The Model Rules of Professional Conduct provides an up-to-date resource for information on legal ethics. Federal, state and local courts in all jurisdictions look to the Rules for guidance in solving lawyer malpractice cases, disciplinary actions, disqualification issues, sanctions questions and much more. In this volume, black-letter Rules of Professional Conduct are followed by numbered Comments that explain each Rule's purpose and provide suggestions for its practical application. The Rules will help you identify proper conduct in a variety of given situations, review those instances where discretionary action is possible, and define the nature of the relationship between you and your clients, colleagues and the courts.
Representing the Corporation gives you the inside track on understanding the legal services the corporation is really seeking from its counsel. Richard H. Weise shares his 30 years of experience in corporate legal affairs to show you how to develop practices that are in tune with the needs and requirements of the client. Weise offers valuable guidance to in-house counsel and practitioners on: Getting client feedback effectively -- Developing a healthy interdependent relationship with the client -- Implementing an effective dispute resolution strategy...an important client satisfier -- Helping a client with ethics management issues -- Offering the client a "no surprises" covenant. -- Working with the client on important compliance issues and crisis management. -- Plus leading-edge coverage of vital topics such as the law of the Internet, international corporate practice, intellectual property, securities law, government contracting, tax, mergers and acquisitions, and more.Representing the Corporation contains a wealth of adaptable sample forms, checklists, spreadsheets, in-house reports, and manuals for your particular situation.
The legal rights of Americans are threatened as never before. In No Contest, Ralph Nader and Wesley J. Smith reveal how power lawyers--Kenneth Starr perhaps the most notorious among them--misuse and manipulate the law at the expense of fairness and equity. Nader and Smith document how corporate lawyers File baseless lawsuits Use court secrecy to their unfair advantage Engage in billing fraud Nader and Smith sound the warning that this system-wide abuse is eroding our basic legal rights, and propose a positive, commonsense vision of what should be done to reverse the corporate-inspired corruption of civil justice. Timely, incisive, and highly readable, this is a book for all citizens who believe that prompt access to justice is the backbone of democracy, and a precious right to be reclaimed.
National Book Award for Nonfiction Finalist National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction Finalist A New York Times Notable Book of the Year A Washington Post Notable Book of the Year A PBS “Now Read This” Book Club Selection Named one of the Best Books of the Year by the Economist and the Boston Globe A landmark exposé and “deeply engaging legal history” of one of the most successful, yet least known, civil rights movements in American history (Washington Post). In a revelatory work praised as “excellent and timely” (New York Times Book Review, front page), Adam Winkler, author of Gunfight, once again makes sense of our fraught constitutional history in this incisive portrait of how American businesses seized political power, won “equal rights,” and transformed the Constitution to serve big business. Uncovering the deep roots of Citizens United, he repositions that controversial 2010 Supreme Court decision as the capstone of a centuries-old battle for corporate personhood. “Tackling a topic that ought to be at the heart of political debate” (Economist), Winkler surveys more than four hundred years of diverse cases—and the contributions of such legendary legal figures as Daniel Webster, Roger Taney, Lewis Powell, and even Thurgood Marshall—to reveal that “the history of corporate rights is replete with ironies” (Wall Street Journal). We the Corporations is an uncompromising work of history to be read for years to come.
