Thanks to Silicon Valley and our new intangible economy, Intellectual Property (IP) law is now on everybody’s 24 hour news cycle. Even small to medium businesses have everyday IP issues that must be identified and addressed - either in terms of minimizing their risk of infringement claims or maximizing the value of their own IP.

Although there are over a dozen highly relevant and probative questions you could ask, this program is designed to present 10 solid questions that every business must answer. Mark reviews these ten questions to highlight the most pressing IP issues faced by businesses today so you can help minimize their risk and maximize the value of their intangible assets. Mark will start by providing a brief recap of copyrights, trademarks, patents & trade secrets. He then goes into deep discussion on comprehensive IP audits, vetting new hires, buying company domain names, reviewing marketing materials, registering trademarks with the state & USPTO, recording copyrights & trademarks with U.S. Customs, establishing & implementing a trade secret protection plan and getting licenses for images & videos on the company website.

Mark Reichenthal practices in the areas of Intellectual Property, licensing, new media, entertainment law and book publishing. Prior to joining Branfman Mayfield Bustarde Reichenthal, Mark was a Senior Counsel at Wiley Publishing - the publisher of the famous "For Dummies" series.

The globalization of the economy has created countless opportunities for foreign investment into the United States. This can be foreign investment in U.S. real estate & businesses and even foreign individuals looking to immigrate to the U.S. and bring assets with them.

A true master of his craft, Jacob Stein will explain the nuances & tax ramifications of these transactions, with particular emphasis on how to structure transactions for real estate and cross border joint ventures. Jacob will mainly address selecting the appropriate corporate structure, taxation issues with inboud transactions and transfer tax considerations. Further topics discussed: direct investment, LLCs, U.S. based corporations, foreign corporations investing in the U.S., FDAP Income (Fixed Determinable, Annual or Periodic), Effectively Connected Income (ECI), Branch Profits Tax, Capital Gains, Estate & Gift Tax and pre-integrated tax planning.

A partner with the Aliant law firm in Los Angeles, Jacob Stein focuses on asset & income protection, in addition to International Tax issues. He has represented over a thousand clients, from Forbes 400 families to Internet entrepreneurs.

You don’t have to have an LLM in tax to help your business clients with tax issues. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Being able to spot tax issues and help your business clients identify and manage risk can save them thousands of dollars and keep them in business.

In this tax crash course Sam Brotman details how you can help the businesses you counsel spot tax issues before they become major headaches. Sam will mainly cover the following topics: the difference between an accountant & an attorney, dealing with income tax audits, how to defend your clients against IRS audits, what to expect during a payroll tax audit and sales & use tax audits. In addition Sam will also address the main pitfalls that create tax problems, common myths, why people get audited, DIF & UI DIF scores, the 4 types of audits (matching, correspondence, office & field), statutes of limitations, audit red flags, substantiation & legal issue audits, how to conduct the pre-audit, the IRS Appeals Process, the EDD, the general ledger, independent contractor issues, methods of testing, sampling, the pre-audit plan and common traps.

Samuel D. Brotman is the founder of Brotman Law. His practice primarily centers on all aspects of tax litigation and criminal & civil tax controversies. Although a strong proponent of early stage tax resolution, Sam's practice is uniquely tailored to assist clients in all phases of their tax controversy from administrative resolution of the lawsuit.

At this point, most attorneys are aware of the increased rates of substance abuse amongst lawyers and the link between abuse & addiction and diminished competence & disciplinary issues. But what about treatment options - is there anything to consider aside from the normal 12 step programs like AA?

In this CLE program, psychologist Tom Horvath will mainly analyze some of the most current studies and research on the subject as he discusses the evolution of addiction treatment and provides options for treatment including self-care. The main studies addressed include The ABA Report of the National Task Force On Lawyer Well-Being, The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs & Health and the DSM–5. Additional topics covered: the Lawyer Assistance Program (LAP), the power of language, problems with most U.S. treatments, sources of pleasure, self-control, the cost-benefit analysis of addictive behavior, self-treatment 101, coping with craving and why addiction is NOT a disease.

Dr. Tom Horvath, founder of Practical Recovery, is an internationally recognized expert on addiction treatment. He has been president of SMART Recovery for almost 20 years - SMART Recovery is the largest of the non-12-step mutual help groups. He is the author of Sex, Drugs, Gambling & Chocolate: A Workbook for Overcoming Addictions.

