Fashion Industry partner, Jeremy D. Richardson, was quoted in the August 10 issue of Women's Wear Daily (WWD) regarding the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act ("The Design Piracy Bill"), which was introduced in the United States Senate on August 5.  The bill, which would provide copyright protection for three years to designs considered "unique and original," has been questioned by fashion industry trade groups, as well as service providers.  The legislation would create three new legal standards: an originality standard, an infringement standard and a heightened pleading standard.  Mr. Richardson highlighted that the one of the bill's phrases "subtantially identical" might warrant interpretation by the courts, however, even with current objections, the bill may ultimately succeed in Congress.

Real Estate Department chair, Marc A. Landis, was quoted on HOALeaders.com, which provides "practical advice for condominium and homeowner association leadership," in response a subscriber's question on the Web site.  Mr. Landis' quotes were featured in the Tip of the Week, "When Your Board's Actions Can Be Undone."

In a First Amendment case involving the infringement of the constitutional rights of vendor artists positioned in and around four New York City parks, partners Jon Schuyler Brooks and Kevin B. McGrath and counsel Jeffrey L. Shore, appeared in federal court seeking to enjoin New York City's recently adopted regulations of artists in Central Park (and in front of the Metropolitan Museum of Art), Battery Park, Union Square Park and The High Line.  The regulations, which were adopted on June 18 by the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation will become effective on July 19 unless an injunction is issued.  The Phillips Nizer team is representing the artists pro bono.  Litigator Jon Brooks was quoted in an article appearing in the July 8 New York Times' "City Room" blog.

Hon. Paul A. Victor will co-present a New York Labor Law program hosted by The New York State Judicial Institute.  The former Justice of the New York State Supreme Court will provide an overview of statutory bases of liability related to Sections 200, 240 and 241(6) of The New York Labor Law.  This special program for judges state-wide is scheduled for broadcast via CourtNet TV.  
 

Jon Schuyler Brooks, partner and co-chair of the Environmental Practice will be a featured speaker at the 2010 Sustainable Property Transactions: Retooling the Business of Contaminated Site Redevelopments conference being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 14 - 16.  Mr. Brooks' panel will present on "Distressed Asset Deals and Environmental Risk Management Strategies for Getting the Best Value," to be held on Wednesday, April 14. 

Thomas G. Jackson is an editor and contributor to the chapter "A Framework for Managing Legal and Compliance Issues" in the publication The Financial Impact of Cyber Risk: An Implementation Framework for CFOs. It will be released on March 31 as part of the American National Standards Institute Homeland Security Standards Panel and Internet Security Alliance joint initiative on the Financial Impact of Cyber Risk. The publication focuses on the tools that corporate executives need to analyze the financial risks associated with cyber security and to make mitigation decisions based upon the needs of their businesses. Mr. Jackson is a leader of the Chief Legal Counsel and Compliance Officer task group of the cyber risk project. He is counsel to the Internet Security Alliance and a litigation partner and chair of the Firm's Technology Practice Group.

Thomas G. Jackson was a featured panelist at the RSA Conference 2010 "Security Decoded," a week-long conference held in San Francisco, CA, which concluded on March 5. The panel, "Legal and Privacy Considerations in the Cloud," explored the differences among the various cloud computing platforms and the security and privacy concerns associated with the online delivery of services, storage of customer-owned data, the sharing of common resources and other aspects of cloud computing. The RSA Conference is the world’s largest information security industry conference with over 10,000 attendees. Mr. Jackson is a litigation partner and chair of the Firm's Technology Practice Group. 

Donald L. Kreindler, partner and member of the Firm's Fashion and Intellectual Property Practices, contributes as a chapter author in a new book, Fashion Law -- A Guide For Designers, Fashion Executives, and Attorneys, published and available through Fairchild Books, a Division of Condé Nast Publications, Inc.  Mr. Kreindler's chapter, "Selling and Buying:  Commercial Agreements in the Fashion Sector," appears on page 160.  Fashion Law is not intended to be a legal textbook, but a guide to the various legal areas which affect the fashion industry, written for fashion executives and designers, as well as lawyers practicing in the field.  Edited by Professor Guillermo C. Jimenez of the Fashion Institute of Technology and Barbara Kolsun, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Stuart Weitzman LLC, the various chapters are written by lawyers with expertise in particular legal subjects.

