A good high school friend of mine, TJ Martin, along with co-director Daniel Lindsay, were just nominated for an Oscar. I tried to come up with a great thelawinsider.com take on the film– like the contractual implications surrounding its purchase by Weinstein Co. or some law related theme embedded into the story. But alas, I’m just going to give it a plug and tell everyone to go see this AWESOME FILM!
By Michael D. Steger
A trademark is used to identify the source of goods or services. Some of the most recognizable consumer or business brands in the world are also the world’s most valuable trademarks. According to a recent survey, the world’s most valuable brands are, in order, Google, Microsoft, Wal-Mart, IBM and Vodafone. All of these brand names, and their accompanying logos, resonate with the public and create a clear image in the consumer’s mind of what goods and services those companies offer.
A registered trademark can increase the value of a brand, especially for companies providing consumer goods and services, those that are in knowledge-based industries and businesses that may be looking to franchise. Trademarks can also be vital to businesses that are providing services and goods over the internet or in more than one state. In contrast, there is usually little value in trademarking the name of a local business that serves a very localized clientele. As knowledge-based businesses become more important to the economy, a valuable brand name and accompanying trademark can help you stand out from the crowd when much of the business’s value is in your head.
Most importantly, obtaining a… Keep reading
TMZ is reporting today that socialite and reality start Kim Kardashian has filed for divorce after just 72 days of marriage from her husband and NBA basketball player, Kris Humphries. Citing irreconcilable differences, the divorce documents submitted by Kardashian and her attorney Laura Wasser, were filed on October 31, 2011.
Humphries proposed to Kim Kardashian in the summer of 2011 with a diamond ring estimated to be worth $2 million.
Criticize the decision to wed though we may, the couple pocketed nearly $20 million from E! and People Magazine.
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NY Daily News – A movie titled “Drive” should be about, well, driving.
But the Ryan Gosling thriller was not what one Michigan woman expected when she bought a ticket to see it — so she’s suing.
Sarah Deming is going after the distributor of “Drive,” FilmDistrict, as well as the theater where she saw it, because she had been under the impression the film would be a “Fast and Furious”-style action flick.
In Deming’s suit, which she filed in the sixth judicial circuit court in Oakland, she claims the Nicolas Winding Refn thriller about a Hollywood stuntman-turned getaway driver “bore very little similarity to a chase, or race action film … having very little driving in the motion picture.”
But what “Drive” did have lots of, according to Deming, is anti-semitism.
The Law Insider would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that just because you can sue for something, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily worth your time or money to do so. Demin will need to prove, among other things, that the distributors of Drive were intentionally misleading in not only how they titled the movie, but how they portrayed the movie during its promotion.… Keep reading
Law student and journalist Robert Stephens descended on Wall Street for the #occupywallstreet demonstration that has attracted media attention from around the world. Stephens, a law student at George Washington University, kneeled outside the bank that purportedly foreclosed on his parents’ home, screaming in protest.
“I will go to jail tonight…they played by the rules, my dad has a Ph.D”, Stephens can be heard screaming in the video.
The New York City based consulting group, Hudson Business Solutions, arrived on the scene this month. And where better to launch than from the Empire State Building. A full-service business consulting firm, HBS is setting up shop on the 60th floor of the ‘ol ESB. With a team of experienced consultants and successful entrepreneurs, Hudson is reaching out to new business owners who are looking to grow their brand and sharpen their strategy.
“What we find in New York is an abundance of young, hungry entrepreneurs who have a specific skill set or service they offer,” says Tory Thurman, a Senior Consultant for HBS. “The problem is they don’t have a clear business strategy and they aren’t branding themselves to reach the market.”
With unemployment reaching record highs, it’s not just New Yorkers who are feeling the job crunch. A new breed of entrepreneurs has emerged around the country who are striking out on their own more out of necessity than anything else.
“Graduates who find themselves unemployed right out of college have a choice to make,” says Jeff Fisher, Director of Business Planning. “They can keep sending out resumes or they… Keep reading
Do I Need a Lawyer to Get a Divorce?
In a world where “c.r.e.a.m.” is as recognizable an acronym as “bankruptcy” is a buzzword, it’s only logical that many people have found themselves having to cut corners anywhere they can. You know, magnums instead of jeroboams, Maybachs over Bugattis, downsizing from summering in the French Riviera to a quick jaunt to Bali. And if it just so happens your name isn’t Carlos Slim or you don’t sit on the board of Goldman Sachs, tightening the budget most often means restructuring the way you categorize expenses. For example, when you have trained your eight year old son to answer the phone “Gee, I don’t know when a good time to call back would be Mister (credit card/bank/lending representative). Since Mama ran off with Uncle Charley, Pop’s just been sitting on the front porch drinking moonshine and cleaning his gun,”… Somehow scoring a ticket to the Oasis reunion tour you had been waiting a decade for moves from the –I don’t care if I have to feed my family Taco Bell for a month I’m buying it- category to the –no matter how… Keep reading
The treacherous course of due diligence, as part of the buying process, is fraught with booby traps. As a former corporate legal counsel, I can tell you that more business decisions are made from the gut than from an informed and calculated business perspective. Even the best of deals involve some level of emotion (“Listen, I really want this deal to work!”). But having a road map on which to execute your due diligence can help you navigate through the buying process and arrive safely at a wise business decision.
Authors Andrew Sherman and William M. Crilly provide a great road map in The AMA Handbook of Due Diligence: Revised and Updated Edition — filled with nearly 400 customizable forms and templates for recording and analyzing every possible operation or financial activity at any organization.
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Common Mistakes Made by Buyers During Due Diligence
By Andrew J. Sherman,
Author of The AMA Handbook of Due Diligence
1. Mismatch between the documents provided by the seller and the skills of the buyer’s review team. It may be the case that the seller has particularly complex financial… Keep reading
Check out this great video from our partners at Trial Skills Live demonstrating some effective methods for delivering an opening statement. We can all debate the finer points of trial advocacy, but having a strong video to draw from and critique definitely makes the dialogue more productive. We encourage our lawyers and mock trial veterans to offer feedback. Join the conversation!
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