Text messages have become an increasingly important and confusing topic in litigation. As a communication tool, text messages are on the rise and are typically seen as less formal and more immediate than even email. Immediacy and convenience led to...
On Wednesday, July 8, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced its latest — and largest — settlement of claims of unfair and deceptive debt collection practices. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and 47 state attorneys general...
Sixth Circuit affirms dismissal of defamation claims brought against Viacom by former American Idol contestants, holding that Tennessee’s “single publication rule” applies to online speech and thus majority of allegedly defamatory statements were...
On July 10, 2015 the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) released a Declaratory Ruling and Order clarifying its interpretation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) and expanding its reach.... By: Mintz Levin
The IRS has changed its position on lump-sum windows for retirees in pay status. On July 9, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2015-49, which prohibits sponsors of qualified defined benefit plans from adopting lump-sum windows for...
The latest settlement between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) and St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, a tertiary care Massachusetts hospital (“SEMC”), is a reminder that having a strong and functioning...
On June 29th, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (collectively, the “Agencies”) made waves when they published a new rule—the Clean Water Rule—clarifying and arguably expanding the types of waters the government...
On July 14, 2015, the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney’s Office, announced that a corporation domiciled in Pennsylvania pled guilty to a one-count Bill of Information charging the company with harboring unauthorized immigrants....
As we reported earlier, the Federal Circuit recently affirmed the PTAB's Final Written Decision in the Versata Development Group v. SAP America, Inc. case -- the first appeal under the covered business method ("CBM") patent review procedure. In so...
Crowdfunding has created a revolution in the raising of funds for startup companies and for other projects, including both for-profit and not-for-profit projects. Crowdfunding is a process by which a company or project can raise capital with...
