China Contracts: Dispute Resolution Clauses
Insight
Dan Harris explains why a provision calling for Chinese contract dispute resolution in U.S. courts can sometimes be a hindrance, compared to a clause requiring dispute resolution to take place in Chinese courts.
Incorporation by Reference of an Arbitration Clause Is a Simple Matter … Isn’t It?
Insight
Drafting an arbitration clause for an agreement may seem like a straightforward matter most of the time, writes Gilbert A. Samberg for Mintz, Levin.
Using Standard Form Contracts May Hurt Your Business
Insight
Not only do these vague business contracts fail to address important issues that may arise between the two parties, they may also lead to confusion over what terms will actually govern the agreement, writes Corey F. Schechter of Butterfield Schechter LLP.
Judge Squelches New Overtime Regs: Now What?
News
Should employers roll back new policies to save money and then face potential liability if the regulation is ultimately upheld? One employment lawyer says the risk might be worth it for nonprofits who often have people doing professional work, but earning in the $35,000 a year range.
‘Chapter 22’ Looms Over Some U.S. Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Survivors
News
Reuters tells the story of “Chapter 22” companies, oil and gas industry firms that return to bankruptcy court after their first Chapter 11 overhaul failed to fix their problems.
Meet the Top Lawyer of the World Series Champs
News
As the top lawyer for the Chicago Cubs, Lydia Wahlke spends most of her time protecting and enforcing the team’s brand, but she still gets to be a fan of the new World Series champions, according to an interview published in Bloomberg’s Big Law Business.
Practical and Ethical Issues for Attorneys Practicing Dual Occupations
Insight
Engaging in a second occupation may appeal to some attorneys, but lawyers must always consider the practical and ethical challenges involved with actively practicing dual occupations, advises Laura Drossman.
Pension & Welfare Plan Overpayments: What’s An Employer To Do?
Event, Dec. 6, 1 p.m. EST
Tax and employee benefits counsel must often advise their clients on best practices for handling potentially costly pension and welfare plan overpayments. Overpayments made in self-funded group health plans due to excessive charges by out-of-network providers and pension-plan overpayments on account of administrative errors may require potential contributions by the employer and lead to costly liability.
Facts in Law Firm Discrimination Suit No Bellwether on Gender Pay
Insight
Sarah Bradbury, senior counsel at Dallas litigation boutique Estes Thorne & Carr PLLC, comments on the recent $100 million discrimination lawsuit against Chadbourne & Parke over claims that female partners are paid less than their male counterparts.
FinCEN Issues Guidance on Cybersecurity
Insight
More guidance on cybersecurity requirements is available, this time an advisory from FinCEN to help financial institutions on their Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) obligations regarding cyber-events and cyber-enabled crime.
Arlene Switzer Steinfield Recognized in the Dallas 500
News
Dykema Cox Smith announced that Arlene Switzer Steinfield, Dallas-based Senior Counsel in the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice, was recognized in D CEO’s special edition,
Norton Rose Fulbright Addresses Legal Implications of Smart Contracts
News
Blockchain consortium R3 has contracted global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright to determine the contractual effect and enforceability of smart contracts, reports Finextra.
Associate Salary Hike to $180K Cited as Strain to Law Firm Profits
News
In the months since Cravath Swaine & Moore hiked starting salaries for first year associates by 11 percent to $180,000, law firms across the country raised their associate compensation scale to match — and now those pay increases are showing up as profit growth slows at some law firms, according to a new report on the first three quarters of 2016 compiled by Citi Private Bank.
Rio Tinto Terminates Executives Over Simandou Investigation
News
Mining giant Rio Tinto PLC said it fired one of its most senior operational executives and its head of legal and regulatory affairs based on the findings from a continuing internal probe into $10.5 million in payments to a consultant who helped acquire mining rights in Guinea, reports The Wall Street Journal.
In Contracts, What a Difference a Word Makes
Insight
Larry P. Schiffer of Squire Patton Boggs describes a recent case that illustrates his point that legalese and unnecessary words can cause a trier of fact to interpret a clause in a way that is unexpected.
When it Comes to Contracting With the Federal Government: Beware
Insight
Jennifer S. Cluverius of Nexsen Pruet, LLC writes about some of the most costly and often-unnoticed employment-related compliance obligations faced by federal contractors and subcontractors.
Donald Trump’s Son-in-Law Tests Legal Path to White House Job
News
Ethics lawyers in both parties have warned that such an arrangement would violate that 1967 law enacted after John F. Kennedy installed his brother, Robert F. Kennedy, as attorney general, The New York Times reports.
Lawyer Spared from $1M Sanction Faces $45K Fine
News
Philadelphia insurance defense attorney Nancy Raynor had at one time faced a $1 million sanction, imposed for alleged witness intimidation during a medical-malpractice case.
The New Law Department Professional: Transforming Legal to Run as a Business Unit
Insight
The role of in-house legal is changing. Corporate legal professionals are expected to lead the charge in implementing corporate initiatives aimed at reducing costs, mitigating risk, introducing new technologies, and changing corporate culture.
Trump Nears Settlement in Trump University Lawsuit
News
Some former students of the now-defunct school claim they were they were lured by false promises into paying up to $35,000 to learn Trump’s real estate investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors, according to Reuters.
