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March 12, 2014
News - Family Law
In an article titled “4 Things to Consider If You’re a Single Expectant Mama,” Jennifer Brandt, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Family Law Department, advises on child support for single moms. The terms of child support are largely dictated by the state, but in general, the income of the parties is typically the determining factor in support. Brandt says “child support is awarded to the parent who has primary custody of the child, no matter whether mother or father.”
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March 10, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance
Melissa Brill of the Global Insurance Department discusses TCPAS Class Actions in Law360. "A recent shift in Second Circuit law may lead to a rise in class actions under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. After a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court case shed light on the proper interpretation of a section of the TCPA, the Second Circuit paved the way for TCPA class actions in New York federal courts."
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March 06, 2014
Publication - Tax
The New York Court of Appeals reversed the decision of the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court and held that in order for an individual to have a “permanent place of abode” in New York for purposes of determining whether the individual is a statutory tax resident, there must be some basis to conclude that the property owned by the individual was actually used as the individual’s residence. Matter of Gaied v. New York State Tax Appeals Tribunal, et al., Docket No. 26 (N.Y. Ct. App. Feb. 18, 2014). While the decision is not binding in states other than New York, the analysis is pertinent in the myriad states, including Pennsylvania, that have a statutory definition of a resident for tax purposes that is the same or similar to that of New York.
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March 06, 2014
Publication - Public & Project Finance
This podcast will provide an overview of the major provisions within the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board’s proposed Rule G-42. Also highlighted are certain provisions that the MSRB is seeking comments upon.
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March 06, 2014
Publication - Appellate
In an article titled "Private Enforcement of Product Labeling Violations," Stephen Miller, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department, and David Albert, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Intellectual Property Department, discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's consideration in April whether a private litigant can sue a company for violating federal restrictions on labeling food and beverage products.
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March 05, 2014
News - Family Law
Jennifer Brandt, a member of the firm’s Family Law Department, was a guest on Fox 29 News today to discuss yesterday's guilty plea in the Real Housewives of New Jersey case. Teresa and Joe Giudice plead guilty in federal court to several mortgage and bankruptcy fraud charges.
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March 04, 2014
Press Release - Insurance Coverage, Subrogation & Recovery - Insurance
The hires cap a significant, year-long expansion of the firm’s London team, with a total of three new members and one associate since January 2013 which have nearly doubled the firm’s partner presence in the UK.
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March 04, 2014
News - White Collar Defense & Investigations - Sports
In an article titled “Former UNC African studies manager won't be charged, but will cooperate with probe,” Stephen Miller (Commercial Litigation, Philadelphia) discusses the recent investigation into UNC-Chapel Hill academics. Previous noncriminal investigations had found Deborah Crowder, a retired manager of the African and Afro-American studies department at UNC, was at the center of the creation of lecture-style classes frequented by athletes that never met and that typically provided high grades for those who turned in a term-paper at the end of the semester. But, on Tuesday, March 4, Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall said that Crowder, who retired in 2009, would not be charged with any crime, but is expected to cooperate with a new investigation into the academic fraud, one that UNC leaders say will seek to find out how it happened and why.
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March 03, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage, Professional Liability Insurance Coverage - Insurance
Jonathan Toren of the Global Insurance Department is co-author of Chapter 14, “Deductibles and Self-Insured Retentions,” in The Reference Handbook on the Commercial General Liability Policy, Second Edition. In the commercial insurance industry, the commercial general liability (CGL) policy is the most common form of liability insurance purchased by both public and private sectors throughout the United States and, as a result, is arguably the most litigated insurance product in the marketplace. This book is a survey of the current developments and issues that can arise from a liability policy.
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March 03, 2014
Publication - Business, Environmental Regulatory & Due Diligence, Transportation & Logistics Litigation, Transportation & Trade
In a case of first impression that interpreted the force majeure provisions of an industry contract form promulgated by the North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB), Cozen O’Connor prevailed on behalf of plaintiff when, on January 9, 2014, the New Jersey Appellate Division affirmed the trial court’s ruling in Hess Corporation v. Eni Petroleum U.S. LLC, et al., No. A-3464-12T4 (A.D., January 9, 2014).
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March 01, 2014
Publication - Employment Litigation, Labor & Employment
In an article titled “Understanding State Anti-Discrimination Statutes,” Debra Friedman, a member of Cozen O’Connor’s Labor & Employment Department, discusses state anti-discrimination statues and how important it is for employers that operate in multiple states to be able to navigate which state’s anti-discrimination statutes apply.
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February 28, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage, Professional Liability Insurance Coverage - Insurance
The New York Court of Appeals rarely hears reargument of its decisions, let alone reverses itself. On February 18, 2014, the Court of Appeals did just that.
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February 28, 2014
Publication - Public & Project Finance
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act ("Dodd-Frank Act") was signed into law on July 21, 2010 in response to the financial crisis that occurred in 2008.
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February 28, 2014
News - Public & Project Finance - Real Estate & Construction
Public & Project Finance Chair, Suzanne Mayes, was recently appointed to the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC). PIDC is a non-profit, joint venture between the city of Philadelphia and the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce that plans and implements real estate and financing transactions that attract investment jobs and tax ratables to the City of Philadelphia.
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February 27, 2014
Publication - Insurance Coverage - Insurance
In Validus Reinsurance, Ltd. v. United States, No. 13-0109 (ABJ), 2014 WL 462886 (D.D.C. 2014), the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia found that a foreign reinsurer was not subject to excise tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 4371 when purchasing retrocessional coverage for the assumed reinsurance of U.S. risks. While foreign reinsurance contracts are subject to excise tax, the court held that Section 4371’s plain language did not encompass retrocessional reinsurance transactions.
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February 27, 2014
Publication - Utility & Energy
On February 20, 2014, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (Commission) issued a proposed rulemaking in connection with its implementation of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act of 2004 (AEPS Act). While the Commission has proposed a number of changes that merely implement the requirements of Act 35 and Act 129, there are several new substantive provisions impacting net metering and large customer-generators and that merit close review by electric utilities, merchant generators and customers proposing to self-generate. The proposed rulemaking will be open for public comment for 30 days after publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
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February 27, 2014
Publication - Appellate, Intellectual Property
In an article titled "Copyright Act's Application to Internet Television Broadcasts," Stephen Miller, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department, and Thomas Leonard, an associate in the firm's Litigation Department, discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming decision on whether Aereo's system of transmitting television programs over the Internet violates the Copyright Act. The ruling could have a seismic impact on the television industry and how Americans view television shows.
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February 26, 2014
Publication
Arbitration clauses are the fashion now. We are frequently reminded that parties save time and money through the arbitration alternative to litigation. It is not without irony, then, that arbitration clauses have engendered plenty of old-fashioned litigation. Two recent Pennsylvania federal court decisions deal with the enforceability of arbitration clauses, and both decisions foretell of added litigation in the arbitration arena.
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February 25, 2014
News - Gaming
Delaware and Nevada announced Tuesday that they had struck the United States' first ever agreement to allow authorized casinos and operators to share online poker players across state lines, in a deal that leaves open a door for other states to join in.
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February 25, 2014
News
A feature story on Tia Ghattas, a member of Cozen O'Connor's Commercial Litigation Department, was recently published in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. The article, titled “Cozen O’Connor’s Ghattas on call, day or night,” highlights Tia’s occupation and the challenges that accompany it. Daniel Johnson, a member of the firm's Global Insurance Department, was quoted in the article, discussing Tia’s management style.
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