New York

Expert Analysis

• Opinion

  Copyright Law's Employment Test Is Frighteningly Outdated

  

  In Horror Inc. v. Miller, the Second Circuit's recent analysis of whether the defendant was an employee or an independent contractor, and thus able to terminate his copyright, illustrates why copyright employment principles need to be updated in view of the post-COVID-19 work context, says Matthew Fagan at Kacvinsky Daisak.

• 2nd Circ. ERISA Ruling Offers Lessons On Proof Of Loss

  

  The Second Circuit’s recent decision in Sacerdote v. New York University, reviving several retirement plan fiduciary breach claims, illustrates why defendants must avoid terminology that conflates loss and damages, and why they should develop affirmative evidence to show plans were not harmed by alleged breaches, say Deanna Rice and Randall Edwards at O'Melveny & Myers.

• Girardi Scandal Provides Important Ethics Lessons

  

  The litigation and media maelstrom following allegations that famed plaintiffs attorney Thomas Girardi and his law firm misappropriated clients' funds provides myriad ethics and professional responsibility lessons for practitioners, especially with regard to misconduct reporting and liability insurance, says Elizabeth Tuttle Newman at Frankfurt Kurnit.

• Opinion

  No Signs Of Turning, Tide Of Insurer COVID Wins Persists

  

  The trend of COVID-19 business interruption decisions favoring insurers continues to hold strong — any commentary to the contrary is striking a narrative that is not borne out by reality, say attorneys at Dentons.

• Series

  Embracing ESG: Jabil GC Talks Compliance Preparation

  

  Tried-and-true compliance lessons from recent decades can be applied to companies’ environmental, social and governance efforts, especially with regard to employee training and consistent application of policies — two factors that can create a foundation for ESG criteria to flourish, says Robert Katz at Jabil.

• Opinion

  Bankruptcy Venue Reform Bill Needs Amending

  

  The Bankruptcy Venue Reform Act, currently pending in Congress, goes too far in limiting Chapter 11 filings to jurisdictions where a debtor's principal assets or headquarters are located; we propose a more targeted solution that considers the current reality of complex corporate structures, say Kenneth Rosen and Philip Gross at Lowenstein Sandler.

• 3 Ways CLOs Can Drive ESG Efforts

  

  Chief legal officers are specially trained to see the legal industry's flaws, and they can leverage that perspective to push their companies toward effective environmental, social and governance engagement, says Mark Chandler at Stanford Law School.

• Opinion

  Copyright Termination, Work-For-Hire Doctrine Need Review

  

  A recent flurry of litigation by Marvel against former writers shows the necessity of court and agency review of the copyright termination right and the outdated work-for-hire doctrine, which could have far-reaching consequences for today's independent contractors, say Carolyn Martin and Ethan Barr at Lutzker & Lutzker.

• How Law Firms Can Rethink Offices In A Post-Pandemic World

  

  Based on their own firm's experiences, Kami Quinn and Adam Farra at Gilbert discuss strategies and unique legal industry considerations for law firms planning hybrid models of remote and in-office work in a post-COVID marketplace.

• Structured Ch. 11 Dismissals Aren't Dead, Despite Jevic

  Excerpt from Practical Guidance

  

  A New York bankruptcy court's recent approval of structured Chapter 11 dismissals in KG Winddown demonstrates that the rumored demise of such distributions hasn't come to pass, in part due to the U.S. Supreme Court's failure to address their legality in its 2017 opinion in Jevic, say Dan Prieto and Mark Douglas at Jones Day.

• Opinion

  Cannabis Fraud Decision Shows Need For Sentencing Reform

  

  A New York federal court's recent decision in U.S. v. Akhavan, holding a $17 million forfeiture request for cannabis bank fraud unconstitutionally excessive, reveals the need to reform sentencing laws that overemphasize crimes' financial elements even when tenuously related to defendants' intent, say Lloyd Liu and Hilary LoCicero at Bennett LoCicero.

• Series

  Embracing ESG: Baker Hughes CLO Talks Sustainability Team

  

  For businesses focused on addressing environmental, social and governance considerations, a legal team that can coordinate sustainability efforts across the company can help to manage risk and compliance issues, anticipate and prepare for change, and identify new opportunities, says Regina Jones at Baker Hughes.

• What 9th Circ. Arbitration Case May Mean For Insurance

  

  If the plaintiffs in CLMS Management Services v. Amwins Brokerage of Georgia appeal the Ninth Circuit's recent decision that state law does not bar the enforcement of arbitration clauses in insurance contracts, the case may have a significant effect on the different dispute resolution options for insurers and policyholders, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

• What Mainstreaming Of Litigation Finance Means For Industry

  

  The rush of new capital and investors into the litigation funding space is expected to bring heightened competition on price and other key deal terms, but litigants will need to be more in tune with individual financiers' proclivities, says William Weisman at Therium Capital Management.

• TM Rights Agreement Considerations After 2nd Circ. Ruling

  

  By refusing to apply the "inherently suspect" antitrust framework in its recent 1-800 Contacts decision, the Second Circuit destabilized the landscape for companies entering into trademark rights agreements, so parties should bear in mind several important considerations when drafting and negotiating agreements, say Kimberly Culp and Alyssa Crooke at Fenwick.