• Pamela Duffy Named 2014 San Francisco Litigation Land Use & Zoning Lawyer of the Year

    Pamela Duffy has been selected as the San Francisco Litigation – Land Use & Zoning “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-reviewed publication in the legal profession. This is the third year Duffy has received the “Lawyer of the Year” honor, which is awarded to a single lawyer in 16 high-profile legal specialties. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers since 1995.

    “We continue to believe – as we have believed for more than 25 years – that recognition by one’s peers is the most meaningful form of praise in the profession,” said Steven Naifeh, President of Best Lawyers. “We would like to congratulate Pam Duffy on being selected as the ‘San Francisco Best Lawyers Litigation – Land Use & Zoning Lawyer of the Year’ for 2014.”

    Posted on: August 22, 2013 Tags: Categories: News

  • Alan Gennis Named a Top 25 Real Estate Transactional Lawyer

    Alan Gennis is honored as a “Top 25 Real Estate Transactional Lawyers” by the Daily Journal.

    Alan is highlighted for his work on the 49ers new stadium project, a “$1.3 billion, 68,500 seat venue . . . complicated transaction . . . at the core was the challenge of finding what Alan calls a ‘win-win’ for both the team and the city.”

    “It is the first professional football stadium constructed in California in 50 years . . . getting the city behind it is not the easiest thing . . . we needed a way to bring all of the constituencies together to reach an agreement,” said Alan.

    Congratulations, Alan, on your well-deserved recognition.

    Posted on: August 14, 2013 Tags: Categories: News

  • In Practice: Escape From NY – The Turtles, Grooveshark and Pre-1972 Recordings

    By Jeremiah Burke and Julie Greer, Originally published in The Recorder

    Does the Digital Millennium Copyright Act or the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act apply to pre-1972 sound recordings? The Turtles are betting $100 million that they don’t.

    Flo & Eddie, Inc., whose principals Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan have been performing together as The Turtles since 1965, brought a putative class action in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Sirius XM Radio Inc., alleging the satellite radio service is misappropriating such classic tunes as “Happy Together” and “It Ain’t Me Babe.” Flo & Eddie, Inc. v. Sirius XM Radio, Inc., Case No. BC 517032 (Aug. 1, 2013). Flo & Eddie Inc. owns The Turtles’ pre-1972 sound recordings and has brought the putative class action on behalf of the “owners of Pre-1972 Recordings reproduced, performed, distributed or otherwise exploited by defendants in California without a license or authorization to do so during the period from Aug. 1, 2009 to the present.”

    For further reading, visit The Recorder

  • Business Alert: SEC Lifts General Solicitation Ban on Certain Private Offerings

    On July 10, 2013, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted final rules that will allow advertising and other methods of general solicitation in connection with certain private offerings of securities under Rule 506 of Regulation D and Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”).  The new rules also prohibit issuers from relying on Rule 506 for any offering in which “bad actors” affiliated with the issuer are involved.  The disqualifying events include certain criminal convictions, SEC orders, and other administrative or regulatory actions.

    Click here to read the full alert.