Jon Schuyler Brooks, partner and co-chair of the Firm's Environmental Law Practice, was quoted in the Newsday article, "Court allows class action status for homeowners' lawsuit against Brookhaven Lab."  The article reports on a lawsuit, originally filed in 1996 by homeowners of the North Shirley community on Long Island.  In December, the State Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs for the right to pursue a class action lawsuit against the Brookhaven National Laboratory for damages relating to alleged losses to their property values.  Although the judge ruled that the plaintiffs could not sue as a class for compensation related to healthcare or medical issues, they could still file personal injury lawsuits.  Mr. Brooks' comment relates to the court's ruling.

Marc A. Landis, partner and chair of the Real Estate Law Department and Sandra A. Riemer, partner and co-chair of the Bankruptcy & Restructuring Practice will present, "The Troubled Commercial Real Estate Loan: Workout and Bankruptcy-Related Issues," a CLE breakfast program hosted by Herald National Bank on November 10 in New York City.

Marc A. Landis, chair and partner of Phillips Nizer's Real Estate Law Department, appears in the November 2009 issue of Habitat magazine.  In the issue, Mr. Landis, along with several prominent New York real estate attorneys, recounts for readers a real-life scenario involving a client, the board of directors of a cooperative corporation.  The scenario appears within the magazine's Rules Bylaw Revisions section.  

At issue with the client:  "How can a cooperative corporation amend its overly restrictive bylaws to provide for greater flexibility in operating the corporation and the building?"  Mr. Landis admits condominium and cooperative board of directors and managers are often faced with challenging issues relating to change that consequently affect shareholders and unit-holders.  In that regard, he provides a few important steps for property representatives.  Says Landis, "Serving as counsel to a board means more than being able to interpret the meaning of legal documents, or advising whether a board proposal is legal or permissable.  Time and time again, I find that our most important role is that of a counselor, providing the strategic advice and direction to ensure that a building can solve a problem or achieve its goals."

Phillips Nizer Managing Partner, Perry S. Galler, was quoted in the New York Law Journal Law Firm Management special section in the article, "Dinosaurs No More: Mid-sized firms thrive despite predictions to the contrary."  The article written by reporter Vesselin (Vess) Mitev includes commentary from several prominent mid-sized New York law firms on issues such as staffing, diversity of practices, flexibility regarding billing, "the true meaning of partnership" and opportunities. 

Mr. Galler highlights Phillips Nizer's own commitment to flexibility during the economic downturn by having instituted alternative billing arrangements and paying closer attention to the needs of every client.  Having a strong firm culture and the sense of teamwork is also important.  States Mr. Galler, "We don't have an aura of an institution, it's far more of a partnership...People understand that when something doesn't go exactly according to plan and things need to be changed or altered, we are all accommodating."

Litigation partner, Jon Schuyler Brooks, was quoted in the Appellate section of Law360 regarding what may be a precedents-setting case in Delaware relating to the state's Escheat Statute.  In the ruling, the Supreme Court of the State of Delaware determined our client, a French investment company, had grounds to sue the parties responsible for turning the stock it owned over to the State of Delaware, even though the required period of dormancy had not elapsed.  The wrongful liquidation of our client's shares, which was exceptional, allows us to pursue in district court, on our client's behalf, a lawsuit to recover its substantial damages.

Bankruptcy & Restructuring partner, Henry Condell, was quoted in the front page article of Women's Wear Daily's (WWD) July 20 issue, "Back from the Brink: CIT Said Near $3B Deal to Avoid Bankruptcy".  CIT, which WWD reports "accounts for an estimated 60 percent of the fashion industry's factoring volume," narrowly escaped filing for bankruptcy after reaching a deal with bondholders the day before (July 19) for $3 billion in financing.  According to the article, the company lent the fashion industry "about $4 billion last year."  Thus, a bankruptcy would have been "catastrophic" affecting vendors regarding the shipment of goods and the "day-to-day credit requirements of many stores."  WWD also addressed the "what ifs".  If the bondholders' rescue plan does not work and CIT files for bankruptcy, there are options including putting only the holding company into Chapter 11 protection, which would allow its subsidiaries, including its factoring business, to continue operating pending a sale.  According to Henry Condell, "the value of the operating divisions, such as the profitable factoring business, could be preserved for a sale to a new owner."

