Lease Accounting Project Update
May 27, 2011
The high volume of comment letters (781) and numerous outreach meetings had common criticisms, causing the FASB/IASB Boards to re-deliberate issues in the Leases Project Exposure Draft.
Erratum
May 27, 2011
In last month's Bit Parts column, the Goldberg v. Cameron, 05-03534, case was decided by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Bit Parts
May 27, 2011
Attorney Fees Award Reversed in 'Independent Creditor's' Suit Against Video Distributor<br>Prevailing Defendant Can Get Attorney Fees, Whether or Not Plaintiff Has Registered Copyright in Dispute<br>Summary Judgment Denied on Whether Distribution Cease-and-Desist Letters Are Privileged
Legal Counsel in Acquisition of CKX
May 27, 2011
Three top Am Law 100 listed firms have advised on Apollo Global Management's $510 million announced acquisition of U.S. entertainment company CKX, owner of television shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
Acquiring an Entertainment Practice Helps Downsized Firm
May 27, 2011
The economic downturn that began in 2008 has been called a "100-year flood" for the legal profession. Layoffs, downsizing and even disappearing firms became common as lawyers sought to survive. The entertainment bar looked for workable survival strategies, too. This article focuses on a law firm that, with income shrinking, nevertheless increased its entertainment practice as a way to stabilize and grow.
Federal Courts in CA, VA Consider Int'l Copyright Laws
May 27, 2011
To what extent does a foreign country's copyright law affect infringement litigation in the United States? Federal district courts in California and Virginia recently considered different aspects of this issue.
Social Media and Negotiating Celebrity Endorser Morals Clauses
May 27, 2011
One thing to do when hiring a celebrity endorser is to be certain the contract includes a "morals clause" that permits termination of a contract if the endorser decides to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc., to tweet, post or upload offensive comments and materials. Know, however, that celebrity agents are very careful not to let contracts be terminated for bad behavior.
When Assets Are 'Sold' to Special Purpose Entities
May 27, 2011
The Seventh Circuit's decision in <i>Paloian v. LaSalle Bank, N.A. (In re Doctors Hospital of Hyde Park Inc.)</i> sheds some new and perhaps disturbing light on the use of special purpose entity structures in corporate finance and also has implications for attorneys who deliver opinions to support transactions involving SPEs.