Litigation
Our trial attorneys handle business litigation in state and federal courts. Our practice concentrates on complex litigation often involving class actions, multiparty and multi-jurisdictional concerns. Our trial lawyers are experienced in antitrust, unfair competition and trade regulation, securities, intellectual property and content piracy, entertainment, real estate, products liability, insurance, and trusts and estates. We also have extensive experience in alternate dispute resolution techniques such as mediation and arbitration.
Corporate Law and Business Transactions
Comprehensive services are provided in corporate governance and general corporate advice, securities law compliance and asset-based securities, corporate finance, and mergers, acquisitions, and other business dispositions. Our work in the security alarm, life safety, and related technology industries throughout the U.S.A. and numerous other parts of the world is of particular note.
Labor and Employment
We provide comprehensive, management-side labor and employment advice and litigation. This includes labor advice (such as union avoidance and compliance with the National Labor Relations Act and state laws), injunctive and other labor litigation in courts and before the NLRB, collective bargaining, arbitration, and labor advice concerning business decisions such as union issues associated with mergers, acquisitions, reductions in force, and corporate structures.
We similarly provide comprehensive advice and litigation in state and federal court on behalf of large employers on complex issues including wage and hour, force reduction, terminations, sensitive investigations, affirmative action and OFCCP investigations, I-9 compliance, sexual harassment, disability rights, and other discrimination issues, OSHA and privacy rights. We serve as lead counsel in numerous class action wage and hour and discrimination cases in state and federal court and practice extensively before numerous administrative agencies such as the Department of Labor, the EEOC, the OFCCP, and OSHA.
Intellectual Property & Technology
We provide comprehensive intellectual property advice, patent and trademark prosecution, intellectual property transactional services (including outsourcing, licensing, and technology transfer), and handle litigation covering patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, and content piracy. We focus on the convergence of technology, intellectual property, and entertainment. Illustrative of our work is the representation of the recording industry plaintiffs in the Internet copyright infringement actions against Napster, Aimster, and Music City, and other landmark cases.
Entertainment and New Media
We provide comprehensive services to the entertainment, multimedia and new media industries ranging from negotiating and documenting complex music, television, motion picture, video game and related marketing and licensing transactions, film finance and transactional creditors' rights counsel, content piracy advice and advocacy, asset securitization of entertainment intellectual property, industry-wide advice and litigation in labor and employment matters, and immigration of talent.
Immigration
We assist in the lawful immigration of valuable workers throughout the administrative processes of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and other administrative agencies that affect immigration into the United States. We also train and provide advice and counsel to our clients concerning compliance requirements with the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) and represent them in IRCA audits.
International Trade
MS&K assists domestic and foreign clients in matters involving Customs and international trade, international transportation and maritime law, export/licensing, and food and drug law as it relates to the import/export and interstate distribution of products.
Real Estate
On behalf of buyers and sellers, contractors and developers, investors and lenders, landlords and tenants, and municipal and other governmental entities, we advise, negotiate, and document concerning the financing, acquisition, disposition, construction, and development of substantial commercial and residential real estate projects. These include multiparty tax-free exchanges, office complexes, shopping center developments, and redevelopment projects.
Tax
We provide business tax advice to clients concerning a wide range of commercial ventures including the creation, acquisition, and disposition of partnerships, corporations, and joint ventures in accordance with state and federal tax law. Similarly, we represent high-net-worth individuals in complex tax planning. We also represent businesses and individuals in tax disputes before the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities and in court.
Benefits
We provide services to companies and multi-employer health and welfare and pension plans in structuring, drafting, and administering complex benefit plans such as qualified retirement plans, deferred compensation, executive compensation, and welfare plans, in accordance with state and federal tax, labor, and securities laws.
Bankruptcy & Creditors' Rights
We provide business advice and litigation concerning bankruptcy law, creditors' rights, secured claims and the Uniform Commercial Code. We have particular expertise in structuring business transactions (including entertainment, music, software, real estate, motion picture, asset securitizations) and employee benefits to minimize or eliminate potential bankruptcy risks.
Charitable Sector Practice
We provide services to both significant donors and charitable organizations in forming and administering charitable donations in accordance with applicable tax and other regulations.
Family Wealth Planning
Special emphasis in this practice is on customized gift and estate planning for high-net-worth individuals and on the representation of fiduciaries and beneficiaries in disputed or potentially disputed estate and trust administration matters.
Environmental Law
MS&K's multi-disciplinary Environmental Practice Group handles litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters. We represent a wide variety of clients, including real estate developers, property owners, manufacturers, waste generators, recyclers, and retailers. MS&K's Environmental Practice focuses on counseling clients on how to reduce or eliminate potential liabilities, mitigate the costs and risks associated with active disputes, deal effectively with regulatory agencies and environmental groups, and if required, make prudent use of litigation options.
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