Course List

Generative AI is a game-changing technology – but it also comes with ethical risks for attorneys and law firms. Developing an AI policy for your law firm is now crucial and involves addressing ethical considerations and ensuring compliance with legal standards while leveraging the benefits of AI.

This CLE explores the ethical, practical and regulatory implications of integrating artificial intelligence into legal practice. It covers core technologies like machine learning and generative AI, their application in law firms and the ethical responsibilities attorneys under the ABA Model Rules and various state bar ethics opinions. Attorneys will learn how to assess confidentiality risks, ensure transparency in billing, combat AI bias and develop firm-wide AI policies that uphold professional conduct and client trust.

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Identify key AI technologies used in legal practice and their core functions.

2. Understand the ethical rules and responsibilities triggered by AI use, including competence, confidentiality, and candor.

3. Evaluate the risks of AI bias, misinformation, and data security breaches.

4. Develop a compliant AI policy aligned with ABA Model Rules and state bar guidance.

5. Communicate transparently with clients about AI use and its implications for fees, privacy, and case strategy.

Desire'e Martinelli is an attorney and the Director of Marketing & Analytics of Esquire Interactive LLC. Jeff Lantz is an attorney, entrepreneur, and the CEO of Esquire Interactive LLC, an interactive digital marketing agency for attorneys and law firms.

There are many reasons why shareholders fight and small businesses break up – differences in business vision & strategy, disagreements over financial decisions, conflicts of interest & personality clashes are some of the main ones. When shareholders fight, legal advisors must quickly assess available rights, remedies, and the trajectory of any potential resolution or litigation.

In this CLE, Brandon M. Schwartz will mainly explore fiduciary duties owed among shareholders in closely held corporations, detail the types of disputes that frequently arise and highlight the strategies available to resolve them effectively. The program highlights both substantive and procedural fiduciary obligations, including duties of loyalty, candor, and fair dealing. Attendees will also gain insights into majority vs. minority shareholder dynamics, shareholder oppression and deadlock scenarios. Finally, the session focuses on dispute resolution options — from mediation and arbitration to full-scale litigation and the use of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs). By the conclusion of the session, attorneys will be better equipped to advise clients on preventative measures, evaluate risks, and select dispute resolution strategies that protect shareholder rights and preserve business value.

Learning Objectives

- Identify fiduciary duties owed among majority and minority shareholders in closely held corporations.

- Differentiate between common types of shareholder disputes, including deadlock, oppression, and breach of shareholder agreements.

- Analyze risks and consequences of shareholder disputes, including operational, financial, and reputational impacts.

- Evaluate dispute resolution options, including mediation, arbitration, and litigation.

- Understand the role of Special Litigation Committees (SLCs) in resolving shareholder disputes and the standards courts apply to review their decisions.

- Develop strategies for advising clients proactively to minimize disputes and preserve business relationships.

Brandon M. Schwartz, Esq., is a Board-Certified Civil Specialist by the Minnesota State Bar Association, a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate and Family Trial Law Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and has received recognition from peers and clients alike for his thorough, zealous and ethical representation.

Plaintiffs' lawyers now need to write more than ever. Unfortunately, courts are slammed with heavy caseloads and you are competing against other litigants for what little time the judge has to analyze the claims & merit of your case. How can you avoid the dreaded MTD??

Join professional brief writer Jonathan Hilton as he explains how to craft legal briefs that judges will want to read. He will present & explain his top ten tips: five practice points to help the judge spot your best arguments in less time and five practice points on how to make your clients more likable & your clients’ stories more compelling. The ten points: (1) Start with first principles, (2) Create an alternate storyline, (3) Show why you state a claim — don’t just defend, (4) Plant the emotional facts in the Complaint, (5) Dumb Cases Die, (6) Use notice pleading to build your story, (7) Distinguish Civ. R. 8 from Civ. R. 9(b), (8) Use the right theory to hook in the big pockets, (9) Handle SOLs carefully and (10) To amend… or not to amend? Jonathan will round out the hour by looking at resources that will help you become a better brief writer moving forward.

