Applying 'Part Performance' In Practice
July 01, 2022
The doctrine of part performance can overcome the strictures of the Statute of Frauds when parties enter into unwritten business deals, or into written business deals with unwritten ancillary terms and they do not contemplate all of the possible circumstances that might arise in the course of their dealings.
What's the Difference Between a 'Customer' and a 'Client'?
July 01, 2022
a customer is someone who buys something from you once, while a client is someone who keeps coming back to you over and over again. And that subtle difference is what makes a lawyer just a lawyer and one who becomes a rainmaker.
Do COVID-19 Shutdown Orders Excuse Lease Guarantors?
July 01, 2022
Section 22-1005 of the New York City Administrative Code provides relief for individuals who guaranteed commercial leases when the tenant defaulted as a result of government orders issued during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent months, however, litigation has emerged about the scope of that relief.
Stipulation That Resolves Entire Amount Must Reflect Intent of Parties
July 01, 2022
The Ninth Circuit recently affirmed a lower courts' rulings that a stipulation between the IRS and a bankruptcy trustee, which allowed the IRS's priority tax claim, did not prevent the IRS from collecting nondischargeable tax debt above the agreed amount in that stipulation.
Questions Surround Expanded Government Authority to Seize Russian Assets
July 01, 2022
The purpose behind the Biden Administration's proposals to seize assets of Russian oligarchs is to punish a specific action by a state actor — Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The proposals, however, do not appear to be limited to this conduct alone and would outlast Russia's invasion. In times of war, it at least arguably may be appropriate to pass laws to expand the executive's authority to address specific hostile conduct. Such laws, however, should end with the conflict.
Are Large Firm Rates Pushing Clients to Seek Other Alternatives?
July 01, 2022
Firms have been especially deliberate during the pandemic to increase the number of touch points they have with existing business, deepening ties with their roster of current clients by referring matters across practices and rewarding partners for that kind of origination. But with marketing spend surging and clients increasingly willing to move work around, Big Law firms' incumbent advantage could begin to wane.
The FRCP Rule 9(b) Standard In False Claims Act Cases
July 01, 2022
In recent years, federal circuit courts of appeals have set forth somewhat different standards that civil FCA complaints brought by private citizens, known as relators, must meet to satisfy Rule 9(b) — especially regarding whether representative examples of allegedly fraudulent claims must be included in a complaint.
