The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Pub. L. 99-508, Oct. 21, 1986, 100 Stat. 1848, 18 U.S.C. § 2510) prohibits unauthorized “intercepts” of electronic communications, such as email. In Fraser v. Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co., 135 F. Supp. 2d 623 (E.D. Pa. 2001)) an employee had sent the e-mail, the recipient at the competitor company had … Read more »
Year: 2009
New York Social Security Number Protection Law
The New York Social Security Number Protection Law went into effect on January 3, 2009. Under New York Labor Law §203-d: Employers may not, unless otherwise required by law: 1. Publicly post or display an employee’s SSN; 2. Visibly print a SSN on any ID badge or card, including time card; 3. Place a SSN … Read more »
Risk-Based Compliance
Certain customers, vendors, and intermediaries represent a higher compliance risk than others. Risk indicators include geography, relationships to government officials, business type, method of payment, and dollar volume. In places where risks are very low, compliance burdens can be reduced. Where risks are not low, compliance is heightened . When there are more red flags, … Read more »
Avery Dennison and the Pitfalls in China
Don Lee of the Los Angeles Times has a great story about the pitfalls encountered by Avery Dennison when it was trying to build its road and traffic business in China: Avery Dennison case a window on the pitfalls U.S. firms face in China. It highlights the gray area between building relationships and corrupt transactions, … Read more »
Starting a Green Real Estate Fund
Lisa Michelle Galley of the Our Green Journey blog and Galley Eco Capital posts her notes from a panel of green real estate fund managers about why investors and development partners want these funds and the do’s and dont’s for building a green fund. Does commercial real estate need pure green real estate funds? Green … Read more »
Tenant Notification of Indoor Air Contamination in New York
New York passed Chapter 521 of the Laws of 2008, signed into law by Governor Paterson on September 4, 2008, effective December 3, 2008 which adds N.Y. Envtl. Conserv. Law (ECL) Section 27-2405 (“Tenant notification of indoor air contamination”). The requirements of the new law apply only to test results that have been provided to … Read more »
Gullibility
NPR’s Science Friday has an interesting broadcast on Gullibility. Ira Flatow interview Stephen Greenspan, author of Annals of Gullibility: Why We Get Duped and How to Avoid It. Can science explain why some swindles are so successful? Why are some people more likely to try to buy the Brooklyn Bridge or send money to the … Read more »
Lawyers and the Social Internet
Kevin O’Keefe, of Real Lawyers Have Blogs, put together his thoughts on what are the best social internet places for a lawyer or law firm to spend their resources: Lawyers and Social Media – It the Big Three. Kevin picks Blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn. As usual, I agree with Kevin. Every professional should have a … Read more »
New Social Networks for Lawyers
Omar Ha-Redeye writes on slaw.ca about two new social networks for lawyers: Lawyrs Looking for Alternative Social Networks and Social Network on Jurafide for American Clients. Jurafide.com is a networking and marketing site that facilitates communication between U.S. clients and non-U.S. lawyers. Lawyrs.net looks like a social networking platform for lawyers with some group discussions … Read more »
Anti-Fraud Provision of the Investment Advisers Act
On September 10, 2007, the SEC Adopted Rule 206(4)-8. The SEC adopted this rule in response to the decision in Goldstein v. SEC, 451 F.3rd, 873 (in which the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled that the “client” of an investment adviser was the pool itself and not an investor in the … Read more »