Last month, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court raised the stakes for all big law firms with patent-prosecution practices by requesting amicus curiae briefing on whether representing competitors "on similar inventions" gives rise to a conflict under Massachusetts law. A broad reading of the Continue Reading
FDA Panel Recommends Approval of a New Kind of Generic Drug in the U.S.
A routine vote by an advisory panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration this week on a cancer drug made by Novartis could have major consequences for Boston-area biotech firms. On Wednesday, the FDA's panel charged with reviewing new cancer drugs voted unanimously to recommend approval Continue Reading
Private Equity Firms Gain Louder Voice in Congress, but Will It Be Loud Enough?
Private equity executives and the trade groups that represent them in Washington are betting a Republican-controlled Congress will translate to a more favorable regulatory environment for the industry in 2015. Many are quick to add, however, that any change is likely to be incremental if Continue Reading
New Rules Clarify Requirements for Pro Bono Exemptions
Rule changes aimed at helping New Jersey lawyers fulfill their annual pro bono obligations kicked in at the start of the new year. The changes were proposed in 2012 by the New Jersey State Bar Association's Pro Bono Task Force and adopted by the state Supreme Court last July, but had a delayed Continue Reading
7 Trends That Will Drive Private Equity in 2015
Experts agree 2015 will likely be a strong year for private equity deal-making as funds flush with cash look to put that money to work even as they continue to face demanding sellers and stiff competition from corporate buyers. The secondary market, the so-called pawn shop of the private equity Continue Reading
President’s Move on Visa Modernization and Other Efforts to Fix the System
On Nov. 21, 2014, the White House issued a Presidential Memorandum on "Modernizing and Streamlining the U.S. Immigrant Visa System for the 21st Century"1 wherein the president called on immigration agencies to develop recommendations to improve upon the current visa system by March 20, 2015. Nearly Continue Reading
James Kosch featured in CIANJ’s Business Beat on his arrival to the Firm
McCarter & English welcomes James A. Kosch to its Newark office. Mr. Kosch returned to McCarter following nearly three decades of distinguished service at peer firms. He handles complex environmental, toxic tort, product liability, business tort, construction, estate and commercial litigation. Continue Reading
New Jersey Supreme Court’s ruling in Magic Petroleum Corp. v. Exxon Mobil Corp.
In July, the New Jersey Supreme Court removed a potential roadblock to the cleanup of contaminated sites when it ruled that parties don't have to wait on state enforcement efforts before suing for contribution under the New Jersey Spill Compensation and Control Act.The opinion is one of the most Continue Reading
New Protections for Transgender Employees
Although many states, including Connecticut, have passed legislation, specifically prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity, as currently enacted, Title VII does not expressly prohibit such discrimination. For this reason, since 1994, advocates seeking the expansion of federal Continue Reading
Live-in Health Aides to Earn More — Will Providers Pass Along Costs?
Some businesses bemoan change in federal rule that will guarantee minimum wage and overtime for homecare workers. Christopher Mayer, a law partner with McCarter & English in Newark, said client home-care companies feel that the rule change is a threat to their business. He has been Continue Reading