What Interest Rate Controls?
In today's low-interest rate environment, the difference between a contractual interest rate and the federal judgment rate can be quite significant. It is not surprising, therefore, that this issue has become hotly litigated in cases involving solvent Chapter 11 debtors.
The Paradigm Shift Hits the Fan
AI — artificial intelligence — and its relatives: digital research engines, “bots” and other automatons, have made their beachhead in the legal profession, and it really looks like this is gonna change everything.
On July 18, 2016, Mexico published a comprehensive body of new anti-corruption legislation implementing its 2015 Constitutional reform on this area of the law. The new legislation has received significant attention, and for good reason. However, it has long been plagued with a reputation for corruption, both at the federal and local levels.
In the face of a glaring pay gap between male and female law firm partners, some firm leaders point to the emphasis on origination credit (bringing in new business) as the key culprit. But moving away from such a model may not be so easy.
Although the concept has been very successful in the retail industry, a collection of tenants serving food and beverages in one location presents several issues and problems for both landlords and tenants. Those issues suggest certain aspects of food-court tenancy that should be discussed and addressed during lease negotiations, so that both landlords and tenants end up receiving what they expect to receive from the food court experience.
Minimizing Risk and Protecting Employees
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 2 million employees are victims of workplace violence each year. Violence in the workplace must be a top concern for employers, as no organization is immune from workplace violence and no organization can completely prevent it.
For some time now, the brick and mortar side of the retail industry has been in financial distress. In 2015 and 2016 alone, brand-name companies such as Sports Authority, RadioShack, Aéropostale, American Apparel, Eastern Mountain Sports and City Sports sought bankruptcy protection. A common question in these cases is how to treat holders of unredeemed gift cards. Are they near the back of the line with other general unsecured creditors, or are they entitled to “priority” payment status under the Bankruptcy Code?
No Sanctions Against Plaintiffs' Counsel for Frivolous Copyright Claim
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) introduced a new standard for anti-bribery compliance, known as “ISO 37001,” in September. This represents a significant step toward the continued development and standardization of international anti-bribery compliance. By the end of the year, companies can obtain an independent certification from a third-party auditor, attesting to the fact that their internal compliance programs conform to ISO 37001 requirements. So is it worth your time? It depends.
In In re Reichhold Holdings US, bankruptcy judge Mary F. Walrath upheld the validity of a vendor's administrative claim for its reclamation rights under Section 546(c) of the Bankruptcy Code as against a post-petition DIP lender. In doing so, Judge Walrath declined to follow cases from the Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York that held otherwise.
