The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Citing voluminous filings and a preference for airing controversial issues - such as balancing free speech with deterrence of child pornography - in an "open courtroom," a federal judge has denied summary judgment to both sides of a case testing federal regulation of pornography.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

In a case of first impression, a split panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has restored a cause of action by a former college football player who says his likeness has been appropriated without his consent for use in a video game.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A Philadelphia judge should extend the common-law loss of consortium claim enjoyed by married couples to same-sex couples who hold themselves out as married, plaintiffs in a medical malpractice action argued in a recent filing.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has appointed a master to gather factual information on the only Philadelphia Traffic Court judge not to have been indicted in a recent federal prosecution of alleged ticket-fixing.

The National Law Journal   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Betsy Hames isn't a lawyer, but the law permeates nearly every aspect of her job overseeing employee relations in Emory University's human resources department. "We're dealing with labor law, ­employment discrimination and all these other legal things that come into play," she said. "I've never had a desire to go to law school, but a foundation in the law would be very useful."

The National Law Journal   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Judges confronted with allegations of racial or ethnic bias among jurors are allowed to investigate the claims, the District of Columbia Court of Appeals ruled May 16.

Corporate Counsel   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Back in February, President Obama indicated in his State of the Union address that 3-D printing may be the next big thing in manufacturing. What he didn?t say is that 3-D printing may also be the next big thing in intellectual property disputes.

SUPREME COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Appellant raised four issues on direct appeal after his conviction for first-degree murder and death sentence for the shooting death of Philadelphia Police Officer Charles Cassidy, but evidence was sufficient to sustain appellant's conviction and he was not entitled to relief on any of the issues raised. Judgment of sentence affirmed.

SUPERIOR COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In this case of first impression, the trial court properly permitted the investigating agent to provide testimony and opinions as both an expert and a layperson. Judgment of sentence affirmed.

COMMONWEALTH COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Appellee's declaration of taking condemning appellant's land was overly broad, did not limit appellee to its presently stated intentions and did not comply with procedural requirements; it authorized actions encompassed within §1511(c) of the Associations Code such that appellee had to comply with §1511(c) before condemning appellant's land for a perpetual easement and right-of-way. Trial court order reversed.

COURTS OF COMMON PLEAS

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Following a non-jury trial, the court found that plaintiff proved that he was entitled to a return of the $13,550 he paid defendant for construction of a deck at his house because problems with the deck were so pervasive that repairs alone would not correct them.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT-EASTERN

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, June 1, 2020

In February 2010, the court dismissed McKeon's pro se second complaint as legally frivolous and permitted McKeon to file a third complaint.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT-MIDDLE

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Plaintiff's counsel was admonished by the court for failure to comply with court orders, tardiness and "discourteous and rude" behavior; he was warned that continuing to disregard the dictates of the court would be considered failure to prosecute his case and he would be subject to costs and sanctions. Order issued.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT-WESTERN

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 14, 2013

A charged $3 ATM usage fee was enough to find injury in fact sufficient to bring a class action complaint against under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act where plaintiff's allegations satisfied the three-prong test and the machine's notice was not prominent and conspicuous. Defendant's motion to dismiss denied.

Commercial Litigation

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A settlement is a settlement. The parties agree on its terms, terminate the litigation, and move on. Right? Not always. Class actions, for example, are different.

GC Mid-Atlantic

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

In many organizations, the human resources function is handled by specialists who guide managers' decision-making to ensure consistency with myriad employment laws.

Family law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I read with interest the article titled, "Concerns Over Judicial Authority Drove Parenting Coordination Elimination," published in the May 7 edition of Pennsylvania Law Weekly.

Real Estate

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In these distressed economic times, it is not uncommon for a commercial tenant to discontinue its business operations and relinquish possession of the premises even if there are years left on the lease term.

Eastern District

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

This is practical advice for the civil practitioner whose client organization becomes involved in a grand jury investigation or other official inquiry. This advice applies to an in-house general counsel of a large corporation or an outside practitioner to smaller companies, labor unions or medical practice groups.

Environmental Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In the August 28, 2012, column in this series, "Natural Gas and Zoning: The Commonwealth Court's Act 13 Decision," David G. Mandelbaum discussed Robinson Township v. Public Utilities Commission, holding Act 13's zoning pre-emption to be unconstitutional. He ended by posing the broader question of whether states or municipalities ought to regulate natural gas development.

Ethics

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I am running for judicial office. What should a candidate for judicial office not do?

Government

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Last year, Congress passed an important law clarifying that members of Congress, their staff and all federal employees must abide by the same insider trading prohibitions as everyone else.

Law Technology News

Law Technology News   |  Monday, May 20, 2013

Nothing draws a crowd of lawyers like the chance to listen to judges, especially when the agenda includes the likes of United States District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin and Magistrate Judge James Francis IV , both of the Second District of New York, and Circuit Judge Peter Flynn, Circuit Court of Cooke County, Chancery Division, Illinois State Courts.

Business of Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 20, 2013

I had lunch recently with a lawyer who had been a standout athlete. The conversation underscored a realization, based on almost 30 years in the legal profession, that many of the most successful partners, CEOs, general counsel and law firm leaders who I have worked with have athletic backgrounds.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 16, 2013

Philadelphia-based Fox Rothschild grew its revenue by nearly 8 percent in its 2012-13 fiscal year as a result of a combination of strong practices and productive lateral hires, managing partner Mark L. Silow said.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 16, 2013

Arthur Henshey Moss, a former partner with Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, died May 9 at the age of 82.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pennsylvania law firms grew revenue at a faster clip than their national counterparts when comparing the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2012, but that may just be due to making up for a lack of robust collections in Pennsylvania at the end of last year, according to a bank survey of law firms.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 13, 2013

Allegations that the law firm of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff breached its fiduciary duty when it represented the interests of one partner in a soured business venture were dismissed by a federal judge.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 9, 2013

A former attorney with Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman has sued the firm and some of its partners after she was allegedly let go for taking time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 7, 2013

After a few years of collecting financial data and applying project management techniques to the legal process, law firms are beginning to dedicate resources to pricing analysis.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 6, 2013

It's the kind of case that has an attorney up at 3 a.m. pondering the next play or just the seeming injustice of it all. And for two Reed Smith attorneys, the case has been going on for upward of 15 years.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 6, 2013

Two weeks after Philadelphia personal injury firm Lundy Law dropped its federal trademark suit against Philadelphia-based injury firm Larry Pitt & Associates, Pitt's firm has sued Lundy Law and its principal, L. Leonard Lundy, in federal court, alleging unfair competition and violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 3, 2013

When Pepper Hamilton hired a businessman to serve as its CEO, it set the tone for how the firm would approach the delivery of legal services.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 2, 2013

Mandatory arbitration clauses have found a home in some law firms' standard engagement letters, but one malpractice case in Philadelphia federal court is challenging whether such clauses violate public policy, or at least should be more detailed in explaining to a client what he or she is giving up by agreeing to arbitration.