Securing U.S. Strategic Assets: Does The Exon-Florio Statute Do Its Job?
March 30, 2006
When it was announced in early 2006 that Dubai Ports World, a company controlled by the Government of Dubai, planned to acquire six major U.S. ports and had successfully undergone the U.S. government's national security review of the transaction, concerns about foreign ownership of U.S. assets intensified dramatically. A new wave of criticism arose, revitalizing arguments that had temporarily subsided when the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (a Chinese Government-controlled company) withdrew its bid to acquire California-based Unocal Corporation in the summer of 2005. Now, it appears that there is great momentum behind proposals to adopt new means to prevent ' or at least to screen ' such proposed acquisitions by foreign companies, particularly foreign government-owned companies.
Jones Day Picks Off Heller's China Chair
March 30, 2006
Carson Wen has left Heller Ehrman, where he chaired the China practice, for Jones Day, marking the second key lateral that firm has snagged for its China offices this year.
Trademark Protection for Characters After Copyright
March 30, 2006
As the copyright terms of many iconic, character-based works of the 20th century near closure, owners of these works face the question as to what extent they can enjoy exclusive rights in the characters they have created. Included is Disney's Mickey Mouse, first introduced in the short animated film 'Steamboat Willie' in 1928. Enterprising third parties raise the related question: Does the expiration of copyright mean these works and characters can be freely exploited? Once a copyright term lapses, an original work is said to pass into the public domain, available for all to freely copy and exploit. However, continued trademark protection for a character may delay or complicate the character's passage into the public domain. A careful analysis of fundamental principles of trademark and copyright law and relevant case law illuminate certain legal guideposts for navigating through the complexities of character protection.
Building A Law Firm Intranet
March 30, 2006
The intranet has developed into the preferred platform for internal communication within many law firms. <br>Similar to the Web, there is a lot of value to be gained from a strong intranet presence. Everyone had his or her own ideas on what should be included and posted on the intranet. After a number of group meetings with IT, each department was given a page with basic components.
Translating Professional Development Into Business
March 30, 2006
How do you get the highest and best use out of your firm's professional development investment, over and above the clear benefit to your own lawyers and staff? Odds are there is a huge amount of intellectual property already in existence as a result of your firm's internal programs. Consider turning what is a valuable cost center into an invaluable business development resource.
Growth Potential: Law Firm Earns $900,000 Selling Services Online to Clients
March 30, 2006
London-based Eversheds recently won the 2005 'Best Use of Technology' award from the European Managing Partners Forum. The annual practice-management competition is open to law, accounting, property management, management consulting and other professional services firms. Categories cover marketing, human resources programs, diversity efforts, financial management and more.
<b>Media & Communications Corner</b>Securing Media Coverage in Key Publications
March 30, 2006
Over the next few months in our monthly column on media relations, Jaffe Associates' media relations team will take a closer look at several of the top publications for legal coverage. We will interview the editors and reporters who cover the news and bring you their perspective on what is important to them and the direction in which they think legal reporting is heading.<br>Our first article in the series looks at the Wall Street Journal Law Page. In January of this year, the WSJ greatly expanded its online coverage of legal issues with a new page dedicated to law-related content and launched a legal industry blog, the only one of its kind by a major daily. We sat down with <b>Ashby Jones</b>, the editor of the page, and <b>Peter Lattman</b>, a WSJ Online legal reporter and the primary writer for the blog, to learn more about the page and its content.
<b>Meyerowitz on Marketing:</b> Lawsuits Too Bad To Be True
March 30, 2006
Lawyers have long been the subject of jokes and put downs, but apocryphal anecdotes demeaning lawyers, the courts, or the legal system particularly irk Karen M. Balaban, a Harrisburg attorney and one of three chairs of the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Public Relations Implementation Task Force Committee. Lawyers, she believes, 'should not allow these urban legends to proliferate' to the detriment of lawyers and judges and the public's opinion of the profession. Instead, Balaban says, lawyers, who are trained to help adjudicators find the truth, 'should be more conscious about getting at the facts of the matter.' Balaban emphasizes that faux facts make all lawyers look bad, and asserts that lawyers should investigate and then, when they discover that some stories are false, should say, 'these things are not true.'
<b>Practice Building Skills:</b> The 30 Second Commercial: The Key to Differentiating Yourself from the Competition
March 30, 2006
Throughout your career, you will probably attend more than a few networking events, seminars, conferences, trade shows, and cocktail parties. How much thought have you given to how you will introduce yourself? How much time have you spent preparing your elevator pitch or 30 second commercial?
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