Keely Fresh

Last Thursday, the Supreme Court of Georgia heard oral argument in three cases which it had determined to be cases of “great concern, gravity or importance to the public” in accepting those cases for review.  All three cases were argued by BME attorneys. The first case involved the question of whether conduct or statements made in compromise negotiations were admissible in a subsequent trial on the question of whether punitive damages should be awarded.  The BME team on the case included Frank Lowrey, who handled the oral argument, Michael Terry, and Allen Page.  The second case involved the question of whether the State’s COVID Emergency Order tolled or extended statutes of repose.  The BME team on the case included Terry, who handled the oral argument, and Danny Vincent.  The third case involved a multi-decade dispute about whether a hospital authority’s leasehold is “public property” for purposes of the statutory exemption from property taxes.  The BME team on the case included Robbie Ashe, who handled the oral argument, Terry, and Matthew Sellers.   These cases, making up the Supreme Court’s entire docket for the day, are an indication of the depth of the firm’s appellate practice. Pictured left to right: Jennifer Peterson, Ashe, Amber Greenaway, Terry, Vincent, Lowrey, and Sellers.

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Frank Tumminello from File Forms joins Eric again to discuss the current status of the Corporate Transparency Act, the impact of the Alabama Federal Court ruling and what the best advice for clients is right now who need to get Beneficial Ownership filings done. Listen to the latest Tax Rep Network Podcast for all the info:

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Labor & Employment E-Alert | Bowles Rice attorneys Jennifer Hagedorn and Tyler Mayhew discuss recent developments in employment anti-discrimination laws; specifically, they explore updates on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (#PWFA) and what constitutes actionable discrimination under Title VII of the #CivilRightsAct. To read the alert, please follow this link: https://lnkd.in/gB8CrRQB

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Kicking around the postsale confusion doctrine in English and US courts. Leigh Smith and H. Straat Tenney of Locke Lord LLP provide a comparative analysis of the handling of pre- and post-sale confusion of trademarked goods by jurisdiction to draw interesting conclusions for corporations to consider when developing their branding.  Read the full article here on page 13 👉 https://lnkd.in/gMAiT2vg #trademark #lawyer #postsale #confusion #doctrine #england #US #courts #goods #branding #IPlaw

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On June 27, 2024, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a Maryland district court judgment that confirmed arbitral awards issued in favor of Seiden Law’s client, the Estate of Ke Zhengguang. The case has been discussed on Law360 and Bloomberg Law; articles on the case can be found in the link after the jump. The underlying arbitration concerned a complex dispute related to real property in mainland China, which culminated in an arbitration before the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC).   Between 2018 and 2020, the HKIAC issued a series of awards.  The Estate filed a petition to confirm the awards in a Maryland district court against one of the arbitral respondents, Stephany Yu, who lives in Maryland.  In January 2023, the district court confirmed the awards and issued a $4 million judgment in favor of the Estate. The Fourth Circuit’s unanimous twenty-three-page decision addresses important questions related to the enforcement of international arbitral awards in the United States, including the availability of a forum non conveniens defense under the New York Convention, and whether arbitral awards that are denominated in a foreign currency can be converted into US dollar judgments.  The Fourth Circuit held that a forum non conveniens defense was inapplicable under the facts of this case, even if such a defense is available under the Convention. The Fourth Circuit also held that it was reasonable for the district court to enter judgment in US dollars, notwithstanding that the arbitral panel’s merits award was denominated in Chinese Renminbi (RMB). Seiden Law partner and litigation chair Amiad Kushner argued the appeal. Senior counsel Jennifer Blecher and Senior Associate Xintong Zhang were on the brief. Paralegal Lily Dempsey provided invaluable assistance. https://lnkd.in/eNQPgVax https://lnkd.in/eFD4zniu

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The 2024 Am Law 200: A Guide to Our Methodology

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Have you heard about the Supreme Court's ruling to strike down the Chevron doctrine? The Supreme Court's June 27th decision could pose significant challenges to the FTC's non-compete ban and will reduce the authority of federal agencies to interpret the laws they enforce. In his latest insight, Joe English discusses the significance of this ruling with the help of partner Peter Spanos. Read the full insight below. #SupremeCourt https://lnkd.in/ebNeYWy2...

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In this Bloomberg Law article, Fried Frank partner Paul Schoenhard weighs in on the Supreme Court's decision in Warner Chappell Music Inc. v. Nealy, a case that challenges the boundaries of copyright law concerning the timing of infringement claims. Paul shared his insights on the narrow ruling, which preserves the status quo, but leaves the broader issue of the discovery rule untouched. Click the link below to read more. #intellectualproperty #supremecourt #copyrightlaw

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Law firms are capitalizing on client uncertainty sparked by a flurry of recent SCOTUS rulings that favored opponents of federal agency powers, even as lawyers themselves differ on the immediate and long-term effects of these decisions. Within hours of the decisions, major U.S. law firms began sending out client-focused emails and webinar invitations to discuss the cases and showcase their expertise, a marketing strategy that often follows major legal developments. Law firms known for challenging federal regulations stand to be particularly busy, but lawyers said it will take time for the new landscape to take shape.  Mike Scarcella has more: https://reut.rs/3XPSWuy

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Law firm merger mania continues unabated and is a world-wide phenomena. Kristin Stark, a principal at Fairfax Associates, attributes the frenzy to client pressure and the difficulty for firms outside of the Am Law 50 to grow via lateral activity, without getting dented by attrition. See further discussion of past, present, and predicted future law firm merger activity here: https://buff.ly/3Wdsv0I Legal recruiters, what are you seeing in your markets? #nalsc #lawjobs #legaljobs #legalrecruiting #lawfirmmergers

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