Expert Analysis

• Who Owns Crypto Assets? Know The Bankruptcy Risks

  

  Amid a wave of recent crypto custodian Chapter 11 filings, the legal character of customer deposits give rise to a deluge of questions, because in the absence of a concrete regulatory regime, the terms and conditions are likely going to be how the court determines legal rights, says Heidi Hockberger at Levenfeld Pearlstein.

• An In-Depth Look At FDIC Reform Options After Bank Failures

  

  Anthony Pirraglia and Melissa Hall at Loeb & Loeb explain the three coverage options for reforming the deposit insurance system, which were proposed in a recent report from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. in the wake of the Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank failures.

• Ch. 11 Ruling Informs On Social Media Ownership Rights

  

  Social media users now have useful guidance regarding account ownership rights following a federal bankruptcy court's recent ruling in the Vital Pharmaceuticals Chapter 11 case, which rejected the notion that advertised content alone could create a presumption of ownership for the advertised business, say Deborah Enea and Thomas Dockery at Troutman Pepper.

• Perspectives

  Mallory Gives Plaintiffs A Better Shot At Justice

  

  Critics of the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision in Mallory v. Norfolk Southern claim it opens the door to litigation tourism, but the ruling simply gives plaintiffs more options — enabling them to seek justice against major corporations in the best possible court, say Rayna Kessler and Ethan Seidenberg at Robins Kaplan.

• Effectual Relief Questions Linger After Section 363 Ruling

  

  In the months since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in MOAC Mall Holdings, courts and practitioners must grapple with the issue of what effectual relief courts may grant upon an appeal of an unstayed sale order, says Monique Jewett-Brewster at Hopkins Carley.

• Blockchain Utopia Dream Fades Following Gemini Fraud Suit

  

  Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini’s recent filing of a fraud suit against Digital Currency Group, coupled with industrywide bankruptcy complications and regulatory scandals, may signal the end of the dream of a utopian, decentralized financial future, says Christopher Ott at Loeb & Loeb.

• Courts Can Overturn Deficient State Regulations, Too

  

  While suits challenging federal regulations have become commonplace, such cases against state agencies are virtually nonexistent, but many states have provisions that allow litigants to bring suit for regulations with inadequate cost-benefit analyses, says Reeve Bull at the Virginia Office of Regulatory Management.

• Tales From The Trenches Of Remote Depositions

  

  As practitioners continue to conduct depositions remotely in the post-pandemic world, these virtual environments are rife with opportunities for improper behavior such as witness coaching, scripted testimony and a general lack of civility — but there are methods to prevent and combat these behaviors, say Jennifer Gibbs and Bennett Moss at Zelle.

• Tide May Be Turning On Texas Two-Step Bankruptcy Strategy

  

  Recent developments in several high-profile bankruptcy cases suggest that the use of the Texas Two-Step to shield solvent companies from tort claims may be falling out of favor, but until the U.S. Supreme Court hears one of these cases the strategy will remain divisive and the subject of increased scrutiny, say attorneys at Rivkin Radler.

• Vice Bankruptcy Ruling Shows Contract Assignment Issues

  

  A New York bankruptcy court’s recent ruling in Vice Media’s Chapter 11 case is likely to have implications for other cases involving the assignment of contracts by corporate entities, and may signal that Showtime will still face an uphill battle in trying to prove that its contract constituted personal services, says Debra Dandeneau at Baker McKenzie.

• Level Up Lawyers' Business Development With Gamification

  

  With employee engagement at a 10-year low in the U.S., there are several gamification techniques marketing and business development teams at law firms can use to make generating new clients and matters more appealing to lawyers, says Heather McCullough at Society 54.

• Mallory Ruling Leaves Personal Jurisdiction Deeply Unsettled

  

  In Mallory v. Norfolk Southern Railway, a closely divided U.S. Supreme Court recently rolled back key aspects of its 2017 opinion in Daimler AG v. Bauman that limited personal jurisdiction, leaving as many questions for businesses as it answers, say John Cerreta and James Rotondo at Day Pitney.

• Despite Economic Ambiguity, Restructuring Still Strong In '23

  

  Although the economy refuses to conform to any predictable script and public perception is middling at best, there's nothing confusing about restructuring activity in 2023, and it seems that restructurings will remain elevated at least through the end of the year and likely longer, says Michael Eisenband at FTI Consulting.

• 5 Ways Firms Can Rethink Office Design In A Hybrid World

  

  As workplaces across the country adapt to flexible work, law firms must prioritize individuality, amenities and technology in office design, says Kristin Cerutti at Nelson Worldwide.

• Opinion

  Bar Score Is Best Hiring Metric Post-Affirmative Action

  

  After the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling striking down affirmative action admissions policies, law firms looking to foster diversity in hiring should view an applicant's Multistate Bar Examination score as the best metric of legal ability — over law school name or GPA, says attorney Alice Griffin.