LEGAL
Alternative fees: The power of collaboration
People who know that my firm handles complex commercial litigation using alternative fees often ask what I think is the greatest benefit of these arrangements for clients. In the past, I have said it is either having budget certainty or the fact that clients pay amounts based on whether we achieve the goals. Recently I changed my mind and decided that collaboration is probably the greatest benefit. For our clients, the ability to collaborate at the highest levels of experience is one of the best by-products of using alternative fees.
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Top 10 articles of 2013
The start of a new year brings two major events: making plans for the coming year and taking a look at what transpired in the past year. We took a moment to reflect on all of what 2013 brought us – which included a wide gamut of fascinating topics for corporate counsel. Find our top 10 most popular articles from 2013 – and a few bonus "oldies" thrown in. Haven't read them? Here's your chance!
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A checklist for becoming an effective contract manager
Contract management refers to the processes and procedures that companies may implement in order to manage the negotiation, execution, performance, modification and termination of contracts with various parties. For each proposed contractual arrangement you should get in the habit of going through a checklist of the actions that you might be expected to take; be sure to consider the following steps for effective contract management.
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The rising popularity of digital currency and its impact on your organization
A rapidly growing number of businesses and other organizations now accept payments made in digital currency. Given this increasing popularity, it is likely that your organization will consider some form of digital currency use. It is important to recognize the legal implications for your organization that are associated with use of digital currency. Legal counsel can provide critical input as each organization considers whether and how to use digital currencies in its operations.
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Five things your IT department wants you to know about data security
The year 2013 was pretty terrifying when it comes to data security. Amid the fears created by the breaches at Adobe and Target, plus the knowledge that Big Brother really has been watching us through the NSA, every corporate counsel ought to be concerned about data security at their organization. However, as the Senior Manager of IT Operations for Serengeti Anne-Marie Scollay explains, there is no "silver bullet that provides an impervious layer of security around data."
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Even without innovation act, fee-shifting likely to become more common in patent suits
In early December 2013, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Innovation Act, an act containing a number of patent litigation reforms aimed at curbing "patent trolls." One of the Innovation Act's principal reforms would require fees and expenses to be paid to the prevailing party "unless the court finds that the position and conduct of the nonprevailing party or parties were reasonably justified in law and fact."
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FCA and privileged information; customer privacy policies; proposed Dodd-Frank Act diversity standards
Know why an attorney cannot use or disclose privileged information to bring a whistleblower suit under the False Claims Act against a former client, and why your company must maintain privacy policies that clearly address customer data transferability. Plus some of the changes you should anticipate under the Dodd-Frank Act regarding more regulatory action to increase diversity in employment and contractor selection.
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Top 10 ways technology can help attorneys in small legal departments save time and reduce risk
Small law department (SLD) attorneys' fragmented focus, coupled with the necessity of dealing with unfamiliar legal issues, leads to an increased danger of something important slipping through the cracks. Technology can help mitigate this risk by automating alerts for vital tasks so they don't "slip" through, as well as automating routine tasks so there is more time to focus on important matters. Learn 10 ways SLD attorneys can use technology to manage their work better.
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