Jonathan Hilton became the youngest-ever Cincinnati Chess Champion at age 15, and he earned the National Master in chess title the following year. At Hilton Parker LLC, Mr. Hilton now advisies other attorneys on how to best navigate through their most difficult cases. As a consultant and brief writer, he designs novel legal theories in courts across the country.

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is one of the most consequential, controversial and misunderstood decisions of the 21st century. And it’s also 175 pages long.

If you don’t feel like sifting through 175 pages of incredibly complex legal arguments, you’re in luck – First Amendment & campaign finance attorney Zach Greenberg is here for you. Zach will break down what’s in the decision, what it practically means, the concurrence, the dissent and the key rationales used by both sides. Specific topics covered: The 3 main elements of Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), First Amendment prohibition against the government discriminating based on the speaker, Money = Free Speech, how the First Amendment extends to corporations, what Citizens United is NOT about, Independent Expenditures, express advocacy vs. issuing ads, state vs. federal elections, election season vs. non-election season, Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, McConnell v. Federal Election Comm’n, the 3 pillars of the majority decision, the Anti-Distortion Rationale and the Corruption Rationale.

A native New Yorker, Zach graduated from Binghamton University in 2013 and Syracuse Law in 2016. Zach developed an appreciation for free speech while leading the College Libertarians and the Federalist Society.

A few years ago, the hot copyright case was the "Monkey Selfie" - a battle over a photo of a macaque monkey taking a selfie with a photographer's camera. Copyright protection was denied because of the human authorship requirement.

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now the hottest topic of the day. Attorney Scott Sholder will dive into these novel & cutting edge copyright issues of authorship, ownership & protectability of AI generated content when generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used to generate content and works of art. Scott will mainly cover: Copyright Basics, Copyright Registration, Generative AI Basics and Generative AI: Authorship & Copyrightability. Additional topics: ownership of copyright, works made for hire, joint authorship, the blurred Lines Between AI & Human Creation, Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning (DL), AI Models & training data, potential input issues, the human authorship requirement, works generated solely in response to user prompts, Copyright Office AI Disclosure Requirements and how to best protect your clients. Cases discussed: Naruto v. Slater (2018), Thaler v. Perlmutter (2022), Zarya of the Dawn (2023) and Jason Allen v. Shira Perlmutter (2024).

Scott J. Sholder, is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Litigation group and focuses his practice on litigation, counseling, and dispute resolution in connection with entertainment, media, art, and intellectual property matters.

The BTK killer operated for 25 years before being apprehended. His undoing was in 2005 when he sent a taunting floppy disk to a Wichita TV station. This allowed police to find metadata embedded in a deleted Microsoft Word document that was (unknown to Dennis Rader) still stored on the floppy disk & led police to uncover his identity at the church he worked at.

Twenty years later and the amount of electronic devices has exploded – and so has digital evidence – from Apple watches & cloud data to CPAPs & home security systems. But do you know where to look for it and how to analyze the digital evidence once you get it? Lars Daniel will explain why the field of digital forensics has become essential to attorneys because almost every civil & criminal case now hinges on data and digital evidence generated from electronic devices. Case examples presented: Distracted Driver Case (Cell Phone Forensics), Wearable Technology Forensics (Cyclist & Trucking Accident), Kidnapped!! (Apple Watch & iPhone evidence), Snapshot in time: User Actions, Video Forensics (Arson & Burglary), In-Vehicle Infotainment Forensics, Computer Forensics, Call Detail Records (CDRs): Arson, Lyft driver assault accusation and Audio Forensics (domestic violence & assault). Topics: structured data, semi-structured data, unstructured data, metadata, encrypted data, archival & backup data, system generated data, deleted data and the digital forensics method (Identification, Preservation & Acquisition, Examination & Analysis, Presentation & Reporting).

