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ABA Urges FASB - U.S. Litigation Differs. Don't Amend SFAS 5
Editor: Bill, what was the role of the ABA Task Force that you chair in preparing the ABA's Comments on the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) exposure draft titled "Disclosure of Certain Loss Contingencies: An Amendment of FASB Statements 5 and 141(R)" ("Exposure Draft or Amendment") and...
Read MoreThe Menace And Promise Of The Independent Monitor
Editor: How did the special monitor concept begin? Ide : The concept that a court of equity has special powers to direct resources has been around forever. The courts of equity in England used special masters as ancillary resources. Recently in the US, the concept was applied under RICO when...
Read MoreState Courts Need More Funding - Now
Editor's Note: Many general counsel and their CEOs are not aware of the total costs of litigation because typically defense costs are expensed annually by the legal department while liability costs are expensed by the business unit at the time a payment is made to the plaintiff. Based on...
Read MoreAAA, Independent Fact-Finding And The Subprime Crisis
Editor: Bill, when did you first become aware of the power of Independent Fact-Finding (IFF)? Ide: My interest was sparked back in the 1980s in connection with the E.F. Hutton debacle. Public trust needed to be restored in that company because doubts, media attacks and regulator involvement...
Read MoreThe SEC Is Getting Hot And Bothered Over Climate Change
Warning/Disclaimer: This article discusses climate change (a topic over which reasonable individuals may disagree) and its implications for publicly traded companies that must disclose to investors information that is material to financial performance. The author is not responsible for fits of...
Read MorePolitical Law: Elections, Campaign Finance, Lobbying, Ethics And A Great Deal More
Editor: Mr. Passantino, would you tell our readers something about your professional experience? Passantino: Following law school at Emory in Atlanta and a clerkship with a federal judge in Baltimore, I spent several years with a firm in New York before returning to Atlanta. Once there, one of...
Read MorePandemic Planning: Active Participation By The Legal Department Is Critical
The risk of a pandemic flu is a reality. The World Health Organization as well as other national and international public health organizations believe that the world is closer to an influenza pandemic than at anytime since 1968. A pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus type causes disease in...
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