The Fiscal "Curb" [Private Client Services Alert]

Publication

For gift and estate tax purposes, the much feared "fiscal cliff" turned out to be more like a "fiscal curb" as Congress has now enacted legislation largely leaving in place the tax rules which have been in effect for the last two years.

Cozen O'Connor Represents Governor Corbett and the Commonwealth of PA in Lawsuit Against NCAA

News

To read the official press release from Governor Corbett’s office and to follow the lawsuit, click here.

Cozen O’Connor Member Discusses Icelandic Girl Petitioning to Keep Her Name on Fox News

News - Family Law

Jennifer Brandt, a member of the firm’s Philadelphia office and Family Law Practice Group, appeared as a guest on the Fox News Network Thursday, January 3. Jennifer was there to discuss the case of the Icelandic girl petitioning the Icelandic government to allow her to keep her birth name, which is not on the list of approved names for Icelandic citizens.

Authorized: The Case for Duty of Loyalty Suits Against Former Employees Under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

Publication - Technology, Privacy & Data Security

Chris Dodson wrote a law review note titled "Authorized: The Case for Duty of Loyalty Suits Against Former Employees Under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act" published in the Drexel Law Review.

Benefits from Life Insurance Prior to Death - New Appleman on Insurance Law Library Edition, Chapter 88 [LexisNexis]

Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance

LexisNexis retained Ken Levine to draft its chapter on living benefits under life insurance policies, for the publisher’s preeminent Appleman on Insurance library treatise. This chapter reviews the manner in which these benefits arise, including a discussion of cash surrender and nonforfeiture values; the historical evolution of regulation to preserve and administer these benefits; policy loans; accelerated death benefits; the secondary (viatical) market, tax treatment of these benefits; and, authority and support for other aspects of these benefits.

Winter 2013 [Business Law Observer]

Publication - Business

The Future of Environmental Regulation and the Impact on the Practice of Environmental Law [Inside the Minds: The Impact of Environmental Issues on Business Transactions]

Publication - Utility & Energy

Over the last several years, attorneys have begun to see the focus of environmental regulations in the United States shifting from cleaning up legacy contamination to anticipating the environmental challenges of the future.

Cozen O’Connor Member Appointed to County Industrial Development Authority

Press Release - Real Estate - Real Estate & Construction

Adam Silverman, a member of the firm's Real Estate Group, was appointed by the Montgomery County Commissioners to the board of the Montgomery County Industrial Development Authority.

2012/2013 [Labor and Employment Observer]

Publication - Labor & Employment

We are pleased to provide you with our 2012/2013 Observer, which looks back at the developments in labor and employment law over the past year and forward to what employers can expect in 2013.

How Much for that Doggie in the Window? Potential Changes to the Value of a Pet May Be on the Horizon [Subrogation and Recovery Alert]

Publication - Subrogation & Recovery - Insurance

What is the value of a prized pet? Will the law on pet value change in Texas in 2013? How do other states value pets? Those questions and others are addressed in our December Subrogation Alert discussing whether the sentimental value of a pet can be recovered.

Washington Court: Firearms Exclusion Excludes Coverage for Pre-Shooting Negligence and Shooting Claims [Global Insurance Alert]

Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance

In Capitol Specialty Insurance v. JBC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. et al., No. 68129-0-1, 2012 Wash. App. LEXIS 2835 (Ct. App. Dec. 10, 2012), the Washington Court of Appeals held a firearms exclusion in a commercial general liability (CGL) policy unambiguously excludes coverage for all claims arising from a nightclub shooting regardless of who used the firearm, including those claims characterized as pre-shooting negligence. The court distinguished the holding from those claims where there are allegations of post-shooting acts that lead to further injury or harm to the claimant.

Stephen Miller Quoted in Bloomberg Businessweek

News

In an article titled, “SAC Indictment Deadline May Show U.S. Hand on Cohen Deal,” Stephen Miller, a former federal prosecutor, discussed the government’s approach to securing an indictment against a former SAC Capital Advisors LP portfolio manager accused of insider trading.

Supreme Court Considers Fourth Amendment Challenges [The Legal Intelligencer]

Publication

The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a number of interesting Fourth Amendment cases. Of particular interest is a case questioning police use of drug-sniffing dogs to detect contraband in a defendant's home, and another case questioning whether police may detain an individual who has left a premises about to be searched pursuant to a valid warrant.

How Much Evidence Is Needed to Overcome Attorney-Client Privilege? [The Legal Intelligencer]

Publication

How much evidence is enough to establish the crime-fraud exception to attorney-client privilege? With its recent opinion in In re Grand Jury, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit addressed the issue in the context of subpoenas issued to the former in-house counsel of a company subject to a grand jury investigation.

Six Cozen O’Connor Members Named to SmartCEO’s 2012 Legal Elite List

Press Release - Corporate, Real Estate, Real Estate Litigation

Michael J. Heller, Larry P. Laubach, Steven N. Haas, Jeffrey A. Leonard, Herman C. Fala and Jeffrey G. Weil were named to the Philadelphia SmartCEO’s 2012 list of Legal Elite.

Ken Fisher Quoted in the New York Post

News

Ken Fisher was quoted in the New York Post regarding the demise of Brooklyn Assemblyman Vito Lopez, which could finally lead to a political compromise in the on-going battle that has been going on for years among the Satmar Hasidim in Brooklyn.

Michael Schmidt Quoted in Workforce Management

News

Michael Schmidt argues that employers need to tread carefully before taking action against an employee for misuse of social media in, “Tips on Social Media's Legal Minefields.”

The Push for a Greener Philadelphia: City Adopts New Energy Benchmarking Requirements for Owners of Large Commercial Buildings [Real Estate Alert]

Publication - Real Estate, Real Estate Litigation - Real Estate & Construction

In August 2012, the mayor of Philadelphia signed into law Bill 120428-A, which establishes new energy benchmarking requirements for owners of certain large commercial and mixed-use buildings. The energy benchmarking bill requires owners of “covered buildings” to report and disclose data annually related to energy and water usage and other building characteristics.1 Covered buildings include any commercial building with at least 50,000 square feet, and all commercial portions of any mixed-use building where at least 50,000 square feet of the building is devoted to commercial use.

Pennsylvania Utility Commission Upholds Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program [Energy Environmental & Utilities Alert]

Publication - Utility & Energy

After months of hearings and petitions, at their December 5, 2012 meeting, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissions (PUC) upheld PECO’s and FirstEnergy’s energy efficiency savings targets for the second phase of Pennsylvania’s Act 129 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program (EE&C program).

12 Days of Christmas: HR Headaches [The Huffington Post]

Publication

The holidays are here and, along with them, the opportunity for employees to goof off and collectively test the limits of managers and Human Resources professionals everywhere. Don't let these headaches disrupt your office.