An expert, author and frequent speaker, Lars Daniel has attended over 300 hours of forensic training and has worked on over 500 cases involving murder, child pornography, terrorism, rape, kidnapping, intellectual property, fraud, wrongful death, employee wrongdoing & international e-discovery collections, among other case types.

Most clients want everything in a contract negotiation. Unfortunately, the other side probably wants everything too. The real question for practitioners is: which clauses are truly worth the fight? The answer, of course, is…. it depends.

In this CLE, Kristi Zentner and Heather Marx — a seasoned transactional attorney & an experienced commercial litigator — share insights drawn from daily practice on both sides of the negotiating table. They explore the most common flashpoints in contract drafting and negotiation, from indemnification and limitation of liability to representations, warranties, and confidentiality provisions. The dynamic duo also provide practical strategies for recognizing which provisions merit aggressive advocacy, show you how to tailor clauses to a client’s risk profile, and drafting the contact with enforceability in mind. Attendees will also gain tools for memorializing the negotiation: ensuring that contracts clearly reflect agreed terms, avoid ambiguities and reduce the risk of costly disputes down the road.

Learning Objectives

* Identify key contract clauses — such as indemnification, limitation of liability, and representations and warranties — that most often become points of contention and potential litigation.

* Evaluate negotiation dynamics, including leverage, market conditions, and counterparty risk, to determine which provisions are worth pressing and which can be compromised.

* Draft clear and enforceable risk-shifting provisions tailored to the transaction, including defining scope, triggers, exceptions, and remedies.

* Recognize common mistakes in contract drafting and negotiation that create ambiguity or weaken enforceability, and implement strategies to avoid them.

* Apply effective review techniques to ensure that contracts accurately memorialize negotiations, reflect agreed business terms, and align with preliminary documents such as term sheets or letters of intent.

* Integrate practical drafting tips—such as consistency of defined terms, clarity of structure, and avoidance of boilerplate legalese—into daily practice to improve contract quality and reduce litigation risk.

Kristi Zentner, Esq., is a transactional attorney who represents clients in general business, supply chain management, as well as tariff, customs, and trade matters. Heather Marx. Esq., applies her experience in the areas of complex business and commercial litigation to represent a variety of clients.

Nathan Osborn frequently works with clients to buy investment properties on the ski slopes of Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Aspen and more. These clients buy these properties as VRBOs (Vacation Rental By Owner) to generate revenue – but what they fail to realize is that one accident on their property could put their personal assets at risk. Nate Osborn often recommends a very practical solution that offers asset protection & tax benefits – the LLC. In this CLE he provides practical guidance on how to draft a real estate limited liability company (LLC) operating agreement. Nate will provide a plethora of practical guidance on: asking the right questions, determining whether an LLC is the appropriate entity for your client, selecting a member or manager managed LLC, maximizing personal asset protection through the LLC, drafting capital contribution provisions, drafting real estate profit distribution provisions, drafting dispute resolution provisions and tax implications & how to maximize tax benefits. Specific topics covered: vacation rentals & investors, understanding the client’s business, the advantages of LLCs in real estate, putting title to real estate into an LLC, potential LLC liability, piercing the corporate veil, structuring capital calls, provisions to share real estate profits, incorporating IRAs, holding strategies & double FICA taxes and utilizing 1031 like-kind exchanges.

Nathan G. Osborn, Esq., focuses on real estate litigation, real estate transactions and commercial litigation. Mr. Osborn effectively uses his significant trial experience to help transactional clients avoid situations that often end up in court.

This CLE program provides attorneys with critical guidance on navigating the increasingly intertwined worlds of legal ethics, malpractice risk & cybersecurity. As law firms become prime targets for cyber threats, ethical responsibilities under the ABA Model Rules demand heightened awareness and action.

