John Killacky is Our Latest Featured Speaker!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
featured speaker
14 Mar

Our latest featured speaker is John Killacky, Esq. of Momkus McCluskey LLC!

John is experienced in litigation and transactions, and will speak at our Federal Court Boot Camp in Chicago on April 6, 2018.

We are happy to have John speak for us again. He was on the Chicago panels for our Advanced Litigation Techniques seminar, and our 7th and 8th Annual Federal Court Boot Camps. Attendees appreciated his effective use of personal experiences in the cases presented.

John has served in senior positions as both in-house and outside counsel. This potent combination has instilled in John a broad appreciation for how to best partner with clients to achieve their objectives.

Before joining Momkus McCluskey, John spent over eight years as General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel of a publicly-traded property and casualty insurance holding company. While in-house, John oversaw a number of high-stakes litigation matters and guided the company through several large M&A and financing transactions. John also served as the company’s Privacy and Chief Compliance Officer, charged with ensuring compliance with SEC and NASDAQ regulations, state insurance laws, Gramm-Leach-Bliley and other requirements. John has substantial experience providing practical legal and business advice to clients on a variety of substantive issues.

Prior to working in-house, John was a litigation partner with a large international law firm where he gained first and second chair trial experience in commercial, securities, employment, products liability and other complex litigation matters. John has considerable experience conducting internal investigations and has also represented clients responding to subpoenas and investigations by government agencies. John was also a partner with an entrepreneurial litigation boutique in Chicago.

In addition to his litigation practice, John provides insurance regulatory and corporate transactional services. Before pursuing a career in law, John attended the United States Naval Academy and served for five years as a surface warfare officer.

Passport to Chicago

Posted on by Faith Pincus
chicago
06 Mar

On Wednesday, April 4, 2018, Chicago’s legal and culinary communities will come together for the 5th Annual Passport to Chicago in support of the Chicago Bar Foundation.

Guests will enjoy dishes representing different Chicago neighborhoods, conceived and prepared by members of the Kendall College Competition Club. The event will also feature an appealing selection of local beers, regional wines and hometown spirits. Guests will vote for their favorite dish and crown the evening’s top chef.

Purchase your early bird tickets now for only $90 ($100 after March 9)!

Heed Caution with Embedded Copyrighted Content

Posted on by Faith Pincus
embedded
02 Mar

This blog post on Lexology from Robert Laplaca discusses a recent case in the United States District Court of the Southern District of New York regarding websites’ usage of embedded Twitter posts in their content.

In the case Goldman v. Breitbart News Network, LLC, District Judge Katherine Forrest stated that using embedded content from another website still leaves the user liable to claims of copyright infringement.

Judge Forrest said, “Having carefully considered the embedding issue, this Court concludes, for the reasons discussed below, that when defendants caused the embedded Tweets to appear on their websites, their actions violated plaintiff’s exclusive display right; the fact that the image was hosted on a server owned and operated by an unrelated third party (Twitter) does not shield them from this result.”

United States District Court of the Southern District of New York. Goldman v. Breitbart News Network, LLC. 15 Feb. 2018, www.eff.org/files/2018/02/15/goldman_v_breitbart_-_opinion.pdf.

Lauriann Wright is our latest Featured Speaker

Posted on by Faith Pincus
lauriann wright
28 Feb

Our latest featured speaker is Lauriann Wright of Wright Kim Douglas ALC!

Lauriann is an experienced probate litigator and estate planner who will speak at our Professional Fiduciaries: The Nuts and Bolts seminar in Los Angeles on March 9, 2018.

Lauriann first spoke for us last year at the Probate Litigation seminar. Attendees praised her excellent insight, humor, and engaging presentation.

Lauriann has been practicing all phases of probate law and litigation for the past 20 years. Her experience includes conservatorships, guardianships, trusts, and probate estates in Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside Counties. She was named a Southern California Super Lawyer in Trust and Estate Litigation for six consecutive years, from 2012 through 2018. In 2016, Best Lawyers listed Lauriann as one of “The Best Lawyers in America” in Litigation. National Advocates recently named Lauriann as a member of the Top 100 of Wills, Trust, and Estates Lawyers.

Cryptocurrencies Draw California Lawmakers’ Attention

Posted on by Faith Pincus
26 Feb

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been around for years, however, lately they’ve been a hot topic in the news and among attorneys.

This blog post from Jennifer Post, of Thompson Coburn, sheds some light on the issue. Jennifer will be speaking at our Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain & Initial Coin Offerings seminar in June 2018.

Virtual currencies remain largely unregulated, as well as the activities which support them (exchanges, wallets, etc). However, due to sudden interest from investors and the creation of several new cryptocurrencies, state lawmakers are beginning to consider how they should regulate these activities.

California has introduced the Virtual Currency Act (A.B. 1123), which would require those involved in a “virtual currency business” in California to first register with the state’s Commissioner of Business Oversight. A.B. 1123 defines a “virtual currency business” as any business “maintaining full custody or control of virtual currency in this state on behalf of others.”

Learn more by reading Jennifer’s post and at our upcoming Cryptocurrencies, Blockchain & Initial Coin Offerings seminar in June 2018.

Court says Tinder doesn’t get to charge older customers more

Posted on by Faith Pincus

Good news for Tinder users over the age of 30. Tinder – the swipe one way or the other if you are interested in someone (or not) dating app – just got smacked for charging older customers more than those under thirty for Tinder’s premium services.