WWD is considered to be the authority on fashion, beauty and retailer news.  With an over 90-year history and published daily, WWD is read by retailers, designers, manufacturers, financiers, and Wall Street analysts, among others.

Marc A. Landis was quoted by the HOALeader.com in an article entitled, "HOA Finances: Payment Plan Dos and Don'ts".  In it, the Real Estate Law Department chair and partner, and executive board member of the Council of New York Cooperatives and Condominiums, comments on home owner associations who are willing to work with deliquent homeowners.

His first suggestion on an association's "To Do" list?  File a lien and "move toward prompt collection activity."  Another To Do -- secure documentation and "determine the homeowner's ability to pay and get the assurance that they're not going to take other steps, like taking out a credit line, to prejudice your position.  He suggests associations "see the status of (the homeowner's) mortgage, a credit report, and a pay stub."

Litigator N. Ari Weisbrot was quoted by the New Jersey Law Journal (NJLJ) in the Michael Booth article, "Court Sets 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Rule for Illegal Alien Class Action Plaintiffs".  The article reports on a recent Appellate decision in an immigration case which challenged the legality of defense counsel to question illegal aliens about their status during discovery.  While expressing serious reservations about permitting discovery into immigration issues where the cause of action itself has been specifically authorized for illegal immigrants, the Court left a wide-open door to ask the credibility questions--even if they implicate immigration status.

Stephen D. Kramer, Corporate Law Department partner and head of Phillips Nizer's French Desk, was quoted in the most recent issue of France-Amerique (a French news periodical of the United States) in the article, "Avocats et experts-comptables: Les guides de l'investisseur" ("Lawyers and Accountants: The investor's guides").  Mr. Kramer, who is fluent in French, was interviewed by reporter Johanna Safar regarding the importance of proper business management, research and legal planning of French investors and entrepreneurs starting or expanding their subsidiaries in the U.S.  Mr. Kramer often acts as general counsel for his clients who are frequently small or middle-market commercial and industrial companies (PME/PMI).  He cautions that without early involvement of attorneys, these non-U.S.-based companies can often find themselves committing serious miscalculations.

For an English translation of the article, please click here.  The original article, "Avocats et experts-comptables: Les guides de l'investisseur," appears in the April 2009 issue.

Rooftop leases -- the subject of the article, "Avoid a Cave-in on a Rooftop Goldmine," authored by Real Estate Department counsel, Robert "Bob" L. Bachner and associate, Brian J. Beller -- was published in the January/February 2009 issue of Real Estate New York.  Building owners, lured by what may appear to be easy income, are increasingly willing to allow antennae and related equipment installed on their roofs.  As our authors point out, this commitment often comes with problems.  Many building owners may not be aware of the costs and consequences surrounding such installations.  Mr. Bachner and Mr. Beller provide several questions building owners should ask before embarking on capitalizing on their "goldmine" -- their roof.

Please follow the link to read the Real Estate New York article. Once the page fully loads, at the top of the page, click Contents, then choose Property and the Law:  http://www.reny-digital.com/reny/reny_20090102/?u1=texterity

Jeremy D. Richardson, litigation partner and member of the Fashion Practice, was quoted in the January issue of Earnshaw's, a childrenswear magazine.  Editor Caletha Crawford's article, "Testing the Limits: Worry and questions mount regarding the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)," interviews service providers, manufacturers and industry groups including the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA). 

CPSIA was enacted by Congress in August of last year after numerous reports and complaints of unsafe products.  The Act sets guidelines for all consumer products made domestically or internationally, with the most stringent controls reserved for any item intended for children ages 12 and under.  Under the new law, all consumer products made after November 12, 2008 must provide a general conformity certificate stating that they comply with the Consumer Product Safety Commission's safety standards.  By February 10, 2009, the consumer products industry must be in full compliance of CPSIA's new lead standards and phthalate restrictions.  In the case of the new lead restrictions, it will not only be unlawful to make products that don't meet the required standards but to sell these products after February 10.  On August 14, 2009 and August 14, 2011 more lead restrictions go into effect. 

Penalties for non-compliance are severe.  As of August 14, 2009, each violation is subject to a $100,000 penalty (up from $5,000) with a maximum cumulative total of $15 million (up from $1,250,000) as well as imprisonment for up to five years.

