Expert Analysis

• 2nd Circ. Ruling Highlights ERISA Determination Deadlines

  

  As seen in the Second Circuit’s recent McQuillin v. Hartford decision, the deadlines for deciding Employee Retirement Income Security Act claims and appeals have teeth, and there are consequences when a plan administrator fails to comply, says Mark DeBofsky at DeBofsky Sherman.

• NYC Office Tower Ch. 11 Shines Light On Blocking Provisions

  

  PMW Management's Chapter 11 filing, which recently received extra time to submit a restructuring plan, highlights courts' increasing skepticism of bankruptcy blocking provisions and favoritism toward leaving bankruptcy restructuring plans in the hands of the debtor, say Jeff Marwil and Ashley Weringa at Proskauer.

• What's At Stake In Justices' FCA Qui Tam Dismissal Review

  

  The Supreme Court's decision next term in U.S. v. Executive Health Resources could hold that the government cannot dismiss a qui tam action in which it initially declined intervention, which would mean the government must expend more resources vetting False Claims Act cases and give relators free rein as prosecutors of their cases, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• Opinion

  Now's The Time To Address Archaic Law School Curricula

  

  With law school enrollments jumping significantly ahead of a potential recession and more students graduating than the market can absorb, law schools should turn to creative solutions to teach students how to negotiate, work with clients, specialize and use technology to practice their craft more efficiently, says University of Colorado adjunct professor Jason Mendelson.

• Lessons From Lawyer Fee-Sharing Agreements Gone Wrong

  

  The recent fee-sharing dispute between Edelson and Girardi Keese is a reminder that lawyers who do not strictly follow the applicable rules may risk a disciplinary complaint, lose their share of the fee, or wind up in costly litigation with co-counsel, says David Grossbaum at Hinshaw.

• LeClairRyan Bankruptcy Highlights Pass-Through Tax Issue

  

  A Virginia bankruptcy court's recent ruling in the case of defunct law firm LeClairRyan shows there may be serious tax consequences for pass-through entity partners who give up their ownership interest without following operating agreement exit provisions and updating bankruptcy court filings, say Edward Schnitzer and Hannah Travaglini at Montgomery McCracken.

• 8 Steps To Creating A Legal Ops Technology Road Map

  

  Legal departments struggling to find and implement the right technologies for their operations should consider creating a road map that summarizes their approach to technology changes, provides clearly defined metrics for success, and serves as the single source of truth for stakeholders, says Melanie Shafer at SimpleLegal.

• The Importance Of Data And Data Analysis In Litigation

  

  Understanding, analyzing and effectively presenting large data sets is an increasingly important skill in litigation as it allows plaintiffs to dramatically scale up the scope of cases and is often critical to defeating motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment, says David Burnett at Motley Rice.

• Limiting Liability When Using Volunteers: Key Points For Orgs

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  Nonprofits can be liable for their volunteers' actions and omissions, even when volunteers are acting outside the scope of their duties — but organizations have an array of tools at their disposal to mitigate such risks, and should deploy them thoughtfully, say Rosemary Fei and Geena Yu at Adler & Colvin.

• Steps Companies Can Take To Mitigate Privilege Labeling Risk

  

  Although Google prevailed on a recent privilege labeling sanctions motion, an important takeaway from the decision is that companies should assess their in-house procedures and employee training programs regarding privileged communications to mitigate risks of the potential appearance of bad faith privilege claims, say Gareth Evans at Redgrave and e-discovery attorney James Hertsch.

• What Litigation Funding Disclosure In Delaware May Look Like

  

  A standing order issued by Delaware's chief federal judge requiring litigants to disclose whether their cases or defenses are being financed by third parties is unlikely to have onerous effects but may raise questions regarding potential conflicts of interest and access to justice, say Cayse Llorens and Matthew Oxman at LexShares.

• How To Avert Unlawful Poaching Amid Rising Antitrust Risks

  

  Despite the uptick in labor market antitrust enforcement actions, no-poach agreements can be helpful in preventing unfair competition resulting from misuse of confidential or competitively sensitive information — when tailored appropriately and used with best practices to reduce risk, say attorneys at Ropes & Gray.

• How In-House Legal Leaders Can Drive Corporate Growth

  

  Today, more executives are seeking legal leaders who are strategic, adaptable thinkers, making it essential that in-house counsel get out of their comfort zone of legal advice and take several steps to contribute toward revenue growth and raise their profile, says Tim Parilla at LinkSquares.

• Opinion

  Calif. Bill On Protective Orders Threatens Privacy Norms

  

  California's Public Right to Know Act — seeking to make discovery in product and environmental cases presumptively public — would upend the current regime of court protective orders necessary for compliance with national and international privacy laws, and undermine U.S. efforts to reach a data transfer treaty with the EU, say Patrick Oot and Phil Goldberg at Shook Hardy.

• Attorneys Should Tread Carefully On Job Counteroffers

  

  Promises of more compensation to keep attorneys from leaving their jobs have become commonplace in today's hot job market, but lawyers should weigh their options carefully as accepting a counteroffer can negatively affect their reputation, says Leeron Molloy at VOYlegal.