Virginia In-House

Virginia Lawyers Weekly is pleased to present “Virginia In-House,” a special supplement to the April 28, 2014 paper. This 8-page B-Section is sponsored by the Alexandria law firm of DiMuroGinsberg PC.

Articles from the 2014 in-house section present some of the important issues for corporate counsel:

Private practice to in-house: what the transition looks like. After 16 years in private practice, Detroit attorney Rebecca Simkins made the move to in-house counsel for Quicken Loans. She shares a first-hand account of her experience.

When business interruptions occur, whose liability is it? The recent spate of weather-related casualties has caused many business owners to re-examine their business interruption insurance coverage, and now even the most bottom-line-focused entrepreneurs are thinking inclusion of this type of coverage may be money well-spent.

U.S. Supreme Court weighs in on severance pay.  Avoiding what attorneys say could have been an “earthquake” effect from businesses rushing to file for a collective $1 billion in tax refunds, the U.S. Supreme Court recently held that severance payments are wages for federal tax withholding purposes.

Minimize employment claims by training supervisors. Statistics and anecdotal information continue to show that discrimination and retaliation claims are on the rise. Despite the monumental strides companies have made in adopting anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies and training, there is still much work to be done in eradicating illegal activity in the trenches.

Upcoming IP decisions that should be on in-house counsel’s radar. This term is a very active one for the U.S. Supreme Court in the area of intellectual property law. Here is a quick primer on some of the cases that are expected to have a significant impact on IP enforcement and licensing, for in-house counsel as they assist their companies in negotiating the ever-changing IP legal landscape.

Strategy looms large in noncompete arena. A decision on whether a business should sue its former employee, its former employee’s new employer, or both, doesn’t rest solely on determining which parties a plaintiff can make good-faith claims against. There are benefits and pitfalls to each approach, and lawyers disagree on which course usually is the best.

Best practices for avoiding data breach liability. Security breaches are an increasing threat to all businesses. The risk of liability and reputational damage associated with such incidents has escalated, and many key industries are the intended targets. It is not surprising, then, that data security is now a top concern for both general counsel and corporate directors.

We look forward to hearing your thoughts about this section and your suggestions for other areas of practice to explore.