RVM Enterprises, Inc.

By: Cheryl A. Brunetti, RVM Enterprises, Inc.

Cheryl A. Brunetti is the Executive Chairwoman at RVM Enterprises, Inc., a preferred provider of eDiscovery services and data solutions to leading global financial institutions, corporations and AmLaw100 firms for nearly two decades.

Shrinking budgets, new regulations and an increased demand for services force today's legal, risk and compliance executives to do more with less. RVM remains dedicated to implementing innovation to build better ways to work by creating technologies and workflows to address the ever-changing business models in today's legal and corporate environments.  (Click here to keep reading.)

Spotlight - Member Firm: Smith Dollar PC

By Kathleen Carter - Hollins Law, APC

Smith Dollar PC is a business litigation firm with deep trial experience. The firm has handled all types of business lawsuits, both defensive and offensive and is able to aggressively litigate and try cases for institutional clients. Smith Dollar provides full service business representation to local and national clients.

 In addition, Smith Dollar PC has developed one of the most comprehensive financial services law practices in the nation by bringing together experienced and aggressive attorneys in the business and financial services sectors. Headquartered in California's Wine Country, Smith Dollar PC is one of the only firms north of San Francisco providing litigation and transactional representation to the mortgage banking and financial services industry.

 Smith Dollar prides itself on developing close working relationships with its clients. The firm understands that lawsuits are not created in a vacuum and litigators must understand the stage on which the case is set. With that in mind, Smith Dollar seeks to understand its clients' business as well as it understands its own. (Click here to keep reading)

Spotlight - Member Firm: Hollins Law, APC

By Rachel Dollar - Smith Dollar PC

Fearless trial advocacy is a great way to describe the litigation approach employed by Hollins Law, a Top 50 Orange County law firm established more than 30 years ago. It is recognized as a preeminent, AV-rated firm.

Led by Kathleen Carter, a leading Southern California litigator and expert in litigation management, Hollins Law provides a wide range of representation in various practice areas, including Business Law and Litigation, Catastrophic Injury, Employment Litigation and Insurance Litigation, among others. However, Hollins Law's practice - no matter the underlying area - leads back to a singularly unique quality few firms possess among today's overcrowded courtrooms: the ability to try cases. (Click here to keep reading)

TOP-NOTCH TIPS FOR TRANSACTIONAL LAWYERS

Come join the Transactional Alliance PAC meeting on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 at 1:55 p.m. at the NAMWOLF Annual Meeting & Law Firm Expo to gain some insightful, useful and helpful tips to assist you with your practice.  Experienced transactional lawyers will be sharing their treasured tips and advice in a variety of practice areas in a fast paced, fun and informative session.  Attendees will receive a handout full of helpful practice tips.  Here are a few sample tips from the pros:

• Secured Transactions: The Debtor's Name Reflected on the UCC-1 Financing Statement must be absolutely correct.

  In representing lenders or other creditors in secured transactions, the name of the debtor as reflected on the UCC-1 financing statement must be absolutely correct to perfect the security interest of the creditor in the assets of the debtor. Even typographical errors can be fatal flaws.   (Click here to keep reading)

EEOC Issues New Enforcement Guidance on Pregnancy Discrimination

By Nicole Torrado, Associate at Sanchez & Amador, LLP, Oakland, California

California Supreme Court Upholds Class Action Waivers In Arbitration Agreements But Exempts PAGA Representative Actions

Contributed by Miller Law Group (San Francisco and Los Angeles)

Patent Troll's Allegations of Hub-and-Spoke Conspiracy to Monopsonize Market in Violation of Antitrust Laws Survive Motion to Dismiss.

By Barbara P. Berens and Carrie L. Zochert

As Congress and federal agencies turn their attention to minimizing the harmful impact on innovation and competition by patent assertion entities[1] ("PAEs"), or more colloquially, "patent trolls," some manufacturing companies are forming defensive patent aggregators, or "anti-troll" entities to protect their members from baseless infringement claims brought by such patent trolls.  A recent case highlights the potential consequences for defendants who collectively refuse to settle with, or license patents from, a patent troll.

The case, Cascades Computer Innovation, LLC v. RPX Corp., was brought by Cascades, a non-practicing entity ("NPE"), or so-called patent troll, against three manufacturers of Android-compatible devices, HTC Corporation, Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc., and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. [2]  Together the manufacturing defendants allegedly dominate the vast market share of such devices.[3]  Cascades purportedly held exclusive rights to license and enforce a number of patents, including a patent which purports to optimize the use of the Android operating system used in mobile electronic devices manufactured by the defendants.[4] (Click here to keep reading)

Learn How to Master Requests for Proposals at the NAMWOLF Conference

Presented by: The Marketing Best Practices Committee

By Jamie E. Autin, Director of Marketing, Rivero Mestre, LLP, Miami, Florida

It is common knowledge among law firms that requests for proposals ("RFPs") are a necessary evil of legal marketing. The process of completing an RFP can be frustrating and overwhelming. But the NAMWOLF Marketing Best Practices Committee will tell you how to "Keep Calm and Respond On" during its session at the NAMWOLF Annual Meeting this fall. The Committee will cover the process of researching, evaluating, and preparing RFPs while keeping your cool. The presentation will go over responding to formal and informal RFPs, applying principles of good design to make your proposal shine, and streamlining the response process. It will even touch on the increasingly popular use of alternative fee arrangements. If that's not enough, the Committee will provide insight on what impresses in-house counsel and what drives them crazy! (Click here to keep reading)

The New Canadian Anti-Spam Law and What This Means for You and Your Business

By Farah F. Cook, Patrick Law Group

 The legislation that was touted as one of the toughest and most aggressive pieces of anti-spam law is finally here and is changing the way people and businesses in the United States and Canada market and communicate with each other.  If you're sending commercial email messages to people in Canada, there are new rules and you'll need to ensure you have your recipient's express permission to do so.  Otherwise, under the new legislation you or your business will likely face stiff penalties.

The Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation and Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act

Following a long legislative history, Canada passed the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation ("CASL") in December 2010, which became effective on July 1, 2014.  Although CASL's effective date is July 1, 2014; from July 1, 2014 through July 1, 2017, only three Canadian regulating bodies may investigate and litigate against entities or individuals who do not adhere to CASL. However, after July 1, 2017, any individual will also be able to sue any entity or individual they believe is sending messages in violation of the Canadian legislation.  Liability under CASL will range from fines of up to $1 million Canadian dollars for individuals, and up to $10 million Canadian dollars for companies. (Click here to keep reading)