Archive for the ‘legal action’ Category

Sanctioning Lawyers

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS POST DESCRIBES LEGAL MATTERS HANDLED IN THE PAST BY OUR ATTORNEYS. OF COURSE, THE RESULTS WE HAVE ACHIEVED DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH MATTER. BECAUSE EACH MATTER IS DIFFERENT, OUR PAST RESULTS CANNOT PREDICT OR GUARANTEE A SIMILAR RESULT IN THE FUTURE. My colleague, Mikhael Charnoff, [...]

 

More Fun With FaceBook

Here, are two recently reported stories highlighting the vagaries of FaceBook and other such social media outlets. First, enter Dana Thornton. Apparently, she was not fond of her ex-boyfriend and decided to create a FaceBook page for him. She is accused of creating a fake profile of her ex-boyfriend, a Parsippany, New Jersey narcotics detective, [...]

 

Can a Lawyer Blog?

From the title of the blog, I should probably amend it to ask whether a lawyer “may” blog as opposed to “can” blog.  I jest because I find that application of the rules governing lawyer advertising seem designed for fifth graders and zombies with a pulse (obligatory Halloween reference). It would be remiss if I did [...]

 

Foreign Attorneys in Virginia?

Given the nationalization (and globalization) of various elements of our society over the past sixty years (e.g., WalMart, network television, interstate highways, Hollywood), the legal profession stands in stark contrast. While, to many, the crossing of a state border is an artificial construct, states have maintained a hold on the practice of lawyers, regulating anyone, [...]

 

Who Says the French Make Great Lovers?

While I normally shy away from salacious topics (or I try to), The Telegraph reported that a court in France awarded $14,000 to an ex-wife because her former husband failed to engage in ample sexual relations during their 21 year marriage. Apparently, he was tired and had health problems. The court ruled that “A sexual [...]

 

Green Day, Saggy Pants and Private Business

As a fan of Green Day, I read with amusement that its front man, Billie Joe Armstrong, says he was kicked off of a Southwest Airlines flight Thursday night for wearing his pants too low.  He reported this via Twitter, saying, “Just got kicked off a southwest flight because my pants sagged too low! What [...]

 

The Travails of a Law Firm Associate?

A former first year law associate filed a fourteen count complaint against his former firm seeking $77 million.  Some thoughts.  In the law suit, the associate claims that: “[The firm] had told [him] it eschews artificial hierarchical structure, then refused [him] an assignment because it would be ‘unfair to the other associates.’ It told [him] [...]

 

Innovation, Not Litigation

Companies can become overly aggressive in their efforts to obtain and enforce intellectual property rights. For example, two days after special operations forces killed Osama Bin Laden, as my colleague Donna Chmura noted, Disney filed federal trademark applications for “SEAL TEAM 6” for toys, handheld computer games, Christmas stockings, Christmas tree ornaments and decorations, snow [...]

 

Skiing With Lawyers Can Be Dangerous to Your Appeal

In a rebuke to the “blame game,” the Virginia Supreme Court affirmed a trial court’s decision to kick out a legal malpractice case on summary judgment. In Wintergreen Partners, Inc. v. McGuireWoods, LLP, Wintergreen contended that its former lawyers at McGuireWoods screwed up an appeal. As noted by the Supreme Court, McGuireWoods “failed to ensure [...]

 

Unicorn Meat and Trademarks

Here’s the deal. You may own a trademark. A trademark is simply an adjective describing your good or service. Trademarks are designed to assist the consumer avoid confusion as to the source of the goods. For example, if I started a fast-food restaurant and