LJN Newsletters

Municipal bankruptcies under Chapter 9 of the Bankruptcy Code are rare. These cases are often filed to adjust bonded indebtedness and pension obligations. Congressional authorization for Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities to file for bankruptcy under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) was similarly out of concern for excessive bond debt and pensions.

Government-imposed corporate monitors — once a rare occurrence in the U.S. — are now commonplace, not only with domestic regulators, but also with regulatory agencies in various other countries, in connection with enforcement proceedings and prosecutions for criminal offenses such as anti-corruption violations and other misconduct.

What powers does the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) have to require a building owner to maintain a mechanical clock located in the interior of a building? In Save America's Clocks, Inc. v. City of New York, that issue generated a 3-2 division in the First Department, with the majority holding that the Commission had power to require maintenance of the clock, and to require public access to it.

On Jan. 8, 2018, the Federal Circuit issued its significant en banc decision in Wi-Fi One, LLC v. Broadcom. In that decision, the Federal Circuit held that the time-bar of 35 U.S.C. §315(b) is reviewable on appeal, thus overturning a prior panel decision and opening the door for parties to challenge how the USPTO has interpreted and applied that statutory provision.

Designing Your Week

More than ever before, law firms are recognizing the importance of work-life balance for their employees, offering benefits such as flexible work schedules and working remotely. The acknowledgement itself is important, but unfortunately, it does not guarantee the balance we hope to achieve, especially for younger marketing and business development professionals looking to advance in their careers.

Several leading law firms in the National Football League concussion settlement litigation are taking issue with an expert report that suggested slashing attorney fee recoveries. More than 10 law firms have filed responses to a December expert report that recommended capping attorney fees.

There was a time not so long ago when the term “e-discovery” didn't exist. It was known simply by its legal name, discovery. We're now entering an era where some observers feel the term will fade into history, returning us back to simply calling it discovery.

In a nearly 50-page precedential opinion in a ruling of great significance to the entertainment industry, a TTAB panel of judges recently underscored the need to prove actual use in commerce in order to register a trademark, regardless of how low the standard for use under the Lanham Act has recently become.