Expert Analysis

• 5 Management Tips To Keep Law Firm Merger Talks Moving

  

  Many law firm mergers that make solid business sense still fall apart due to the costs and frustrations of inefficient negotiations, but firm managers can increase the chance of success by effectively planning and executing merger discussions, say Lisa Smith and Kristin Stark at Fairfax Associates.

• What 3rd Circ. Niaspan Decision Means For Class Cert.

  

  The Third Circuit's recent denial of class certification in the Niaspan antitrust case underscores its particularly stringent understanding of the implicit ascertainability requirement, which further fuels confusion in the courts, threatens uneven results and increases the risk of forum shopping, says Michael Lazaroff at Rimon Law.

• Rebuttal

  2nd Circ. Reinsurance Ruling Correctly Applied English Law

  

  Contrary to a recent Law360 guest article's argument, the Second Circuit correctly applied English law when it decided in Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania v. Equitas that concurrent reinsurance certificates required the reinsurer to cover loss in accordance with the law of the policy's governing jurisdiction, say Peter Chaffetz and Andrew Poplinger at Chaffetz Lindsey.

• The Texas Two-Step May Be Losing Steam

  

  The Texas Two-Step is a powerful bankruptcy strategy that has been used in recent high-profile cases, including Johnson & Johnson’s talc unit bankruptcy case, but ongoing debate and legal challenges raise the question of whether this maneuver is losing reliability, say Brendan Best and Justin Allen at Varnum.

• East Penn Verdict Is An FLSA Cautionary Tale For Employers

  

  A Pennsylvania federal jury's recent $22 million verdict against East Penn set a record for the Fair Labor Standards Act and should serve as a reminder to employers that failure to keep complete wage and hour records can exponentially increase liability exposure under the FLSA, say Benjamin Hinks and Danielle Lederman at Bowditch & Dewey.

• 3 Abortion Enforcement Takeaways 1 Year After Dobbs

  

  A year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, confusion continues to abound amid the quagmire of state-level enforcement risks, federal efforts to protect reproductive health care, and fights over geolocation data, say Elena Quattrone and Sarah Hall at Epstein Becker.

• Rethinking In-Office Attendance For Associate Retention

  

  The hybrid office attendance model doesn't work for all employees, but it does for many — and balancing these two groups is important for associate retention and maintaining a BigLaw firm culture that supports all attorneys, says Summer Eberhard at Major Lindsey.

• Opinion

  ALI, Bar Groups Need More Defense Engagement For Balance

  

  The American Law Institute and state bar committees have a special role in the development of the law — but if they do not do a better job of including attorneys from the defense bar, they will come to be viewed as special interest advocacy groups, says Mark Behrens at Shook Hardy.

• Murdaugh Trials Offer Law Firms Fraud Prevention Reminders

  

  As the fraud case against Alex Murdaugh continues to play out, the evidence and narrative presented at his murder trial earlier this year may provide lessons for law firms on implementing robust internal controls that can detect and prevent similar kinds of fraud, say Travis Casner and Helga Zauner at Weaver and Tidwell.

• What Courts Say About Workers' Comp And Medical Marijuana

  

  Whether employers and insurance carriers are required or allowed to reimburse employees for out-of-pocket costs for treating work-related injuries with medical marijuana has spawned a debate, and the state courts that have addressed this matter are split on a number of issues, say Alexandra Hassell and Anthony Califano at Seyfarth.

• How Electric Vehicles Will Affect Land Use And Development

  

  The increasing use of electric vehicles will bring significant issues for cities and real estate developers to consider, as cities will require substantially more infrastructure to meet electric vehicles' charging needs, says John Lushis at Norris McLaughlin.

• Title IX Damages Outlook 1 Year After High Court Ruling

  

  Federal courts have been extending the holding of last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision, Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, to disallow emotional distress damages under Title IX, but students and educators suing educational institutions for gender discrimination can still recover monetary damages under alternate theories, say attorneys at Sanford Heisler.

• 2nd Circ. Reinsurance Ruling Misconstrues English Law

  

  The Second Circuit's finding in Insurance Company of the State of Pennsylvania v. Equitas Insurance, that London-based reinsurer Equitas owed coverage for losses outside the policy period, stems from that court's misinterpretation of English law on reinsurance policy construction, says Christopher Foster at Holman Fenwick.

• Considerations For Cos. Amid Rising Data Tracking Suits

  

  Despite the limited success of plaintiffs seeking to use older privacy laws to bring internet data tracking claims, e-commerce businesses should nevertheless take precautions to minimize their potential exposure to these suits when making decisions about how to handle website visitor data, say attorneys at Benesch.

• Firm Tips For Helping New Lawyers Succeed Post-Pandemic

  

  Ten steps can help firms significantly enhance the experience of attorneys who started their careers in the coronavirus pandemic era, including facilitating opportunities for cross-firm connection, which can ultimately help build momentum for business development, says Lana Manganiello at Equinox Strategy Partners.