Two Firms from the Top 20 of the Third Annual MLF 50
While this year's rankings were not heavily weighted on advertising and visual communications, I would be remiss if I didn't highlight two firms that did use visual communications to effect image and change. Herein, Thompson & Knight LLP, and K&L Gates.
Legal Fees in Criminal Cases
Although a corporation obviously cannot be put in prison, saber-rattling by the government concerning a possible indictment is indeed a draconian threat. In January 2007, Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA) introduced Senate Bill 186, the 'Attorney-Client Privilege Protection Act of 2007' ('S. 186'). If enacted, S. 186 would straightforwardly 'prohibit' U.S. Attorneys from conditioning any <i>civil or criminal</i> charge decision upon, or use in deciding whether an organization is 'cooperating' with the government, 'the provision of counsel to, or contribution to the legal defense fees or expenses of, an employee of that organization.' In July 2007, Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-VA) introduced House Bill 3013 ('H.R. 3013'), a virtually identical bill (and bearing the same name) in the House. Here's why.
Online Sweepstakes And Contests As Promotional Devices
Online sweepstakes and contests are well known devices that traditional and e-commerce firms and related operations frequently use to promote their products and services. While these tools of the online-promotions and online-marketing trade offer the promise of a cost-efficient way to target interested consumers and create a great deal of buzz, they are hardly trouble-free, and a myriad of traps await the unwary. The attorneys general of several states closely regulate and monitor sweepstakes and contests, and failure to conduct promotional and marketing campaigns properly can result in enforcement actions and consumer lawsuits, so be sure to operate a sure thing instead of taking a gamble.
A Primer on Foreign Language e-Discovery
While e-discovery may be Greek to many, it is those documents written in Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian that cause much of the trouble. These 'multi-byte' languages have exponentially more characters than the 26 letters and few other punctuation marks that Latin languages like English, Spanish, French and German need. In fact, the number of Chinese characters included in the Kangxi dictionary is over 47,000 (though only 3,000-4,000 are reportedly necessary for full literacy). The impact on e-discovery is significant considering the increased sophistication necessary for case evaluation.
Online Sweepstakes and Contests As Promotional Devices
Online sweepstakes and contests are frequent devices used to promote companies and their products and services. While these tools of the online promotions and marketing trade offer the promise of a cost-efficient way to target interested consumers and create a great deal of buzz, they are hardly trouble-free and myriad traps await the unwary. The Attorney Generals of several states closely regulate and monitor sweepstakes and contests and failure to conduct the campaign properly can result in regulatory enforcement actions and consumer lawsuits.
Non-Competition, Non-Solicitation and Non-Disclosure Agreements
When negotiating non-competition, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements, there are many issues that should be taken into consideration, regardless of whether counsel is given to the employer or employee. For example, is the agreement or restrictive covenant necessary to protect the employer's legitimate business interests? Is the agreement supported by adequate consideration? Is the restrictive covenant reasonably limited as to time and geographical location in which the conduct is prohibited? What law will apply to the agreement?
Keeping Passion in the Law
This article explores what keeps lawyers committed to the practice of law, what law firms can do to keep attorneys passionate about the law, and what lawyers can do to retain the passion.
Available Upon Request? Qualified Immunity for Employer References
Given the protections from liability available in many jurisdictions, most legal employers have a good deal more flexibility than they currently exercise in handling requests for references. Yet, many cautious employers have been slow to liberalize their reference practices.
