Columns | May 25, 2013

Real Estate

Marketplace

The Greater Jamaica Development Group has announced that it has entered into an agreement with Blumenfeld Development Group to create a new retail and parking facility in downtown Jamaica, Queens. Also, EisnerAmper has signed an early renewal at 750 Third Ave, increasing the size of its New York City office.

Landlord/Tenant Law / Legal Profession / Real Property

U.S. Supreme Court Examines Voting Rights in Two Cases

In their Government and Election Law column, Jerry H. Goldfeder, special counsel at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, and Myrna Pérez, deputy director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, write that since 'Bush v. Gore,' the court has ruled on a variety of important voting rights cases, and in a matter of weeks the court is expected to hand down decisions in two additional ones, also having far-reaching consequences.

Civil Rights / Constitutional Law / Election Law / United States Supreme Court

Pro Bono Mandate Misses the Mark

Consider, most, if not all practitioners at one lawyer shops and small firms make every effort to work with clients who do not or cannot pay, including cutting down on their bill as a courtesy, or offering discounted retainers.

Legal Profession

Technology Today

Determining When Software Development Is 'Work for Hire'

In their Technology Law Column, Richard Raysman, a partner at Holland & Knight, and Peter Brown, the principal at Peter Brown & Associates, discuss some recent decisions interpreting work for hire provisions regarding employees and programmers and some differences between a work for hire agreement and a copyright assignment.

Contracts / Employment / Intellectual Property

Outside Counsel

Think Globally, Act Locally? International Judgment Collection

Gary J. Mennitt, a partner at Dechert, analyzes a recent Court of Appeals ruling that provides some clarity for global financial institutions and may significantly impact the corporate organization of such entities in the future.

Civil Practice / Damages / International Law

Featured Columns

The Insurance 'Top 68' and SUM Legislation Update

In their Insurance Law column, Norman H. Dachs and Jonathan A. Dachs, partners at Shayne, Dachs, Sauer & Dachs, report upon the annual ranking of all automobile insurance companies doing business in New York State by the number of private passenger automobile insurance complaints upheld against them as a percentage of their total private passenger automobile premium volume, and update readers on the Firefighter/Ambulance Worker Bill and a new version of the vetoed SUM Limits Bill.

Government / Insurance Law / Motor Vehicles

Special Reports

Controlling the Risks of Shadow Banking

Edward F. Greene, senior counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, and Elizabeth L. Broomfield, an associate at the firm, write that 2013 has proven to be a time of great transformation and controversy in the development of "shadow banking" supervision and regulation, as, in the past few months alone, the Financial Stability Board, United States, and European Union have taken significant steps that will result in increased oversight of this segment of the financial sector.

Banking / International Law / International Trade

Featured Columns

Annual Exclusion Gifts to Minors

In their Trusts and Estates Law coulmn, C. Raymond Radigan, of counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, and David R. Schoenhaar, a senior associate at the firm, write that a 529 plan is less complicated than a trust and may be more practical when the purpose of the donor's gifting strategy is limited to paying for a minor's education expenses.

Schools and Education / Taxation / Trusts and Estates

Special Reports

Challenging a SIFI Designation

Bradley K. Sabel, a partner at Shearman & Sterling in New York, and Donald N. Lamson, a partner, and Bradford Rossi, an associate, who practice in the firm's Washington, D.C., office, write that a company that has been designated as a systematically important financial institution has the right to contest the determination through a complex appeal process created under Dodd-Frank.

Administrative Law / Banking / Business Law

Outside Counsel

How a Man Named Brady Made History 50 Years Ago

Zuckerman Spaeder partner Paul Shechtman recounts the crime of John Leo Brady and Donald Boblit, Boblit's multiple confessions (not all of which were provided to Brady's defense), the appeals of Brady's conviction, and the Supreme Court loss that became a landmark due process decision.

Appeals / Constitutional Law / Criminal Practice / Evidence / United States Supreme Court