 | ||||||||
|
To view images, right click where prompted and select "Add Sender to Safe Sender List." | ||||||||
THIS WEEKFROM IN-HOUSE COUNSEL
Visit Law.com In-House Counsel
Receive updates about: Corporate Law Employment Law Litigation Law Department Management Plus: Sample Forms Briefing Papers Exec & GC Compensation FEATURED LINKS |
|
GCs Vent Their Frustrations About Outside Counsel
As noted in a recent study, only about 30 percent of general counsel nationwide were satisfied with their primary law firms in 2005, down from 43.5 percent the year before. And the GCs, squeezed by budget constraints and pressure from boards of directors, are reacting to shoddy work by demoting and replacing their primary law firms and spreading the wealth among more secondary firms. How do you keep your law firm from losing its spot on the speed-dial? Some top GCs share their pet peeves in this interview.Recovering Attorney Fees in Coverage Litigation May Depend on the State 
As insurance coverage disputes, like all disputes, become ever more expensive, concerns about cost are important in deciding whether to sue or seek arbitration when challenging insurance coverage determinations. While most states apply the "American Rule," which precludes recovery of attorney fees in litigation-coverage disputes, some jurisdictions have exceptions for prevailing insureds. Here is a discussion of the the major types of exceptions.
Briefs Reflect High Stakes in Fight Over KPMG's Attorney Fee Policy 
The defense bar and business groups are closely watching a federal judge's decision to hold the government's feet to the fire over the pressuring of KPMG to limit or withhold payment of attorney fees to firm employees being investigated by the Justice Department. Business groups submitted amicus curiae briefs this week in an attempt to persuade the judge that it's wrong for the DOJ to weigh a company's policy on paying legal fees to employees when a company is seeking to cooperate and avoid prosecution.Who's Next in Line for GC? 
As the business world becomes more regulated and litigious, the top corporate legal position is increasingly viewed as an essential senior management role directly affecting the bottom line. Developing a GC succession plan is critical because sudden loss or transition of the general counsel can profoundly affect a company's shareholder value. The plan need not be complex, and it can be broken down into three stages: immediate corporate legal needs, medium-term needs and acquisition of a GC successor.
Wine Trademark Leaves Big Ass Hangover 
In 1995, Raymond Howarth registered the "Big Ass" mark and began selling Big Ass Beer. He also licensed the name to the Milano Family Winery. But when Adler Fels Winery's Big Ass Cab, Big Ass Zin and Big Ass Chard cropped up at a wine show, Howarth decided to protect his trademark. Such label disputes are increasing with the meteoric growth of the $45 billion California wine industry and are generating a healthy source of revenue for firms with a wine law practice. | ||||||
|
This In-House Weekly Alert is brought you by ALM's Law.com (http://www.law.com/service/aboutlaw.shtml). To unsubscribe from the In-House Weekly Alert, go to http://store.law.com/registration/stopalerts.asp?p=IHC&a=IHCWeekly Questions? Comments? Complaints? Send us an e-mail at subscription@corp.law.com By using Law.com's In-House Weekly Alert, you are agreeing to abide by our Terms of Service at http://www.law.com/service/terms_conditions.html Copyright © 2006 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. | ||||||||
