Legal Research

Selections from National Law Journal Daily Headlines March 19, 2009

By David Badertscher, PLL

Source: NLJ.com, March 19, 2009.

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FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Big Law's pain is public interest's gain ? mostly
"Law firms are sending their associates to public interest law jobs in droves because they don't have enough work to keep them busy. The pro bono legal help is welcome, given that many public interest groups are chronically underfunded and that the demand for low-cost and free legal services is exploding due to the economy. But the exodus of law firm associates is happening a little too quickly for comfort, and organizations are scrambling to figure out how to make the process efficient instead of overwhelming."

FROM THE UPCOMING ISSUE  |  Threatening written, verbal communications to federal judges increase by 89%
"In the past five years, written or verbal communications that threaten, harass or make unsettling overtures to federal judges and others protected by the U.S. Marshalls Service have increased by 89%, and threats via the Internet are also increasing."

WEB-ONLY  |  Lawyer convicted in Pellicano wire tap case replaces his appellate counsel
"Terry Christensen, the lawyer who was convicted last year on charges related to wiretapping his opponent in a high-profile child support case, has replaced the attorneys handling his appeal."

WEB-ONLY  |  Number of attorneys working on cases stemming from alleged Chicago Ponzi scheme starts to add up
"The number of attorneys working on lawsuits related to an alleged Chicago Ponzi scheme that bilked investors out of $4.7 million is starting to add up. At least three civil federal lawsuits have been filed against Anthony DeMasi, whose Chicago-based Tsunami Capital LLC allegedly swindled 27 investors between 2002 and 2007."

WEB-ONLY  |  How China's rejection of Coca-Cola's bid to buy a Chinese juice giant will chill future acquisitions
"China's rejection of Coca-Cola Co.'s $2.4 billion bid to buy a Chinese juice giant is the first significant test of China's Anti-Monopoly law. John Taladay, a partner in Howrey's government antitrust practice, spoke with us about the Chinese ministry's decision and its impact on future cross-border deals."

OPINION

THE AIG BAILOUT  |  Who assumes risk?
"AIG went from a market capitalization of more than $200 billion to a public float of about $1 billion, representing little more than the option value of a speculative bet on the company's future. The sum of AIG's lost market value and its bailout fund is almost half the value of the recently passed national stimulus package. Has the government really made the case that failure to satisfy AIG's counterparties would result in greater societal harm than spending $170 billion on what were private obligations?"

Full post as published by New York Supreme Court Criminal Term Library on March 19, 2009 (boomark / email).