Medspa Operations
The medical spa industry has grown rapidly over the last several years. In 2004, there were only 471 in the United States, but by 2009 there were nearly 2,000. The law of averages suggests that with more spas, more treatments and more injuries, there are bound to be more mishaps and adverse reactions at these facilities.
The CPSIA : One (Difficult) Year Later
Though its enactment in 2008 was well-intentioned, implementation of the CPSIA has been a logistical nightmare ' largely because this far-reaching law was enacted without providing adequate resources to the CPSC to enforce it or giving sufficient forethought to its implications for the affected businesses.
Practice Tip: The Economic Loss Rule
A relative youngster in terms of legal doctrines, the Economic Loss Rule has quickly gained widespread acceptance in state and federal courts. First recognized by California in 1965, it has now been endorsed in some form by the U.S. Supreme Court and nearly every state.
Climate Change and Global Warming
This article examines four avenues for addressing the problems of climate change and global warming: international diplomacy, litigation, regulatory agency action, and legislation. Various aspects of these avenues impact product manufacturers and, in turn, product liability litigation.
Economic Stimulus and False Claims Act Liability
Setting aside the contentious issue of whether stimulus activities are good for the economy at large, it is important that applicants for, and recipients of, stimulus funds realize that participation in these programs could result not only in significant benefits, but also in exposure to legal liability.
Who's Allegedly 'Cooking the Books' and Where?
In a poll conducted during an April 23, 2009 Deloitte online seminar entitled "Managing Fraud Risk: Insights and Practical Strategies," 72% of the 2,123 respondents indicated a belief that the number of accounting frauds uncovered would increase over the next two years.
'Prejudice'
It is fairly well established in many courts across the United States that "late notice" of a claim under an occurrence-based commercial general liability ("CGL") policy presents a problem for insureds only when it "actually" and "substantially prejudices" an insurer. In light of that standard, insurers appear to face high hurdles if they rely on notice issues to avoid coverage. At the very least, it seems that the question of prejudice is highly factual and thus should be preserved for a jury to decide.
Pension Funding
The conclusion of this two-part article addresses: 1) whether the Program qualifies for AFTAP valuation as an asset; 2) whether the Program complies with COLI Best Practices of 2006 and IRC ' 101(j) and Notice 2009-48; and 3) whether the Program is a prohibited transaction.
Interpreting FTC's New Endorsement Guidelines
For the first time since the 1980s, the FTC recently overhauled its guidelines and liability parameters for product endorsements and testimonials. These updated guidelines, which took effect Dec. 1, also cover the use of consumer endorsements and reviews. Entertainment companies that promote products ' and celebrities who blog and tweet ' through new media should consider how these guidelines may affect their marketing practices.
Dirty Laundry Hanging Out On The Web
Online objections to a corporation's products or services ' posted on "complaint" or "gripe" sites by former employees or consumers, or put elsewhere on the Web ' have a greater potential to be significantly more damaging to the target's operations than more traditional expressions of unhappiness.
