New England Biz Law Update

The once-mighty “Big Five” international accounting firm Arthur Andersen may be dead and all but buried, but its legal legacy and the lessons learned for in-house lawyers on document retention polices will live on for years to come. Observers say ...

By Paul D. Boynton Investors or employees involved in disputes with brokerage firms could ask for a written explanation of arbitration decisions under a proposed new rule, which, if approved, could dramatically change how arbitrations are decided in the securities ...

Our lead story on page one focuses on the multi-faceted roles in-house counsel can play – from legal “traffic cop” to trusted business advisor. The context: Assisting companies in mergers and acquisitions. Business deals are humming around the country and ...

New Associations

By Natalie White A remarkable $43 million jury verdict against First American Title Insurance earlier this year shows that juries take non-compete agreements seriously, and in an increasingly aggressive business recruitment climate it tells a cautionary tale. The jury in ...

When a company is sold, it often means in-house counsel will work right up until the bitter end, until the keys change hands, and then they walk back to their offices to start packing their desks. While sometimes this is ...

(Below is the Call To Action written by Roderick Palmore, general counsel of Sara Lee, and circulated to general counsel at Fortune 500 companies, along with his cover letter. The letter was edited for length and clarity, while the Call ...

Below are summaries of important opinions affecting in-house attorneys issued by the 1st and 2nd Circuits and Delaware Court of Chancery from late July 2004 through early October 2004. Readers can access the full text of the opinions at www.newenglandbizlawupdate.com. ...

A landowner that was never subject to a CERCLA suit but voluntarily cleaned up toxic waste on its property can’t seek contribution from the prior owner, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 7-2 decision. The ruling could mean ...

Richard Clarke, former special assistant to the President for global affairs, recently spoke at a meeting of the New England Legal Foundation on the topic of cyber-security and what corporate lawyers can do to help their companies reduce the threat, ...