Posts on ‘November 7th, 2008’

Natural foods supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc. has blasted the Federal Trade Commission for proposed changes to rules governing the FTC’s administrative complaint process for all types of cases, such as anti-competitive mergers, and called for other companies to join a committee opposing the changes. One of the more controversial provisions would set strict time frames for an evidentiary hearing after the FTC files an administrative complaint against a party, unless it rules otherwise.

Attorney Robert J. Ambrogi clicks his way through legal Web sites that have recently debuted. From a new Web search tool by LexisNexis to a comprehensive e-discovery site from expert Michael Arkfeld to a software review site, there’s more than enough to keep your mouse busy.

This fall marks the entry of the latest group of Generation Y lawyers into law firm careers. They face demanding new jobs and the daunting task of maintaining some semblance of a private life. Reed Smith attorneys Lee Faller, Maria Jones and Christine Morgan asked recently hired colleagues to share their thoughts on what work-life balance means to them. The answers could prove helpful to firms and lawyers as they figure out how to juggle professional goals with personal fulfillment.

Foremost among the many pressing issues Barack Obama will face when he takes office is rebuilding America’s reputation in the international arena, says professor Philippe Sands, author of a book that examines how U.S. lawyers abandoned the Geneva Conventions and other international protocols after the Sept. 11 attacks. The Am Law Daily caught up with Sands to get his take on how an Obama administration might distance itself from the policies of its predecessor.

A band of London law firms look set to tough out the gloomy market with Lovells, Norton Rose, Trowers & Hamlins and CMS Cameron McKenna all expecting double-digit revenue growth for the first six months of the financial year. But in spite of indications that many law firms have managed to maintain growth in the face of the economic slump, the 2008-09 year promises to display widely diverging results, with a substantial proportion of firms seeing falls in revenue.

U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia announced Thursday that his office will not pursue criminal charges against former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer for any offense related to patronizing a high-end prostitution ring. Garcia said his office’s “longstanding” practice of not charging individuals with soliciting prostitutes, the DOJ’s policy on prostitution offenses and Spitzer’s acceptance of responsibility led him to conclude that “the public interest would not be furthered” by filing criminal charges.

Labor attorneys are warning employers that Halloween could get scary — in a legal way — if costumes, or a work party, get out of hand. French maid, naughty nurse, kitten, toga, Tarzan or construction worker costumes could set the stage for harassment, attorneys warn. Ghosts or goblins might offend someone’s religious beliefs, and political costumes could create tension. And someone in a great big pumpkin costume could trip at the company party and trigger a slip-and-fall claim.

Determining the appropriate level of compensation for corporate executives has been a controversial issue within the courtroom and the boardroom. The debate over the federal economic stimulus plan included a cry for compensation limits on executive pay as well as restrictions on golden parachutes. Attorneys Katayun I. Jaffari and Mu’min Islam outline the components and history of “say on pay,” describe support and opposition to its implementation and discuss the future of “say on pay” proposals.

Get ready to relearn the Americans with Disabilities Act — by Jan. 1, 2009. New legislation signed last month has defanged a common employer defense, and the changes are going to have real repercussions in the workplace. The critical inquiry under the amended law is whether covered entities have complied with their obligations to reasonably accommodate disabled applicants and employees. Attorneys Lawrence Lorber, Fredric C. Leffler and Samantha Morris discuss what has changed and what employers need to do.