legal

Using consumers at risk of identity theft We live in the age of the computer pirate, the hacker, and the security breach. It’s almost becoming pedestrian. Week after week, someone is getting hacked. From big box stores to restaurants to grocery stores to government agencies and political groups. Hacking feels just part of life these days. But not all hacks are created equal. Some hacks create more fear than others. When it was announced last week that credit monitoring bureau, Equifax, had been hacked, American consumers grabbed their hearts and their wallets. Then they read further, and that only made... Read More >

The Tech industry has long been accused of promoting a “boys club” atmosphere that is both dismissive of and antagonistic to women. Many big names in the industry have fought to dispel this reputation, but now a headline is being spread that brings that negative reputation back to the forefront. This, after venture capitalist Justin Caldbeck said he’s taking an “indefinite leave of absence” after being accused of sexually harassing women in the tech industry. In a statement released by his firm, Binary Capital, Caldbeck said: “The gap of influence between male venture capitalists and female entrepreneurs is frightening, and... Read More >

Medical marijuana laws are changing, state by state. The slow drip feels inevitable, but it also seems to be growing ever closer to nationwide legalization, as public pressure continues to build and once closed minds continue to change. The latest state to legalize medical marijuana is Ohio, which has a law about to go into effect even though the state itself has no idea yet how to implement the law. So, while it’s “legal” the questions of “how” legal and “what” that actually means is still being hashed out. As regulations to that effect are expected to take at least... Read More >

Whole Foods has been in a “whole” lot of trouble lately. Repeated public relations issues have the company struggling to fight back as sales fall and the once-impervious wall of faithful shoppers has begun to crumble. Enter another potential crack in the foundation of upscale grocery dominance. Recently, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to Whole Foods detailing “serious violations” found during an inspection of a particular food prep plant used by Whole Foods. The letter listed multiple violations including issues with sanitation and various different food prep no-nos. FDA Demands Better Sanitation and Food Prep Practices According... Read More >

According to Greenwire, approximately two dozen entities have been lobbying during the first quarter of 2016 regarding the Flint drinking water crisis. These groups include environmental organizations, law firms, unions, children’s health advocates, and infrastructure groups. Their efforts center around legislation on Capitol Hill providing aid to residents of the city and repairing the water infrastructure for Flint. An initial attempt for help included a Flint package in the comprehensive energy bill going through the Senate, but the Flint portion was removed while still in committee. Instead, $220 million of relief for Flint is in the Senate’s Water Resources Development... Read More >

In this age of modern technology innovations where people are able to complete almost any tasks with the click of a mouse button or a few keystrokes on a keyboard, new rules are being made and broken on a daily basis concerning copyright and trademark ownership. The Internet's Backlash One particular area where modern technology, copyright ownership, and trademark ownership are moving along a very blurred line of distinction is the Internet. The question of what is actual property ownership and what is for public consumption is being raised on a daily basis. Regarding copyright and trademark ownership rights involving... Read More >

The American Bar Association (ABA) –one of the world’s largest voluntary professional associations – has issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a digital agency to create a new website. The organization BA wishes to significantly improve its websites, both the content website at www.americanbar.org and its commerce website at www.shopaba.org. These websites should become mobile-responsive, allow users to quickly locate relevant content and help users efficiently complete online tasks (especially commerce tasks). Both sites serve members, legal professionals who are not members and the general public. The websites need to update the user experience with contemporary visual design and... Read More >

Tinley Park, a suburb of Chicago, recently faced a controversy over their water meters. It seems the information from the meters was too often incorrect. The city hired a PR firm to help them through the crisis. Prairie State Strategies helps with community outreach, engagement, and crisis communications – all to inform the public of what officials do to resolve the matter. The problem first became a public matter when reported by the Chicago Tribune in June when the smart water meters’ problems were reported.  According to their article, the suburb knew about this problem for years, and they overbilled... Read More >

The latest emission scandal by Volkswagen severely crippled the company’s growth, shaken the trust of investors, consumers, and, as this article posits, leaves the entire brand of Volkswagen threatened. These are dark days for the company but also a opportunity for to rebrand the company with a new green initiative and more corporate oversight. Four PR firms have been retained to work on the project – led by German firm Hering Schuppener as lead PR counsel, with Finsbury in London and Kekst & Edelman handling North America. The Scandal Last month Volkswagen admitted to rigging 1.8 commercial vehicles with software... Read More >

Lately, hedge funds like Paulson & Co. have been losing business and unfortunately for PR firms, there’s little that can be said to sway public opinion about it. Since August, Hedge funds have lost 0.6% since August. Paulson’s fund fell an entire 8.5% in September and was down an entire 12 points in 2015 through the end of September. The short life span of a Hedge Fund, averaging about five years before petering out to little more than a flat line. “Most hedge funds fail: their average lifespan is about five years. Out of an estimated seventy-two hundred hedge funds... Read More >