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Category: Vagueness
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Firm News
Firm Recognized With Top-Tier Rankings in The Legal 500 2026
Patterson Belknap is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized in The Legal 500’s United States guide as well as in its New York Elite and Private Client guides.
The following firm practices were recognized by The Legal 500:
Advertising and Marketing: Litigation – United States
Art and Cultural Property – Private Client
Cybersecurity and Data Protection – New York Elite
Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense – United States
Not-For-Profit: Fortune 1000 Private Foundations, National Trade Associations, and Charities – United States
In addition, the following firm attorneys received recognition:
Anne-Laure Alléhaut in Art and Cultural Property – Private Client
H. Gregory Baker in Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense – United States
Michael F. Buchanan in Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and...
Publication
Insider Trading Safeguards Can Mitigate Sports Betting Risk
From sports betting to prediction markets, the phenomenon some call "the casino-ification of America" has captured the American zeitgeist. Sports betting in particular has become ubiquitous since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which opened the door for states to legalize sports gambling.
Fans can now regularly bet on games and player performances directly from their smartphones. And, as several recent criminal indictments have alleged, some bettors are capitalizing on their access to inside information to obtain an unfair advantage on their wagers.
This article will discuss how, because sports-related inside information continues to become more valuable, organizations including professional sports leagues, governing bodies, college athletic conferences, athletic departments and teams are playing an increasingly prominent role in...
Event
Julie Simeone to Speak on Trade Secrets Panel
On Monday, June 29, Partner Julie Simeone will speak on a World Services Group webinar titled "The Invisible Asset: Trade Secrets in US and Canada." Ms. Simeone will join Chantal Desjardins (Partner and Trademark Agent, Lavery) and James Duffy (Patent Agent and Senior Associate, Lavery) for a practical panel on trade secret protection enforcement examining how businesses identify and safeguard confidential information across the commercial lifecycle.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
Employment Law Compliance for Start-Ups
Before you press "go" to launch your next business idea, as a founder and entrepreneur of a start-up company you should address an important (if uninspiring) step: employment law compliance. Complacency now can turn into an expensive distraction later, with the potential to create surprise liabilities and maybe even scuttle future deals. This alert flags core employment law issues every start-up should tackle now so they don't snowball later.
Onboarding Compliance Checklist
Before work can begin, employers must check an ever-growing number of compliance boxes:
Register to Do Business: Register your company in each state where you have employees (e.g., the local departments of tax, labor, state, etc.).
Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance: Obtain both in each state where you have employees.
New Hire Reporting:...
Blog Post
Bankruptcy Court Denies Motions to Convert Case and to Appoint an Examiner
A bankruptcy judge has ruled that a debtor can satisfy the Bankruptcy Code’s rehabilitation standard by selling its assets as a going concern and thereby avoid conversion from chapter 11 to chapter 7. In the same decision, the court denied a motion seeking the appointment of what the movants called an “examiner with expanded powers.” In re Deqser, LLC, Case No. 25-10687, 2026 Bankr. LEXIS 1004 (Bankr. D. Del. Apr. 22, 2026).
The debtors operated a laundry business that serviced hotels located in New York City. The business suffered a downturn following an electrical fire at its facility as well as problems with its software. The debtors filed chapter 11 in early 2025.
During their case, the debtors lost about $200,000 a...
Blog Post
Retention of Bankruptcy Professionals: Court Concludes that a Debtor’s First Cousin is Not a “Relative” and Thus Not an “Insider”
A professional seeking to represent a debtor under Bankruptcy Code section 327(a) must not hold an interest adverse to the bankruptcy estate and must be disinterested.
A debtor’s insiders often cannot satisfy these tests. The Bankruptcy Code defines “insider” to include a “relative” of the debtor. And a “relative” is someone related to the debtor “within the third degree as determined by the common law."
What does this latter phrase mean and how is it applied?
In a recent case, a chapter 11 debtor sought to employ an accounting firm under section 327(a). The principal of the accounting firm was the first cousin of the owner of the debtor corporation.
The U.S. Trustee objected to the retention, arguing that the debtor’s cousin was an...
Blog Post
Rest Assured: Pillow Design Patent Survives Inventorship and Invalidity Challenges
On June 7, 2026, District Judge Brian Cogan (E.D.N.Y.) granted Plaintiff Hit Notion LLC’s (Hit Notion’s) summary judgment motion on patent inventorship, on-sale bar, and obviousness, denying a summary judgment motion by Defendant Digitalprints USA Corporation d/b/a Cheer Collection (Cheer Collection) for invalidity based on similar issues and indefiniteness. Hit Notion LLC v. Digitalprints USA Corp., No. 24-cv-7986, 2026 BL 219173 (E.D.N.Y. June 7, 2026).
This dispute arose in March 2017 when the parties, both pillow retailers, requested custom pillow designs from the same Chinese pillow manufacturer, MJ Textile. MJ Textile sent the same photo of a sample pillow to both parties, and the parties unknowingly purchased and began selling similar pillows. Id. at *1-2. Hit Notion filed a patent application for...
Firm News
Firm Files False Advertising Lawsuit on Behalf of Danone US
On June 15, 2026, Patterson Belknap filed a false advertising lawsuit on behalf of Danone US, LLC against rival Chobani LLC.
To read a copy of the complaint, please click here.
