In the United States, about 45 million Americans, or 14% of the population, have been convicted of a misdemeanor. If this is the case for you, you might be asking yourself, can a misdemeanor be expunged in New York City ...
Read More »Insurance and Injury Corner: CPLR 4549 and expanding admissibility of statements made by opposing party’s employee
New York recently enacted CPLR 4549. This new provision expands the cases in which hearsay statements by a party’s employee will be admissible as admissions of an opposing party. The new provision became effective December 31, 2021, and courts are ...
Read More »Navigating the rough winds of layoffs
Ask anyone in management or human resources and they will tell you that the hardest part of the job is letting people go, especially when it is through no fault of their own. Fortunately, most companies have not had to ...
Read More »NY on the ethics of sharing phone contacts with mobile apps
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since the iPhone was released. A lot has changed during that time, not the least of which is the number of lawyers who use smartphones, with the vast majority of attorneys ...
Read More »Commentary: Do grandparents have visitation rights in New York?
For grandparents, the relationship with your grandchild can be one of the most important things in the world for you. But what happens when the child’s parents prevent you from seeing your grandchild or having a relationship with them? Sometimes, ...
Read More »Civil Litigation: From law school to the real world: The ethics of client management
All lawyers are bound by the ethical rules of the jurisdiction in which they practice and practicing ethically is an integral part of what it means to be a good attorney. One thing I learned about ethics after law school ...
Read More »MCBA President’s Message: A return to leading from the front
That is what my hope for this year will bring. When I accepted the incredible responsibility of becoming president of the Monroe County Bar Association, I did so with the knowledge and humility to know that I am truly not ...
Read More »Commentary: Addressing the need for a NY Elder Law attorney with seniors
The choice about whether or not to hire an elder law attorney (or elder care lawyer, as some say) is one that is not to be taken lightly. Unfortunately, it is a topic that can cause a lot of anxiety ...
Read More »Commentary: The Second Amendment and New York State: Walking the constitutional line
New York State has imposed rigid laws on carrying pistols since the early part of the 20th century. In 1905, it was a misdemeanor for anyone over the age of 16 to carry a pistol or firearm concealed without a ...
Read More »There’s no better time than now to join your local bar association
Bar associations are the glue that binds legal communities together. Historically, they’ve been at the center of the spoke around which lawyers, law firms and legal organizations revolved. Membership benefits were many, including CLE seminars, camaraderie and the business relationships ...
Read More »IP Frontiers: Patentable subject matter – An American Axle update
In American Axle, the invention was directed to a method for manufacturing a shaft assembly of a driveline system, historically considered to be patentable subject matter. The first claim addressed included a step of turning a mass and stiffness of ...
Read More »Insurance and Injury Corner: The tripartite relationship, attorney reporting to insurance companies
While an insurance company may retain an attorney to defend an insured and pay for his or her services, the insurance company is not the attorney’s client — only the insured is. NYSBA Ethics Op. 716 (3/3/99) (“When a lawyer ...
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