New England Biz Law Update

In-House went to a panel of experts in corporate governance, board room counseling and investigations to get their thoughts on lessons learned from the H-P scandal, and how to steer clear of ethical, legal and political traps associated with executive dissent.

E-mail conversations between an employee and his lawyer – conducted via the employee’s private, web-based e-mail account but from a company-issued computer – were nonetheless protected by the attorney-client privilege, a Massachusetts Superior Court judge recently ruled. The employee’s e-mail ...

Sweeping executive compensation disclosure rules that go into effect Nov. 7 will put the pay of high-level officers and directors under the microscope for the public to see. The new regulations will force public companies to disclose valuation and tabulation of all aspects of executive compensation – including stock and option grants, pension contributions, deferred compensation, and all perquisites over $10,000.

Harvard Law School has launched an ambitious new study analyzing hundreds of corporations to understand how they are purchasing legal services in the modern global economy. The first non-commercial study of its kind, its goal is to assist general counsel on the best way to choose outside counsel and to help law firms find the best ways to present themselves to companies seeking legal services.

10 verdicts - and the jury is still out

The business world it seems has been buffeted by scandal after scandal since we’ve entered the 21st century. Corporate fraud is the biggie, of course, which led to Sarbanes-Oxley and a raft of other “reform” laws and regulations. Of more ...

New Associations Michael A. Bergeron has been appointed supervising attorney at Pilgrim Advocates, Inc. in Brockton, Mass. Amy W. Bizar has joined TERI, a non-profit organization in Boston, as vice president and general counsel. Sheila C. Casey has been named ...

With the Hewlett-Packard scandal putting the possible risks of private investigation on the radar screen, management lawyers are advising clients about what they should and should not do when they want to investigate an employee. H-P is under scrutiny for ...

With new Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement proceedings and shareholder suits over stock option backdating cropping up more and more, attorneys should be urging public companies to complete internal investigations of their options practices. The SEC is investigating more than ...

Another day, another story of stolen laptops filled with personal information. The spate of thefts began in May 2005 with the laptop of a Justice Department employee which contained the information of 80,000 fellow department employees. This was followed in ...