Legal Terms: W

A form issued by employers reporting an employee's annual wages and the amount of taxes withheld from their paycheck.

The voluntary and intentional relinquishment of a known right, claim, or privilege.

A discretionary form of relief allowing certain inadmissible noncitizens to be admitted or adjust status, typically requiring a showing of extreme hardship to a qualifying U.S.-citizen or LPR relative.

A defendant's agreement under Rule 4(d) to waive formal service in exchange for additional time to respond and avoidance of process-server costs.

A person, especially a minor or incapacitated adult, who is under the protection of a court-appointed guardian.

A court order authorizing law enforcement to take a specific action, such as arresting a person (arrest warrant) or searching a location (search warrant).

A financial instrument issued by a company that gives the holder the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the company's stock at a specific price before expiration.

A guarantee or assurance about the quality, condition, or performance of a product or property. Can be express (stated) or implied (by law).

A deed in which the grantor guarantees that they hold clear title to the property and have the right to sell it, providing the highest level of buyer protection.

A tiered distribution structure that allocates cash flows among investors and sponsors in a specified order, often involving return of capital, preferred return, catch-up, and carried interest tiers.

A common anti-dilution formula that adjusts the conversion price based on both the new issuance price and the number of shares issued relative to existing shares.

Areas saturated by surface or groundwater sufficient to support vegetation adapted for life in saturated soil conditions, protected under the Clean Water Act and other environmental laws.

A rule that an agreement by two persons to commit an offense that inherently requires two participants cannot be prosecuted as a conspiracy.

A person who reports illegal, unethical, or fraudulent activity within an organization, often protected from retaliation by federal and state laws.

Federal and state laws protecting employees from retaliation for reporting illegal activity, fraud, safety violations, or other wrongdoing by their employer.

A friendly acquirer sought by a target company facing a hostile takeover to provide a more favorable alternative transaction.

A subsidiary in which the parent company owns 100% of the outstanding equity, allowing full consolidation for accounting and tax purposes.

A legal document expressing a person's wishes regarding the distribution of their property after death and the care of any minor children.

A formal proceeding challenging the validity of a will on grounds such as lack of capacity, undue influence, fraud, or improper execution.

Intentional infringement of a patent despite knowledge of the patent and its applicability, which can result in enhanced damages up to three times actual damages.

Copyright or trademark infringement committed with knowledge that the conduct constituted infringement or with reckless disregard for the rights holder, supporting enhanced damages.

Patent infringement committed despite an objectively high likelihood that the actions constituted infringement, supporting enhanced damages up to three times the actual damages under 35 U.S.C. Section 284.

A 1968 federal law amending the Securities Exchange Act to require disclosure of information relating to tender offers and large share acquisitions.

An affirmative defense to conspiracy and similar offenses requiring the defendant to renounce the criminal purpose and take affirmative steps to defeat it.

The amount of federal, state, or local income tax that an employer deducts from an employee's wages and remits directly to the government.

A mandatory form of protection prohibiting removal of a foreign national to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened on account of a protected ground.

A mandatory form of protection barring removal to a country where the applicant's life or freedom would be threatened on a protected ground, with a higher burden of proof than asylum but without a path to permanent residence.

A person who testifies under oath in a legal proceeding, providing firsthand knowledge of facts relevant to the case.

The standard form of will, signed by the testator in the presence of (typically) two disinterested witnesses who then sign attesting to the testator's signature and capacity.

A doctrine under copyright law in which the employer, rather than the employee, is considered the author and owner of a work created within the scope of employment.

A work created by an employee within the scope of employment, or a specially commissioned work falling within one of nine statutory categories with a written agreement, in which the employer or commissioning party is the author and copyright owner.

A legal protection preventing discovery of materials prepared by or for an attorney in anticipation of litigation, including mental impressions, conclusions, and legal theories.

A protection for materials prepared by or for an attorney in anticipation of litigation, distinct from attorney-client privilege and codified in part by FRCP 26(b)(3).

A program allowing inmates to leave a correctional facility during the day for approved employment while returning to custody at night.

A state-mandated insurance program providing benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses, regardless of fault.

A state-mandated insurance system providing benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses, regardless of fault.

A HIPAA administrative safeguard requiring covered entities to provide training to all workforce members on policies and procedures regarding the handling of protected health information.

The policies, procedures, and practices designed to protect the health and safety of employees in the workplace, regulated primarily by OSHA.

A HIPAA Security Rule physical safeguard requiring covered entities to implement policies and procedures for the proper use of and access to workstations handling electronic protected health information.

A formal written order issued by a court directing a person or entity to perform or refrain from performing a specific act.

The discretionary order by which the U.S. Supreme Court agrees to review a lower court decision, granted in a small fraction of petitions filed.

A court order directing a law enforcement officer to enforce a judgment, typically by seizing and selling the debtor's property.

A court order commanding a government official or body to perform a legally required duty.

Shareholder or director action taken by signed written consents instead of at a meeting, generally requiring unanimity for directors and at least the vote required at a meeting for shareholders (unless prohibited).

A deposition under Rule 31 in which questions are submitted in writing in advance and read to the witness by an officer, less commonly used than oral depositions.

A patent law requirement that the specification must convey to those skilled in the art that the inventor had possession of the claimed invention at the time of filing.

A civil action brought by the survivors or estate of a person who died due to another party's negligent or intentional act.

The firing of an employee in violation of federal or state law, an employment contract, or public policy.

The discharge of an employee in violation of a contract, public policy, or anti-discrimination statute.