U.S. private equity buyers on the hunt for good deals are casting their nets wider and looking at deals far smaller than those they typically pursue — often to the detriment of smaller competitors, experts say. As some of the biggest private equity investment groups look to invest cash out of Continue Reading
Lawyers Weigh In on High Court Claim Construction Ruling
“Patentees should appreciate Teva because those that make their claim construction cases in district court — before juries and judges who lack deep technical knowledge — now have stronger positions as appellee. Patent trials will carry added significance because non-prevailing parties can no longer Continue Reading
Court Mulls Whistleblower Protection for ‘Watchdog Employees’
In a case being closely monitored by the business community, the New Jersey Supreme Court is considering whether so-called "watchdog employees" can be protected by the state's whistleblower law if they are fired for, in essence, doing their jobs.The court heard arguments Jan. 20 in a case in which Continue Reading
Attys Spar Over Protections for Watchdog Employees in NJ
Attorneys appearing before the New Jersey Supreme Court on Tuesday tried to sell competing views on the reach of the state's whistleblower law for watchdog employees whose responsibilities include voicing concerns about product safety or other important issues. The court heard hotly anticipated Continue Reading
High Court Claim Construction Ruling Set to Spur New Fights
“Patentees should appreciate Teva because those that make their claim construction cases in district court — before juries and judges who lack deep technical knowledge — now have stronger positions as appellee. Patent trials will carry added significance because non-prevailing parties can no longer Continue Reading
Suit Against Finnegan Could Be Patent-Practice Game Changer
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