Are Prisoners Medical Captives?
July 28, 2005
In this article, we focus on prospective living organ donors who face capital punishment. Some of the issues raised may also apply to The use of prisoners as living organ donors raises many ethical concerns. As evidenced by the different decisions that have been reached in the cases cited, there is no clear consensus as to how these cases should be handled. Beyond weighing the motives and mental capacity of the prisoner, it is important to determine whether or not someone on death row is capable of giving truly informed consent to the transplant procedure. The fact that donating an organ could prolong an inmate's life can significantly influence the decision, whether by adding a rational incentive in the inmate's best interest, by creating conflict and mixed motives, or by compromising the inmate's decision-making ability even to the extent of exerting undue influence. Moreover, there needs to be an awareness of various secondary gains for a prisoner in consenting to organ donation. Such secondary gains as expressing genuine remorse or salvaging some sense of pride in the face of certain death by engaging in an altruistic act need not be denied to prisoners in the absence of a psychosis that impairs choice behavior.
In the Spotlight: What Every Tenant Should Know About Negotiating Parking Privileges in Commercial Leases
July 28, 2005
Designated, reserved parking spaces appurtenant to office leases are highly valued by certain types of tenants, especially in the downtown, metropolitan markets. Thus, a tenant's counsel must carefully consider the parking provision when negotiating an office lease. Landlord-oriented form leases often give the landlord the right: 1) to expand or change any parking area, 2) to temporarily close off portions of the parking areas for purposes of expanding, repairing, restoring, constructing or reconstructing the parking decks, and 3) to change, from time-to-time, the rules and regulations with regard to the parking area. The tenant's counsel should always make sure that the lease properly limits these rights so that they cannot be used in a manner that will potentially, adversely affect the tenant's use of its parking rights. All new rules should be limited by a "reasonableness" qualifier, and the landlord should be required to enforce the rules and regulations in a "nondiscriminatory manner as against tenant."
FCPA Enforcement In A Sarbanes-Oxley World
July 28, 2005
American companies and their officers and employees doing business overseas are learning the hard way about the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). For many years after its enactment in 1977, the government initiated relatively few investigations and enforcement actions charging violations of the Act. This was largely due to the government's difficulties in evidence gathering. Recently, however, the number of such enforcement actions has increased significantly.
Improperly Attempting to Circumvent the Learned Intermediary Doctrine: Challenging the Adequacy of Warnings to Physicians
July 27, 2005
The learned intermediary doctrine is one of the most important doctrines for medical device and pharmaceutical drug defendants in product liability cases because under the doctrine, they are often able to obtain summary judgment on failure to warn claims. (The learned intermediary doctrine has been adopted and recognized in at least 45 states. <i>See Larkin v. Pfizer, Inc.</i>, 153 S.W.3d 758, 767 (Ky. 2005).) The learned intermediary doctrine provides that a manufacturer, designer or distributor of a medical device or pharmaceutical drug does not have a duty to directly warn patients of possible dangers associated with the use of the device or drug. <i>See Presto v. Sandoz Pharm. Corp.</i>, 487 S.E.2d 70 (Ga. Ct. App. 1997). Rather, "'a warning as to possible danger in its use to the prescribing physician is sufficient.'" <i>Id.</i> at 73.
CD: What can client feedback do for you? Client Feedback Program Success Stories
July 27, 2005
>According to recent surveys, only 30% of law firms are currently engaged in client feedback programs. This Web Audio Conference will provide real-life examples of successful client feedback programs. Participants will learn specific strategies from the perspectives of a marketing partner, marketing consultant, CEO of a law related business, and full-time business developer for a major law firm.
Handling the Non-Profit Workout/Bankruptcy
July 27, 2005
On April 15, 2005, one of the largest not-for-profit bankruptcy cases ever filed, <i>In re: The National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) et al.</i>, (Bankr. W.D. Texas), Case No. 04-50948 (RBK), came to an extraordinary conclusion when the joint plan of reorganization of the Debtors and the Unsecured Creditors' Committee became effective. Under the Plan, all of the Debtors' creditors were paid the full amount of their pre-petition principal and interest, plus a stipulated amount of post-petition interest, together with reimbursement of the full amount of their pre- and post-petition legal fees. After paying their creditors in full on the effective date, the Debtors, a separately constituted arm of the Disciples of Christ Church, retained certain of their assets and will continue their charitable mission. This unusual outcome, in which creditors were paid in full and the Debtors continued certain of their operations, marked the end of a process that began with the Debtors' unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a substantial write-down of their debts outside bankruptcy, was followed by a year-long bankruptcy case in which the Debtors argued that their charitable status and mission should take priority over their bankruptcy law duty to maximize creditor recovery, and was finally resolved when the Debtors were compelled to sell the bulk of their real estate assets in order to fund full payment to creditors.
Scientific Deception
July 06, 2005
Regulators are increasingly becoming concerned about pharmaceutical companies that offer financial and other incentives to physician-researchers, reasoning that the incentives may affect the physicians' judgment when they make treatment decisions for beneficiaries of health care programs. They think that this can result in increased costs being passed on to the federal government. In the worst-case scenario, such incentives could cause medically unnecessary items and services to be provided, and patients to be harmed.
How To Improve Firm Profitability
June 29, 2005
Many lawyers measure their firm's profitability the way a company does ' as a percentage of sales. However, the correct way to measure the profitability of a law firm, whether it is a partnership or a professional corporation, is the net income per equity partner (NI/EP) (or shareholder).
A Primer on Protecting Investments In Motion-Picture Productions
June 29, 2005
If not for the infusion of private capital, many independent films ' generally films produced outside the traditional studio system ' would probably never have been made. That's because banks are unlikely to loan money for such an uncertain and risky venture ' the success of which is greatly dependent on the fickle nature of audiences. But most independent film investors are either unaware of, or pay little attention to, the realities of the theatrical film market. Given the limited potential for widespread independent film success and other inherent investment risks, an entertainment attorney must be diligent and proactive to fully protect a client's film investment.
Cross-Border Disputes and the Potential for Resolution via Mediation
June 29, 2005
The world is rapidly becoming a smaller place in which to do business. And as international borders and boundaries become less of a barrier to business, participants in equipment leasing and finance find their world getting smaller, as well. "Globalization" is now an accepted and well-understood concept in most industries and markets, and it is no longer limited to large multinational corporations or institutions. With suppliers, vendors, and customers in many countries on several continents, all linked through the omnipresent Web and Internet, even small, independent businesses may successfully operate across borders.
