New Jersey

Expert Analysis

• NJ Ruling Removes Evidence Hurdle For Asbestos Defendants

  

  The New Jersey Supreme Court's recent ruling in Rowe v. Bell & Gossett — permitting a trial defendant in an asbestos case to introduce into evidence settled defendants’ interrogatory responses and corporate representatives' testimony — will better equip defendants to paint a complete picture for juries, says Michael Posavetz of Eckert Seamans.

• How BigLaw Is Adapting To Plaintiff-Side Litigation

  

  While many have treated Kirkland & Ellis' recent creation of a contingency fee-based plaintiffs practice as market disruptive, it is another manifestation of forces that have been changing the business of BigLaw for some time, says Elizabeth Korchin at Therium Capital Management.

• Series

  Pursuing Wellness: A Focus On Firm Holistic Health Training

  

  Our most concerted efforts toward implementing the American Bar Association's well-being pledge, which we signed one year ago, have centered on educating attorneys and staff by including well-being components in firm trainings and professional development programs, says Andrew Glincher at Nixon Peabody.

• Roundup

  Judging A Book

  

  Are the latest books on the judicial system worth reading? Federal judges share their thoughts in this series of book reviews.

• IRS Donor Rule Has Disclosure Movement Down But Not Out

  

  Although the IRS recently dealt a blow to the corporate political contribution disclosure movement by initiating rulemaking to eliminate donor reporting for certain tax-exempt organizations, states are likely to fill the void, say Susan Leahy and Matthew Shapanka at Covington.

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  Judging A Book: Jackson Reviews 'When Should Law Forgive?'

  

  Readers of Martha Minow's new book "When Should Law Forgive?" will be exposed to a refreshingly robust vision of justice that transcends myopic perspectives of wrongdoing and punishment, says U.S. District Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson of the District of Columbia.

• OT Rules For Bonuses Are Less Fuzzy After 3rd Circ. Opinion

  

  While the Third Circuit's opinion in U.S. Department of Labor v. Bristol Excavating does not provide a bright-line rule for including third-party bonuses in overtime calculations under the Fair Labor Standards Act, it identifies the relevant risk factors, say Lori Armstrong Halber and Gavin Carpenter at Reed Smith.

• Series

  Pursuing Wellness: Steps Toward A Supportive Firm Culture

  

  As an early advocate of the American Bar Association's year-old well-being pledge, we launched an integrated program to create and sustain a supportive workplace culture with initiatives focused on raising mental health awareness, embracing creativity and giving back to the community, says Casey Ryan at Reed Smith.

• NJ Tax Stop: Impact Of Retained Rights On Inheritance Tax

  

  The New Jersey Tax Court’s revision of its recent decision in Shedlock v. Division of Taxation is significant in that it recognizes potential scenarios in which the substance of a transfer, and a transferor's retained rights thereafter, will take precedence over the form despite the three-year bright-line rule for inheritance tax determination, says Sarah Townsend of Cole Schotz.

• Series

  Pursuing Wellness: Mental Health Education As A Firm Priority

  

  Our firm drives a holistic concept of well-being through educational opportunities, such as a series of expert-led workshops intended to address mental health and substance abuse issues that we vowed to fight when we signed the American Bar Association's well-being pledge one year ago, says Krista Logelin at Morgan Lewis.

• State Net

  Comparing States' Preparations For An Economic Downturn

  

  Statistics indicate that many states have learned lessons from the Great Recession, and are better prepared for the next recession. Those that are not setting aside money to see them through the inevitable fiscal crisis would be wise to start saving for a rainy day, says Lou Cannon of State Net Capitol Journal.

• Series

  Pursuing Wellness: A Firm's Work With Mental Health Experts

  

  Signing the American Bar Association's well-being pledge last year was a natural progression of our firm's commitment to employee wellness, which has included developing partnerships with professionals in the mental health space to provide customized programming to firm attorneys and staff, say Annette Sciallo and Mark Goldberg at Latham.

• Searching For A Legal Pathway For CBD Products

  

  Sales of products containing CBD are booming, but companies selling them are still faced with a regulatory quagmire, struggling to understand how to legally promote, label and distribute CBD consumables in light of gridlock at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and inconsistent state laws, say attorneys at DLA Piper.

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  Pursuing Wellness: When A Firm Brings Counseling On Site

  

  One year ago, our firm signed the American Bar Association's well-being pledge and embraced a commitment to providing on-site behavioral health resources, which has since become a key aspect of our well-being program, say Meg Meserole and Kimberly Merkel at Akin Gump.

• Series

  Pursuing Wellness: Inside A Firm Meditation Program

  

  After our firm signed the American Bar Association’s well-being pledge one year ago, we launched two key programs that included weekly meditation sessions and monthly on-site chair massages to help people address both the mental and physical aspects of working at a law firm, says Marci Eisenstein at Schiff Hardin.