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Development
Use Variance Not Necessary for Use of Home As AirBnB Rental Merger of Back-to-Back Lots
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State High Court Preserves Lenders' Tort Claims Against Debtors' Insiders
A lender's state law tort claims against "non-debtor third-parties for tortious interference with a contract" were "not preempted" by "federal bankruptcy law," held the New York Court of Appeals.
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COMPETITIVE INTELLIGENCE: Powering Nonprofits With Research
In a time when many of us are searching for ways to help support others, could we use our research super powers to support nonprofit organizations in their philanthropic work? I think Yes!
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Looking Ahead to Avoid Spoliation Sanctions
A recent Federal Circuit decision denying a petition for a writ of mandamus should serve as a cautionary tale and reminder for corporate entities regarding the critical importance of preserving documentary evidence in a timely and appropriate manner.
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Late Year Collections Could Make or Break 2020 Profitability
Success in 2020 is likely to come down to who your clients are. If they were hit hard by the pandemic that will trickle down to their vendors, including law firms. But for others, the top line could come out nearly unscathed.
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Extra-Judicial Evictions of Commercial Tenants During COVID-19
This article addresses and updates the law on the self-help remedy that enables commercial landlords to regain possession of leased premises from tenants in material breach of one or more lease covenants.
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MARKETING TECH: Leveraging Data to Drive Innovation in A Post-Pandemic (We Hope) World
With a new year and fresh outlook for the future, the time is ripe for legal technologists and innovators to take the delivery of legal services and client experience to the next level. One key is recognizing that successful innovation — be it turning best practices into standard operating procedures, or reinventing the law firm business model altogether — is equal parts mindset, method and message.
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Is Accountant Malpractice Compensation Taxable?
If a taxpayer suffers a loss by reason of errors made by a tax advisor, and the tax advisor makes a payment to compensate the taxpayer for the loss. May the payment be excluded from the taxpayer's income subject to tax?
Columns & Departments
Real Property Law
Stranger to the Deed Rule Does Not Bar Easement Claim Misconduct By Mortgagor's Lawyer Voids Foreclosure Sale Permissive Exclusive Use of Common Driveway Does Not Extinguish Easement Bidder At Tax Foreclosure Sale Forfeits Deposit Upon Default
Features

USPTO Sets Precedent on Collective Patent Defense Groups with RPX Ruling
It took two years and a last-minute substitution of judges for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to rule that RPX Corp. was too close to a dues-paying member to bring a patent validity challenge.
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MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.Read More ›
- Private Equity Valuation: A Significant DecisionInsiders (and others) in the private equity business are accustomed to seeing a good deal of discussion ' academic and trade ' on the question of the appropriate methods of valuing private equity positions and securities which are otherwise illiquid. An interesting recent decision in the Southern District has been brought to our attention. The case is <i>In Re Allied Capital Corp.</i>, CCH Fed. SEC L. Rep. 92411 (US DC, S.D.N.Y., Apr. 25, 2003). Judge Lynch's decision is well written, the Judge reviewing a motion to dismiss by a business development company, Allied Capital, against a strike suit claiming that Allied's method of valuing its portfolio failed adequately to account for i) conditions at the companies themselves and ii) market conditions. The complaint appears to be, as is often the case, slap dash, content to point out that Allied revalued some of its positions, marking them down for a variety of reasons, and the stock price went down - all this, in the view of plaintiff's counsel, amounting to violations of Rule 10b-5.Read More ›
- The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year LaterThe DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.Read More ›
- The DOJ Goes Phishing: The Rise of False Claims Act Cybersecurity LitigationWhile the DOJ Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative is still in its early stages and cybersecurity regulations are evolving, whistleblower plaintiffs have already begun leveraging the FCA to pursue alleged noncompliance with government cybersecurity requirements.Read More ›