NEXT
Sign in to follow

The Legal Intelligencer

Settlement Negotiations and Public Disclosure Laws

When negotiating a private settlement agreement, practitioners typically consider such negotiations to be confidential and privileged, not to be disclosed by the parties outside of the confines of the settlement discussions. In fact, most private mediation and settlement agreements contain specific confidentiality provisions, with each party expressly agreeing that the terms of the settlement are to be kept strictly confidential and not disclosed to any third party unless required by law. But, when settlement negotiations take place with a governmental agency, maintaining confidentiality both during and after settlement can be more problematic, as the content of the negotiations and documents exchanged may be subject to disclosure under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and state "sunshine" laws, including Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law and New Jersey's Open Public Records Act (OPRA).
22 minute read

Daily Business Review

Zika Investigations Eating Up Funds, Florida Officials Say

Florida mosquito control officials worry they won't be able to keep up their efforts to contain the bugs that carry Zika without federal funding, even as concern mounts that the first infection from a mosquito bite on the U.S. mainland is near.
8 minute read

The Recorder

City of San Jose v. MediMarts, Inc.

5 minute read

The Legal Intelligencer

Bad-Faith Penalties for Delay in Gov't Payments Not Mandatory

A finding of bad faith against a government agency for failure to promptly pay contractors does not require a court to award a statutory penalty and attorney fees, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
8 minute read

The American Lawyer

Donald Trump, Guns and Leadership

Branding with catch-phrases is easy; reconciling their contradictory messages is impossible.
10 minute read

Daily Report Online

Atlanta Lawyer-Politicos Get Speaking Spots at DNC

A trio of Atlanta lawyers who are well-known in Georgia politics—Stacey Abrams, Kasim Reed and Jason Carter—will get their moment on the national stage at next week's Democratic National Convention with roles as speakers ahead of Hillary Clinton's acceptance of her party's nomination for president.
5 minute read

Daily Business Review

South Florida Should Urge Passage of Water Resources Bill to Help Port Everglades

Attorney Brendan Aloysius Barry calls for support of a water resources bill pending in Congress that would authorize the deepening and widening of Port Everglades to accommodate larger cargo ships.
6 minute read

New York Law Journal

Birnbaum Steps Down As 9/11 Fund Master

Sheila Birnbaum, special master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, said Thursday she will step down by the end of the month.
7 minute read

Daily Business Review

Medical Marijuana Ready to Hit Market for Florida Patients

Medical marijuana could be available to a select group of Florida patients as early as next week, after health officials gave the go-ahead for the state's first pot dispensary to begin distributing products.
6 minute read

Daily Business Review

Hedge Funds Sue Puerto Rico, Accuse Gov't of Diverting Funds

Hedge funds representing a group of Puerto Rico bondholders sued the U.S. territory, saying it violated the terms of a rescue package recently approved by Congress to help pull the island's government out of a dire economic crisis.
4 minute read

TRENDING STORIES

Law Pro Logo

Featured Firms

Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.

(470) 294-1674

Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone

(857) 444-6468

Smith & Hassler

(713) 739-1250

More from ALM

More from ALM

Legal Speak is a weekly podcast that makes sense of what’s happening in the legal industry.

Resources

  • Why Embracing Change Is Essential for Your Legal Department

    Brought to you by DiliTrust

    Download Now

  • International Export and Trade Assistance State Law Survey

    Brought to you by LexisNexis®

    Download Now

  • How This Personal Injury Firm Reduced Client Intake Time by 80%

    Brought to you by PracticePanther

    Download Now

  • The Hidden Cost of Bad Reviews: Why Law Firms & Attorneys Can't Afford a Damaged Online Reputation

    Brought to you by Erase.com

    Download Now