Led by attorney Jeff Cunningham — who defends lawyers and firms in malpractice and ethics cases — this course explores the blurred lines between ethics violations and cyber negligence. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, the course offers attorneys actionable methods to build ethical “guardrails” that protect both client data and professional reputations. Topics include vendor due diligence, cyber infrastructure, legal tech trends, client counseling on cyber duties, and enhancing law firm security teams. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of key ethics rules, including Competence (Rule 1.1), Confidentiality (Rule 1.6), Communication (Rule 1.4), and Supervision Responsibilities (Rules 5.1–5.3), as applied in the digital age. Attorneys will walk away with a playbook for proactive compliance — ensuring they meet ethical obligations while mitigating malpractice and cyber liability in a high-risk environment.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify and interpret key ethical rules—including ABA Model Rules 1.1, 1.4, 1.6, and 5.1–5.3—as they apply to cybersecurity responsibilities in legal practice.

• Distinguish between ethical violations and legal malpractice in the context of cyber risk, and recognize how blurred boundaries create new areas of liability.

• Develop practical strategies for cyber compliance, including building secure infrastructure, conducting vendor due diligence, and training legal staff and nonlawyer personnel.

• Evaluate their firm's current cyber readiness and implement “ethics guardrails” to proactively reduce exposure to cyber threats and ethics grievances.

• Advise clients effectively on their own cybersecurity obligations, enhancing client service and meeting ethical duties under communication and competence rules.

Jeff Cunningham, Esq., actively defends lawyers and acts as outside General Counsel to small and mid-sized law firms across the United States, while also serving as this firm’s General Counsel. Jeff defends industry professionals in a wide range of professional liability, ethics and professional disciplinary matters. With an emphasis on simple systems of risk management, Jeff brings a holistic approach of protecting our clients before problems occur.

Only 28% of law firms – and only 27% of solo & small firm lawyers – have a formal exit strategy. 75% of firm owners regret selling within 1 year due to poor succession planning. And 70% of lawyers who retire without a plan say they wish they would have started preparing 5-10 years earlier.

Whether retirement is 15 years away or imminent, too many lawyers lack a formal succession plan — leading to undervalued sales, client disruption and professional regret. Attorney Alex Gertsburg will explore practical strategies to exit on favorable terms while protecting your clients, legacy and financial well-being. Alex will mainly cover: Building a Succession Plan, Why Exit Planning & Pre-Succession Planning Matters, Deal Logistics, Valuation & Financial Considerations, How to Create a Recurring Revenue Stream for Life and Ethical Requirements. Additional topics: pre-succession planning, the succession plan checklist, types of transitions, 5 reasons transitions fail, pre-sale best practices, how to value your practice, and value & leverage drivers. The program emphasizes the “Merge, Monetize, and Multiply” framework, which helps lawyers create sustainable post-retirement revenue streams, maintain client relationships and utilizing of-counsel agreements.

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate transition options — sale, internal transfer, wind-down, or merger — and determine which approach best fits their financial and personal goals

• Apply valuation methodologies (multiples of earnings, gross revenue, EBITDA) to assess the fair market value of a law practice

• Recognize common pitfalls in practice transitions and adopt proactive strategies to mitigate risk, client attrition, and deal breakdowns

• Navigate ethical rules (ABA Model Rule 1.17 and Rule 1.5(e)) governing the sale of a practice, confidentiality obligations, and fee-sharing

• Leverage professional advisors (intermediaries, M&A counsel, tax and estate planners) to ensure smooth transactions and maximize firm value

Mr. Gertsburg has been a practicing attorney for over twenty years. His early career was spent with two large regional business law firms, where he represented private and publicly- traded companies and non-profit organizations of all sizes, as well as their owners.

