Technology

Expert Analysis

• What Attorneys Should Know About Blockchain Disputes

  

  As blockchain companies on the product supply chain rapidly adopt new technologies, commercial counsel can prepare to assist blockchain clients and consumers in mitigating transactional disputes by becoming familiar with smart contract code, jurisdictional issues and new dispute resolution schemes, says Michael Hewitt at Sideman & Bancroft. 

• Extension Of The HSR Waiting Period Increases Acquirer Risk

  

  Attorneys at K&L Gates look at the Federal Trade Commission's recent extension of the merger-review waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and its effect on pending transactions, broader public policy and the Biden-era M&A market.

• 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  Copyright Law's Employment Test Is Frighteningly Outdated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.

• New Contractor Insights On 'Other Transaction' Bid Protests

  

  Based on recent case law, including the U.S. Court of Federal Claims’ recent ruling in Kinemetrics v. U.S., contractors interested in protesting so-called other transaction agreements should focus not on whether to file but on which federal court is appropriate for doing so, say Locke Bell and Krista Nunez at MoFo.

• 4 Antitrust Risk Areas To Watch For Government Contractors

  

  To plan for the increased likelihood of detection and stiff penalties for antitrust violations following the anticipated passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, compliance efforts should focus on joint bidding, dual distribution, legal certifications, and hiring and compensation, say Andre Geverola and Lori Taubman at Arnold & Porter.

• What SEP Holders Can Take Away From UK's Apple Ruling

  

  A U.K. court's recent decision in the standard essential patent dispute between Apple and Optis Cellular Technology provides encouragement for SEP owners litigating their portfolios in the U.K. and reaffirms the country's place as a patentee-friendly jurisdiction, says Tess Waldron at Powell Gilbert.

• Anti-Retaliation Refresher Following Facebook Whistleblower

  

  A former Facebook employee’s recent sharing of internal documents with government agencies and the press reminds that whistleblowers are shielded by strong anti-retaliation protections — with certain limitations, depending on the type and scope of material taken and the parties that receive it, says Alia Al-Khatib at Katz Marshall.

• 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.

• Fed. Circ. Ruling Instructive On Defeating Patent Obviousness

  

  The recent Federal Circuit decision Chemours v. Daikin, holding that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board disregarded prior art teachings in deciding that claims were obvious, reveals how the teaching-away and commercial-success doctrines provide strong arguments to overcome obviousness during patent prosecution or litigation, say attorneys at BCLP.

• Practical Implications Of Delaware's New Demand-Futility Test

  

  In United Food and Commercial Workers Union v. Zuckerberg, the Delaware Supreme Court adopted a new universal test for assessing a board’s ability to independently assess a shareholder litigation demand, which may close off certain paths for plaintiffs who seek to plead demand futility, say Courtney Worcester and Roger Lane at Holland & Knight.

• 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.

• Predicting Fed. Circ. Rule 36 Affirmances In Patent Cases

  

  A review of the timing between patent litigation oral argument and Rule 36 affirmances at the Federal Circuit, assessed across lower courts since 2013, reveals several trends practitioners can rely upon to predict whether their appeal will end in a Rule 36 judgment, say attorneys at Dechert.

• Upshots Of Del. Holding On Appraisal Rights Waivers In M&A

  

  The Delaware Supreme Court's recent Manti v. Authentix holding offers key takeaways clarifying the enforceability of the dual approach of appraisal waivers and drag-along rights, to keep common stockholders in check in a merger or stock sale, while also framing the contexts in which these waivers might not be enforceable, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• 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.

• 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.