The rule that a party receiving documents in litigation holds them subject to an implied undertaking to use them only in the proceedings in which they were produced has been a fixture of practice in British Columbia since 1995. However, while the rule is easy to state, it often proves more difficult to apply in practice and carries with it the potential for very serious sanctions for breach ...
A Georgia intermediate appellate court has affirmed summary judgment in favor of an insurer, holding that there can be no “advertising injury” coverage under a commercial general liability insurance contract where an underlying lawsuit concerning division of profits from a joint copyright work fails to allege a misappropriation of advertising ideas. James C. Shafe, et al. v. American States Insurance Co., No. A07A0879, 2007 Ga. App. LEXIS 1193 (Ga. App ...
A Georgia intermediate appellate court has affirmed summary judgment in favor of an insurer, holding that there can be no “advertising injury” coverage under a commercial general liability insurance contract where an underlying lawsuit concerning division of profits from a joint copyright work fails to allege a misappropriation of advertising ideas. James C. Shafe, et al. v. American States Insurance Co., No. A07A0879, 2007 Ga. App. LEXIS 1193 (Ga ...
What It Means: After 339 days of hearings over five years, and at a cost of almost $30 million, a court in British Columbia has expressed its opinion that the Tsilhqot'in Nation has aboriginal title to approximately 2,000 square kilometres of land, but stopped short of making that opinion legally binding by granting a declaration of aboriginal title ...
Most applicants for adjustment of status (“green card”) must obtain travel permission from the USCIS before departing the U.S. Failure to obtain an “advance parole” can cause the USCIS to automatically deem the application abandoned and to deny the case. An exception to this rule applies to H-1 and L nonimmigrants and their dependents. Until now, individuals returning to the U.S ...
The Department of State (DOS) has announced two changes to the visa application process at consular posts. Effective January 1, 2008, non-immigrant visa application fees increase from $100 to $131. DOS claims that the new fees are meant to recover costs associated with increased security measures and other security enhancements ...
A federal district court judge in Pennsylvania ruled that first-party property claims for damages due to defective stucco arose from a single occurrence and, upon determining the date of loss, held that the coverage claims were barred by the insurance contract’s two-year suit limitations period. Smith, et al. v. Westfield Insurance Co., No. 06-3077; 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 87431 (E.D. Pa. November 27, 2007) Case Background ...
Being the smartest lawyer in the room does not always guarantee success. Rather, success in the field of law almost always results from an attorney’s determination and dedication ...
Savings and expected recoveries of $43 billion were reported by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (OIG) in its Semiannual Report to Congress on December 14, 2007, for fiscal year 2007 (October 2006 – September 2007). This represents $2.18 billion in investigative recoveries, $1 ...
The Florida Supreme Court has held that defective work performed by a subcontractor that damages a general contractor’s completed work constitutes “property damage” caused by an “occurrence” under a commercial general liability (CGL) policy. U.S. Fire Ins. Co. v. J.S.U.B., Inc., No. SC05-1295 (Fla. Dec. 20, 2007) ...
On September 27, 2007, Mr. Justice Jean-Guy Dubois of the Superior Court rendered a judgment interpreting the definition of the word “insured” in an insurance policy, more particularly as regards the exclusion of damages caused to a [Translation] “person living under the same roof ”.(1)The facts: The parents of plaintiff Hugo Bérard divorced in 2000. Nathalie Gravel, his mother, who was also a plaintiff, had custody ...
DALLAS – The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed and vacated the convictions of two indigent Mexican nationals who have spent the last 12 years in prison on life sentences for the Aug. 6, 1996 killing of a convenience store clerk in the Texas Panhandle ...
A last chance agreement is an arrangement entered into between an employer, an employee with serious and persistent behavioral problems and, where applicable, the union, that gives the employee a final chance. Such an agreement imposes strict conditions to be met by the employee in order to maintain the employment relationship and may even provide that a breach of its terms will result in dismissal ...
The Bush Administration and House leaders Democrat Nancy Pelosi and Republican John Boehner reached an agreement on January 24, 2008 regarding a stimulus package. This stimulus package includes tax relief targeted at both businesses and individuals. As discussed below, the Senate may well have additional individual and business provisions before legislation is passed ...
An Illinois intermediate appellate court found that the insured’s failure to comply with the notice conditions in contract for general liability insurance barred coverage. Board of Education of Township High School District No. 211, Cook County, Illinois v. TIG Insurance Company, No. 1-05-1732 (Ill. App. 3d Div. December 26, 2007). The Board of Education of Township High School District No ...
Dykema attorneys were recently involved in an interesting infrastructure project finance transaction relating to the rehabilitation of a portion of the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Dykema represented the lender in this transaction. To complete the transaction, a fairly unusual structure had to evolve ...
CMS recently released new regulations intended to curb the ability of a physician to earn a profit on either the technical component (TC) or professional component (PC) of tests ordered by the physician, but performed by another party. The regulation is effective January 1, 2008 and applies to all Medicare-covered diagnostic tests including imaging and anatomic pathology, but excluding clinical laboratory tests ...
New Business Visa RequirementAt the end of 2007, Russia enacted new visa rules to limit the number of days that a business visitor can remain in the country. Multiple entry business visa holders may only remain in Russia in 90 day increments, up to a maximum of 180 days per year. Those who may have used a business visa to live and work in Russia for extended periods must now obtain a work permit or resident status ...
Pension and benefit plan administrators are becoming increasingly familiar with litigation and in particular, class proceedings. We have seen a tremendous increase in both the number of pension and the breadth of issues raised in those actions ...
The role and duties of a Chair are not defined and circumscribed in incorporating statutes (federal and Quebec) except in the case of Quebec government-owned corporations and then, only in part. Boards of directors have been at the centre of the public debate on corporate governance in recent years. This heightened focus on boards has provoked questioning and reflection on the role and liability of the Chair ...
On December 6, 2007, the Quebec Court of Appeal declared that part of Goodyear’s alcohol and drug detection policy implemented in its Valleyfield plant in the summer of 2004 was valid.The Court of Appeal’s judgement maintained in part a decision rendered on April 21, 2006 by the Superior Court that upheld grievance arbitrator Mtre Denis Tremblay’s April 12, 2005 ruling ...
U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Finds that Student Who Was Abused Multiple Times by Fellow Students Was Entitled to Multiple Per-Claim Limits Because Each Assault Was a Separate “Claim”.In Essex Insurance Co. v. Doe, No. 06-7163, 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 94 (D.C. Cir. Jan ...
In late November 2007, the Supreme Court rendered a judgment on the law of sale in Quebec in the case of ABB Inc. v. Domtar Inc.(1) in which it pointed out important differences between Quebec law and the law of the other Canadian provinces regarding limitation of liability clauses ...
In two separate opinions, five to two majority of the New York Court of Appeals ruled that an insured can assert a claim form consequential damages for an insurer’s alleged bad faith breach of a first-party insurance contract. Bi-Economy Market, Inc. v. Harleysville Insurance Company of New York, No. 14 (N.Y. February 19, 2008); Panasia Estates, Inc. v. Hudson Insurance Company, No. 15 (N.Y. February 19, 2008) ...
For the first time, the Court of Appeal has rendered a decision on a class action instituted under the Competition Act. A unanimous decision in favour of our client, Toyota Canada Inc. and 37 of its dealers in the Montreal region, was handed down on February 26, 2008 ...