From Mullets on the Go to the KFC Colonel’s Secret Recipe – and even MLB’s Lena Blackburne Rubbing Mud for baseballs– you won’t find a more entertaining CLE. This course features intellectual property attorneys Eric Hanscom and David Branfman, who provide practical guidance for attorneys counseling clients on patent and trade secret protection. Drawing from decades of experience, the presenters explain the distinctions between utility and design patents, the benefits and limitations of provisional applications and the strategic application of trade secrets. Through numerous entertaining case studies and real client stories, this session offers insights into leveraging multiple IP tools effectively. The discussion includes legal requirements, enforcement risks, best practices and how to advise clients based on business goals and budget constraints.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the distinctions between utility, design, and provisional patents.
• Identify when trade secrets are preferable over patent protection.
• Recognize how trademarks, trade dress, and patents can work in tandem.
• Evaluate common IP pitfalls and missteps made by clients.
• Apply legal and strategic considerations to IP planning and protection.
• Develop trade secret protection plans and understand their legal foundations.
• Analyze real-world examples to understand the practical application of IP law.

Patent attorney Eric Hanscom is actively involved in overseeing IP litigation, contract negotiation and customs issues around the globe. David Branfman’s IP practice focuses on entertainment law, including trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, motion pictures & TV and music.

I’m ok. I can work this out for myself. I’m not like a “real” alcoholic anyway. I want help but I don’t want anyone to know. Will I be reported for discipline if I seek assistance?

Does this sound familiar? There is a misconception among lawyers that only people who have “hit bottom” need or ask for help. The statistics say otherwise as recent surveys indicate that the overwhelming majority of attorneys feel that they have suffered negative mental health consequences as a result of their chosen profession. Led by Brian S. Quinn, Esq., this CLE will share strategies that work when you approach someone you feel may be in distress or impaired.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize that 1 in 3 legal professionals will struggle with substance use and/or a mental health disorder at some point in their legal careers.
• Spot the signs of impairment and learn the "Motivational Interventions" approach that yields results and saves lives.
• Differentiate between stress and distress and learn how social isolation negatively affects your well-being.
• Utilize the confidential, free, safe and supportive services that are available through the Lawyers Assistance Programs (LAPs) throughout the United States.
• Identify the barriers that exist that prevent lawyers and judges from asking for help with an alcohol or substance misuse or mental health disorder.
• Learn the parameters of Rule of Professional Conduct 8.3 (c) – and the safe harbor that it provides to protect attorneys working with an approved Lawyers Assistance Program or who contact a lawyers assistance program on behalf of an attorney or judge who is struggling.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

The ethical rules regarding conflicts of interest may appear deceptively simple. However, there are numerous situations that may arise where they can be very complicated or deceptive. Or there could be an exception to the conflicts rule or a way to work around it with a well-crafted consent.

In this CLE, ethics expert & Professor of Legal Ethics Cari Sheehan will provide practical guidance on specific ethical situations that arise in your daily practice. Cari will mainly discuss the ethical framework, practical steps to avoid conflicts of interest and specific scenarios where conflicts occur. The steps to conflicts of interest resolution discussed: (1) identifying if it’s a current, former or prospective client, (2) analyzing whether a conflict exists, (3) determining if the conflict is consentable, (4) obtaining informed consent, and (5) remedies if the conflict is not resolved. Specific issues presented: joint representation, the informed disclosure that is required, simultaneous representation in unrelated matters, the material limitation standard, prior work conflicts, informed consent, injunctive relief, disqualification, fee forfeiture, former clients, imputed conflicts, utilizing a firm-wide database and creating ethical walls/screens. Model Rules implicated: 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10 1.11 & 1.13.

With over 15 years of legal experience in civil litigation, conflicts of interest, and professional responsibility, Cari Sheehan serves as the Taft Law’s Assistant General Counsel. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor of Business Law and Ethics with the IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis where she teaches courses in Business Law and Ethics.

Pete Rose was banned permanently from baseball for gambling on games while managing the Cincinnati Reds. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson was banned permanently by Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis in 1920 for his part in the Black Sox Scandal – even though he hit .375 in the World Series with 12 hits, 3 doubles and a home run.

