Restaurant Industry Chapter 11 Bankruptcies
The past year has brought a wave of restaurant businesses filing for reorganization in Chapter 11. With inherently low profit margins, increased competition, limited pricing flexibility and a propensity for expansion without the support of underlying business fundamentals, the industry is particularly susceptible to business failure.
Common Law Marriage
Why do so many misunderstandings about common law marriage persist? In an age where more couples say "I don't" than "I do" to traditional marriage, this article offers some points to consider.
The Growing Convergence of Cyber-Related Crime and Suspicious Activity Reporting
Regulators and law enforcement are taking proactive steps to further leverage anti–money-laundering monitoring and reporting tools in their battle with cyber attacks and cyber crimes. In-house legal and compliance teams need to be fully versed in the latest FinCEN and bank regulatory guidance on cyber-related crimes and have the right professionals available to assist them with these matters.
Don't Be United in Facing Your Next Crisis
Even if you follow the law and all the internal protocols your firm has in place, you may still find that clients and the public view your actions negatively. In situations where you believe you are in the right, the instinct is not to apologize. Here is how to correctly handle a high-profile PR crisis.
Commercial Leases and the Law of Electronic Transactions
Over the past 20 years, the rise of email as a generally-accepted medium of business communication has prompted the law to allow certain contracts, including leases, to be entered into electronically, without a handwritten signature. This article addresses recent developments and the present state of the law with respect to commercial leasing and electronic media.
Support Animals As an Accommodation for Persons with Disabilities
With increasing frequency, requests for emotional-support and service animals in housing lead to disputes under the Federal, State and City Discrimination Laws that protect the disabled. The requests are often mishandled by either the housing provider, the disabled person or both.
Supreme Court Rules on Design of a Useful Article
Fashion, furniture, and other design-oriented companies will take note of the Supreme Court's recent decision in <i>Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc.</i>, which resolved a division among the federal circuits on the issue of the separability of designs of useful articles under the Copyright Act.
