New Jersey

Expert Analysis

• Avoiding Inadvertent Privilege Waivers In E-Communications

  

  Attorneys at WilmerHale highlight recent developments in privilege law, the significant challenges raised by nontraditional working arrangements popularized during the pandemic, and best practices to avoid waiving attorney-client privilege when using electronic communications.

• Limiting Employer Liability For Secondhand Virus Exposure

  

  While the law on secondhand exposure to workplace hazards like COVID-19 varies from state to state, employers can make educated guesses about the scope of liability and the steps needed to protect workers and limit claims from third parties, say attorneys at McGuireWoods.

• Where We Are In The US Trade Secret Crackdown On China

  

  As the U.S. Department of Justice continues to focus on prosecuting trade secret theft by China, U.S. companies are also filing private civil lawsuits against Chinese companies in federal courts, relying on both the Defend Trade Secrets Act and state trade secret laws, say attorneys at Wiggin and Dana.

• Opinion

  Don't Cancel Your Summer Associate Programs

  

  While pulling off an effective summer associate program this year will be no easy feat, law firms' investments in their future attorneys should be considered necessary even during this difficult time, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Top 5 Wage And Hour Risks To Avoid As Businesses Reopen

  

  Employers should use extra caution to sidestep several key wage and hour mistakes as businesses prepare to reopen following the coronavirus crisis and worker classification and Fair Labor Standards Act compliance comes under increased scrutiny, say Kathleen Caminiti and Eric Baginski at Fisher Phillips.

• Defending Remote Testimony In White Collar, Securities Cases

  

  The COVID-19 shift to remote witness testimony in white collar and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigations changes how both sides handle documents, investigate and interact, and will require defense lawyers to reconsider how they present their clients, say attorneys at Richards Kibbe.

• 5 Ways To Reduce Post-Pandemic Legal Malpractice Exposure

  

  History suggests that legal malpractice claims will rise following the current economic downturn, and while a certain percentage of the claims will be unavoidable, there are prophylactic steps that law firms can take, says John Johnson at Cozen O'Connor.

• Preparing For A Deluge Of COVID-19 Whistleblower Claims

  

  Attorneys at Proskauer break down the kinds of COVID-19 whistleblower retaliation claims employers should anticipate, and explain key steps to minimize risks under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, National Labor Relations Act, Families First Coronavirus Response Act, and state laws.

• Opinion

  Credibility Concerns About Virtual Arbitration Are Unfounded

  

  Concerns that videoconferenced arbitration hearings compromise an arbitrator's ability to reliably resolve credibility contests are based on mistaken perceptions of how many cases actually turn on credibility, what credibility means in the legal world, and how arbitrators make credibility determinations, says Wayne Brazil at JAMS.

• Opinion

  COVID-19 Relief Should Include Federal Infrastructure Bill

  

  To create jobs and address the country's $4.5 trillion infrastructure backlog, the federal government should enact coronavirus relief directed at infrastructure investment, leveraged by the allocation of funds for public-private partnerships, say Andrej Micovic and Eric Singer at Bilzin Sumberg.

• The Challenge Of Measuring Pipelines' GHG Footprints

  

  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is frequently asked to require natural gas pipelines to evaluate effects on greenhouse gas emissions, with implications for project approval, but it is not easy to calculate the climate impact of a given pipeline, says David Harrison at NERA.

• A Lawyer's Guide To Client Service Continuity Planning

  

  Ensuring uninterrupted client service and compliance with ethical obligations in a time when attorneys are more likely to fall ill means taking six basic — yet often ignored — steps to build some redundancy and internal communication into legal practice, say attorneys at Axinn.

• Lessons On Trade Secret Claims From Possessor, Not Owner

  

  The Third Circuit's recent trade secrets decision in Advanced Fluid Systems v. Huber is particularly important for companies in relationships whereby vendors create, use or apply confidential information and trade secrets to develop solutions or manufacture products for other entities pursuant to a contract, say attorneys at Proskauer.

• Virtual Meetings Could Be Fertile Ground For Legal Discovery

  

  Many remote meeting technologies include recording features as default settings, raising three primary concerns from a legal discovery and data retention perspective, and possibly bringing unintended consequences for companies in future litigation, says Courtney Murphy at Clark Hill.

• How Courts May Interpret COVID-19 Waivers Of Liability

  

  As businesses begin to reopen, they may seek to release themselves from negligence claims for COVID-19 infections through contractual waivers of liability, but whether a waiver is enforceable varies significantly by state, says Jessica Kelly at Sherin and Lodgen.