Expert Analysis

• Get Ready For Calif.'s Expanded Restrictive Covenant Ban

  

  California recently passed the second of two new laws that together largely prohibit restrictive covenants, even for certain out-of-state employers — and since there's not much time before the statutes become effective, now is the time for companies to revisit how their confidential information will be protected, says Russell Beck at Beck Reed.

• Pro Bono Work Is Powerful Self-Help For Attorneys

  

  Oct. 22-28 is Pro Bono Week, serving as a useful reminder that offering free legal help to the public can help attorneys expand their legal toolbox, forge community relationships and create human connections, despite the challenges of this kind of work, says Orlando Lopez at Culhane Meadows.

• High Court Bakery Driver Case Could Limit Worker Arbitration

  

  Employers that require arbitration of worker claims under the Federal Arbitration Act should closely follow Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries as it goes before the U.S. Supreme Court, which could thoroughly expand the definition of “transportation workers” who are exempt from compulsory arbitration and force companies to field more employee disputes in court, says Nick Morisani at Phelps Dunbar.

• Diamond Sports Cases Shed Light On Executory Contracts

  

  Recent Texas bankruptcy cases involving telecast fees payable by Diamond Sports to certain Major League Baseball teams provide a window into the dynamic relationship that can develop between debtors and counterparties under some executory contracts, say Joseph Badtke-Berkow and Robin Spigel at Allen & Overy.

• Series

  Playing In A Rock Cover Band Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Performing in a classic rock cover band has driven me to hone several skills — including focus, organization and networking — that have benefited my professional development, demonstrating that taking time to follow your muse outside of work can be a boon to your career, says Michael Gambro at Cadwalader.

• How To Advertise Carbon Reductions Under New Calif. Law

  

  As more companies advertise their efforts to reach the status of carbon neutral or net zero, California's recently enacted Voluntary Carbon Market Disclosures Act aims to force companies to more clearly disclose the basis for such claims — and there's not a lot of time to comply, say Gonzalo Mon and Katie Rogers at Kelley Drye.

• Mass. Bill May Alter Deals Involving Both Goods And Services

  

  Massachusetts' proposed H.B. 1112 would adopt several model Uniform Commercial Code amendments, including a new rule for hybrid transactions that could affect risk assessments made by lenders in determining whether to make loans that involve materials and equipment, especially in the context of construction projects, say attorneys at Barclay Damon.

• Series

  The Pop Culture Docket: Judge Espinosa On 'Lincoln Lawyer'

  

  The murder trials in Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer” illustrate the stark contrast between the ethical high ground that fosters and maintains the criminal justice system's integrity, and the ethical abyss that can undermine it, with an important reminder for all legal practitioners, say Judge Adam Espinosa and Andrew Howard at the Colorado 2nd Judicial District Court.

• Lessons On Arbitration Carveouts From Diddy-Diageo Suit

  

  After Sean "Diddy" Combs brought a racial discrimination suit in New York state court against Diageo, the company has been unable to compel arbitration under its distribution agreement with Combs, underscoring the importance of narrowly tailoring arbitration carveouts for injunctive relief, says Rosanne Felicello at Felicello Law.

• Calif. Right To Repair Law Highlights A Growing Movement

  

  New legislation in California is a comprehensive victory for the "right to repair" movement — signaling that this push for legal reform represents a multifaceted challenge to the status quo not only on the consumer rights front, but also in the fields of copyright, software, antitrust and warranty law, says Courtney Sarnow at Culhane Meadows.

• What Panama Canal Award Ruling Means For Int'l Arbitration

  

  As the prevalence of international arbitration grows, the Eighth Circuit’s recent decision in Grupo Unidos v. Canal de Panama may change how practitioners decide what remedies to seek and where to raise them if claims are rejected, says Jerry Roth at FedArb.

• Hollywood Labor Negotiations Provide AI Road Map

  

  Sigma Khan at Henein Hutchison uses the recent Hollywood labor strikes — one of the first instances of a mass entertainment industry legal conflict where concerns over artificial intelligence's intrusion into the workspace has become a crucial issue — to analyze how litigation, legislation and contracts can aid in a landscape transformation precipitated by AI.

• Opinion

  Newman Suspension Shows Need For Judicial Reform

  

  The recent suspension of U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman following her alleged refusal to participate in a disability inquiry reveals the need for judicial misconduct reforms to ensure that judges step down when they can no longer serve effectively, says Aliza Shatzman at The Legal Accountability Project.

• When And How Companies Should Build An AI Strategy

  

  Once a company has decided to engage with artificial intelligence, there are myriad steps that need to be taken, beginning with the creation of an AI leadership team that has deep knowledge about the company's business risks and is highly respected by senior management, say Judith Rinearson and Corey Bieber at K&L Gates.

• Opinion

  Forging A Fair Path For Standard-Essential Patents In India

  

  The Delhi High Court's standard-essential patents decision in Intex v. Ericsson has the potential to derail important progress for India's technology industry, so Indian regulators and courts should be developing an SEP licensing ecosystem that inspires and protects innovation, say Brian Scarpelli and Priya Nair at ACT.