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January 16, 2014
Publication - Subrogation & Recovery
Following the January 9 leak of 4-Methylcyclohexane Methanol (MCHM) into the Elk River from Freedom Industries’ storage facility in Charleston, W.Va., the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Water and Waste Management issued a “Cease Operations Order” to Freedom Industries Etowah River Terminal, LLC. On Wednesday, West Virginia state regulators cited Freedom Industries for a variety of violations after an inspection of the Poca Blending site.
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January 15, 2014
Publication - Subrogation & Recovery
Energy production in the United States is at an all-time high. In 2013, an average 7.5 million barrels of oil were pumped every day, which bested the previous production record (2012) by one million barrels. Domestic oil production has increased every year from 2011 to 2013. By comparison, between 1971 and 2011, oil production in the United States decreased 29 of the 40 years. Regardless of whether this level of domestic production can be sustained for the long term, elevated domestic oil production is a reality for the near future. Unfortunately, more oil production and the by-products that are created as a result of that production, increases the likelihood a spill or release will occur that can damage property and give rise to an insurance claim.
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January 15, 2014
News
Cozen O’Connor was ranked 28th in the 2014 Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America assessment, an annual evaluation sponsored by independent corporate wellness research and data analysis firm Healthiest Employers LLC©. “The Healthiest 100 Workplaces in America honors the ‘best of the best’ employers, those who blaze the path to a healthy workplace for their peers.” The award represents employers of all sizes, regions and industries that have incorporated the most vital corporate wellness practices.
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January 14, 2014
Press Release - Business, Corporate, Corporate Governance & Securities, Emerging Business & Venture Capital, Mergers & Acquisitions
Before joining Cozen O’Connor, Mr. Bellini was a partner in Dorsey & Whitney’s Corporate Group, where he was chair of the Private Equity Practice Group and a member of the Capital Markets, Mergers and Acquisitions and Venture Capital and Emerging Companies practice groups.
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January 13, 2014
Publication
Social media is a mainstay in daily life. Over a billion people are registered users of Facebook. The Facebook logo and the logos of other social networking giants such as Twitter are quickly becoming as iconic as McDonald's Golden Arches or Apple's apple. As the popularity of social networking sites grew, industries scrambled to utilize such a powerful tool. The legal profession is no exception. Unfortunately, the combination of rapidly changing technology and slowly evolving law has created a potpourri of law in which little is settled or clear when it comes to social media and the courtroom. What is clear, however, is that attorneys who understand how social media can help or hurt their clients and have well-defined plans for tackling social media issues will be in the best position to successfully advocate for their clients.
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January 09, 2014
News
In an article titled “Alex Rodriguez no star in this courtroom,” Tom Harvey, a New York attorney and legal analyst at the New York Daily News, favorably cites Jeffrey Monhait’s persuasive law review article published in Harvard’s Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law to discredit A-Rod’s assertion that the arbitration process is unfair. Monhait’s article details the history of baseball’s arbitration process and noted that union members viewed the process as fair, at least with respect to salary disputes.
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January 09, 2014
News - Climate Change
In an article titled “Harassment of climate scientists needs to stop,” Peter Fontaine, co-chair of Cozen O'Connor's Utility, Environmental & Energy Practice Group, discusses the harassment of climate scientist Michael Mann by climate change denial groups that are “on a fishing expedition for anything they can find to embarrass Mann and cast doubt on the validity of his work.”
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January 09, 2014
Publication - Tax
A plurality of the full Pennsylvania Supreme Court held that the disparity in valuations that results from the application of the statutory averaging formula for valuations and a combination provision are not unconstitutional. Lebanon Valley Farmers Bank v. Commonwealth, No. 78 MAP 2011 (Pa. Dec. 27, 2012) (3 to 2), reversing 27 A.3rd 288 (Pa Commw. 2011) . The decision may be incorrectly decided.
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January 07, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance
In an article titled “K2: Will NY Court of Appeals Reaffirm Coverage by Estoppel?” Melissa Brill (Global Insurance, New York Downtown) discusses what will happen if the New York Court of Appeals upholds its recent “coverage by estoppel” decision on reargument. The article examines the meaning of the court’s decision, the Jan. 7 reargument, and the positions that the parties, and amici curiae, have taken in their briefing for that reargument. To read the article, click here.
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January 06, 2014
News - Real Estate - Real Estate & Construction
Howard Grossman, of the Real Estate Practice Group, was mentioned in a NJBIZ article titled, "Kislak Sells 286-unit Apartment Complex for $14.75M." The article explains how Howard Grossman represented the purchaser during the transaction of the apartment complex.
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January 06, 2014
News
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court announced on Monday, January 6, 2014 that it would grant Cozen O’Connor’s motion for allocatur and rehear a decision finding that forgiving nearly $500,000 worth of debt accrued by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady, D-Pa during his unsuccessful 2007 Philadelphia mayoral bid would violate contribution limits under city election law.
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January 06, 2014
Press Release - Real Estate - Real Estate & Construction
Cozen O’Connor is pleased to announce two of its members — Abby M. Wenzel and Bernard Lee — will co-chair the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group, replacing current Chair Herman C. Fala, who is taking over as general counsel at longtime client Liberty Property Trust.
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January 03, 2014
News - Family Law
Jennifer Brandt, a member of the firm’s Family Law Department, was a guest on Shepard Smith Reporting today on Fox News to discuss France’s new proposal to allow consenting couples to divorce without ever seeing a judge.
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January 03, 2014
Publication - Appellate, Products Liability
The Eighth Circuit recently upheld the removal to federal court of product liability claims filed by over 100 plaintiffs in state court in St. Louis. See Atwell v. Boston Scientific Corp., 2013 (8th Cir. Nov. 18, 2013). The decision illustrates how plaintiffs’ requests to coordinate multiple cases can sometimes sweep “mass tort” cases filed in state court right into federal court as a “mass action” under the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005. This is no small shift in a litigation, and so Atwell provides a helpful background on some of the characteristics of a plaintiff coordination proposal that can trigger such CAFA removal.
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January 02, 2014
Publication - Immigration Policy & Strategy
In the Pro Bono Spotlight, Eric D. Freed discusses his recent case involving a Mauritanian Refugee seeking asylum in the United States to avoid being arrested and imprisoned for a fourth time in his home country. His crime: being active in an opposition political party and speaking at demonstrations supporting equality for black citizens in his country.
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January 02, 2014
Publication
In two cases this term, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide the extent to which federal courts should defer to the decisions of other tribunals. Its decisions will have a substantial effect on the role of the federal courts in relation to state proceedings and in reviewing the decisions of international arbitration panels.
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January 01, 2014
Publication - Labor & Employment
We are pleased to provide you with our 2013/2014 Observer, which looks back at the developments in labor and employment law over the past year and forward to what employers can expect in 2014.
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December 30, 2013
Publication - Insurance Coverage, Subrogation & Recovery
The Cozen O’Connor London of is pleased to provide you with our 2013 Year In Review, a newsletter discussing select cases in insurance coverage, subrogation, dispute resolution and commercial matters.
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December 27, 2013
News - Family Law
Jennifer Brandt, a member of the firm’s Family Law Department, was on Fox News this morning to discuss the Texas man charged with a hate crime for breaking a man’s jaw while playing the “knockout game.”
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December 26, 2013
News - Family Law
Jennifer Brandt, a member of the firm’s Family Law Department, was on the O’Reilly Factor last night on the Fox News Network.
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