Commercial Contracts

Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  FTC Must Tackle Anti-Competitive Drug Rebate Practices

  

  The Federal Trade Commission is well-equipped to take action against the anti-competitive "rebate walls" that pharmaceutical manufacturers are structuring in order to block new innovative drugs from entering the market, says David Balto, a former policy director of the FTC's Bureau of Competition.

• The Precarious State Of Public Injunction Waivers In Calif.

  

  Two years ago, in McGill v. Citibank, the California Supreme Court made arbitration agreements that preclude consumers from seeking public injunctive relief unenforceable. But some federal courts have deviated from that holding so as to make its future uncertain, say Brian Kabateck and Brian Hong of Kabateck.

• Q&A

  A Chat With Gilead Sciences Legal Ops Leader Gary Tully

  

  In this monthly series, legal recruiting experts from Major Lindsey & Africa interview legal industry leaders about the increasingly competitive business environment. Here, Rod Osborne talks with Gary Tully, head of legal operations at Gilead Sciences.

• Claiming The 'Iron Throne' With A Noncompete?

  

  While watching events unfold on the final season of "Game of Thrones," it occurred to me: Many of Daenerys Targaryen’s problems concerned with her claim to the Iron Throne might have been solved with an enforceable noncompete, says Emily Wajert of Kramer Levin.

• Series

  Why I Became A Lawyer: Completing The Journey Home

  

  My mother's connection to her Native American heritage had a major influence on my career — my decision to enter the legal profession was driven by the desire to return to my tribal community and help it in any way I could, says Jason Hauter of Akin Gump.

• New Questions Over Corporate Officers' Legal Duties

  

  Recent litigation between Hertz and its former executives raises novel questions about whether corporate leaders have a legally cognizable responsibility to set the right “tone at the top,” and the consequences if they fail to do so, say attorneys at Cleary.

• Series

  Judging A Book: Wood Reviews 'The Making Of A Justice'

  

  Retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens' new book, "The Making of a Justice," is required reading for anyone interested in 20th and 21st century America, says Seventh Circuit Chief Judge Diane Wood.

• Where The Post-Libor Litigation Tsunami Will Hit

  

  The permanent cessation of the Libor rate in 2021 will likely trigger a flood of litigation over many existing contracts that lack effective replacements. Marc Gottridge of Hogan Lovells identifies the types of products that may be most susceptible to disputes.

• To Guard Against Waiving Privilege, Don't CC The Boss

  

  Argos Holdings v. Wilmington Trust, a recent New York federal court opinion, cautions that attorneys and companies should not simply assume that privileged communications may be shared with a company’s owner or affiliates without waiving attorney-client privilege, even when the company’s and the owner’s interests are completely aligned, say attorneys at Katten Muchin.

• PG&E Oversight Battle Looms For FERC, Bankruptcy Court

  

  Although the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission recently reasserted its concurrent jurisdiction with the bankruptcy court over the disposition of Pacific Gas and Electric’s wholesale power contracts in bankruptcy, it is reasonable to assume that this clash between two governmental entities will ultimately be resolved in the U.S. Supreme Court, say attorneys at Blank Rome.