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High Court May Limit the Reach of the Wire Fraud Statute Image

High Court May Limit the Reach of the Wire Fraud Statute

Harry Sandick & Caitlyn Wigler

On Dec. 9, 2024, the Supreme Court will hear argument in Kousisis v. United States, a case that will again review the reach of the federal mail and wire fraud statutes. At issue this time is the so-called “fraudulent inducement” theory of property fraud — namely, whether deception to induce a commercial exchange can constitute mail or wire fraud, even if the infliction of economic harm on the alleged victim was not the object of the scheme.

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'Melendez/Bochner': No Guarantee the Guaranty Law Survives Constitutional Scrutiny Image

'Melendez/Bochner': No Guarantee the Guaranty Law Survives Constitutional Scrutiny

Claude G. Szyfer & Daria D. Anichkova

After nearly four years of litigation, the Second Circuit held recently that a small commercial landlord lacked standing to seek declaratory relief against the City of New York challenging the Guaranty Law under the Contracts Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

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Fifth Circuit Rejects Majority 'Independent Economic Value' Test for Infringement Damages Image

Fifth Circuit Rejects Majority 'Independent Economic Value' Test for Infringement Damages

Stan Soocher

Most of the federal circuit courts that have addressed what qualifies either as a "compilation" or as a single creative work apply an "independent economic value" analysis that looks at the market worth of the single creation as of the time when an infringement occurs. But in a recent ruling of first impression, the Fifth Circuit rejected the "independent economic value" test in determining which individual sound recordings are eligible for their own statutory awards and which are part of compilation.

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The Power of Your Inner Circle: Turning Friends and Social Contacts Into Business Allies Image

The Power of Your Inner Circle: Turning Friends and Social Contacts Into Business Allies

Yuliya LaRoe

Practical strategies to explore doing business with friends and social contacts in a way that respects relationships and maximizes opportunities.

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Authentic Communications Today Increase Success for Value-Driven Clients Image

Authentic Communications Today Increase Success for Value-Driven Clients

Leander Dolphin & Kent Nevins

As the relationship between in-house and outside counsel continues to evolve, lawyers must continue to foster a client-first mindset, offer business-focused solutions, and embrace technology that helps deliver work faster and more efficiently.

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Court Rules Mere Conduit Defense Not Suitable for a Motion to Dismiss Image

Court Rules Mere Conduit Defense Not Suitable for a Motion to Dismiss

Daniel A. Lowenthal

At the motion to dismiss stage, courts usually won't consider affirmative defenses. This issue arose recently in a preferential transfer case, where a defendant sought to dismiss a complaint by arguing it was a mere conduit, not an initial transferee.

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Individual Liability of Condominium Sponsor's Principals Image

Individual Liability of Condominium Sponsor's Principals

Stewart E. Sterk

When are the principals of a condominium sponsor individually liable for harms suffered by purchasers? In Board of Managers of 570 Broome Condominium, the First Department declined to dismiss a condominium board's fraud and breach of fiduciary claims against individual defendants.

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Compliance and Third-Party Risk Management Image

Compliance and Third-Party Risk Management

Chris Zohlen & Johnathan Prewitt

To gauge the level of risk and uncover potential gaps, compliance and privacy leaders should collaborate to consider how often they are monitoring third parties, what intelligence they are gathering with and about their partners and vendors, and whether their risk management practices have been diminished due to cost and resource constraints.

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Slight Decrease In Commercial Foreclosures Hints at Market Stabilization Image

Slight Decrease In Commercial Foreclosures Hints at Market Stabilization

Jose A. Herrera-Paez

While the commercial real estate market faced significant headwinds in 2024, recent data suggests that the tide may be turning. The combination of lower interest rates, a decline in foreclosures, and improving market conditions offers a glimmer of hope for property owners and investors alike.

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How Secure Is the AI System Your Law Firm Is Using? Image

How Secure Is the AI System Your Law Firm Is Using?

Melissa "Rogo" Rogozinski

In a profession where confidentiality is paramount, failing to address AI security concerns could have disastrous consequences. It is vital that law firms and those in related industries ask the right questions about AI security to protect their clients and their reputation.

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MOST POPULAR STORIES

  • The 'Sophisticated Insured' Defense
    A majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.
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  • Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric Code
    In an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.
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