to dismiss stage, courts usually won't consider affirmative defenses. This issue arose recently in a preferential transfer case, where a defendant sought to dismiss a complaint by arguing it was a mere conduit, not an initial transferee.
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- The 'Sophisticated Insured' DefenseA 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.Read More ›
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- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn 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.Read More ›
- The New York Uniform Commercial Code Comes of AgeParties in large non-consumer transactions with no connection whatsoever to New York often choose its law to govern their transactions, and New York statutes permit them to do so. What most people do not know is that the New York Uniform Commercial Code is outdated.Read More ›