Advance care planning has become a hot button topic as the current pandemic sweeps through every corner of our country. You might have clients and family members that are reaching out with questions - and you yourself may even need to consider these issues.

Clients in all stages of life often come to attorneys for council on advance care and end of life care planning. In this CLE program, healthcare attorney & nurse Renee Mallet will provide attorneys with an overview on the issues and key terminology so they can help their clients choose the best options for them and their families. Among the main topics discussed are living wills, durable power of attorneys for healthcare, do not resuscitate orders and palliative care. These key subjects will also be addressed: terminal conditions, legal competence, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation), ventilator as emergency support, artificial nutrition & hydration, pregnant clients, cardiac & respiratory arrest, dialysis, forms & templates, proper notification and conversation starters to get the discussion going.

Renee is both a nurse and attorney. She presently works for Cardinal Health in the Ethics and Compliance Department serving as a subject matter expert on various laws and regulations and company ethical standards, from HIPPA to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

When Pierre DuPont engaged in his classic “Freeze Transaction” in the 1930’s, he was able to freeze the value of $15 million worth of stock that was eventually sold for $500 million by his children. But this was a risky transaction predicated upon one massive gamble – that the value of the DuPont Corporation would continue to increase.

Today, you can help your clients with advanced asset and tax planning with much more security by using irrevocable trusts. Attorney Jacob Stein, a true master of his craft, will dispel myths about irrevocable trusts and show you how they are commonly deployed in estate & income tax planning. Jacob will address the following topics: modern drafting practice, trust protectors & retaining control, the trust as an agreement, trusts & the two bundles of rights, revoking the trust, retaining the power to control & amend the trust, appointing the trust protector, defining the power given to the trust protector, Intentionally Defective Grantor Trusts (IDGT), state tax planning, DINGs & WINGs.

Jacob Stein is a partner with the law firm Aliant, LLP, in Los Angeles, California. A prolific writer and speaker, Mr. Stein has represented over a thousand clients, from Forbes 400 families to Internet entrepreneurs. He focuses on asset & income protection, in addition to International Tax issues.

Despite being armed with information on buy-and-holds, asset allocation, diversification and target terms, the overriding investment management problem that plagues many attorneys can be summed up by the eternal question: “What do I buy?”

As attorneys we are high-achievers and problem-solvers - we meet challenges and find creative solutions for our clients on a daily basis. However, we’re not Warren Buffet when it comes to investing for retirement. A Registered Investment Adviser, Ric Lager works with attorneys and law firms to help maximize the value of their retirement investments. In this CLE he will primarily address: selecting a plan, simple IRAs vs. SEPs vs. individual 401(k) plans, the challenges legal professionals face when investing and 401(k) management pitfalls & practice points. He will also cover common decision-making points, SPIVA & mutual fund analysis tools, tracking stats & results, statistical lessons from March Madness, ranking portfolios, 401(k) fees, portfolio rebalancing, insurance and the cost of bad investments.

Ric Lager is president of Lager & Company, Inc. For the last fifteen years Lager & Company, Inc. has specialized in advising retirement plan participants to maximize the value of their retirement investments.

Many family law cases are extremely emotionally draining for the client and attorney alike. Knowing what to expect and having a good understanding of how these cases proceed through the court system can help you manage your client’s expectations and emotions.

Sandra Fava will provide you with a broad overview of family law practice – from adoptions to domestic violence. Sandra will mainly discuss how a family law case starts, the non-dissolution docket, the dissolution docket, practical points for family law practice and pitfalls for the new practitioner. She will provide you practical points on the following: domestic violence actions, adoption proceedings, juveniles, settlement, motion practice, use of experts, mediation & arbitration, dealing with unpaid support obligations, guardianships, the worthy client, zealous advocacy vs. becoming emotionally intertwined, good client management, managing deadlines, communicating with clients and practical advice for clients. This course is designed for attorneys new to family law practice or experienced attorneys from other practices that need to understand the family court system and how a case proceeds.

Sandra C. Fava has dedicated her legal career to the thoughtful and diligent representation of clients in divorce and family law matters. She provides representation at every level, including complex and sophisticated family law matters, often representing high net worth individuals, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, professionals and business owners or their spouses.

