Under U.S law (i.e., 35 U.S.C. §101), patent-eligible subject matter is defined as: “Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, ...
Read More »Civil Litigation: The Ever-So-Handy Handbook
By law, employers are required to provide employees with an ever-increasing amount of information, policies, notices, and acknowledgments throughout their employment. In New York these include but are not limited to a sexual harassment prevention policy, pay notices, airborne infectious ...
Read More »Your Counsel: Unlawful retaliation in the workplace
Lawyers tend to limit their practice to a few areas. Nonetheless, people come to us with myriad problems — many of which fall outside our expertise. Through this column, we provide practical information to help you assist those who have ...
Read More »Commentary: How overturning Roe v. Wade will impact parenting rights
In 1973, the Supreme Court ruled in Roe v. Wade that a constitutional right to privacy exists, based on decades of precedent going back to 1891. The Court specifically references the right to privacy as having roots in the First, ...
Read More »Advocate’s View: Living with the Construction Wage Theft Law
It’s now the law in New York. Construction contractors may be sued, for up to three years, for the unpaid wages and benefits of their subcontractors’ employees, including liquidated damages and attorney fees. That includes subcontractors of any tier, and ...
Read More »Is it a constitutional violation to mute defendants during video sentencing?
The past few years have drastically impacted the way that the world operates. The shift to remote work was a sudden and drastic change, but whether it will be a permanent one remains to be seen. The overnight transition to ...
Read More »Which do you prefer: In-person or remote CLEs?
The MCBA held its annual CPLR update with Burt Lipshie this past week. While we were very happy to have 50+ attendees, we were surprised to see that only 4 people — including the presenter and the seminar chair — ...
Read More »White Collar Corner: Reducing risks associated with joint defense agreements
Joint defense agreements (“JDA”) are an attractive option where multiple defendants face the same allegations. But what happens when one party to a JDA abandons the agreement and cooperates with the government? While the risk is always present, thoughtful drafting ...
Read More »Matrimonial Matters: Fourth Department rejects child support offsets
In a recent Decision, the Fourth Department Appellate Division addressed an issue that has been lurking around child support calculations for many years. Livingston Co. Support Collection Unit o/b/o Yusko v. Sansocie, 180 CAF 21-01261 (4th Dept., 2022). That is, ...
Read More »NY on the ethics of protecting smartphone contact information
Smartphones are such an integral part of our day-to-day lives that it’s often difficult to recall how we managed without them. Our mobile devices allow us to easily connect with our family members and colleagues while also offering instantaneous access ...
Read More »Commentary: Toward a More Perfect Union?
The Law Day theme this year — “Toward a More Perfect Union: The Constitution in Times of Change” — at first struck me as a dodge, an effort to avoid talking about the disease that afflicts America by shifting the ...
Read More »Debt following divorce: How your ex’s student loans can follow you
Like most couples, many don’t plan for divorce. When tying the knot, you may think that all your boons and burdens will be shared with your partner till death do you part. But sometimes life leads you in separate directions. ...
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