New England Biz Law Update

The Securities and Exchange Commission on Feb. 25 adopted new rules to facilitate the operation of electronic shareholder forums for publicly held companies. This development is just one of many changes the SEC has undertaken to conform its regulatory philosophy ...

Last year was probably the most momentous in intellectual property law in decades. Will the rest of 2008 be as dramatic? Here’s what to look for: Patent reform legislation – finally? Patent reform legislation stalled in Congress again last year. ...

An effective non-retaliation/whistleblower policy is essential for all organizations, but it’s especially important for health care providers and for nonprofit organizations in light of industry-specific legal mandates and best practices. An organization’s whistleblower policy does not operate in a vacuum. ...

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court recently amended Rule 1.13 of the Massachusetts Rules of Professional Conduct to correspond to American Bar Association Model Rule 1.13. Among the most notable revisions, Rule 1.13 now requires attorneys to report violations of law ...

Getting the most from your outside counsel can make a big difference to your budget, as well as your effectiveness and success as a key member of your company’s legal staff and as an advisor to the business operations. If ...

With outside counsel fees starting to break the $1,000 per-hour barrier, in-house attorneys need to reevaluate how to get the best value from their outside counsel. The billing issue hit the radar in the middle of last year, when the first Manhattan firms announced hourly rate increases, and the Wall Street Journal called the $1,000 number the possible “vomit point” for clients.

The plaintiffs’ bar is increasingly resisting corporate efforts to avoid class action arbitrations. Banks, credit companies and employers have been specifically exempting class actions from arbitration agreements. This move followed a 2003 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that opened the doors ...

Employers increasingly focusing on sexual orientation bias in workplace

Cutting-edge law departments are sharpening their performance and boosting shareholder value by focusing on managerial skills. These days, being better lawyers is only part of the equation.

Total compensation for in-house lawyers in corporate law departments across the country is on the rise, according to a recent survey.