LawMatters - April 2018
SPOTLIGHT ON US
Offit Kurman Promotes Four Associate Attorneys to Principals
Offit Kurman is pleased to announce the promotion of four attorneys in Maryland and Virginia. Attorneys James Gaither, Brian Dorwin, and Joe Mathis have been elevated from Associate to Principal...Read More
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Bankruptcy Wave Hits Retail: What Trade Creditors Need to Know
by Joyce Kuhns, Esq.
Toy’s “R” Us. The Limited. HHGregg. Radio Shack. In 2017, the pace of chapter 11 retail filings picked up significantly. So did store closings by Sears and Kmart, J.C. Penney’s, and Payless Shoes, to name a few. The uptick in activity reflects increased competition between “bricks and clicks” retailers and changes in how and where customers shop. With the anticipated rise in interest rates, bankruptcy filings and store closings are expected to continue in 2018, according to Moody’s and Fitch Ratings...Read More
Also See: Tony Soprano was a Government Contractor
OFFIT KURMAN PRESENTS
The Legal Minute Video Series: How to Keep Your Legal Fees Down
Newsflash: litigation is expensive. Hiring a lawyer is an expensive undertaking. Most lawyers at my experience level charge $350 to $450 per hour! That’s why it’s important to approach a lawyer-client relationship with efficiency in mind. When you are in the midst of a legal dispute, hiring counsel is absolutely necessary. But how you interact with that lawyer will often dictate the size of your bill....Read More
Also see: Family Law FAQ - How can I change my child support amount?
THE LAWYER IS IN
Federal Courts at Odds Over Whether Title VII Covers Sexual Orientation by Katherine Witherspoon, Esq.
Attorneys, advocacy groups, and legal scholars have debated the question for decades: Does Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects individuals from employment discrimination on the basis of sex, also cover a person’s sexual orientation? Last month, in Zarda v. Altitude Express, the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that, yes, Title VII does in fact prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. The case involved a skydiving instructor named Donald Zarda, who lost his job after telling a client he was gay. In a 10–3 decision, the Second Circuit affirmed that Altitude Express, Zarda’s former employer, had terminated him unlawfully because—in the words of Chief Judge Robert Katzmann—“sexual orientation is a function of sex.”...Read More