Recent Articles

A Holiday Gift

Mike Dillon
January 07, 2009 20:51

I'm sure many of you spent the month of December looking for something significant for that special GC in your life. Well, you can forget about the wine, chocolate and fruit baskets. Last week, the justices of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit provided the perfect gift for GCs of...

"Stumbling"

Mike Dillon
December 11, 2008 16:34

I travel a fair amount. And, I'm an insomniac. It's not an ideal combination. Often, I find myself in a hotel room in another country still awake in the early a.m. having finished all the books I've carried with me. Jet lag, work stress and unfamiliar surroundings are not conducive to a good...

That first step

Mike Dillon
November 13, 2008 16:13

Earlier this week, we held our annual intern "meet and greet" at Sun's campus in Menlo Park. It was a chance for local law students to connect with attorneys in our organization to learn about internship opportunities and, more generally, what it's like to work here. We had a great turnout with...

Seeking a bit of white space

Mike Dillon
November 07, 2008 23:35

Earnings announcement, board meetings, stockholder meeting and the continued melt down of global economic markets. All in all, it's been a stressful few weeks. So, when a few friends offered the chance for a weekend of camping and hiking in Yosemite Valley, I happily accepted. Yosemite Valley...

Computer Professional Exemption

Mike Dillon
October 30, 2008 19:15

Last month, as part of the resolution of the impasse over the California state budget, AB10 was passed and signed into law by Governor Schwarzenegger. This piece of legislation amends California Labor Code Section 515.5, known as the "Computer Professional" exemption to state overtime laws....

Just one more thing.

Mike Dillon
October 06, 2008 22:54

I promise, I do have other subjects to write about; however, immediately after my last blog we received some additional news of interest concerning the NetApp litigation. After NetApp filed its lawsuit to halt adoption of Sun's open source ZFS technology, we responded by filing reexamination...

More on the NetApp litigation

Mike Dillon
October 03, 2008 00:14

I recently read Judge Laporte's Order Construing Claims in the NetApp v. Sun litigation. Judge Laporte is the United States Magistrate Judge who is hearing this case in the Federal Court for the Northern District of California. Reading the order was again a reminder of the breadth and diversity of...

To Err is Human, To "Arr" is Pirate.

Mike Dillon
September 22, 2008 23:17

Last week, we celebrated "International Talk Like a Pirate Day". It was a great way for all of us to release a little stress and channel our "inner buccaneer". But we took it a bit farther than most as we not only spoke like pirates, but dressed like them as well. As part of the festivities,...

Reg FD update

Mike Dillon
August 25, 2008 17:34

Almost two years ago, our CEO and I had a discussion in which he challenged some of the legal restrictions placed on him concerning blogging about Sun's financial results and more generally about use of Sun's IR website. He very convincingly pointed out that these restrictions were inconsistent...

Finding Value

Mike Dillon
August 11, 2008 17:54

Years ago, I worked for an established New York based law firm. I was assigned to support one of our major clients, a large international pharmaceutical company. As a junior associate I grappled with billing - trying to juggle the minimal value of my limited legal experience with the pressure of...