The Thread - Financial News with a Twist!

Star date 2016: Are the boundaries of your copyright holdings clearly drawn? The entertainment industry frequently explores  the frontiers of copyright law. In a current matter, Paramount Pictures has claimed a violation of its numerous Star Trek copyrights because the

Are market changes affecting your contracts? Changing economic conditions cause parties to revisit existing contracts. Renegotiation or litigation may be the result. The energy sector is a good example of this principle. Low oil and natural gas prices have resulted

Did hiding assets just get more embarrassing and harder? Heads of governments are not the only people whose financial secrets have been exposed by the recent Panama Papers leak. Confidential documents have also revealed the efforts of divorcing billionaires to

Business owners need transition plans. Do you have strategy? Whether you are pursuing an outright sale or considering a partner buy-out, advanced planning will make the transition smoother. Make sure the books and records are in order and set a

When vetting a deal, can you ever be too careful? Due diligence on behalf of clients in business transactions is a given. Do you extend that level of attention on your own behalf? How much do you know about the

If jiggery-pokery threatens your case, will you be ready? The death of Justice Antonin Scalia is having an impact beyond the sides being drawn over the nomination of a new justice. While politicians may benefit from delay, often business needs

Is Lady Justice arbitrary and random as well as blind? We all know that results at the trial court level can be uncertain, however a recent paper published by Professor Gary Neustadter, “Randomly Distributed Trial Court Justice,” shows results from

Does your filing meet the Bare Necessities? The heirs of Terry Gilkyson, the musician who wrote several songs for Disney’s 1967 animated film The Jungle Book, are seeking royalties for the mechanical reproduction of Bare Necessities. Disney had been successful

Will you win the battle but lose the war? Thirty years ago, one of our mentors taught us that one of the basic rules when a deal goes bad is this: “Your first loss is your best loss.” The $100

2015: The Year in Review Before the books on 2015 are closed, take a look at this compilation of pieces selected to receive the seventh annual Albies for the year’s best writing on the global political economy. Named for the