Henry Condell, a partner in the Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights practice was quoted in the article, "Ein Konkurs der Tochtergesellschaften ist nicht zwingend,"* on the affects of German subsidiaries of American companies that have filed for Chapter 11.  The article by reporter, Norbert Kuls, appeared in the German national daily newspaper, Frankfurter Allgemeine.

*Title Translation: Subsidiaries' bankruptcy not necessarily the consequence.

Michael W. Galligan, will be a featured speaker at the 20th Annual International Trust and Tax Planning Summit, being held on November 12 - 14, 2008 at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida.  Mr. Galligan's presentation, "Estate Planning with a Focus on China: Inheritance, Trusts and Estates," will be held on Friday, November 14.

Jon Schuyler Brooks, Litigation partner and Environmental Law Practice Co-Chair, moderated the panel "Environmental Financial Disclosure Rules and Their Potential Impact on Brownfields Transactions," at the ABA Environment, Energy and Resources Law Summit: 16th Section Fall Meeting held in Phoenix, Arizona from September 17 - 20, 2008.  The topic concerned the disclosure obligations of seller and buyers with respect to "Asset Retirement Obligations" and "Contingent Liabilities" under FASB, GASB and ASTM standards.

Litigation partner N. Ari Weisbrot will be the featured guest speaker at Yeshiva University on Monday, September 22.  Mr. Weisbrot will be addressing Pre-Law Programming students on the topic, "Guilty Until Proven Innocent?  Miranda, the presumption of innocence, the right to a fair trial; a frank and open discussion on the impact and extent of constitutional rights afforded American and foreign prisoners."  Mr. Weisbrot is an alum of Yeshiva University.

Trusts and Estates partner and Chair-Elect of the International Law and Practice Section of the New York State Bar Association, Michael W. Galligan, will join other members of the association, including law firm representatives, educators and corporate executives from across the globe for the 2008 Seasonal Meeting being held in Stockholm, Sweden from September 17 - 20. 

Marc B. Zimmerman, partner and head of the Labor & Employment Law Department, conducted the presentation, "The Top Employment Issues of 2008 (At the Half Year Mark)," at a meeting of members of the Chinese American Bankers Assocation (CABA) in New York City's Chinatown.  Topics covered by Mr. Zimmerman included, Compensable Work Under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Expanding Retaliation Claims, Expanding Discrimination Claims, and Employee Privacy While Using Employer Electronic Communications Systems.  Accompanying Mr. Zimmerman was Sandra J. DuBoff, partner and head of the Banking & Finance Practice.  Ms. DuBoff is a member of the Board of Directors for CABA.

Elliot J. Wiener, partner and chair of the Matrimonial & Family Law Department, was featured on the 6:00 and 11:00 Univision evening news broadcasts in a piece on high-profile celebrity divorce cases.  Mr. Wiener highlighted the use of prenuptial agreements, which are not only common for celebrities, but also non-celebrities.  Also highlighted were issues of asset protection, child and spousal support/maintenance and custody. 

Univision is the largest Spanish language network in the United States and Puerto Rico.  Mr. Wiener was interviewed by Univision correspondent, Mariela Salgado.

Jon Schuyler Brooks was quoted in the Newsday article, "Deal reached on state's new brownfield incentives."  Under the new program, announced by New York State Governor, David A. Paterson, "the state will boost its maximum share of cleanup costs from 20 percent to 50 percent of the costs; it also will give tax credits for redeveloping the site equal to no more than three times the cost of cleanup, or $35 million, whichever is less. Manufacturing sites would get up to six times the cost of cleanup, or $45 million."

However, according to Jon Brooks' assessment, despite the old program's flaws, it "offered extra credits (to developers) for doing better cleanups and for doing them in poorer neighborhoods."  To read reporter Elizabeth Moore's article, please click here.

A paper, co-authored by Jon Schuyler Brooks covering the remediation of the Avis brownfield site in Poughkeepsie, New York, has been accepted for presentation and publication at the Fourth International Conference on Prevention, Assessment, Rehabilitation, Restoration and Development of Brownfield Sites.  The conference, sponsored by the International Journal of Sustainable Development and Planning, will be held Cephalonia, Greece from May 6 - 8.  Mr. Brooks, who is a partner and co-chairs the Environmental Law Practice, co-authored the paper with environmental engineers, Geomatrix.

