Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines April 25, 2008

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, April 25, 2008.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Patent board's rulings in doubt
"The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office may have a major problem on its hands ? the possibly unconstitutional appointment of nearly two-thirds of its patent appeals judges. Such a constitutional flaw, if legitimate, could call into question the hundreds of decisions worth billions of dollars in the past eight years. The flaw, discovered by highly regarded intellectual property scholar John Duffy, could also afflict the appointment of nearly half of the agency's trademark appeals judges."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Challenging selective service
"Several former U.S. government employees have filed a class action challenging the government's Selective Service System ? which requires young men to register for a potential draft ? alleging that their careers were cut short or adversely affected by their failure to register. The lawsuit claims that the Selective Service System violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution because it affects only males."

WEB-ONLY  |  California high court trims $200 in punitives from Genentech verdict
"The California Supreme Court trimmed the $500 million jury award against biotech giant Genentech Inc. by cutting the $200 million punitive damage award in a breach of contract and fiduciary duties case over a genetic engineering dispute with City of Hope National Medical Center."

WEB-ONLY  |  Utah the first state to enact anti-'granny-snatching' law
"Utah has become the first state to adopt model legislation to untangle the interstate jurisdictional guardian issues that abet so-called "granny snatching'' and, more frequently, thwart well-meaning guardians who have to act in more than one state."

WEB-ONLY  |  Fieger, armed with heavyweight attorney, starts trial in Detroit
"Opening arguments got underway in Detroit Thursday in the trial of flamboyant trial attorney Geoffrey Fieger, charged with funneling $127,000 in illegal contributions to John Edwards' 2004 presidential campaign. Heading up Fieger's defense is the legendary Gerry Spence, who won acquittals of white supremacists in the 1992 shootout with federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho."

WEB-ONLY  |  Scruggs' former partner seeks $15M in damages over fee dispute
Now that Dickie" Scruggs has pleaded guilty to bribing a judge in exchange for a favorable ruling in a fee dispute case, his former partner, Roberts Wilson, is seeking more than $15 million in damages in another fee dispute case and wants that case essentially re-started."

WEB-ONLY  |  American Society for International Law names new president
"Lucy Reed, a partner and specialist in international commercial arbitration at the New York office of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, is the new president of the American Society for International Law."

WEB-ONLY  |  Chadbourne & Parke launches nanotechnologies practice
"Chadbourne & Parke has created a nanotechnologies practice headed by David L. Wallace, a partner in the law firm's New York office. Attorneys from the law firm's project finance, intellectual property and reinsurance groups also will work on nanotech matters."

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on April 25, 2008 (boomark / email).