Expert Analysis

• 4 Opinions Showcase Hurdles To Trademarking Names

  

  Four opinions issued by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board this year show that names are only registrable as trademarks when they point to the applicant and to nobody else, says Anton Hopen at Trenam Law.

• Hims & Hers Suit Spotlights Health Data-Sharing Privacy Risks

  

  Regulators' complaint against telehealth company Hims & Hers alleging deceptive practices serves as a reminder that the privacy principles developed under consumer protection laws and predating omnibus statutes remain in force, and sensitive data governance continues to be a crucial component of compliance, say attorneys at Venable.

• How Cos. Can Avoid Infant Product False Advertising Suits

  

  As lawsuits proliferate over products marketed for infant use and sold at a premium that are identical to cheaper general-use products, manufacturers should review related product lines, and scrutinize contextual cues that may contribute to the overall message received by consumers, say attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

• Time Is On Payment Processors' Side As Deal Dynamics Shift

  

  As payment processors increasingly use timing and volume to gain leverage, merchants should negotiate payment processing agreements well before renewal or migration deadlines, ensuring proper benchmarking, reserve, data, termination and transition terms are in place, says James Alexander at Reed Smith.

• How FTC's $20B Amazon Suit May Shake Up Ad Enforcement

  

  Gonzalo Mon at Kelley Drye discusses the significance of the Federal Trade Commission's recent suit against Amazon for allegedly overcharging advertising customers more than $20 billion, the company's potential defenses, and the context of rapidly evolving digital advertising technology.

• 1 Year And $1B Later, Trade Fraud Remains Key Priority

  

  The Trade Fraud Task Force's success obtaining major settlements in its first year, along with the Justice Department signaling long-term commitment to customs enforcement, shows that importers should plan to make global supply chain oversight a board-level priority for years to come, says Kimberly Paschall at Riley Safer.

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  Law School's Missed Lessons: Cultivating Good Judgment

  

  Law schools generally overlook the role that solid judgment skills play in real-world practice, but attorneys can bridge the gap by strengthening their abilities to assess a case’s strengths and weaknesses, develop and execute effective strategies, and provide clear recommendations to clients, says Manny Caixeiro at Venable.

• How Cos. Can Fight Consumers' Tariff Refund Class Actions

  

  After the U.S. Supreme Court's February decision in Learning Resources Inc. v. Trump, invalidating $165 billion of presidentially imposed tariffs, consumers have filed numerous class actions seeking tariff refunds from businesses — but companies have substantial and multifaceted defenses available against these claims, say attorneys at Patterson Belknap.

• Attorneys Using AI May Have Ethical Duty To Redact Docs

  

  The trajectory of legal ethics guidance in recent years strongly suggests that as redaction technology becomes more accessible, the failure to use it when uploading highly confidential materials into artificial intelligence tools will become increasingly difficult to defend as reasonable, say attorneys at Lewis Brisbois.

• Retailers Must Navigate State Innocent-Seller Law Patchwork

  

  States' innocent-seller statutes can shield nonmanufacturing retailers from product liability claims to varying degrees, and by building the evidentiary record strategically throughout discovery, companies can improve their chances of obtaining summary judgment — but it is essential to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving policy environment, say attorneys at Chamberlain Hrdlicka.

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  Juggling And Unicycling Make Me A Better Lawyer

  

  Because I juggle (sometimes with fire) and ride the unicycle, friends and family used to joke that I should join the circus, but I pursued the practice of law instead and learned that my hobbies benefit my profession in several important ways, says Morgan Eddy at Smith Currie.

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  Ballet Makes Me A Better Lawyer

  

  A lifetime of learning and performing ballet taught me that success — whether in dance or practicing law — comes only through hours of thorough preparation, boundless energy and relentless effort, says Sharon Katz-Pearlman at Greenberg Traurig.

• Illinois BNPL Law Casts Wide Net Over Loan Providers

  

  A new Illinois law's broad definition of buy now, pay later providers under its new dedicated licensing and supervisory regime notably imposes conduct standards similar to other consumer credit regimes and aggressively looks through a wide range of business activities and arrangements, say attorneys at Ashurst Perkins.

• TTAB's Nike Ruling Highlights Trademark Filing Pitfalls

  

  The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board's recent decision in Nike v. Blue Ribbon Team illustrates how the Lanham Act's requirement for bona fide intent works in practice, and provides a road map on how to counsel clients before intent-to-use trademark applications are filed, say attorneys at BCLP.

• NY Tax Talk: Evaluating The Sales Tax Vendor Relief Program

  

  New York state’s new penalty abatement and interest discount program, recently enacted alongside mandated sales tax vendor reregistration, may be most useful for vendors that recently lost a protest or have not yet fully paid all the interest and penalties associated with an assessment, says Elizabeth Cha at Eversheds Sutherland.