Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

On June 3, 2024, a divided three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit ruled that an Atlanta hedge fund likely violated 42 U.S.C. § 1981—the federal prohibition on racial discrimination in public and private contracting—by operating a grant contest that awarded $20,000 grants to select small business owners, all of whom, by the contest’s express rules, had to be Black women.  While this opinion, American Alliance for Equal Rights v. Fearless Fund Management, LLC (11th Cir...

Do you have an employment agreement? Should you have an employment agreement? We are often asked whether founders need written employment agreements with their companies. Every company's culture is different. Often founders are at-will employees who can be terminated (or can quit) for any or no reason. They may have an offer letter but no employment agreement. In other situations, founders or investors demand that the company put employment agreements in place with key personnel. Whether founders have employment agreements or not, they should be familiar with several key employment concepts that affect their rights, compensation, ownership, and control. Vesting (and re-vesting)...

Patterson Belknap recently filed two amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers (NYCDL): On April 3, 2024, the firm, along with co-counsel Christine H. Chung and Noam Biale of Sher Tremonte LLP, filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court of the United States in Colin Montague v. United States on behalf of NYCDL. The brief argued that the Supreme Court should grant Montague’s petition for a writ of certiorari to reverse a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit...

On June 13, 2024, Patterson Belknap attorneys, along with pro bono partner Mobilization for Justice, filed a disability discrimination lawsuit in the Southern District of New York on behalf of the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) against the owners and operators of multiple Adult Care Facilities (ACFs) that provide housing and services to New Yorkers with disabilities. The lawsuit accuses Defendants of discrimination against prospective residents who use wheelchairs. In 2023, the FHJC conducted an investigation into Defendants' facilities. Testers posed as family members seeking admission information on the facilities for their relatives, who use wheelchairs...

Antitrust Update Blog is a source of insights, information and analysis on criminal and civil antitrust and competition-related issues. Patterson Belknap’s antitrust lawyers represent clients in antitrust litigation and counseling matters, including those related to pricing, marketing,...

Patterson Belknap is pleased to announce the launch of Bankruptcy Update Blog, a source of current news and analysis of key bankruptcy cases and developments in U.S. and international matters. ? Daniel A. Lowenthal, Chair of the Firm?s Business Reorganization and Creditors? Rights Practice, leads...

DataSecurityLaw.com is the firm’s resource for the latest news, analysis, and thought leadership in the critical area of privacy and cybersecurity law. Patterson Belknap’s Privacy and Data Security practice provides public and private enterprises, their leadership teams and boards with...

Misbranded is Patterson Belknap’s blog covering false advertising litigation—both consumer class actions and competitor suits—with a particular focus on FDA-regulated products (foods/beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dietary supplements).

The blog is a source for insights and developments related to practice in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. This blog reviews key developments in the Commercial Division, including important decisions handed down by the Commercial Division and appellate court...

NYPatentDecisionsBlog.com is a source for the latest patent decisions from the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. The blog is authored by Patterson Belknap’s Patent Litigation practice group, whose members are highly experienced trial attorneys with extensive...

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important...