Dishing Up Directors & Officers Insurance Coverage for Foodborne Illness
Directors & Officers coverage for wrongful acts by a company’s officers and directors can play an important role in defending litigation over foodborne illness, particularly in cases implicating the responsible corporate officer doctrine and wire fraud, attorney J. Wylie Donald said. In this Continue Reading
A Warning to 401(k) Plan Sponsors Relying on Third-Party Administrators (TPAs)
Even When Using TPAs, You Are Still Responsible for Proper Administration and Recordkeeping of Hardship Distributions and Loans A recent news bulletin from the IRS serves as a cautionary reminder that plan sponsors retain responsibility for the proper administration of participant hardship Continue Reading
Supreme Court Seals Tight a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board Decision
In a recent case that will raise the stakes for companies involved in contentious administrative trademark proceedings, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the administrative tribunal, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB), may make decisions which are binding on the parties and courts in later Continue Reading
Tips for Trying Your 1st Patent Infringement Case
The vast majority of patent cases settle before trial ever begins. This results in many patent litigators rarely, if ever, having an opportunity to present a case at trial. For those patent litigators who are among the lucky few and end up in the courtroom, here are five tips to keep in mind, says Continue Reading
New Pipeline Safety Rules: What You Need to Know
Executive Summary New regulations for pipeline construction, safety and transportation issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), which is an agency of the Department of Transportation (DOT), will become effective October 1, 2015. The hodgepodge of miscellaneous Continue Reading
Federal Circuit Rules Launching a Website or Other Advertising Alone Is Not Service Mark “Use”
Launching a website or other advertising alone is not enough to prove “use” of a service mark. You must actually render the services you claim in connection with your service mark before you file your federal use-based registration application or statement of use. The Federal Circuit has Continue Reading
Ten Pillars to a Productive Mediation: An Attorney’s Guide
Mediation of disputes is growing, as more courts looking to clear congested dockets suggest or command mediation during the course of a litigation, and more parties wary of the cost, time, uncertainty, and publicity of a lawsuit seek a quicker and less expensive alternative. To execute these Continue Reading
Employers: Properly Administer Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plans, or You May Be Held Liable to Participants for Adverse Tax Consequences
An employer’s liability to retirees for “improper” FICA tax withholding illustrates the importance of diligent administration of nonqualified deferred compensation plans. In the recent case of Davidson v. Henkel Corp.,1 a federal district court found an employer, Henkel Corporation Continue Reading
Inter Partes Review Proceedings Continue to Be an Efficient and Effective Way to Address Patent Infringement Allegations in Light of a Recent Federal Circuit Decision
Executive Summary A recent court decision suggests that it may be even easier to invalidate patent claims via a relatively quick proceeding before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“PTO”) – known as inter partes review (“IPR”) – as compared with traditional litigation. The Federal Continue Reading