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.

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.

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.

The Internet helped to connect our world – the Internet of Things (IoT) is now hyper-connecting our world through billions of devices. From a cow with a chip in its ear to medical ingestibles & social credit scores, the IoT is collecting a myriad of data about us – and this data can and is being used in civil and criminal litigation.

In this eye-opening CLE course, Lars Daniel will introduce you to the IoT and explain how data is collected from IoT devices and where the data is stored, from local devices to the cloud. After providing you with an overview of the IoT, Lars will then analyze several civil and criminal case examples that highlight the importance of digital evidence derived from IoT devices such as digital pacemakers, fitness wearables and smart home assistants. After completing this eye-opening course you will know: what IoT devices are important sources of digital evidence, how this evidence can be forensically collected & utilized in your cases, key security considerations & cutting edge IoT data analysis techniques, and case examples where IoT devices played a critical role.

A digital evidence expert, Lars Daniel has attended over 250 hours of forensic training and worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, employee wrongdoing and large scale e-discovery collections.

From Fords & Ferraris to Chevys & Lambos, Americans have a deep rooted love affair with their cars. And when car companies invest millions into the development and marketing of their iconic vehicles – only to see their goodwill and investment knocked off by another company – then the IP lawyers are unleashed.

In this eloquent & entertaining CLE program, Peter Afrasiabi reviews how the automotive industry has used trade dress law to protect their automobile designs and parts. Peter will mainly discuss the fundamentals & three elements of a trade dress claim and analyze key case law involving Hummers, Bentleys, Spyders, Porsches & Lamborghinis, kit cars and more. Throughout the course Peter also provides numerous practice tips for litigating claims of trade dress infringement about social media & survey evidence, expert & witness testimony and many other valuable points. He will also provide expert analysis on the Lanham Act, the nonfunctional requirement, inherently distinctive (ID) or secondary meaning, the likelihood of confusion and trade dress in advertising.

From battles with Madonna over the "Material Girl" brand to fair use disputes with the Eagles' Don Henley to protecting such iconic brands as Bettie Page in trademark and trade dress disputes, Peter R. Afrasiabi primarily handles copyright, trademark and entertainment disputes.

Have you ever thought about representing a local nonprofit in your community? Would you like to volunteer as a board member? Have you dreamed for years about starting your own nonprofit to help injured animals?

An attorney with a passion for representing nonprofits, Nikki Semanchik provides practical guidance on this robust and rewarding area of law. In this high level overview Nikki will address legal issues that are common to many nonprofits – including formation & exemption issues, applying for tax exemption from the IRS, annual compliance requirements, directors & officers and common tax matters. She will also talk about common nonprofit myths, public charities vs. private foundations, incorporation, bylaws, protecting the 501(c)(3) exemption, 1023 vs. 1023EZ, governance issues, private inurement and UBIT. This is a great course if you want to learn how to help your local youth sports league or community groups like the PTA – or if you’re finally ready to start your own nonprofit.

Nikki Semanchik is the Founding Attorney of Semanchik Law Group, a business and nonprofit firm located in San Diego, California. In addition to assisting nonprofit organizations with formation, compliance and governance, she also represents for profit businesses on a wide variety of matters.

In the middle of the second panel at recent trial, a guy that had not even been seated yet raised his hand and yelled, “Usually on Bull, this case is wrapped up already.” Yes, most people have an unrealistic view of the legal system - and many jurors would rather be just about anywhere else than stuck in court.

Successful trial lawyers know how to overcome these obstacles to connect with the jury and get the best results for their clients. Experienced trial lawyers Jeffrey Kimmel and Joseph Bavaro provide a lively discussion filled with practical points and tips that you can deploy at your next trial. The dynamic duo will mainly discuss gaining credibility by being yourself, practically applying the rules of civil procedure to your case, building rapport with the jury during voir dire, telling your client’s story during the opening statement and listening to the other side’s case. Additional topics covered: using buzz words, developing your own style, doing what works for you, avoiding being too stiff in the opening, keeping the jury’s attention and tips for direct & cross examination.

Jeffrey M. Kimmel is highly regarded for his fierce litigation style and persistent drive to achieve optimal results for his clients. A proven trial attorney, Mr. Kimmel was selected as one of New York City’s “Ten Leaders” in Civil Trial. With over 25 years of legal experience, Joseph S. Bavaro is an invaluable advocate for his clients.

The trial attorney that tells the better story and persuades both the judge and jury will win the day. Unfortunately, many attorneys think that persuasion means they should pack their legal briefs with every known fact and legal argument that can be formulated.

Randall Christison will teach you how to fine tune your legal writing by providing examples & exercises, illustrating common legal writing mistakes and concluding with tips for persuading judges. You will learn how to craft a succinct written argument using effective introductions, recognize over-wordy & succinct written argument, write an argument meeting trial judge expectations, present a written argument using effective topic headings and present a written argument using effective fact statements. Additional topics covered: how to start, the first page wins it all, the introduction, presenting the issue, using syllogism, the bold synopsis, headings, stating the legal rule, your audience, what the court reads, pitfalls, and judicial pet peeves.

Randall Christison has practiced law for over 35 years, focusing on civil litigation and on training lawyers. He has handled scores of trials, around 200 appeals and has been AV-rated for 25 years.