Mark S. Cohen will deliver the annual Justice William Strong Lecture on Ethics and the Business Lawyer at Widener University Commonwealth Law School on September 19, 2024 on the topic of ethical challenges facing prosecutors and defense attorneys. Read more and register for the CLE here.

Mark will also co-host a panel titled "The Art of the Jury Trial: Historic Criminal Trials in the Southern District of New York," presented by The American College of Trial Lawyers, The Federal Bar Council, and The New York Council of Defense Lawyers, on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan United States Courthouse Ceremonial Courtroom. Mark is chair of the Downstate New York Committee of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Read more and register for the CLE here.

Partner Christian Everdell will serve as a justice on the bench for the mock argument at the First Monday in October Annual Gala & Mock Supreme Court Argument, which will be hosted by the Office of the Appellate Defender (OAD) on October 7th. Learn more here.

In November 2023, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission adopted new rules for reporting beneficial interests in publicly traded equity securities on Schedule 13G, with compliance required by September 30, 2024. As Bonnie J Roe and Myia Williams explain in this Client Advisory, investors must now file an initial Schedule 13G report within 45 days after the end of the first calendar quarter in which they exceed 5% ownership, a shift from the previous annual deadline. If ownership crosses 10%, the report must be filed within 5 business days of the month’s end. The first filing deadline for a quarterly report under these rules is November 14, 2024.

Changes in beneficial ownership, such as increases or decreases of 1% or more, must also be reported quarterly, while larger changes exceeding 5% must be reported monthly. Additionally, new rules mandate structured data formatting in EDGAR filings, effective December 18, 2024, and filing cut-off times have been extended to 10:00 pm EST.

Read the full alert

On August 20, 2024, a federal judge in Texas issued a nationwide injunction blocking the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rule banning most non-compete clauses in employment contracts. As a result, the rule will not take effect as scheduled on September 4, 2024, and businesses can put preparations for compliance on hold. The court held that the FTC exceeded its statutory authority in issuing the rule and that the rule is overly broad and arbitrary.

While the FTC has yet to formally respond, an appeal is expected, leaving the final outcome of the rule in question. Moreover, litigation concerning the rule is ongoing in other courts, including a federal court in Pennsylvania that issued a conflicting preliminary ruling. Businesses should anticipate continued legal challenges and await further appellate court rulings before the rule’s fate is determined.

Read the full Alert

Vault has named Cohen & Gresser to its 2025 Top 150 Under 150 list, which recognizes the nation’s best law firms with 150 or fewer lawyers.

Vault praises C&G for its “White Collar Whizzes,” emphasizing the firm’s “strong reputation in this area.” The publication also recognizes the firm’s “bustling litigation practice,” noting its expertise in handling a broad range of matters, including “antitrust and bankruptcy, class actions and commercial litigation, directors and officers liability, products liability—and more.”

In addition to this recognition, Vault also named C&G on numerous quality-of-life lists.

Read more about our recognitions