A Limited Shield of Privacy for New York Residents

November 19, 2019

Steve Masur

By: Steve Masur and Cameron Ashby New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security Act (the “SHIELD Act” or the “Act”) into law on July 25, 2019, nearly two years after the bill...

The Hazy Relationship between the FDA and CBD

November 7, 2019

Sarah Siegel

By: Sarah Siegel and Liam McKillop Walking around New York City, it could be easy to be under the impression that the sale of certain CBD products is legal. You can walk into your local convenience store and buy...

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Big Tech and the Coming Antitrust Assault

November 1, 2019

Rob Griffitts

By: Rob Griffitts Big tech has been under assault by Europe’s regulators for years now, but until recently, not much has been happening in the US.  But after a series of scandals, most notably Facebook’s privacy issues with Cambridge...

LA’s Social Equity Program: Transforming Past Wrongs for a Just Future

October 2, 2019

Eric Lightman

By: Eric Lightman and Kathryn Jones It is no secret that minority communities have been adversely affected by the War on Drugs.  Though the need for prison reform has recently come to the political forefront, it has not solved...

What the FUCT: Can the USPTO Still Deny Your Vulgar or Offensive Mark?

September 23, 2019

Steve Masur

By: Steve Masur and Cameron Ashby The Supreme Court recently struck down a federal law that banned trademarking words and logos that are “immoral” or “scandalous”. The court reasoned that this federal requirement for registering marks was a form...

The CBD’s of Trademarks

September 9, 2019

Jon Avidor

By: Jon Avidor and Joshua Weisenfeld Recent cannabis legalization in 11 states has pushed congress to more formally address the issue of federal regulation and decriminalization. On December 20, 2018, Congress continued this process and moved forward with partial...

A Look at the Controlled Substances Act and Cannabis

August 21, 2019

Rob Griffitts

By: Rob Griffitts and Kathryn Jones The free-spirited attitude of the 1960s counterculture, in part, fueled the crackdown of illicit substances by the following decade’s legislature. The Nixon Administration officially began its “War on Drugs” with the passing of...

The Implications Behind New York’s Decriminalization of Marijuana

August 6, 2019

Steve Masur

By: Steve Masur and Armando E. Martinez On June 19, 2019, the New York State Legislature in Albany rejected a cannabis legalization bill, which had enjoyed wide-ranging popular support, leaving many to wonder why. New York is the second...

Decriminalization in New York: A Half-Baked Measure?

July 11, 2019

Rob Griffitts

By: Rob Griffitts and Jordan M. Steele Passed in the twilight hours of New York’s last legislative session, months of negotiations produced a reform that will further decriminalize possession of marijuana. Advocates celebrate the bill for providing vital relief to individuals...

Blockchain and Insolvency: How Blockchain Can Make Matters Easier for Creditors, Debtors, and Bankruptcy Courts

June 25, 2019

Rob Griffitts

Digital currencies on a blockchain ledger provide enormous flexibility when conducting commercial transactions. In the capital markets, lenders and borrowers can structure credit transactions at arms-length since the lending amount need not be examined by a financial institution. On...

Can Blockchain be the Driving Force for Autonomous Vehicles?

May 22, 2019

Sarah Siegel

A key issue in today’s automotive industry is that many processes and data storage are manual and paper-based, leading to inaccuracies, disputes, and high transaction costs. Out of 1,314 automotive executives surveyed across 10 countries, 62% of these executives...

Is Ethereum a Security?

April 16, 2019

Steve Masur

SEC Chairman Jay Clayton recently confirmed in a letter that Ethereum and similar cryptocurrencies are not securities. This letter was in response to Representative Ted Budd’s letter asking the SEC to clarify the criteria used in determining whether a...