2010
Showing 113–128 of 657 results
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6 ways to cut costs and increase revenues
Fall 2010
Newsletter: Law Firm Management
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 603
Abstract: Law firms of all sizes are eager to find ways to grow their profit margins these days. It’s not hard to figure out that the most effective approach is two-pronged: reducing costs and boosting revenues. This article suggests six ways to accomplish both, including cutting back on IT and office equipment expenses, improving collections and managing cash flow.
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Portfolio pricing: Should it be your next alternative fee arrangement?
Fall 2010
Newsletter: Law Firm Management
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 726
Abstract: With law firms increasingly operating in a buyer’s market, arrangements such as portfolio pricing can provide a competitive advantage that pays off for both law firms and their clients. This article discusses the pros and cons of portfolio pricing, while a sidebar offers advice on choosing the right clients for this type of arrangement.
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Phrased and confused – Court weighs trademark protection for board game
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Ideas on Intellectual Property Law
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 633
Abstract: The district court in a recent case found a trademark merely descriptive and, thus, not entitled to federal trademark protection. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit applied both the “imagination test” and the “competitors’ needs test” to differentiate between suggestive and descriptive marks.
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Guilt by association – Trademark case addresses “dilution by tarnishment”
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Ideas on Intellectual Property Law
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 452
Abstract: In 1998, the international lingerie company that uses the trade name “Victoria’s Secret” sued a retail outlet that sold sex-related products and operated under a similar name. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that the plaintiff must show actual harm to its mark, rather than just a likelihood of harm. Congress then passed the Trademark Dilution Revision Act, which made “likelihood” sufficient. When the case returned to the district court, it applied the act and found a likelihood of dilution by tarnishment. The defendants appealed. This article discusses the results and the current status of the law.
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Google cries “Vive la différence!” in patent case
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Ideas on Intellectual Property Law
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 426
Abstract: Consumers aren’t the only ones who depend on online auctions. Google, for example, uses them to determine the positions and prices of its display advertisements. But, in one case, the company faced accusations that its system infringed a patented method. This article explains why an appeals court decided that Google’s system did not do so.
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Executive misconduct affects patent enforceability
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Ideas on Intellectual Property Law
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 881
Abstract: Inequitable conduct can leave an otherwise valid and infringed patent unenforceable. But just whose inequitable conduct is a threat? This article describes one case in which the Federal Circuit weighed in on the enforceability of the patent of a company whose president withheld material information. Although the president wasn’t the inventor or the patent filer, he owed the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office a “duty of candor” because he was “substantively involved” in the preparation of the patent application. A sidebar discusses a dissenting opinion.
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Estate Planning Pitfall – You’re planning to name a family member as executor of your estate
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 250
Abstract: There’s nothing to prevent a person from naming their spouse, a child or another family member as executor of their estate. But it’s important to be sure to consider how this decision may affect loved ones. This article explains the particular tasks an executor is expected to carry out.
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Will health care reform breathe new life into HSAs?
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 800
Abstract: Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) survived the health care overhaul largely intact and may prove to be a valuable tool for reducing health care costs. And because unused HSA balances grow on a tax-deferred basis — similar to an IRA — they can also serve as an additional weapon in one’s estate planning arsenal. This article discusses the basics about HSAs, including their benefits and contribution limits, and mentions two changes to HSAs that take effect in 2011. It also explores the estate planning implications of HSAs.
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Life’s changes beget plan revisions – Disinheriting a child is a difficult, but sometimes necessary, decision
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 599
Abstract: Because circumstances change over time, an estate plan isn’t a static document. It’s meant to be revised. And that includes instances in which it may seem necessary to disinherit a child. This article discusses the steps involved and how to protect an estate plan from the legal challenge a disinherited child might attempt. A sidebar explains that disinheriting a spouse can be much more difficult.
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Giving: A timeless estate planning strategy
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Insight on Estate Planning
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 944
Abstract: Although currently there’s no federal estate tax, it’s scheduled to rear its head again in 2011. Congress is expected to intervene, but no one is certain what changes will or won’t be made. This makes estate planning especially challenging. But, even in this environment, a tried and true strategy to reduce potential estate tax liability is making tax-free — or even taxable — gifts. This article discusses the various giving options available, while a sidebar shows why it can be advantageous to make a taxable gift — though it’s not without some risk.
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Warning! Warning! Safeguard your family against a disaster by preparing financial recovery and family emergency plans
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Focus
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 557
Abstract: To protect one’s family from a financial shock if there’s a disaster, it’s important to have a recovery plan. This article points out that insurance policies are typically not all-inclusive, and discusses inventorying and recording assets and backing up the information. It also looks at measures to provide for the physical security of one’s family, while a sidebar explains the importance of having an adequate cash reserve.
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Should you enact automatic 401(k) plan enrollment?
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Focus
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 578
Abstract: One of the easiest ways for employees to save for retirement is enrolling in their employers’ defined contribution plans, such as a 401(k) plan. But low participation has been a problem. A solution is to enact an automatic enrollment program, which has become more attractive to employers since the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) eased some of the legal concerns. This article discusses some of those concerns, and how a qualified automatic contribution arrangement (QACA) exempts companies from meeting nondiscrimination requirements.
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Compensation conundrum – Offering fair pay packages to family-business employees isn’t easy
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Focus
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 748
Abstract: Creating employee compensation packages can be complex because they may include a mix of a base salary, bonuses, ownership options and benefits. It can be even more difficult for businesses that are family owned. This article looks at both subjective and objective ways to determine compensation packages for both loved ones and nonfamily employees.
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Tax changes on the horizon – Prepare with year end tax planning
October / November 2010
Newsletter: Focus
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 722
Abstract: Year end tax planning is important every year, but it’s particularly significant this year. Why? Many of the lower tax rates and other breaks that went into effect during the past 10 years are scheduled to sunset, or expire, on Dec. 31, 2010, unless Congress takes action. This article looks at some of the specific rates and breaks involved, the various options Congress has considered for addressing them, and steps that taxpayers might take in anticipation of them.
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Fraud interviews: What to expect
Fall 2010
Newsletter: Expert / Valuation & Litigation Concepts
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 418
Abstract: When it comes to interviews with suspected fraud perpetrators, qualified fraud experts often can get the best results. They’re well trained to pursue suspicions of financial fraud, elicit new information and detect deception. This article explains what to expect from the fraud interview process.
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FLP owners score yet another Tax Court victory
Fall 2010
Newsletter: Expert / Valuation & Litigation Concepts
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 615
Abstract: In addition to achieving other legitimate business purposes, holding discounted units in a family limited partnership (FLP) can result in a lower estate value than holding the underlying, undiscounted assets in an estate. Yet the IRS has successfully used IRC Section 2036 to persuade the U.S. Tax Court to eliminate discounts for lack of control and marketability in several FLP cases. This article reviews an exception to that trend — a case in which the agency wasn’t successful.