Workplace wisdom: Think before you post to social media
If I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again: Think before you post. This recommendation applies to everyone, of course. But if you’re a lawyer, then you’d best heed my advice and tread lightly when posting commentary online on social media sites or elsewhere. Otherwise you run the risk of running afoul of your ethical […]
Employers need clear social media policies
When insurgents stormed the U.S. Capitol building Jan. 6, many posted about the experience on their social media channels with some even livestreaming the event. The fallout from their actions, however, was swift. Not only were some arrested on federal charges, many lost their jobs through people alerting employers about their social media activity during […]
Marketing during COVID: Leverage LinkedIn
Securing leadership buy-in for non-billable or non-client-facing initiatives is hard. This challenging dynamic has persisted for as long as there have been law firm marketing, business development, and internal and external communications departments. Social media initiatives fall squarely into this category, often landing at the bottom of endless to-do lists. However, with COVID-19’s impact on [...]
Lawyers ‘break the mold’ with social media marketing
When she graduated from law school, Lauren Eagan never expected she would be stopped by strangers to tell her they appreciate her work. “Sometimes I’m out with my toddler and I’ll have a few people come up and recognize me,” Eagan said. “It’s not something you really get used to.” Though this “fan girl” experience […]
When does ex-employee’s use of LinkedIn violate a non-solicitation agreement?
More on Employment Law in Virginia By Katie Lipp and David Moon LinkedIn has quickly emerged as the premier social media outlet for professional networking in the United States. However, while the platform presents an exciting opportunity for companies to identify job candidates, expand business networks and maintain client relationships, its networking features have given […]
Social media terms of service and your firm
When you take a photo with your cell phone or write a blog post or a short story or a poem, in general you are creating a copyright that you own. Under United States copyright law you, as the owner of the copyright in that photo, blog post or poem, are the only one who […]
The downside of anti-theft tracking software
Imagine walking into your office one morning and discovering that overnight some of your office equipment had been stolen, including a laptop. In this scenario, you had installed anti-theft software on the laptop. Immediately upon realizing the laptop was missing, you initiated the process of tracking. When the thief booted up the laptop and used […]
When you die, will your digital assets go to hell?
Facebook only arrived on the scene in 2004. It seems to many, especially the young, as though it has been here forever, but it has not. Our children simply don’t remember a non-digital life. So much has changed in the last two decades that we find ourselves trekking on unmarked paths in a new frontier. […]
Using LinkedIn to build an online brand
Launched in 2003, professional networking site LinkedIn was quickly overshadowed by Facebook when that startup went online just a year later. At the end of its first month, LinkedIn had only 4,500 members. But with a better economy, a lower unemployment rate and a surge of millennials driving more tech innovation, it’s finally LinkedIn’s time […]
eDiscovery Update: Gathering tweets from a different place in time
There is no debate that social media has altered our lives both professionally and personally. Even if you don’t have a Facebook account or are not an avid Tweeter, chances are that a picture of you is on someone’s site or you’ve read a tweet or two. Are you on LinkedIn or have you ever […]
Real people still real drive behind marketing
Many lawyers bemoan the need to sit behind a desk staring at a computer numerous hours a day. They feel that their job, in particular marketing for that job, demands that they email, Facebook, tweet, etc. To those lawyers, I give my wholehearted permission to get up from that desk. In fact, I insist on […]
Social media tip: Your firm is not Target
How did people find a lawyer before Al Gore invented the Internet? They asked a friend, saw an ad on TV, or looked one up in the phone book. Now, just 15 years after Google was formed, it has become the world’s phone book. Instead of flipping to the Ls in the Yellow Pages and […]
Verdicts & Settlements
- Plaintiff injured in crash with oncoming vehicle — $235,000 settlement
- Driver killed in rear-end collision with tractor-trailer — $1.5M settlement
- Man died from pancreatic cancer after delayed response — $1.8M settlement
- Worker fell off roof, rendering him a paraplegic — $1.25M settlement
- Driver sustained permanent hearing loss after traffic collision — $240,000 settlement
- Plaintiff suffered concussion in rear-end collision — $81,000 verdict
- Builder misrepresented home status to buyers — $675,000 verdict
- Low potassium led to cardiac arrest, death of patient — $1M settlement
- Excessive propofol caused death in dialysis patient — $850,000 settlement
- Pedestrian struck in crosswalk in hit-and-run incident — $300,000 settlement
- Navy veteran killed in collision with box truck — $1.85M arbitration award
- Motorcyclist ejected from bike in collision with SUV — $1.5M settlement
Opinion Digests
- Company owner dodges breach of contract suit
- Employee’s own allegations doom minimum wage claim
- Federal government defeats former employee’s claims
- Principal wasn’t entitled to exclusively remote work
- USPTO properly redacted info in responsive documents
- Untimely lawsuit allowed to proceed
- Engineering consultant dismissed from suit
- Rule 60 motion was filed too late
- Nonprofit directors immune from ex-employees’ claims
- City, employees immune from whistleblower claims
- Experts excluded in condemnation damages suit
- Judgment entered against company for horse’s death