The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Former Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr.'s challenge to his 28-year sentence for his involvement in the "kids-for-cash" scandal has been rejected by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office is opposing the request of six plaintiffs challenging the mandatory retirement of judges in the year they turn 70 for the appointment of a special master.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Former Penn State assistant football coach Mike McQueary has responded to Penn State's position that the university did not fire him over his testimony related to the Jerry Sandusky sex-abuse scandal, demanding "strict proof" that the university fired him only once his contract was over.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Pennsylvania Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille testified Thursday in favor of establishing a line item in the state budget to pay for lawyers to represent poor Pennsylvanians in some civil cases.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

The state Supreme Court affirmed without an opinion Tuesday a lower court ruling that workers' compensation judges have no vested rights in pay increases, and therefore no recourse to collect on a rescinded raise.

Delaware Business Court Insider   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

The Delaware Court of Chancery has ordered Wal-Mart to release internal documents detailing its directors' knowledge of allegations that the company's Mexican affiliate, Walmex, bribed government officials in order to obtain permits to build stores in specific locations.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Before the 34th annual Philadelphia Bar Association 5K Charity Run, held on May 19, it had been raining all morning and started to pour at approximately 8 a.m., 30 minutes before the race was scheduled to start.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

During the past 18 months, while the U.S. Department of Justice commenced a number of high-profile cases against financial institutions under the long-forgotten Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), many commentators and legal experts opined that the DOJ's interpretation of the statute was misplaced and unlikely to survive legal scrutiny.

The National Law Journal   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Federal courts officials have appealed to Congress for emergency funding, saying the judiciary lacks the budget flexibility to absorb the large mandatory spending cuts that have forced furloughs in the nation's federal public defender and court offices.

New Jersey Law Journal   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Two men convicted of terrorist plots have lost their argument that being sentenced the same day as the Boston Marathon bombings may have worked against them.

SUPREME COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

The court determined that LRC's 2012 Final Plan was not contrary to law. Appeals dismissed.

SUPERIOR COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In this case of first impression, the trial court properly permitted the investigating agent to provide testimony and opinions as both an expert and a layperson. Judgment of sentence affirmed.

COMMONWEALTH COURT

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Appellee's declaration of taking condemning appellant's land was overly broad, did not limit appellee to its presently stated intentions and did not comply with procedural requirements; it authorized actions encompassed within §1511(c) of the Associations Code such that appellee had to comply with §1511(c) before condemning appellant's land for a perpetual easement and right-of-way. Trial court order reversed.

COURTS OF COMMON PLEAS

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Following a non-jury trial, the court found that plaintiff proved that he was entitled to a return of the $13,550 he paid defendant for construction of a deck at his house because problems with the deck were so pervasive that repairs alone would not correct them.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT-EASTERN

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, June 1, 2020

In February 2010, the court dismissed McKeon's pro se second complaint as legally frivolous and permitted McKeon to file a third complaint.

U.S. DISTRICT COURT-MIDDLE

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Plaintiff's counsel was admonished by the court for failure to comply with court orders, tardiness and "discourteous and rude" behavior; he was warned that continuing to disregard the dictates of the court would be considered failure to prosecute his case and he would be subject to costs and sanctions. Order issued.

Securities Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

During the past 18 months, while the U.S. Department of Justice commenced a number of high-profile cases against financial institutions under the long-forgotten Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989 (FIRREA), many commentators and legal experts opined that the DOJ's interpretation of the statute was misplaced and unlikely to survive legal scrutiny.

Franchise Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Franchise fees are said to be the lifeblood of the franchise system. If the royalties are not paid, does it constitute a claim for money damages or does it create grounds for injunctive relief?

Employment Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 24, 2013

Fewer depositions, reduced number of interrogatories, less requests for admissions and a proportionality requirement in discovery. This could be the new face of discovery under proposed rule changes to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

Young Lawyer

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 23, 2013

Today, LL.M. degrees, a.k.a. Masters of Law, or, for the fancy, the Latin name Legum Magister, are offered in a variety of legal specialties ranging from trial advocacy to intellectual property to international law to taxation.

Wage and Hour

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 23, 2013

Recently, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in O'Donnell v. Passport Health Communications, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 51432 (E.D. Pa. Apr. 10, 2013), provided a not-so-gentle reminder to employers of the potential pitfalls of Pennsylvania's Wage Payment and Collection Law (WPCL).

Construction Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

While there is no way to eliminate all of an owner's risks on a construction project, the most important, and often most overlooked, tool to minimize those risks is the construction contract.

GC Mid-Atlantic

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

In many organizations, the human resources function is handled by specialists who guide managers' decision-making to ensure consistency with myriad employment laws.

Commercial Litigation

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 22, 2013

A settlement is a settlement. The parties agree on its terms, terminate the litigation, and move on. Right? Not always. Class actions, for example, are different.

Government

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Last year, Congress passed an important law clarifying that members of Congress, their staff and all federal employees must abide by the same insider trading prohibitions as everyone else.

Environmental Law

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 21, 2013

In the August 28, 2012, column in this series, "Natural Gas and Zoning: The Commonwealth Court's Act 13 Decision," David G. Mandelbaum discussed Robinson Township v. Public Utilities Commission, holding Act 13's zoning pre-emption to be unconstitutional. He ended by posing the broader question of whether states or municipalities ought to regulate natural gas development.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 23, 2013

New York-based Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler is seeking to remove a trade secrets case filed against it from state court in Pittsburgh to federal court in the Western District of Pennsylvania.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 16, 2013

Philadelphia-based Fox Rothschild grew its revenue by nearly 8 percent in its 2012-13 fiscal year as a result of a combination of strong practices and productive lateral hires, managing partner Mark L. Silow said.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 16, 2013

Arthur Henshey Moss, a former partner with Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads, died May 9 at the age of 82.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pennsylvania law firms grew revenue at a faster clip than their national counterparts when comparing the first quarter of 2013 to the first quarter of 2012, but that may just be due to making up for a lack of robust collections in Pennsylvania at the end of last year, according to a bank survey of law firms.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 13, 2013

Allegations that the law firm of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff breached its fiduciary duty when it represented the interests of one partner in a soured business venture were dismissed by a federal judge.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Thursday, May 9, 2013

A former attorney with Cohen Seglias Pallas Greenhall & Furman has sued the firm and some of its partners after she was allegedly let go for taking time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Tuesday, May 7, 2013

After a few years of collecting financial data and applying project management techniques to the legal process, law firms are beginning to dedicate resources to pricing analysis.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 6, 2013

It's the kind of case that has an attorney up at 3 a.m. pondering the next play or just the seeming injustice of it all. And for two Reed Smith attorneys, the case has been going on for upward of 15 years.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Monday, May 6, 2013

Two weeks after Philadelphia personal injury firm Lundy Law dropped its federal trademark suit against Philadelphia-based injury firm Larry Pitt & Associates, Pitt's firm has sued Lundy Law and its principal, L. Leonard Lundy, in federal court, alleging unfair competition and violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act.

The Legal Intelligencer   |  Friday, May 3, 2013

When Pepper Hamilton hired a businessman to serve as its CEO, it set the tone for how the firm would approach the delivery of legal services.