Event
Justin Zaremby to Speak at NACUA's 2026 Annual Conference
On Tuesday, June 30, Partner Justin Zaremby will speak on a panel at the National Association of College and University Attorneys 2026 Annual Conference titled "Gifts and Endowments 101: Balancing Long-Term Planning with Short-Term Pressure." Mr. Zaremby will join Quinn Williams (General Counsel, University of Wisconsin) and Brittany Cvetanovich (Counsel, Massachusetts Institute of Technology) to explore the challenges of accepting and documenting charitable gifts and share considerations for managing complex gifting scenarios.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
New Executive Order Regarding IRA Enhancements
Introduction
On April 30, 2026, President Trump signed an Executive Order (the “Order”) designed to expand access to retirement savings for the tens of millions of American workers who currently lack employer-sponsored retirement plans, including many small-business employees, part-time workers, independent contractors, and self-employed individuals facing barriers to saving for retirement. The Order is designed to complement the Federal Saver's Match enacted under the SECURE 2.0 Act, which provides eligible workers with a federal matching contribution of up to $1,000 for retirement savings, and to promote high-quality, low-cost individual retirement account (“IRA”) access.
Key Provisions and Implications
The Order directs the Secretary of the Treasury (the “Secretary”) to establish, by January 1, 2027, an informational website (TrumpIRA.gov) that will serve as a...
Firm News
Firm Recognized With Top-Tier Rankings in The Legal 500 2026
Patterson Belknap is proud to announce that the firm has been recognized in The Legal 500’s United States guide as well as in its New York Elite and Private Client guides.
The following firm practices were recognized by The Legal 500:
Advertising and Marketing: Litigation – United States
Art and Cultural Property – Private Client
Cybersecurity and Data Protection – New York Elite
Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense – United States
Not-For-Profit: Fortune 1000 Private Foundations, National Trade Associations, and Charities – United States
In addition, the following firm attorneys received recognition:
Anne-Laure Alléhaut in Art and Cultural Property – Private Client
H. Gregory Baker in Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense – United States
Michael F. Buchanan in Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and...
Publication
Insider Trading Safeguards Can Mitigate Sports Betting Risk
From sports betting to prediction markets, the phenomenon some call "the casino-ification of America" has captured the American zeitgeist. Sports betting in particular has become ubiquitous since the U.S. Supreme Court's 2018 decision in Murphy v. NCAA, which opened the door for states to legalize sports gambling.
Fans can now regularly bet on games and player performances directly from their smartphones. And, as several recent criminal indictments have alleged, some bettors are capitalizing on their access to inside information to obtain an unfair advantage on their wagers.
This article will discuss how, because sports-related inside information continues to become more valuable, organizations including professional sports leagues, governing bodies, college athletic conferences, athletic departments and teams are playing an increasingly prominent role in...
Event
Julie Simeone to Speak on Trade Secrets Panel
On Monday, June 29, Partner Julie Simeone will speak on a World Services Group webinar titled "The Invisible Asset: Trade Secrets in US and Canada." Ms. Simeone will join Chantal Desjardins (Partner and Trademark Agent, Lavery) and James Duffy (Patent Agent and Senior Associate, Lavery) for a practical panel on trade secret protection enforcement examining how businesses identify and safeguard confidential information across the commercial lifecycle.
To learn more, please click here.
Publication
Employment Law Compliance for Start-Ups
Before you press "go" to launch your next business idea, as a founder and entrepreneur of a start-up company you should address an important (if uninspiring) step: employment law compliance. Complacency now can turn into an expensive distraction later, with the potential to create surprise liabilities and maybe even scuttle future deals. This alert flags core employment law issues every start-up should tackle now so they don't snowball later.
Onboarding Compliance Checklist
Before work can begin, employers must check an ever-growing number of compliance boxes:
Register to Do Business: Register your company in each state where you have employees (e.g., the local departments of tax, labor, state, etc.).
Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Insurance: Obtain both in each state where you have employees.
New Hire Reporting:...
Blog Post
Bankruptcy Court Denies Motions to Convert Case and to Appoint an Examiner
A bankruptcy judge has ruled that a debtor can satisfy the Bankruptcy Code’s rehabilitation standard by selling its assets as a going concern and thereby avoid conversion from chapter 11 to chapter 7. In the same decision, the court denied a motion seeking the appointment of what the movants called an “examiner with expanded powers.” In re Deqser, LLC, Case No. 25-10687, 2026 Bankr. LEXIS 1004 (Bankr. D. Del. Apr. 22, 2026).
The debtors operated a laundry business that serviced hotels located in New York City. The business suffered a downturn following an electrical fire at its facility as well as problems with its software. The debtors filed chapter 11 in early 2025.
During their case, the debtors lost about $200,000 a...
Blog Post
Retention of Bankruptcy Professionals: Court Concludes that a Debtor’s First Cousin is Not a “Relative” and Thus Not an “Insider”
A professional seeking to represent a debtor under Bankruptcy Code section 327(a) must not hold an interest adverse to the bankruptcy estate and must be disinterested.
A debtor’s insiders often cannot satisfy these tests. The Bankruptcy Code defines “insider” to include a “relative” of the debtor. And a “relative” is someone related to the debtor “within the third degree as determined by the common law."
What does this latter phrase mean and how is it applied?
In a recent case, a chapter 11 debtor sought to employ an accounting firm under section 327(a). The principal of the accounting firm was the first cousin of the owner of the debtor corporation.
The U.S. Trustee objected to the retention, arguing that the debtor’s cousin was an...