From car accidents to botched surgeries, many legal cases require lawyers to put on their doctor hats and have in-depth knowledge of the anatomy human body. In briefs and during mediation – and especially in the courtroom – personal injury attorneys must be able to convey their knowledge of anatomy to experts and the judge and especially the jury.

In this CLE course, attorney Rachel Rose will teach you about the anatomy fundamentals you need to know about so you can communicate with your expert witnesses and the jury. Rachel will mainly cover the issues & types of cases that require a lawyer to have anatomical knowledge, anatomy vs. pathology, medical position terminology and practical points to consider in your legal cases. She also provides detailed overviews of the following systems: musculoskeletal, gastro-intestinal, circulatory and nervous.

From working on Wall Street to interning on Capitol Hill, Rachel V. Rose, JD, MBA, has accumulated knowledge in a multitude of fields throughout her career. She advises on federal and state compliance and areas of liability associated with a variety of healthcare, legal and regulatory issues including: HIPAA, the HITECH Act, the False Claims Act, Medicare issues, as well as corporate and security regulations.

Do you own a dog or a cat - or maybe even a horse or a chinchilla? Are you passionate about your pets? Have you ever considered turning your love for dogs and animals into a legal career?

Cheryl Nolan was that kid that brought home injured birds and stray cats. Having been involved in her mother’s dog obedience business from an early age, she now helps her clients with a variety of animal related issues in her animal-centered law practice - from housing law and negligence, to products liability and visitation rights. In this CLE course she will provide you with the highlights of her animal law practice, what keeps Animal Law lawyers up at night and important practice tips. Cheryl will also provide commentary on common cases & claims, regulations involving service animals, fake service animals, law enforcement issues, accidents & premises liability, animal abuse & neglect, risks to the health & safety of animals, combatting puppy mills and managing clients.

Cheryl Nolan decided on a career in law to help others and be of service. After 23 years in legal services promoting the interests of the disadvantaged and equal access to justice, Cheryl felt the need to unify her legal work with her personal interests and she now runs an animal-centered law practice.

You get a frantic call from an attorney you’ve known since law school. Apparently, a person that she declined to represent left scathing, false reviews with one stars on a number of review websites like Yelp and RipoffReport.com. She is extremely distraught since she relies in the Internet for new clients and she wants your advice on what to do.

Paul Sternberg handles these exact issues on a daily basis and he provides you with a blueprint of how to handle online defamation cases. Paul will mainly talk about the First Amendment & protected speech, determining the defaming party, understanding liability under the CDA & the DMCA, legal strategies to consider in the defamation case, building a defamation case or defense and removing a website. He will also cover: libel vs. slander, weighing the decision to sue, deploying a cease & desist letter, SLAPP & ANTI-SLAPP laws, the Streisand Effect, elements to prove, statutes of limitation, public vs. private figures, malice vs. negligence, proof of damages, drafting a court order, utilizing Terms of Service, restoring your client’s reputation and the keys to success in a defamation case.

Paul M. Sternberg has been in private practice at his Texas law firm since 2001. A seasoned entrepreneur, Paul is the author of The Attorney’s Guide to Internet Defamation and Website Removal. He concentrates his practice in the areas of Internet defamation law and business law.

Conflicts of interest continue to ethically ensnare attorneys and firms – especially with increasingly more lawyers changing firms these days. Conflicts can cost you and your firm millions and lead to embarrassing publicity if you happen to get disqualified from a case due to this all too common ethical trap.

Unfortunately, there is no magical formula for avoiding conflicts because they can take many forms and can be tricky to identify - even for experienced attorneys and well-established firms. In this CLE course, malpractice attorney William McCaffery lays out the ethical framework, analyzes instructive case examples and provides practical tips for avoiding ethical violations & disqualification. These topics are also covered in this fast paced course: erroring on the side of caution, conflicts & current clients, duties to former clients, imputed disqualification, conflicts rules for government officers & employees, dealing with organizations, duties to potential clients, maintaining routine conflict procedures, using conflict waivers and what to include in the engagement letter.

William T. McCaffery concentrates in the areas of legal malpractice defense, professional liability, commercial litigation, and general liability defense. He represents attorneys and law firms that have been sued for legal malpractice in cases ranging from real estate and personal injury matters to complex business transactions and commercial litigation.

