Expert Analysis

• Oracle Ruling Underscores Trend Of Mootness Fee Denials

  

  The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent refusal to make tech giant Oracle shoulder $5 million of plaintiff shareholders' attorney fees illustrates a trend of courts raising the standard for granting the mootness fee awards once ubiquitous in post-merger derivative disputes, say attorneys at Troutman Pepper.

• Circumstantial Evidence Requires A Pointillist Approach

  

  Because complex cases with sophisticated defendants are unlikely to reveal much, if any, direct evidence, attorneys must aggregate many pieces of circumstantial evidence into a cohesive narrative — much like the painting technique of pointillism, says Reuben Guttman at Guttman Buschner.

• Cos. Should Mind Website Tech As CIPA Suits Keep Piling Up

  

  Businesses should continue evaluating their use of website technologies and other data-gathering software and review the disclosures in their privacy policies, amid an increase so far in 2024 of class actions alleging violations of the California Invasion of Privacy Act's pen register and trap-and-trace provisions, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

• 3 Tech Sourcing Best Practices That Are Relevant For AI

  

  It might be tempting to think that sourcing artificial intelligence tools requires a completely new set of skills, but the best practices that lead to a good deal are much the same as traditional technology procurement, says Mia Rendar at Pillsbury.

• The Pros And Cons Of NIST's Proposed March-In Framework

  

  Recent comments for and against the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s proposed guidance on march-in rights — which permit the government to seize federally funded patents — highlight how the framework may promote competition, but could also pose a risk to contractors and universities, say Nick Lee and Paul Ragusa at Baker Botts.

• Comparing Corporate Law In Delaware, Texas And Nevada

  

  With Elon Musk's recent decision to reincorporate his companies outside of Delaware, and with more businesses increasingly considering Nevada and Texas as corporate homes, attorneys at Baker Botts look at each jurisdiction's foundation of corporate law, and how the differences can make each more or less appealing based on a corporation's needs.

• Opinion

  Federal MDL Rule Benefits From Public Comments

  

  The new Federal Rule of Civil Procedure concerning multidistrict litigation that was approved this week by the Advisory Committee on Civil Rules incorporates ideas from public comments that will aid both plaintiffs and defense attorneys — and if ultimately adopted, the rule should promote efficient, merits-driven MDL case management, say Robert Johnston and Gary Feldon at Hollingsworth.

• Tips For Orgs Defending Against Daniel's Law Claims

  

  With Daniel's Law recently amended to require courts to award statutorily defined damages to aggrieved parties, organizations should identify whether they are subject to the law and ensure they have implemented a comprehensive compliance program to better avoid litigation costs and reputational harm, say attorneys at Thompson Hine.

• Practicing Law With Parkinson's Disease

  

  This Parkinson’s Awareness Month, Adam Siegler at Greenberg Traurig discusses his experience working as a lawyer with Parkinson’s disease, sharing both lessons on how to cope with a diagnosis and advice for supporting colleagues who live with the disease.

• When Trade Secret Protection And Nat'l Security Converge

  

  The Trump administration's anti-espionage program focused on China is over, but federal enforcement efforts to protect trade secrets and U.S. national security continue, and companies doing business in high-risk jurisdictions need to maintain their compliance programs to avoid the risk of being caught in the crosshairs of an investigation, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

• Cos. Should Prepare For Foreign Data Transfer Regulations

  

  A new regulatory regime designed to protect U.S. sensitive data from countries of concern may complicate an already intricate geopolitical landscape and affect even companies beyond the data industry, but with careful preparation, such companies can endeavor to minimize the effect on their business operations and ensure compliance, say David Plotinsky and Jiazhen Guo at Morgan Lewis.

• Why Incorporating By Reference Is Rarely Good Practice

  

  The Federal Circuit’s recent ruling in Promptu Systems v. Comcast serves as a reminder that while incorporating by reference may seem efficient, it is generally prohibited by courts and can lead to sanctions when used to bypass a word count limit, says Cullen Seltzer at Sands Anderson.

• Series

  Playing Hockey Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Nearly a lifetime of playing hockey taught me the importance of avoiding burnout in all aspects of life, and the game ultimately ended up providing me with the balance I needed to maintain success in my legal career, says John Riccione at Taft.

• A Closer Look At Antitrust Agencies' Chat Platforms Guidance

  

  Following the U.S. antitrust agencies' clarification that companies' preservation obligations extend through applications that automatically delete communications, firms should look at new compliance measures, including keeping control over retention settings, say John Ingrassia and Tim Burroughs at Proskauer.

• Ruling Signals Wave Of CIPA Litigation May Soon End

  

  A California state court's recent ruling in Licea v. Hickory Farms, which rejects the argument that IP address tracking violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act's pen register provision, is likely to reduce or stop the slew of new cases filed against businesses for similar alleged violations, says Patricia Brum at Snell & Wilmer.