The two most storied brands in pharmaceuticals and rescue & relief are going toe-to-toe. Johnson & Johnson and the Red Cross have peacefully shared the iconic red cross symbol for more than 100 years--until now. J&J is suing the Red Cross for trademark infringement, claiming that the charity has violated their original agreement of 1895 by licensing use of the red cross logo on products in direct competition with the drug giants'. From an intellectual property ... Read More

New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is facing a personal brand crisis of the highest degree. Even though he's apologized to his constituents, he's harmed himself in way that offers no immediate remedy. In an instant, he's gone from being the people's squeaky-clean crusader to 'just another politician' embroiled in an ugly political scandal. Right now, the facts are at odds with what was perceived to be his brand. In his Sunday NYT op-ed, Spitzer admits, "We ... Read More

If the attorneys representing 70s new wave band The Rubinoos weren't responsible for posting the now-removed Avril Lavigne v. The Rubinoos videos on YouTube, they should certainly thank whoever was. Why? Because before the copyright infringement case has ever been heard by a jury or judge (in fact, the first court date isn't until August 28) they've tried their case in the court of public opinion. And many would say The Rubinoos are in the ... Read More

The Tim Donaghy game-fixing/betting situation brings a dark cloud over the National Basketball Association and its commissioner David Stern during an extremely tumultuous time in professional sports. I believe Stern should be applauded for the adept way he's handled the issue. He identified the Donaghy situation as an isolated incident, launched an internal investigation and subsequently turned it over to the FBI. His increasingly robust leadership is exactly the kind of courage and integrity a Commission ... Read More

If you're a lawyer interested in earning CLE credits and learning more about Class Actions, check into CLE International's upcoming National Conference on Class Actions, happening October 22 and 23 in Miami, Florida. I've attended many of CLE's conferences and have always found them to be enlightening. This year, I'm delighted to announce that in addition to attending, I'll be delivering the keynote presentation, "Communicating with the Media: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know." ... Read More

A professional athlete is, in essence, a one-man brand. And like celebrities and politicians, what a pro athlete says or does is likely to be fodder for the evening news. The media is extremely quick to respond with coverage when a pro athlete is in crisis--whether it be for charges of driving drunk, or more serious allegations. For those who manage athletes, preparation for and a quick response to a crisis situation are both key. In ... Read More