You might be a winner! No purchase necessary! Just send a self-addressed stamped envelope! Many will enter…. few will win. We all know the catch phrases because we’ve heard the sweepstakes and promotions commercials countless times.

In this CLE course Rob Laplaca will show you the basics of running a legally-compliant sales campaign from development through execution. You will learn: how to spot the differences among sweepstakes, contests, games & charitable sales promotions; how to negotiate gambling laws, and key points when running social media & mobile marketing campaigns. In addition, Rob will also discuss prize, chance & consideration, chance vs. skill games, post consideration, non-monetary consideration, skill contests, User Generated Content (UGC), mobile marketing, product review & endorsements and social websites. Companies love to blanket the airwaves with sweepstakes, games and promotions as part of their marketing campaigns – make sure the companies you represent do it legally.

Rob Laplaca represents promotional marketing agencies & major brands – including food and beverage, retail, entertainment, personal care, and professional and consumer products in a variety of nationwide marketing activities from traditional promotions and offers to social media, in-app and other on-line programs.

The head surgeon for the local hospital, the author of the authoritative textbook, the airline’s chief pilot - all trial lawyers experience a degree of trepidation when facing the prospect of cross-examining the sophisticated adverse expert. How can we possibly offset the expert’s superior knowledge, intellect, experience and connection to the jury?

Veteran trial attorney Quentin Brogdon will show you how it can be done with meticulous preparation and a carefully crafted game plan. Quentin will focus on classic literature & your cross examination strategy, the art & science of cross and the four hurdles for experts. To demonstrate his points Quentin will also discuss heroes & villains, trial vs. discovery depos, to cross – or not to cross, myths of cross-examination, Younger’s 10 Commandments, leading adverse experts, choosing your cross persona, preparation & due diligence and getting in the mud with the expert. Cross-examining expert witnesses presents the trial lawyer with unique challenges – Quentin will show you how the true skill is to minimize the opposing expert’s opportunity to do harm to your client’s case.

The President of the Dallas Trial Lawyers Association, Quentin Brogdon is also Fellow in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers of trial attorneys which is limited to 500 attorneys in the United States.

Almost every law firm and legal association states that it is firmly committed to combatting gender bias inside their organization and the legal profession. However, most gender diversity initiatives and programs have accomplished very little change and the profession remains significantly male dominated, especially amongst managing and equity partners.

To learn about the steps firms and legal organizations can take to create a more level playing field, join Andi Kramer and Al Harris for a thoughtful discussion about overcoming gender bias to create a more successful and profitable law firm. Andi and Al will mainly address the gender achievement gap, how diversity & inclusion benefits firms, why greater gender diversity & inclusion has not been achieved and what legal organizations can do to reduce gender bias. Further topics covered in this CLE course: what the ABA has done to address gender bias, the moral & business rationale for diversity & inclusion, affinity & unconscious bias, men & #MeToo, communal & agentic stereotypes, the Goldilocks dilemma, the spectrum of bias, incivility & harassment, how to encourage organizational change, thinking slow and active steps men can take.

Andrea S. Kramer is an attorney and a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. The managing partner in the Chicago office of Nixon Peabody, Al is a frequent writer and lecturer on the financial markets, financial regulation, corporate governance and diversity in the legal profession.

Many of us have achieved the one of the pinnacles of the American dream, owning our own home. However, even though it’s the most expensive purchase many of us will make, quite a few attorneys and clients fail to understand the basics of the document that protects their investment - the homeowners insurance policy.

In this CLE course, attorney Evan Walker will walk you through the basics of understanding homeowners insurance policies and coverage. He will mainly cover the following topics: the declarations page & definitions, coverages, exclusions, endorsements and first & third party claims disputes. Evan will also discuss coverage & coverage limits, Coverages A - D, how to read the policy, the definitions of the insured & insured property, being underinsured, due diligence to make sure that you have adequate insurance, depreciation, additional living expenses, named perils, the burden of proof, scope of coverage, riders, contract-driven disputes, tort claims against third parties and subrogation.

After evacuating from New Orleans to Houston, Evan W. Walker graduated in 2008 as part of the ‘Hurricane Katrina Class.’ After graduation, Evan worked for a New Orleans insurance defense firm. He opened his own firm in 2014 to represent people after years of defending insurance companies.

