LJN Newsletters

This article explores ' from the landlord's perspective ' how to evaluate and craft an option to extend the term of a lease.

Although actual failures appear to have declined, the FDIC's list of nearly 700 "problem" banks reveals that the problem of inadequate bank capitalization and the need for restructuring remains strong.

A San Francisco federal jury found that early versions of Electronic Arts' Madden NFL Football were derivative works of a game created by Robin Antonick. The verdict ' the second favoring Antonick in a three-phase trial ' will be worth between $3.5 million and $11.6 million in unpaid royalties, pending a decision on prejudgment interest, according to one of Antonick's attorneys.

Copyright Infringement/Contempt Motion Denied
Venue Competition/Expert Witnesses

The FASB and IASB issued the second Exposure Draft ("ED") of the proposed new leasing rules on May 16, 2013 with a deadline for comments of Sept. 13, 2013. The ED is an improvement over the 2010 ED in that it is closer to current GAAP in areas such as the definition of the lease term and lease payments.

Who's doing what; who's going where.

A dismissed lawsuit over the rights to the Ghost Rider comic book character has been revived and sent back for trial. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit decided that Gary Friedrich, who claimed he created the flaming-skull motorcycle superhero, will get a chance to challenge Marvel Comics' claim that the character was the result of a collaborative process within Marvel.

In the last several years, private investment groups and wealthy, experienced business owners have showed increased interest in purchasing franchisees. At the same time, food and retail franchisors have moved more deeply into developing units at nontraditional locations. These twin developments have been, for the most part, highly positive for the franchising industry. However, both trends have raised one major challenge for franchisors: negotiating contract terms that deviate from their standard FDD.