Jon Schuyler Brooks will be a featured speaker at the Brownfields 2008 "Roadmap to Revitalization" Conference being held in Detroit, Michigan from May 5 - 7, 2008.  Mr. Brooks is one of four speakers on the panel, "Passing the Buck: Environmental Liability Transfer" on Wednesday, May 7.  Panelists will address, among other topics, components of an environmental liability transfer deal, the relationship between end use and remediation end point and the potential role of institutional controls.

This is Mr. Brooks' third consecutive year as a speaker.  Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), the National Brownfield Conference is dubbed as "the largest, most comprehensive conference focused on cleaning up and redeveloping abandoned, underutilized, and potentially contaminated properties in the nation."  For more information regarding Brownfields 2008, please click here.

Real Estate law partner, Kevin B. McGrath, was quoted in The New York Times Richard Sandomir April 8 article, "Honor for Shea at Shea: He Brought Mets Here," and The American Lawyer's April 9 article, "'Shea' It Ain't So: Final Season for Stadium Named After N.Y. Lawyer" by Brian Baxter.  The stories chronicle the remarkable "political gamesmanship" of trial lawyer and "one of the city's best connected lawyers, and adviser to several mayors and confidant of Gov. Hugh L. Carey," notes Sandomir, of William A. Shea.  It was Shea, an avid sports fan, who was instrumental in bringing the Mets baseball team to New York after the departure of the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Shea was a named partner of the former New York law firm, Shea & Gould.  McGrath worked with Shea at Shea & Gould for 25 years.

In 1960, Shea was instrumental according to Baxter, in persuading several clients of the firm to provide financing for the team's stadium, and later, found the team's first owner, Joan Payson. The naming of the stadium after Shea "came from several sources," said McGrath.  "Shea's success in getting a team earned him the support of the media -- a poll conducted by The New York Times showed overwhelming public support for naming the stadium in his honor -- and that in turn enhanced Shea's already abundant political capital."

On Tuesday, April 8, 2008, the New York Mets honored William A. Shea by having his son, William (Bill) Jr. throw out the first pitch during the team's home opener. 

Jon Schuyler Brooks, will be one of three speakers for a Strafford Publications, Inc. teleconference CLE program, "Unraveling the Legal Complexities of Carbon Emission Credit Trading: Capitalizing on Greenhouse Gas Reduction Requirements," on March 26. 

Marc B. Zimmerman, partner in the Labor & Employment Law Practice, was quoted and offers interpretations of the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the March 2, 2008 issue of Human Resource Executive magazine.  The article, "Intern-al Affairs: No longer viewed as gofers or grunts, today's interns are increasingly looked upon as tomorrow's employees," highlights the responsibilities expected of human resource departments when developing and fully managing internship programs.  Too often, companies are using the label 'intern' but not basing the label on the DOL's six specific criteria. "Whether interns are considered employees under the FLSA depends on the circumstances surrounding their activities," says Marc. 

As the article details, human resources personnel are involved in "recruiting efforts, working job fairs and finessing relationships with various colleges and universities," however, they stop short of fulfilling their management duties passing interns off to other non-HR personnel, thus "opening the company to legal troubles."  According to Marc, "Granting full control over the structure and management of internship programs to a company's operational department is risky business because programs that don't satisfy the legal criteria may very well subject the company to federal and state wage-and-hour liability."

Perry S. Galler, Phillips Nizer's Managing Partner, was quoted in the 2007-2008 Edition of the Of Counsel 700 Survey of the Nation's Largest Law Firms.  The article, "A Collective Look at Nation's Top 700 Firms...Second Year of Steady but Significant Growth Reflects Profession's Good Health," highlights comments from several managing partners and law firm chairs regarding the state of the industry and their own firm's ability to thrive in an increasingly competitive legal marketplace.  In the section, "A New York Rarity," Mr. Galler comments on Phillips Nizer's ability as a New York City-headquartered midsize firm to flourish, attracting seasoned professionals, including associates who have had several years of experience, and maintaining a Firm culture that promotes a healthy quality of life.  The Firm was recognized as successfully remaining independent even in the face of industry mergers.  The Edition, released in September 2007, is published by Wolters Kluwer Law & Business.

