Med Mal News
September 04, 2003
News items of interest to you and your practice.
The IME and the Physician/Patient Privilege
September 04, 2003
Does a patient lose the right to invoke the physician/patient privilege when he or she has seen a physician for an independent medial examination (IME) rather than for treatment? The question may come up in the aftermath of a workers' compensation or medical malpractice case if questions of possible fraud on the claimant's part surface, and you may be asked to advise your client as to his or her rights.
Med Mal Antidote: Good Records
September 04, 2003
Any physician who has had the unfortunate experience of being the target of a medical malpractice lawsuit bemoans the attention paid by the plaintiff's lawyers to precise record keeping. Most physicians pride themselves on their medical skills, not their neat note taking. They will tell you that entries in a medical record are meant to enhance the care and treatment rendered to a patient, not to be read by lawyers or juries many years later.
Preserving Your Clients' Right to Recovery
September 04, 2003
The exclusive remedy for patients injured due to medical malpractice by federal employees acting within the scope of their employment is through the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). Under the FTCA, the United States allows claims to be made against it in certain circumstances. However, because the FTCA is a waiver of sovereign immunity, strict compliance with the requirements for filing is necessary in order to preserve your clients' rights to recovery.
Litigation
September 03, 2003
Recent cases of importance to your practice.
Keep Your Client 'On Board!'
September 03, 2003
As lawyers, we spend a lot of time keeping ourselves current on the law, attending continuing legal education programs, and learning how to deal with experts. Sometimes, in the middle of our frenzied search for a latest case and the latest technique, we need to get back to the basics. One of the most important basics about which we should remind ourselves is the need for good client communication.
Legal Updates for PE and VC Funds
September 03, 2003
VC Appointed Directors A recent decision in a case (in which I was personally involved) has been handed down by a bankruptcy judge in the Northern District…
The Essential Guide to Liquidation Preferences
September 03, 2003
A liquidation preference gives the VC investor a "first right" to any proceeds available to shareholders in the event of a liquidation or trade sale of the company. Although a liquidation preference provides the VC investor with downside protection by giving them the first money out of the company that is paid to shareholders, it can also significantly increase the upside to an investment.
So You Think You Own Preferred Stock?
September 03, 2003
It is no secret that the bulk of today's activity in the private equity sector is taken up with late rounds of financing. Typically, the VCs (ie, private equity funds, including but not limited to funds which are the incumbent in a particular company's series of preferred shares) negotiate the terms of, let's call it, the Series D round ' a so-called "follow on" round. The D Round succeeds, in point of time, the initial issuance to the following investors: common stock to the founders, friends and family and sometimes angels, followed by Series A, B and C convertible preferred shares, to the professional investors.