Now with the explosion of online gambling and companies like DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, there are even more risks involved for attorneys that represent athletes. Brandon Leopoldus is a sports agent and he constantly reminds his clients about the perils of sports betting, even something as simple as participating in fantasy football with friends. This CLE is broken into 3 parts: the historical context, legal & practical aspects of sports betting and the sponsorship, integration & industry governance of sports betting companies. Additional topics: betting scandals, violations & penalties of Rule 21 in Major League Baseball, the Shohei Ohtani Situation, legalization & regulation of sports betting, Murphy vs. NCAA (2018), Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) of 1992, conflicts with league policies, use of AI & geolocation to monitor betting activity, collaboration with leagues to identify anomalies, advising clients on compliance & regulations and best practices for lawyers.

Brandon Leopoldus is a California-based attorney and founder of Leopoldus Law, APC – a specialized law firm dedicated to serving clients in the sports industry. With a focus on providing tailored legal solutions and strategies, Mr. Leopoldus is committed to helping his clients navigate the complexities of their off-field and off-screen needs.

Nearly a century before the first Tesla hit the streets, the driverless car du jour was a Pontiac known as the Phantom developed in the 1920’s. The Phantom was remote controlled by the tap of a telegraph key by a second car trailing miles behind.

Fast forward to today & driverless cars are set to take the world by storm with the global market for self-driving vehicles reaching around $2.5 trillion by 2030. But we are still at the infancy of this new technology that heavily employs autopilot and CAT (Collision Avoidance Technology). In this CLE, Brett Scheiber will detail this new technology and discuss litigation that has ensued from accidents involving Tesla vehicles. Brett will mainly: demystify autopilot, describe how the tech works & how it fails, review Tesla’s claims regarding its autopilot and CAT (Collision Avoidance Technology) technology, show you how to collect the evidence for litigation and how to vett these & other CAT cases. He will also discuss: the 5 levels of tech, myths & facts regarding autopilot & CAT, EDR (Event Data Recorder) data, on-board Tesla videos, car log/D16, the NHTSA & NTSB and the future of Tesla cases & litigation.

Brett Schreiber’s practice includes mass torts, personal injury, medical malpractice and condemnation law. Whether lecturing student groups or handling pro bono claims for wrongfully convicted, he is guided by the Hebrew principle of tikkun olam meaning “to heal the world.”

For many attorneys an expert witness is often considered a necessary evil. An expert is now indispensable in complex civil and criminal cases – but jurors can be skeptical of their testimony as there may be concerns of bias or manipulation by the hiring attorney.

In this highly practical program, Dr. Allison Muller, a board-certified toxicologist & expert witness, will provide attorneys with first-hand insight on effectively identifying, selecting and preparing expert witnesses for testimony to optimize their role in litigation. Topics discussed: sources to find experts, your first call, contracting with the witness, how to handle the expert report if it’s optional, mastering expert witness preparation, the dry run for direct & cross examination, disclosure of witness-generated materials, retaining counsel at deposition, runaway fees and scope creep. Attorneys will learn practical ways to build relationships with expert witnesses, including effective communication and collaboration techniques. Lastly, Dr. Muller will provide tips from the trenches by presenting four different case examples to highlight common pitfalls to avoid when working with experts to ensure that experts deliver compelling presentations at deposition and trial.

Dr. Muller is a board-certified toxicologist, fellow of the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology and registered pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the field of clinical toxicology.

Online gambling is BIG business. By 2029, the projected market volume is expected to reach $133 BILLION. It’s no wonder that gambling disorder was recently recognized by the DSM-V as an addictive disorder.

