We all make mistakes. But some mistakes, particularly in high-stakes legal documents, are bigger than others. Take, for example, a lawyer’s recent billion-dollar blunder, which, to the lawyer’s massive relief, was erased by the court. Here’s how to deal with the inevitable mistake in one of your legal documents. (more…)
Filed under: Business, Civil Litigation, Legal Topics | Tagged: clerical error, contract mistake, contract reformation, motion to correct judgment or order | Leave a Comment »
As reported on Law.com, a recently-filed suit accuses Citigroup of using “companywide layoffs during the recent financial turmoil to purge its workforce of scores of female employees to save the jobs of less-qualified men.” This lawsuit took aim at what it called “recessionary discrimination.” (more…)
Filed under: Employment Law, Legal Topics | Tagged: gender discrimination, recessionary discrimination, sex discrimination, wrongful termination | 1 Comment »
As part of CEB’s commitment to bringing together California’s legal community, our blog will post a short interview with one of your fellow attorneys.
This week, we profile Arnold Levinson:
CEB: What is your practice area and how did you choose it?
Arnie: My practice focuses exclusively on insurance bad faith matters. I represent insureds that have been denied their coverage, and justice, by the big insurance companies. While I came upon the practice by happenstance, I quickly decided it was my calling. I love being in a cutting-edge area of litigation where we can make change for the better, obtain justice for individuals, and work to bring balance to the profit-driven interests of many insurers. (more…)
Filed under: Civil Litigation, Legal Topics, Profiles | Tagged: insurance litigation | Leave a Comment »
The transition from an intimate partnership in which the parents share a personal relationship to the more distant co-parent relationship is difficult for many people to manage. Despite its prevalence—consider the many Hollywood co-parenting scenarios—there are few social norms and cues to help parents who are living apart. The difficulty is compounded because often each parent has different preferences and expectations for co-parenting. (more…)
Filed under: Family Law, Legal Topics | Tagged: child custody, co-parenting, divorce, parenting plans | Leave a Comment »
Reverse mortgages, a product that was all but unheard of just 10 years ago, are now receiving significant attention from potential borrowers and lenders. This attention can be explained by the aging population: As clients enter their retirement years, their focus increasingly shifts from accumulating and preserving wealth to using that accumulated wealth to produce a future cash flow. But is a reverse mortgage the right choice for your client? (more…)
Filed under: Elder Law, Estate Planning, Legal Topics | Tagged: elder law, reverse mortgage, seniors | Leave a Comment »
Mediation has become a widely accepted way of resolving disputes because it works. Mediators report that typically 85-95 percent of mediated cases result in a settlement, often with an investment of only one long day or two. Among the advantages of mediation is that it fully engages the most important players, i.e., those who initiated the dispute and are most affected by it. Here are some other advantages that might just make you want to come together and mediate! (more…)
Filed under: Litigation Strategy | Tagged: alternative dispute resolution, mediation | Leave a Comment »
Many employers believe in the importance of dress and grooming standards for their employees. For example, a California ski resort stresses a “clean and neat appearance” of employees in its grooming standards. Such reasonable requirements are lawful. But some employers take dress and grooming standards too far, sparking employee resentment and lawsuits for unlawful discrimination. (more…)
Filed under: Employment Law, Legal Topics | Tagged: dress code, employee grooming, employee handbook, gender discrimination, grooming policy | Leave a Comment »
Court interpreters are used to translate testimony given by a witness who does not speak English. In California, jurors must rely solely on the translation provided by the interpreter. CACI 108. That sounds reasonable, but what happens when a juror understands the language being spoken and finds that the court interpreter is not translating everything said or is not translating accurately? Does that juror have to ignore what he or she heard from the witness and consider only what the interpreter said? The answer is yes. The juror must rely solely on even a flawed translation provided by the interpreter. (more…)
Filed under: Civil Litigation, Legal Topics, Litigation Strategy | Tagged: court interpreter, jury, translation, translator | Leave a Comment »
As part of CEB’s commitment to bringing together California’s legal community, our blog will post a short interview with one of your fellow attorneys.
This week, we profile Leslie Baxter:
CEB: What is your practice area and how did you choose it?
Leslie: I practice real estate and business law. Before law school, I worked in the urban redevelopment field, so real estate and business law was a natural fit.
CEB: What do you like best and least about practicing law? (more…)
Filed under: Legal Topics, Profiles, Real Property | Tagged: real property | Leave a Comment »
DNA evidence can help make or break a case. If you find yourself confronting DNA evidence, consider these ten tips when developing your challenge. (more…)
Filed under: Criminal Law, Evidence, Legal Topics | Tagged: DNA, evidence, expert witness, scienfitic evidence | 1 Comment »
