Special Committees and Protecting Privilege
February 26, 2008
How can a board discharge its fiduciary duties without waiving otherwise applicable privileges to the investigation and opening the door to discovery of investigation related materials by the government or by third party litigation adversaries? An analysis of recent rulings.
On the Move
February 26, 2008
Who's doing what; who's going where.
Cleaning up After Debtor/Tenants
February 26, 2008
The Ninth Circuit has created a dubious distinction between tort-like damages and other non-rent damages that will undoubtedly spawn uncertainty and litigation. The authors explain why.
'Coudert Brothers': Court Limits Attorney's Retaining Lien
February 26, 2008
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York recently issued a decision in <i>In re Coudert Brothers LLP</i> concerning the treatment of an attorney's retaining lien in the bankruptcy of a law firm. The decision does not alter the analysis that would obtain under applicable state law, and serves as an important reminder to attorneys that their liens to secure payment of amounts owed by clients and former clients depend on state law and are not enhanced in the bankruptcy setting.
Collective Bargaining Aftermath
February 26, 2008
A discussion of the aftermath of the recent decision, <i>In re Northwest Airlines Corp.</i>, 483 F.3d 160 (2d Cir. 2007), in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit held that a federal court may enjoin a strike by employees covered under the Railway Labor Act (the 'RLA') following rejection of their collective bargaining agreement.
Supreme Court Won't Hear Wiretapping Case
February 19, 2008
The Supreme Court on Feb. 19 declined to take up the first legal challenge to the Bush administration's once-secret National Security Agency program of warrantless wiretapping.
Lawyer Business Development
February 13, 2008
LAWYER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT concludes with a discussion of some additional tactics in-house counsel will appreciate. And they present opportunities for lawyers marketing or expanding client relationships to enhance the future. First, offer to be a speaker or co-speaker with the client at a client association. If they respect your work, it is a feather in their cap to introduce you to their colleagues. Next, if they want to join a new organization or be sponsored into a…
Lawyer Business Development
February 04, 2008
LAWYER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT continues the discussion of what in-house counsel expect from outside counsel during the "courting" period. I have had outside counsel tell me they were surprised by the wide range of questions they were asked during a marketing presentation. And I've also heard from in-house counsel that they were surprised at how little information the presenters really had. Pre-client meeting preparation is critical to winning a new engagement, even from a current or recent…
<b>BREAKING NEWS:</b> NY Appellate Court Recognizes Canadian Same-Sex Marriage
February 04, 2008
An Appellate Division, Fourth Department, panel unanimously ruled Feb. 1 that a gay couple's marriage in Canada should be recognized in New York. The ruling, the first appellate decision in the state to recognize a same-sex marriage from another jurisdiction, overturned a Monroe County judge's decision that Monroe Community College did not have to extend health benefits to an employee's lesbian partner.
Hormone Replacement Therapy Opinion: Overturned $3M Verdict Explained
February 01, 2008
A Philadelphia judge overturned a $3 million jury award, explaining that a woman who sued Wyeth, claiming her breast cancer was caused by the company's hormone replacement drug, did not show sufficient evidence that her doctor would not have prescribed the drug if warnings were better.