It’s also no surprise that lawyers are especially at risk because addiction is already problematic for lawyers, who suffer disproportionate rates of mental & addictive disorders. A former alcoholic with a cocaine & sports gambling addition, Brian Quinn knows the depths of despair all too well. From being suspended from the practice of law for 5 years to serving as Education & Outreach Coordinator at LCL, Brian learned to persevere & overcome. He will share his personal story and take a deep dive into gambling addiction – including its warning signs, risks, co-morbidities, related ethical issues and the toll it takes on the legal profession. Additional topics: how LAPs (Lawyer Assistance Programs) help attorneys, the Hazelden-Betty Ford Study on Lawyer Impairment, the DSM-5: Gambling Disorder definition, the Gambling Establishment, Murphy v National Collegiate Athletic Association, Roger Goodell & The NFL, accessibility & anonymity, perfectionism, excessive self-reliance and the stigma of addiction for attorneys.

Brian S. Quinn, Esquire is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania who currently serves as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Pennsylvania, Inc., a Lawyers Assistance Program established in 1988 for the purpose of helping lawyers, judges and law students recover from alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health disorders.

"I know it when I see it." Potter Stewart’s words are one of the more famous legal quotes and referred to hardcore pornography.

Well, I think we can all agree without further details that (repeatedly) pooping in a pringles can and throwing it in the opposing party’s parking lot violates some type of ethical rule or professionalism guideline. And yes, that actually happened and the lawyer was suspended for 1 year. In this CLE, Ron Daniels turns things around and provides professionalism lessons from lawyers behaving badly. The case examples analyzed: the attorney who pooped in the pringles can, lawyers & unprofessional emails, a defense attorneys unprofessional use of AI, unprofessional conduct at deposition and unprofessional conduct on social media. Additional topics: Ethics vs. Professionalism, the Lawyer’s Creed, Georgia’s Aspirational Statements on Professionalism, the Golden Rule and civility. Ron E. Daniels is a trial attorney that represents clients in consumer protection cases.

Ron E. Daniels is a trial attorney that represents clients in consumer protection cases. He fiercely and proudly represent Georgians in cases involving credit card, student loan and medical debt.

This CLE program offers attorneys an in-depth exploration of trade secrets litigation, with a particular focus on the Defend Trade Secrets Act (DTSA) and its interplay with the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA).

Participants will be guided through the full lifecycle of a trade secret dispute — identifying and protecting proprietary information, investigating misappropriation, litigating claims in federal or state court and enforcing remedies and protective measures. Attorneys will gain skills for conducting internal investigations, drafting cease-and-desist letters, assessing whether information qualifies as a trade secret, selecting appropriate forums, crafting discovery strategies, anticipating defenses & counterclaims, and protecting confidential information during litigation. Special attention is given to the unique remedies available under the DTSA, including ex parte seizure orders and enhanced damages for willful misappropriation.

Learning Objectives:

- Understand the statutory definitions of trade secrets and misappropriation under the DTSA, and how they compare to the UTSA and common law approaches.

- Recognize what types of information may qualify as protectable trade secrets, including both positive and negative information, combinations of known elements, and single-use data.

- Evaluate pre-litigation strategies such as trade secret audits, forensic analysis of departing employees, and the strategic use of cease-and-desist letters.

- Analyze the practical and legal considerations in bringing a trade secrets lawsuit, including forum selection, personal jurisdiction, venue, and choice of law.

- Identify the causes of action and defenses available in trade secret cases, and anticipate counterclaims that may be raised by defendants.

- Develop discovery strategies to uncover direct and circumstantial evidence of misappropriation, including forensic analysis, third-party discovery, and expert witness involvement.

- Assess remedies and relief available under federal and state law, including injunctive relief, damages, attorney’s fees, punitive damages, and ex parte seizure orders.

- Implement best practices for protecting trade secrets during litigation, including protective orders, confidentiality protocols, and sealing of court records.

Nicholas Schneider is a trial attorney and Partner with the national law firm Eckert Seamans. He focuses his practice on complex commercial disputes involving breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, business torts, employment disputes, copyright infringement, unfair competition and class actions.