RECENT POSTS
Property Needs Environmental Cleanup? Don’t Scrap It, SCAP It!
Property owners in California may have access to state funds for environmental cleanup of smaller brownfields projects. The money comes from two pieces of environmental legislation passed in 2014. The Proposition 1 Groundwater Sustainability Program
Return to Windsor: A Novel Tax Code Correction
California Bar Certified Specialist in Tax Law by Michael Hackman 818.907.3279 Here’s the next chapter in the saga known as Edith Schlain Windsor v. The United States of America. (For a quick recap, please read
So You Say You Want a Revolution? Franchises Evolve as Retail Declines
Bar Certified Franchise & Distribution Law Specialist by Barry Kurtz 818-907-3006 You’ve seen the news: retailers are struggling. Traditional anchor stores like Macy’s and Sears are closing up shop, creating a domino effect of fiscal
Does This Selfie Make Me Look Like a Copyright Infringer?
Intellectual Property Lawyer by Tal Grinblat (818) 907-3284 Caution. This blog lacks lawyerly gravitas. Why? Wikimedia Commons Public Domain: Naruto’s Selfie The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will consider a copyright infringement suit brought by
Trimming the Fat: Restaurant Menu Labeling Rule Under Further Review
Chair, Franchise & Distribution Practice Group by Barry Kurtz 818-907-3006 In 2010 as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a/k/a “Obamacare”, the federal government set provisions mandating restaurant chains provide nutrition information
Tomato Tweaking: Genetically Engineered Crops May Be Safe for Consumption, Environment
Environmental Litigation Stephen T. Holzer 818.907.3299 Most of us remember the Jack and the Beanstalk story. In this 18th century fairy tale, a young, poor, every-day Jack trades an old cow for magic beans which
Will Minimum Wage Hikes Kill Restaurant Jobs?
Chair, Franchise & Distribution Practice Group by Barry Kurtz 818-907-3006 In 1981 “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first music video MTV broadcast in the United States. The song was actually written a couple
Disparaging, Degrading, Derogatory Trademarks: They’re Now Enforceable Says Supreme Court
Intellectual Property Lawyer by Tal Grinblat (818) 907-3284 You may remember that several national sports franchises are under fire for trademarks and branding that is seen to be racially disparaging. The Washington Redskins are the
Trademark Law & Genericide: Google’s Not Dead Yet
Trademark Attorney by Tal Grinblat (818) 907-3284 Domain name registration is usually a good first step to cement trade name and mark ownership. In a previous blog we reminded readers that possession, even in Intellectual
Old Grounds: A Lack of Prop 65 Warnings Brew Trouble for Coffee Franchisors
California Prop 65 warnings – many residents barely notice these anymore, as we’ve lived with Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act notices for over 30 years now. They appear at gas pumps; in apartment