Expert Analysis

• Series

  ESG Around The World: Japan

  

  Japan is witnessing rapid developments in environmental, social and corporate governance policies by making efforts to adopt a soft law approach, which has been effective in encouraging companies to embrace ESG practices and address the diversity of boards of directors, say Akira Karasawa and Landry Guesdon at Iwata Godo.

• How And Why Your Firm Should Implement Fixed-Fee Billing

  

  Amid rising burnout in the legal industry and client efforts to curtail spending, pivoting to a fixed-fee billing model may improve client-attorney relationships and offer lawyers financial, logistical and stress relief — while still maintaining profit margins, say Kevin Henderson and Eric Pacifici at SMB Law Group.

• X Rebrand Of Twitter Will Keep USPTO Busy

  

  Trademark applications filed by X, formerly known as Twitter, for its namesake character mark face several registration hurdles at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, including the ability to prove that the mark is sufficiently distinct and not generic, says Lindsey Sadler at Dorsey & Whitney.

• Opinion

  SEC Actions Against Musk Are Constitutionally Defective

  

  The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent subpoena enforcement action against Elon Musk may be constitutionally and statutorily deficient — and the commission staff who issued the subpoenas and the action may have been unconstitutionally appointed, say Alex Lipman at Lipman Law and Justin Weddle at Weddle Law.

• Opinion

  Judicial Independence Needs Defense Amid Political Threats

  

  Amid recent and historic challenges to the judiciary from political forces, safeguarding judicial independence and maintaining the integrity of the legal system is increasingly urgent, says Robert Peck at the Center for Constitutional Litigation.

• AI Artwork And The Thaler Copyright Roadblock

  

  A D.C. federal court's recent decision in Thaler v. Perlmutter casts serious doubts on the prospects for granting full copyright protections to the output of today's exponentially advancing artificial intelligence systems, but there are ways for applicants to prepare for hurdles, says Matthew Carey at Marshall Gerstein.

• How Law Firms Can Use Account-Based Marketing Strategies

  

  Amid several evolving legal industry trends, account-based marketing can help law firms uncover additional revenue-generating opportunities with existing clients, with key considerations ranging from data analytics to relationship building, say Jennifer Ramsey at stage LLC and consultant Gina Sponzilli.

• How ESG Is Taking Women's Soccer To The Next Level

  

  Several elite soccer teams sharpened their competitive edges for the 2023 Women's World Cup by focusing on environmental, social and governance issues at home, demonstrating that many industries can use the principles of ESG investing to identify opportunities to increase growth, improve performance and address stakeholders' desires, say attorneys at ArentFox Schiff.

• Strategic Succession Planning At Law Firms Is Crucial

  

  Senior partners' reluctance to retire, the rise of the nonequity partner tier and generational differences in expectations are all contributing to an increasing number of departures from BigLaw, making it imperative for firms to encourage retirement among senior ranks and provide clearer leadership pathways to junior attorneys, says Laura Leopard at Leopard Solutions.

• What An NCAA Drug Test Change Could Mean For Cannabis

  

  If the NCAA follows through with its decision to remove cannabis from its banned list of substances, it will affect college athletes, athletic directors, public relations employees, and marketing departments at universities and colleges, and it will have a significant economic effect on the cannabis industry, say Stanley Jutkowitz and Sydney Jenkins at Seyfarth.

• Ruling Shows Barriers Remain For Kids' Privacy Regulation

  

  A California federal court’s recent decision halting state officials from enforcing the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act demonstrates that major roadblocks continue to obstruct regulation intended to make browsing more appropriate for children, say attorneys at Goodwin.

• To Responsibly Rock Out At Work, Draft A Music Policy

  

  Employers may be tempted to turn down the tunes after a Ninth Circuit decision that blasting misogynist music could count as workplace harassment, but companies can safely provide a soundtrack to the workday if they first take practical steps to ensure their playlists don’t demean or disrespect workers or patrons, says Ally Coll at the Purple Method.

• Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times

  

  As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.

• Insights From The NAD Annual Law Conference

  

  Discussions at the National Advertising Division's recent annual conference featured emerging areas of focus in ad law, NAD process and procedure, and a bullish summary of Federal Trade Commission activity that revealed industry outlooks on investigations and demands, says Christopher Cole at Katten.

• 5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices

  

  The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.