Representing Corporate Officers and Directors and LLC Managers, Third Edition (formerly titled Representing Corporate Officers, Directors, Managers, and Trustees) is a guide to the practical aspects of corporate governance for attorneys, corporate officers and directors, LLC managers, and trustees. Following the repercussions of past corporate and accounting scandals, new legislation, rules, and standards by governmental bodies and society have greatly increased the focus on the responsibilities and liabilities of directors, officers, managers, and trustees. Increased SEC oversight, new NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards, new cybersecurity compliance guidance, new fiduciary and other duties, and new criminal penalties have all changed the landscape for those who control corporations. By logically laying out the steps to safe corporate governance, the analysis, cases, tables, and checklists guide the veteran and neophyte alike. Representing Corporate Officers and Directors and LLC Managers tells you what to look for...what to look out for...and what steps to take to protect your corporate clients in today's harsh regulatory environment. It's the only up-to-date work of its kind to offer both in-depth analysis and practical guidance on key aspects of this critically important area. This updated Third Edition thoroughly covers: Directors' duties of care and loyalty-- including the different standards which have been imposed on directors regarding the duty of care...the duty of loyalty...the business judgment rule... when directors are entitled to rely on the advice of others...improperly influencing audits under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act... improper distributions...and more. Conflicts of interest--with examples of conflict of interest transactions, and discussion of loans to or by directors and officers...secret profits...and the duty to safeguard confidential or inside information-- plus, how certain transactions considered improper can be ratified and thus become legitimate. Federal securities laws--including everything from overviews of the laws, the SEC, and securities themselves-- to jurisdiction, pleading, remedies, and defenses in securities cases... criminal penalties...and attorneys' responsibilities regarding liability under Sarbanes-Oxley. Indemnification and insurance-- with discussion of mandatory and permissive indemnification and the scope of indemnification in various states... when a director may be indemnified even if not wholly successful in defense of an action...directors' and officers' liability insurance...types and extent of insurance coverage...tax law treatment...and exclusions. Tender offers--including antitakeover measures, two-tier and squeeze-out mergers, and golden parachute agreements, poison pill plans, and greenmail...potential liability in tender offers...and implementing mergers and acquisitions, with securities law, antitrust, tax, accounting, and labor law considerations.
Over time, corporations have engaged in an aggressive campaign to dramatically enlarge their political and commercial speech and religious rights through strategic litigation and extensive lobbying. At the same time, many large firms have sought to limit their social responsibilities. For the most part, courts have willingly followed corporations down this path. But interestingly, corporations are meeting resistance from many quarters including from customers, investors, and lawmakers. Corporate Citizen? explores this resistance and offers reforms to support these new understandings of the corporation in contemporary society.
As a result of numerous recent corporate and accounting scandals, corporate officers, directors, managers, and trustees now face a host of new problemsand—ranging from a blizzard of new legislation, rules, and responsibilitiesand—to increased SEC oversight, new NYSE and NASDAQ listing standards, new fiduciary and other duties, and crushing new criminal penalties. Representing Corporate Officers, Directors, Managers, and Trustees tells you what to look for...what to look out for...and what steps to take to protect your corporate clients in todayand’s harsh regulatory environment. Itand’s the only up-to-date work of its kind to offer both in-depth analysis and practical guidance on every key aspect of this critically important area. This completely updated Second Edition thoroughly covers: Directorsand’ duty of careand— including the different standards which have been imposed on directors regarding the duty of care...the duty of loyalty...the business judgment rule... when directors are entitled to rely on the advice of others...improperly influencing audits under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act... improper distributions...and more. Conflicts of interestand—with examples of conflict of interest transactions, and discussion of loans to or by directors and officers...secret profits...and the duty to safeguard confidential or inside informationand— plus, how certain transactions considered improper can be ratified and thus become legitimate. Federal securities lawsand—including everything from overviews of the laws, the SEC, and securities themselvesand— to jurisdiction, pleading, remedies, and defenses in securities cases... the new criminal penalties...and attorneysand’ responsibilities regarding liability under Sarbanes-Oxley. Indemnification and insuranceand— with discussion of mandatory and permissive indemnification and the scope of indemnification in various states... when a director may be indemnified even if not wholly successful in defense of anaction...directorsand’ and officersand’ liability insurance...types and extent of insurance coverage...tax law treatment...and exclusions. Tender offersand—including antitakeover measures, two-tier and squeeze-out mergers, and golden parachute agreements, poison pill plans, and greenmail...potential liability in tender offers...and implementing mergers and acquisitions, with securities law, antitrust, tax, accounting, and labor law considerations.
The focus of this manual is not what provisions to include in a given contract, but instead how to express those provisions in prose that is free ofthe problems that often afflict contracts.
