The False Claims Act Seal: Does It Bind and Gag the Defendant?
December 01, 2017
<b><i>Part One of a Two-Part Article</i></b><p>A company that finds itself the target of a federal fraud investigation often faces the fraught question of whether it may, or even must, disclose the existence of that investigation to third parties, such as its investors, shareholders, major creditors, or insurers. The question can be even more complicated if that investigation is being pursued under the False Claims Act and arises as the result of a sealed <i>qui tam</i> complaint.
Workplace Bias and Gender Pay Equity in Silicon Valley, 2017
December 01, 2017
It was only a couple of years ago that a jury rejected Ellen Pao's gender discrimination claims and rendered a defense verdict in favor of her former employer, a prominent Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Now, issues of bias and pay equity are again taking center stage, with almost daily media reports about Silicon Valley's gender problem and a continuing list of companies and notable Silicon Valley figures being taken to task with allegations of inappropriate conduct toward women.
Substantive Non-Consolidation Opinion Letters: Advice for Bankruptcy Counsel
December 01, 2017
Substantive non-consolidation opinion letters have long been a regular "check-the-box" item in large commercial real estate transactions. While substantive consolidation jurisprudence has not changed materially over the past decade, these opinion letters should not be treated lightly by borrowers or their counsel.
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Business Process Management and Law Firms
December 01, 2017
Though traditionally considered laggards when adopting new technology, law firms have recently started to explore new tricks to fortify performance across their organizations. While this evolution is critical to a firm's survival, it's important that firm administrators understand that substantive improvements are only possible through multi-directional change.
Lack of Gender-Diverse Partnership: Is It the Woman or the Firm?
December 01, 2017
<b><i>Data-Driven Research by ALM Intelligence Suggests Three Reasons Why Gender-Diverse Partnership Fails</b></i><p>It is now common knowledge that female headcount within the ranks of Big Law partnership, both equity and non-equity, has held steady for the past few years at around 20%. The obvious question is, why?
When Lack of Informed Consent Is Not the Issue
December 01, 2017
When an injury occurs, the first reaction of those in the medical office might be to ask, "Did the patient sign an informed consent form?" When the answer is "Yes," and the harm that occurred is listed as a possibility on that signed form, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. Right? Not so fast.
Exclusion of Evidence: The FDA's 510K Process
December 01, 2017
In a drug or medical device injury case, one of the defense's most potent arguments often is that the product in question underwent FDA approval. But when a device is approved for sale to the public through the FDA's 510(k) process, the rigorous safety and efficacy analysis required of new and unique medical devices has not been undertaken.
