May Edition 2020

16 Bet-the-company disputes experts, Kobre & Kim talked of two particular trends to be aware of: “One is a greater determination to uncover pre-existing fraud and misconduct by employers, counterparties, and investors triggered by the need for increased short-term liquidity. As governments around the world assist their economies with large-scale financial recovery programs, it is possible that some of this aid may be obtained through fraudulent means, which calls for the presence of experienced monitors, investigators, as well as defensive counsel against government scrutiny. Secondly, there is the impetus for companies to monetize their existing assets – in particular, their intangible assets in the form of intellectual property,” said Jeremy Bressman , a lawyer fromKobre&Kim. “In spite of the current pandemic, it is currently an ideal time to bring patent enforcement actions against larger corporations that may have misappropriated IP. This is not only because patents are not market-correlated, and therefore can be a reliable source of revenue amidst a larger economic downturn, but also because conditions in the U.S. legal system have recently become more favorable for patent enforcement.” Given the sheer number of areas impacted by the pandemic, how are businesses remainingup tospeed insucha fast-movingenvironment?Nachmanof Simmons &Simmons said: “Our firmhas been excellent at setting up overnight a dedicated Covid-19 Webpage and multiple weekly webinars, which has been extremely helpful, in addition to the public press. Every day brings new developments so keeping up to speed constantly is a must until the situation stabilizes.” At DLA, “we created, together with our international colleagues, a Coronavirus Resource Center (CRC), which serves as a central repository of guidance and insights for clients and the market. Since the start of the outbreak, we have disseminated across multiple channels a wide range of information, including alerts and webinars, all of which reside on the CRC.” “I’m fortunate to be part of a national network of lawyers who serve a range of industries, companies and individuals,” said Bankruptcy partne r Michael Sweet , in the San Francisco office of Fox Rothschild . “With more than 950 attorneys and 70 practice areas, we’re able to stay on the pulse and share knowledge of key legal developments and market shifts that happen on local, regional and national scales. Answers to critical questions are a quick phone call away.” On the significance of communication, every law firm agrees. “A major focus of Fraud and IP Changes at Whirlwind Speeds