We just found this blurb Winston & Strawn attorney Ryan P. Glove on the new California Lawyers Association’s Advertising law related Blog and wanted to pass it along:

A California Court of Appeals recently found that Tinder’s practice of charging users over the age of 30 an additional $10 for premium services violates the Unruh Civil Rights Act and the Unfair Competition Law. The court rejected Tinder’s argument that its pricing model was not discriminatory because it based pricing on market research which shows that users under 30 have less means to pay for premium services and therefore require a discount. Although certain age-based pricing structures have been upheld in the past, the appellate court held that Tinder’s pricing model is discriminatory because it employs an “arbitrary, class-based, generalization about older users’ incomes as a basis for charging them more than younger users,” and Tinder did not provide compelling public policy justifications for the alleged discriminatory pricing.

Ian Samson and Paul Traina are our latest Featured Speakers!

Posted on by Faith Pincus
07 Feb

Our latest Featured Speakers are Ian Samson and Paul Traina of Stalwart Law Group!

Ian Samson is an experienced litigator and trial lawyer who will speak at our upcoming Mastering the Deposition seminar in Los Angeles, on February 23rd, 2018.

Ian first spoke for us back in 2016 for Federal Court Boot Camp and has been a repeat speaker for both federal and superior court boot camps since. Seminar attendees rave about his insight, clear examples, and knowledgeability.

Ian represents clients in catastrophic injury matters, whistleblower litigation, class actions, professional liability cases, and commercial litigation. Innovative, tireless, and always willing to go the extra mile for his clients, he has gone toe-to-toe with some of the most highly-regarded law firms in the nation.

Equally comfortable arguing a specific point of law to a federal court judge as he is explaining the big picture to a state court jury, he uses every aspect of his experience to get the best possible result for his clients. Ian is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Consumer Attorneys of California, and Public Justice.

And Paul Traina, an experienced, fiercely competitive litigator and trial lawyer, will also speak at our upcoming Mastering the Deposition seminar.

Paul first spoke for us a while back at our Wage & Hour Class Action seminar, and has returned to speak at many of our litigation related seminars year after year, due to his great evaluations.

Paul has practiced law for the past 25 years. He spent his first five years representing automobile manufacturers and insurance companies, and the last twenty years representing consumers on a pure contingency basis. Paul has obtained verdicts and recoveries for his clients totaling over 3 billion dollars. He has, and continues to represent clients in matters involving catastrophic injuries, defective products, whistleblower litigation, class actions, professional liability cases, and business/commercial litigation.

Paul is a frequent guest lecturer at Loyola Law School’s Trial Advocacy Class. He has lectured around the country about class actions, conflicts of interest, opening and closing arguments, and direct and cross examinations of both lay and expert witnesses. Paul is a member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and Consumer Attorneys of California.

Wet Weather Tips for Your Best Friends

Posted on by Erik Knepfler

As you know, at Pincus Pro Ed, we are huge animal lovers. While we are lucky enough to be based in Los Angeles and away from the worst of winter weather, we wanted to take a moment and share some wet weather tips from Los Angeles Animal Services.

1. Go outside with your dog.
If you normally just let your dog out in the backyard, you may need to actually go with him or her when it’s raining.  Taking your dog for a short walk or stepping out in the yard with them will make your best buddy feel safer and it’s more likely that they will feel comfortable enough to go potty.
2.  Use positive reinforcement and treats.
Just like potty training, bring a few treats when you take your dog outside and reward them after they “go.” Be sure to praise them enthusiastically as well.
3.  Plan ahead.
Watch the weather and take advantage of bringing your dog outside during a lull in the storm. Your pooch will more likely be open to going outside when it’s sprinkling than when it’s pouring rain. Also, think about your walking route. Avoid busy streets where cars will splash through puddles and drench you both and potentially scare your furry family member.
4.  Stay dry.
If your dog doesn’t mind getting dressed up, try purchasing a doggie rain coat and boots for them or grab a large umbrella to shield them from the rain drops. When they get wet, keep a towel on hand so you can quickly dry them off when you return to the house to avoid water and mud on your floors and furniture.
5. Play indoors.
If your dog is used to going outside and running around during the day you’ll want to provide them with indoor activities when it rains for long periods of time. Teach them a new trick, give them a new chew toy, play hide in seek or let them figure out a puzzle feeder or Kong ball that you can pick up at your local pet store.
Some pets do not like rain and some do but regardless, remember companion animals want to be with you! They are safer and dryer inside with you during rain storms, where they can spend their time doing what they do best: being your best friend.
For more from Los Angeles Animal Services you can see their website. They offer adoption, licensing and veterinary services for pets.

The New Pot Com.

Posted on by Erik Knepfler
As most everyone in California knows, beginning January 1, recreational marijuana is available for purchase by anyone 21 years or older.According to The Recorder, a study from the University of California Agricultural Issues Center at UC Davis, estimated the state’s recreational marijuana sales could reach $5 billion a year, though other studies are estimating $100,000 million for the first year. Either way – it is going to be a huge economic boom. We’re calling it the new Pot Com.

Companies are also prepping for the inevitable regulations that will come with legalized marijuana and marijuana is about to become big business. That comes with large legal departments and legal services provided by attorneys at all sizes of firms and in a variety of legal specialties, as we have said before.

You can get the latest story from The Recorder here.

Also, if you are interested in learning more about the legal aspects of the cannabis industry, be sure to check out our recorded seminar Marijuana Law and Practice 101 held in California in 2017.