Using Unbeatable Results to Generate New Business
September 29, 2008
Peter H. Klee is the biggest rainmaker at Luce Forward in San Diego, bringing in between $10- $15 million each year, and his insurance litigation practice continues to grow at a rate of 10% per year. Here is a portrait of an unbeatable record: No client represented in court by Peter has ever been found liable for breach of insurance contract, bad faith or any other tort.
Predominance Requirement for Class Certification
September 29, 2008
Recently, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed the district court's certification of a class action by smokers alleging they were deceived by the defendant tobacco companies' marketing of so-called light cigarettes as a healthier alternative to regular, or "full-flavored," cigarettes.
Pharmaceutical And Medical Device Litigation
September 29, 2008
Part One of this article described some general principles regarding the concept of fraudulent joinder and the patchwork of conflicting definitions and procedures for analyzing fraudulent joinder that has developed in the Circuit Courts. This conclusion offers strategies for defeating fraudulent joinder.
Unreasonable Compensation to PC Shareholders: The IRS Gains a Victory
September 26, 2008
The general view has been that unreasonable compensation claims against shareholder employees of professional corporations was not an issue. In <i>Pediatric Surgical Associates P.C. v. Commissioner</i>, the Tax Court determined that compensation paid to the shareholder physicians was unreasonably high because it exceeded the value of the services performed. Many law firm professional corporations could face this same issue.
Partner Care
September 26, 2008
In an ever-increasing competitive environment, it becomes more and more difficult for law firms to distinguish themselves from their competitors. A quick scan of some of the better-known firm Web sites shows that many firms often look and sound alike. However, it is the quality and caliber of the attorneys that set the firms apart. Saying you're distinctive is much easier than proving it to the marketplace, your partners and staff. One area in which your firm can build distinction and establish itself as a leader is Partner Care.
Section 79 Planning Opportunities
September 26, 2008
Closely held businesses produce over 50% of the Gross National Product ("GNP"). Less than 50% of these businesses have a continuation plan and almost one-third of these companies (29%) use a buy-sell arrangement to assist in their planning. Buy-Sell agreements are very simple tools that over the years have grown to meet increasing needs of closely held businesses.
Antitrust Limits on Pre-Closing Conduct in Mergers and Acquisitions
September 26, 2008
In track, a runner "jumps the gun" when he or she begins running before the gun has sounded. A similar concept occurs when two competing firms that have agreed to merge begin coordinating their activities or combining their distribution networks before the merger closes. Here is what merging firms can and cannot do before the gun sounds.
Second Circuit Addresses Collective Scienter
September 26, 2008
The Second Circuit recently issued an important decision in <i>Teamsters Local 445 Freight Div. Pension Fund v. Dynex Capital Inc.,</i> which has significant implications for securities class action litigation and the continuing fallout from the crisis in the credit markets. The decision addressed the issue of collective scienter, or whether a corporation can commit securities fraud when none of its individual agents acted with fraudulent intent.
The Financial State of the Automotive Industry
September 24, 2008
Despite all the recent media attention focused on bankruptcy concerns among the domestic three automakers, we do not anticipate any domestic OEM filing for bankruptcy protection. However, we anticipate increased bankruptcy activity within the supplier base in the latter part of 2008 and into 2009.