"Investoren unter Generalverdacht: Die USA verscharfen ab morgen ihre Kontrolle von Auslandsinvestitionen und beschleunigen den gefahrlichen Wettlauf hin zue einem neuen Protektionismus," authored by International Counsel, Steven H. Thal and visiting German law intern, Florian Von Eyb, was published in the October 23, 2007 issue of Handelsblatt.  Handelsblatt is widely considered the leading business and economist daily newspaper in Germany.  For an English translation, "Foreign investors in the USA under suspicion: More political control for more national security | The USA heightens the scrutiny for foreign investments and thereby accelerates the dangerous race for a new protectionism," please visit this link.

'Marketplace', a program recorded and broadcast on American Public Media and re-broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR) and other public radion stations nationwide, included an audio quote of Labor & Employment Law partner Marc B. Zimmerman commenting on federal labor laws as they relate to the hiring and use of interns.  This broadcast was a direct result of a May 30 Associated Press story (please see below), which was picked up by many publications, including Forbes magazine, where Mr. Zimmerman was heavily quoted on the U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act. (transcript/audio)

Elliot J. Wiener, chair of the Matrimonial & Family Law practice will moderate four sessions of the 2007 Summer Judicial Seminars by the New York State Judicial Institute on "Parental Alienation".  The sessions will be held on June 27 and July 13 on Long Island (New York), and July 25 and July 30 in White Plains, New York.  Mr. Wiener, who is a fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and a member of the New York State Bar Association's Family Law Section, is certified in Collaborative Law.  The seminars are specificfally targeted to Family Court and Supreme Court (Matrimonial) Judges.

Jeremy D. Richardson was quoted in the New York Post article, "Sneak'er Attack on Tattoo Artist."  The story relates to a case of copyright infringement against a major sneaker company and a shoe store for the unauthorized reproduction and sale of a tattoo design.

Michael W. Galligan's article, "Buying USA: Ways of minimizing US transfer taxes on US property interests of non-US persons," was published in the June issue of STEPUSA (Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners).  The article addresses several important consequential tax and inheritance issues arising from non-US persons who do not reside in the United States but invest in equity markets or make significant purchases of real property in the United States.  STEP, headquartered in London, England, provides education, training, representation and networking to members who are professionals specializing in trusts and estates, executorship, administration and related taxes.

Jonathan R. Tillem and Jeremy D. Richardson will be featured speakers at the May SURTEX 2007 International Fair/Tradeshow being held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York. 

Mr. Tillem is a partner in the Corporate, Fashion and Intellectual Property, Licensing & Franching practices at Phillips Nizer.  Mr. Tillem's presentation "The Licensing Agreement" will be held on Sunday, May 20.

Mr. Richardson, who is a member of Phillips Nizer's Litigation, Fashion and Intellectual Property practices, will address the topic "Copyrights and Trademarks - The best defense is a good offense" on Monday, May 21.  Mr. Richardson also concentrates his practice in the niche areas of childrenswear, children's furniture and accessories. 

The Surtex show attracts art buyers and licensees from the home furnishings, domestics, apparel, housewares, toy, publishing among other industries, private label retailers, licensing executives, interior designers, advertising agencies and stock houses.

Jon Schuyler Brooks, Litigation partner and co-chair of the Environmental Law Practice will speak at an April 30 - May 1 conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania entitled, "Acquiring, Developing and Disposing of Brownfield Sites."  Mr. Benrubi and Mr. Brooks will conduct a presentation on public-private partnerships.

Trusts & Estates partner, Michael W. Galligan, will be a featured speaker at the 7th Annual Spring Forum of the Financial Planning Association. The forum, which will be held in New York City on April 26 at Baruch College, will include professionals from the financial, insurance and legal fields. Mr. Galligan will address issues relating to estate and trust planning for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens.

Partner Jeffrey B. Kolodny participated in a panel discussion in March at Fordham Law School.  The discussion, part of the "Practice Profiles Lunch Series" for "Trusts and Estates," consisted of a group of T&E attorneys in various environments (law firms, trust companies, attorney general's office, etc.) who shared their experiences about practicing in the area of trusts and estates.  Mr. Kolodny told of his experiences practicing in a law firm.

Henry Condell's article, "Trademark License Agreements: The rights of a debtor/licensee to assume, or assume and assign, are uncertain," was published in the New York Law Journal's Bankruptcy & Restructuring special section.