Features

HVCRE Regulations
<b><i>Greater Clarity Needed</b></i><p>The new HVCRE rules require banks to assign a 150% risk weight to any HVCRE exposure (up from the 100% risk weight assigned under general risk-based capital rules) and cover all acquisition, development or construction (ADC) loans unless an exception applies.
Features

What Lawyers Can Learn from Uber, Redux
Lawyers need to know what the client wants and how to get them there before the process starts. Just like a driver who doesn't know exactly where he's taking his riders, a lawyer who isn't totally sure what a client wants — let alone how to get them there efficiently and effectively — is likely to end up with a client who is disgruntled.
Features

Trustee Allowed to Reach Back 10 Years to Avoid a Fraudulent Transfer
Recently, a Florida bankruptcy court permitted a Chapter 7 trustee to reach back 10 years to unwind a fraudulent transfer, a period of time well beyond the two years that practitioners generally expect.
Features

Estate Planning for the Digital Afterlife
This article discusses the importance of accounting for digital assets in an estate plan, provides practical considerations for handling their disposition after death, and describes the current state of the law for the handling of digital assets after death.
Columns & Departments
IP News
Federal Circuit: PTAB Used Overly Broad CBM Patent Standard<br>Federal Circuit: PTAB Patent Invalidation Vacated over Erroneous Invention Conception Date
Features

The 'Death Spiral' Of U.S. Malls
One of the main causes of the "death spiral" of malls in the United States has been the bankruptcies, and subsequent liquidations, of many retailers that were once household names -- and often a mall's anchor tenants.
Features

Law Firms Struggle With Lateral Partner Due Diligence
Firms place a lot of weight on lateral hiring, but many of them aren't very good at it.
Features

General Counsel Pay Just Keeps Rising
Compensation for in-house counsel is up across the board, ranging from 3.7% to as much as 6% at some general counsel and expert counsel levels, according to recently released data from HBR Consulting's 2016 Law Department Survey.
Columns & Departments
Case Notes
A New York court has found that a landlord did not commit fraud when it failed to disclose to its prospective tenant that a long-term municipal improvement construction project was about to commence near the leased premises.
Features

<i>Online Extra</i> <br>Are Google's Confidentiality Agreements Illegal?
A current Google Inc. employee has sued the tech giant over its rules for protecting confidential information, alleging they prohibit workers from whistleblowing or even just complaining to their spouse about their boss. Employment lawyers say that if the allegations in the complaint are true — a big if, of course — Google's rules may well be overly restrictive.
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
- Enhanced Oversight of Search Warrants and Title III WiretapsSearch warrants and wiretaps were once used primarily to investigate organized crime, drug dealing and terrorism. In recent years, however, prosecutors have employed these tools increasingly in the context of white-collar crime to the point where it is now commonplace.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 ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›
- The Right to Associate in the DefenseThe "right to associate" permits the insurer to work with the insured to investigate, defend, or settle a claim. Such partnerships protect the insurer and can prove beneficial to the insured's underlying case and ultimate exposure.Read More ›
- DOJ's Cyber Fraud Initiative: A Wake-up Call That Keeps RingingDOJ's Cyber Fraud Initiative has been a wake-up call for companies to prioritize cybersecurity and adhere to stringent standards. By leveraging the FCA, DOJ has used a powerful enforcement tool to target a wide range of cybersecurity failures and misrepresentations. The increasing focus on cybersecurity by enforcement agencies means that robust cybersecurity practices are becoming a standard expectation, not just a best practice.Read More ›