Businesses brace for new ADA accommodation rules 

BY: Kimberly Atkins
POSTED: December 8, 2011

The vast majority of publicly accessible properties — including hotels, stores, banks, movie theaters, doctors’ offices and barbershops — will be affected by new accessibility rules under the Americans With Disabilities Act governing public accommodations.

New technology could streamline e-discovery process 

BY: Dolan Media Newswires
POSTED: December 8, 2011

Attorney Eric Maassen plans to use a lot fewer paper clips and Post-its in the near future.

The page markers once played a large role in distinguishing relevant information found in documents during case discovery, he said. But with the rise of e-discovery and new technology that requires fewer people poring over documents, Maassen, a partner at Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee, soon might be able to give his eyes and office supplies a rest.

Understanding whistle-blower bounty rules is critical 

BY: Erik W. Weibust
POSTED: December 8, 2011

After the widespread failures associated with the Bernard Madoff scandal, Congress hastily passed the Dodd-Frank Act and empowered the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue rules enforcing certain provisions, including the whistle-blower bounty provision.

In effect, Congress has deputized employees of publicly traded companies to police their employers’ conduct, offering handsome compensation to those who do so effectively.

Emerging ADA case law shows ‘lower bar’ for plaintiffs 

BY: Laurie F. Rubin and Daniel S. Tarlow
POSTED: December 8, 2011

Almost two years have passed since Congress amended the Americans with Disabilities Act, lowering the criteria to establish disability status in response to cramped judicial interpretations of the ADA.

Midwestern companies comfortable saying ‘see you in court’ 

BY: Barbara D'aquila
POSTED: December 8, 2011

The 2011 Litigation Trends Survey reveals an interesting and ongoing trend: Companies headquartered in the Midwest continue to be more aggressive in filing lawsuits than companies headquartered anywhere else in the country

Lawyers: Compliance with data privacy laws may not be enough 

BY: Christina Pazzanese
POSTED: October 3, 2011

A recent consumer protection action by Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley against a Boston area pub and restaurant chain victimized by credit card hackers provides a road map for what the liability landscape could look like in future data breach litigation.

National Labor Relations Board takes aim at social media 

BY: Correy E. Stephenson
POSTED: October 3, 2011

Employers — including law firms — need to take a closer look at their social media policies and how they enforce those policies in light of recent actions taken by the National Labor Relations Board.

The time is now to prepare for whistle-blowers 

BY: Chris Robertson and Erik Weibust
POSTED: October 3, 2011

Publicly traded companies and their subsidiaries and affiliates would be well-advised to start preparing now for the wave of Sarbanes-Oxley whistle-blower claims that is sweeping the nation.

What’s in a name? Plenty, when it comes to a domain name 

BY: Dan Heilman
POSTED: October 3, 2011

If you are in the process of establishing an online presence for your business, the domain name you choose for your website might seem like the easiest item to check off a to-do list. But in fact the process of choosing and deploying a domain name can be specked with legal risks just the same as any other part of doing business.

Social network and trade secret protection 

BY: Russell Beck
POSTED: March 7, 2011

Trade secret law, which some say harkens back to Roman times, emerged in the United States in its modern form almost 200 years ago. See Vickery v. Welch, 36 Mass. 523 (1837).

On the other hand, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter emerged less than 10 years ago, yet all may drastically change how we view trade secrets.