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May 02, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

11th Circuit: Public College VP's Internal Comments Not Protected Speech

A federal appellate court has held that a former Miami Dade College vice president's complaints about possible ethical issues concerning its president were not protected free speech because they were made internally and not publicly. If Adis M. Vila had made the comments to the news media or the public, they would have been protected under the First Amendment, the court said. The 11th Circuit panel's unanimous ruling April 20 relied heavily on a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling from last June.

8 minute read

April 23, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

Chinese Companies Catching the Silicon Valley Cachet

Attracted by the region's talent, entrepreneurial history and venture capital, a new crop of Chinese-owned companies is beginning to set down roots in California's Silicon Valley. Extra legal work is often created around intellectual property, according to Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati partner Carmen Chang. Working through federal laws that forbid Chinese companies from buying certain technologies, and restrict the licensing and use of certain types of IP is keeping many of the area's top firms busy.

6 minute read

January 25, 2007 | Corporate Counsel

Law Firms Must Be Wary of Relying Too Heavily on the 'Big Client'

With the upcoming closing of LeBeouf Lamb Greene & MacRae's Pittsburgh site, some may be asking why the office -- which opened in 1993 to devote itself to Alcoa Inc.'s national litigation work -- didn't develop a client base in the city extending beyond Alcoa. In a market where businesses are bought, merge, go public, go bankrupt or simply change counsel, firms must be careful about depending on a sole client to produce a significant percentage of their revenue. But what constitutes "significant"?

6 minute read

April 01, 2008 | Corporate Counsel

Taming Texas

It took six years, but IP defense attorneys finally broke the runaway juries of the Lone Star State.

19 minute read

June 18, 2013 | Corporate Counsel

Justices OK "Pay-for-Delay" Generic Pharma Deals

The U.S. Supreme Court gave something to both sides in a closely watched dispute over so-called "pay-for-delay" agreements between brand-name and generic drug manufacturers that put off the production of generics in return payments by brand-name patent holders.

5 minute read

May 09, 2011 | Corporate Counsel

Google Loses Bid to Dismiss Skyhook Antitrust Claims Over Smartphone Positioning Technology

Last September Boston-based Skyhook Wireless filed a pair of suits against Google related to Skyhook's smartphone positioning technology, XPS. If Google didn't take Skyhook seriously then, we're betting it does now: On May 2 Boston state court judge Judith Fabricant denied Google's motion for summary judgment or dismissal of Skyhook's antitrust suit.

4 minute read

May 20, 2005 | Corporate Counsel

Instant Headache

In today's always-on business world, instant messaging is the ultimate way to stay in touch. Millions of workers rely on the software, but IM carries its own set of legal implications for in-house law departments. Although many people think of IM as a fleeting conversation, similar to a telephone call, it's legally considered a document, subject to the same retention policies that apply to other business records.

6 minute read

April 01, 2011 | Corporate Counsel

Economy Standards

Facility energy audits aren't just trendy; they're becoming best practice.

6 minute read