With billions of cell phones and apps out there, the amount of ESI generated by cell phones is overwhelming to many legal professionals. We get it - you are an attorney not a computer genius. But if you are ignoring evidence on smart phones and apps, you are ignoring a virtual treasure trove of electronic information that can greatly benefit your client at trial.

In this CLE program, highly rated instructor Lars Daniel will use case examples from his digital forensics practice to explain the proper methods to forensically acquire cell phone evidence. Lars will mainly discuss the collection, acquisition, analysis and examination of electronic evidence on smartphones and challenging the evidence. Lars will also address the following topics: “thumb forensics” by first responders, logical & file systems, deleted & destroyed data, manual examinations, Google Maps & network, user accounts, Internet searches & history, call logs, SMS & MMS messaging, installed apps, power events, the user dictionary, Google is watching & listening, timelines, affidavit highlights, video verification, fakes messages are real and a spoofing case example.

A digital forensics expert, Lars Daniel has attended over 250 hours of forensic training and has worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, among other case types. A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

Your client is arrested for robbery. Like everybody that walks into your office, he claims he didn’t do it and that he was at the park with his kid at the time of the crime. Wisely, you turn to the information stored on his iPhone to show that he was nowhere near the scene of the crime because you can show that his phone was searching for WiFi connections around the houses next to the park.

Call Detail Records (CDRs) and cell phone location evidence has become crucial evidence in many civil and criminal trials. In this CLE course, Larry Daniel will teach you how cell phones work and how CDR and location evidence is used in legal cases - from insurance fraud to murder. In addition, Larry will cover tactics on how to locate cell phones and cell phone records and he will show you how to challenge the methods of analysis and the qualifications of persons who will testify about this evidence. These topics are also addressed: how to get CDRs from Verizon, AT&T & Sprint, how CDRs are used, what they contain, how to generate cell phone location maps, retention, records, prepaid “burner phones,” getting the records, cell phone registration, how the phone chooses a tower, sector layout & azimuth, cell tower coverage, cell tower sectors and key case law.

A licensed attorney in California, Jason Castillo actively participated in this course.

Communicate with clients, don’t “borrow” money from trust accounts, calendar every key deadline… the same fundamental ethics principles still hold true for the 21st century lawyer. That’s because the same traditional ethics issues continue to plague lawyers, leading to countless ethics violations and malpractice lawsuits.

In this course Joel Selik discusses the most common ethics violations you need to be aware of so you can continue to practice ethically. The main issues discussed include the most common ethical pitfalls, insurance issues, what happens when you get “the letter” and sources of ethics laws & duties. Joel will also address calendaring deadlines, communicating with clients, trust account issues, dumping clients, staying in your practice area, contingent & set fee agreements, billing issues, responding to a malpractice letter or ethics complaint from the state bar and key practice points to remain ethical in your everyday practice.

A malpractice attorney and ethics expert, Joel G. Selik has practiced law for over 30 years and frequently represents attorney clients in malpractice cases. Joel is licensed to practice law in both California and Nevada and he frequently presents seminars on Estate Planning, Nursing Home Litigation, Legal Ethics and Malpractice.

From the “puppy paw” handshake to how you sit at the conference table, there are verbal and non-verbal communication techniques women can employ and avoid to overcome gender bias and find greater success in the legal workplace.

Andie Kramer and Al Harris provide practical communication tips and techniques to improve gender diversity in law firms and organizations. Andie and Al present a frank discussion on how gender bias affects women in the legal profession, the root of the problem and communication techniques that can help men and women lawyers overcome gender bias. Additional subjects covered include: why the law continues to be a traditionally male profession, the gender achievement gap, the ABA Presidential Initiative for Achieving Long-Term Careers for Women, communal & agentic stereotypes, other’s peoples impressions & the image you present and how to encourage organizational change. The following biases will also be discussed: affinity bias, negative bias, agentic bias, self-limiting bias, benevolent bias and motherhood bias.

Andrea S. Kramer is an attorney and a partner in the international law firm of McDermott Will & Emery, LLP. The managing partner in the Chicago office of Nixon Peabody, Al is a frequent writer and lecturer on the financial markets, financial regulation, corporate governance and diversity in the legal profession.