Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

Search


Verdicts
Due to a med mal verdict, an ex-prisoner's estate receives $1.75 million .
Contextual Leadership
Leadership development has traditionally focused on the leader, with little thought about the variety of people the leader needs to engage, or the context in which he or she must operate. This is an outdated perspective for law firms and law departments in a world whose future is uncertain and unclear, whose context is volatile and complex, and where formal authority and expertise aren't as powerful as they once were.
Preparing for the DOL's Final Rule on FSLA's 'White-Collar' Exemptions
The salary level proposed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) published in the Federal Register in July 2015 would more than double the current salary level for "white-collar" employees to be exempt from the FLSA's overtime requirements. Such an increase in the salary level would have wide-reaching implications for employers and employees alike.
A Cure By Any Other Name
Section 1123 (a)(5)(G) of the Bankruptcy Code provides that, "[n]otwithstanding any otherwise applicable nonbankruptcy law, a plan shall ' provide adequate means for the plan's implementation, such as ' curing or waiving of any default." But what, exactly, does it mean to cure a default?
Cost Recovery in 2016
2016 is in full swing and we will soon be conducting the 2016 Mattern & Associates Cost Recovery Survey. We've been conducting this bi-annual survey since 2004 and, during that time, it has become an industry resource for tracking the cost recovery practices of law firms across size and geography.
Upcoming Event
SXSW Music Conference 2016 CLE Program. Austin, TX, March 18-19.
'Watch Your Attitude, Petitioning Creditors!'
The Bankruptcy Code contains relatively clear and straightforward requirements and standards regarding the eligibility of creditors to file an involuntary bankruptcy petition against a debtor. If such criteria are met, do the creditors' intentions, which are not specifically referenced in this context in the statutory framework, come into play at all?
Contentious Litigation
As we discussed in the Part One of this article, defense attorneys are increasingly finding themselves faced by opposing counsel bent on using any means possible to harass them and their clients, leading to a more contentious litigation environment than is really necessary. We continue herein with a review of some of those tactics, and we consider how they may be addressed.
When Is Mediation Appropriate Pursuant to Bankruptcy Code Section 327(a)?
With the utilization of mediation as a dispute resolution tool in bankruptcy cases becoming increasingly common, it is important that courts remain vigilant in protecting the integrity of the mediation process. As the Second Circuit once famously stated in another context, "[t]he conduct of bankruptcy proceedings not only should be right but must seem right."
Prioritizing e-Mail Security in the Legal Sector
Data breaches and cyberattacks aren't new occurrences, but it can sometimes feel like they are. It's only in the last few years that we've seen these attacks make headlines more and more, increasing in both quantity and impact.

MOST POPULAR STORIES

  • The 'Sophisticated Insured' Defense
    A majority of courts consider the <i>contra proferentem</i> doctrine to be a pillar of insurance law. The doctrine requires ambiguous terms in an insurance policy to be construed against the insurer and in favor of coverage for the insured. A prominent rationale behind the doctrine is that insurance policies are usually standard-form contracts drafted entirely by insurers.
    Read More ›
  • Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric Code
    In an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.
    Read More ›