Cannabis equipment maker Stache Products has lashed out at a Los Angeles-based competitor with a federal patent and trademark infringement lawsuit. The issue at hand: supposedly ripping off Stache Products’ “Rig In One” device, which uniquely integrates a built-in torch. Detailed coverage of these legal proceedings can be gleaned from the Law360 report. This dispute…
The Committee on Professional Responsibility and Conduct for the State Bar of California has released initial guidelines concerning the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) by legal professionals. These recommendations, announced on November 16, could serve as a practical set of guidelines for the industry. The counsel from the State Bar addresses several key areas…
Native American voices, particularly those of Native women attorneys are seeping into the media with their diverse narratives. As showcased in the recent transformation of Martin Scorsese’s screenplay, “Killers of the Flower Moon”; the script now takes a renewed perspective telling stories from the Native America perspective. The book dives into the real-life narrative of…
The Peru constitutional court moved Wednesday to affirm a 2017 pardon granting the release of ex-President Alberto Fujimori, brushing aside an Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) ruling that required the release of Fujiimoro to be blocked. Fujimori was convicted in 2009 and sentenced to the maximum term of 25 years for various war crimes…
In a recent ruling issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Allgenesis Biotherapeutics Inc. v. Cloud Break Therapeutics, the necessary requirements for appellate standing for a patent challenger in an appeal from an inter partes review at the Patent and Trademark Office were outlined. Detailed discussions were presented by renowned…
The legal profession is often associated with high pressure and stress, factors which can sometimes lead to mental health issues or even addiction. Notably, attorneys can be particularly susceptible. Brian Cuban, author of “The Addicted Lawyer: Tales of the Bar, Booze, Blow, and Redemption”, recently delved into these complex issues during an episode of the…
In a recent broadcast, Dean Stockford discussed with Len Suzio the impetus behind the spike in adverse Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) ratings for banks in the first half of 2023. Given that new reports indicate a significant increase in banks receiving less than satisfactory performance ratings, this discussion is more poignant than ever. This newly…
In a long-due regulatory development, the FDA finally published definitive rules concerning how pharmaceutical companies advertise prescription medications directly to consumers. According to JD Supra, this new mandate was announced on November 21, 2023. The initiation of this legislative process dates back to 2010 when the FDA first proposed the rule. It underwent scrutiny and…
Golden Gate University School of Law (GGU Law) announced this week its decision to shut down its Juris Doctor (JD) program by the finish of the 2023-2024 academic year. The California-based institution communicated regrets about the “pain and disruption” resulting from the termination of their American Bar Association (ABA)-accredited JD program. “Given the realities of…
In a noteworthy decision, the North Carolina Business Court recently compelled the spouse of an insurance agency owner to return all business records and assets he had concealed from her. The court’s rationale is based on their anticipation that the woman is likely to prevail on her assertion that her spouse unlawfully appropriated these items…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created a significant opportunity with its latest decision to provide funding for environmental and climate justice. The EPA, via its Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights (OEJECR), announced a historic funding offer, coined as the “Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants Program,” also known as…
In an intriguing development, two voters have filed a lawsuit insisting that a liberal Florida prosecutor who was fired by Governor Ron DeSantis should be reinstated. These voters believe that the dismissal of this prosecutor was unjustified and in fact, violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the US Constitution. This dismissed prosecutor, Monique Worrell,…
As forecasted, bankruptcy filings experienced a rise this year, and according to legal experts based in South Florida, they expect this trend to carry on into 2024. These experts anticipate continued usage of alternative strategies for dealing with the situation. Compared to the previous year, 2023 saw a marked increase in bankruptcy cases, as per…
The Maryland Supreme Court, in a 5-2 majority ruling, mirrored the decisions of two other jurisdictions recently in favor of an applicant to the state bar whose character had previously been red-flagged. This occurred subsequent to an incident of cheating on his bar preparation exam at the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of…
In 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed a significant revision to the Privacy Rule under the Health Insurance Portability and Accessibility Act of 1996 (HIPAA). These changes, currently in the form of Proposed Rules, are expected to markedly alter the existing regulations. The Proposed Rules are slated for finalization in…
In a significant development, corporate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) disclosure is set to become easier as two leading ESG reporting frameworks have decided to align their requirements. This move would enable thousands of firms, making first-time disclosures about their influence on humans and the environment, to experience reduced complexity. The European Financial Reporting Advisory…
With data safety becoming an increasingly critical concern in our increasingly digitalized landscape, organizations large and small are facing a growing dilemma. Balancing the need to keep business moving while addressing escalating internal and external cyber threats is no small feat. Even as there’s no end-point or perfect solution promising 100% data security, active steps…
In financial services, one of the current key considerations revolves around tracking and improving inclusion. This task has become significantly important given the latest proposals that have surfaced from the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). The regulatory bodies have suggested improvements to diversity and inclusion in financial services that include…
In the dynamic world of health legislation and regulatory guidelines, one must be well informed and adaptable to the changes that constantly take place in Washington, D.C., and the impacts these changes have on the health sector. With this reality in mind, Holland and Knight’s Health Dose, dated November 28, 2023, serves as a timely…
In the latest news resonating in the realm of real estate law, the National Association of Realtors (“NAR”), accompanied by several significant realtor brokerages, have been ordered by a federal jury in Missouri to pay $1,785,310,872.00 in damages. The jury concluded that NAR and the brokerages conspired to contravene federal and state antitrust law by…
The world of domain name disputes has taken an interesting turn recently. A new case related to cybersquatting highlights the legal complexities around domain name ownership following death. A suit is attempting to recover the domain name of the deceased owner of Project Hindsight, an endeavour filled with valuable intellectual and digital assets. While the…
Several major law firms announced last Thursday that they are matching the latest hikes in associate salaries. Firms that have made this move include Kirkland & Ellis, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan; Davis Polk & Wardwell; Sidley Austin; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton; and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, according to firm memos and…
In noteworthy news from the legal sector, a number of leading law firms including Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP have decided to match what could soon become the dominant scale for year-end bonuses and salaries for associates in 2024. This information…
The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) continues to prompt global conversations about its implications for competition, consumers, and regulatory landscapes. One significant agent in these discussions is the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the UK’s competition regulator. The CMA recently announced plans to publish an update to its initial report on AI foundation models…
Several legal shifts have made headlines recently within the realm of North American legalization. A significant development unfolded in New York as regulators agreed upon a settlement concerning a lawsuit against the state’s cannabis-licensing program. The lawsuit, initiated by military veterans, challenged the structure of the existing agenda. The argument from veterans’ groups has been…