I recently read plaintiff personal injury lawyer Stephan Futeral’s review of Stanford Law School Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom’s recent study of what she calls “settlement mills.” This much-needed analysis of the current state of personal injury...
A recent decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has confirmed that the anti-retaliation provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act only confer protections to whistleblowers who report conduct to the Securities...
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) has released the first of a coming series of detailed tax reform proposals, this one on international tax. Today, Baucus also released proposals on tax administration and simplification and...
Overview: A California appellate court recently held that criminal statutes regulating handgun ammunition (defined as ammunition “principally for use” in “pistols, revolvers, and other firearms”) were unconstitutionally vague and therefore void. The...
Now that the federal gift and estate tax exemption is permanently set, many people are feeling more relaxed about the need for estate planning. But it’s important not to overlook state death taxes. Without planning, these taxes could generate...
On November 18, 2013, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a final cyber security rule imposing requirements on contractors handling unclassified controlled technical information. While the new rule, which is effective immediately, does not go...
On 30 September 2013, the President signed Federal Law No. 260-FZ amending Part III of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation. The Law is the sixth set of amendments to the Russian Civil Code within the civil law reform framework. According to...
The syndication of stallions rose in popularity several years ago as a result of available tax benefits and the practical benefit of common ownership of a valuable animal used for breeding. While most of the tax benefits from years past are gone,...
Alex Kozinski, the chief judge of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, isn't mincing words in his role as an objector to a proposed settlement in a class action alleging defects in batteries for the Nissan Leaf, an all-electric car.
With the Holiday season about to start, we know that the end of the year will soon follow. While plan participants maybe more concerned about holiday shopping or the firm’s annual holiday party, it’s a great and necessary opportunity for plan...
