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Lip Sync For Your Brand? When Parody, Performance, and Trademark Law Collide in the Age of Social Media

Devon Holstad September 8, 2026

Recent legal disputes involving drag performers and established brands have spurred discussion in legal and entertainment circles alike about the complex intersection of modern trademark law, activism, and values-driven branding. The ongoing high-profile a trademark lawsuit between Patagonia, a leading outdoor apparel company, and Pattie Gonia, a popular drag queen and environment activist, offers more than just colorful headlines. It

what a verdict number means in mass torts

What a Verdict Number Actually Means in Mass Torts

David Meldofsky September 8, 2026

In August 2018, a San Francisco jury told a former school groundskeeper named Dewayne Johnson that Monsanto owed him $289 million. That was the number in every headline. It is not the number he was paid. Months later the trial judge cut the punitive portion of the award, bringing the total to roughly $78.5 million. In July 2020, the California

Slip, Trip, and Fall: When Is a California Property Owner Legally Responsible?

Josh Adelpour September 2, 2026

A fall in a grocery store, an apartment stairwell, or a parking lot can leave someone with a broken wrist, a concussion, or worse. A common assumption follows, that if I fell on someone’s property, they must owe me. California law is more nuanced than that. A property owner is not automatically responsible every time a person is hurt on

Staking a Claim: Who Owns AI-Generated Content?

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose August 24, 2026

Generative artificial intelligence has quickly become a routine business tool. Employees use AI platforms to draft marketing materials, prepare reports, create presentations, write software code, develop product descriptions, and generate artwork. Independent contractors are increasingly relying on the same technologies to perform services for their clients. As the use of these systems expands, businesses are beginning to ask an important

When One Case Can Change Thousands of Lives: The Changing Role of Class Actions and Mass Torts in Pursuing Justice

Will McBride August 3, 2026

Most legal cases are measured by what they mean to one client or one family. Class actions and mass torts are different. While every plaintiff has an individual story, these cases often reveal a much larger pattern, one that affects hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people. Whether the issue is a dangerous product, environmental contamination, deceptive business practices, or

Can an Alleged Victim Drop Domestic Violence Charges in Florida?

J. Ruffin Hunt July 31, 2026

One of the most common questions people ask after a domestic violence arrest in Florida is whether the alleged victim can “drop the charges.” Many people assume that because the alleged victim called the police or made the initial report, they also have the power to end the case. In reality, Florida’s criminal justice system works differently. While an alleged

IP and AI Deepfakes: Can you really “Trademark Yourself?” Should You?

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose July 8, 2026

Artificial Intelligence can use online content from creators to produce various “new works” online, whether those original content creators are globally famous, locally famous, or anonymous. These new works might be “deepfakes,” parodies, funny memes, or advertisements meant to trade off the goodwill of another party. Are there really ways to stop others from using that content when the content

Form I-864: The Federal Contract Hiding Inside Marriage-Based Immigration (Why Family Lawyers Ignore It at Their Peril)

Richard Thomas Herman June 24, 2026

A family lawyer negotiates a divorce settlement. Property is divided. Spousal support is waived. The final decree is entered. The file is closed. Two years later, the former husband is served with a lawsuit seeking support under a document he signed years earlier while sponsoring his spouse for a green card. He assumed the divorce ended his obligations. It didn’t.

AI and Life After Death

Z. Peter Sawicki and Amanda Prose June 23, 2026

“Who Wants to Live Forever” was a song written by Queen for the film Highlander (1986). Who knew that in 2025 Meta in obtaining U.S. Patent No. 12,513,102 would provide a method of a virtual life after death. What once sounded like science fiction, or perhaps a rejected subplot from a dystopian television series, may become a virtual reality and

Handshake Deal to Lawsuit: The Risks of Informal Agreements

David Olsky June 22, 2026

Not every deal starts with a contract. Sometimes, people assume that a shared understanding is enough, that a written agreement isn’t necessary, or that they’ll document it later. Sometimes that works. Informal arrangements are fine when things are going well. But when a business relationship breaks down, the lack of a legal contract can cause significant problems. A recent case

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