LEGAL AUTHORITY

After many attempts over a two week span of trying to locate a lawyer to take some time to talk to me, I finally happened upon a friend I hadn’t talked to in about six months and found out that he was dating a Lawyer. This lawyer just happen to be a business lawyer and has specialized in IP cases. For the assignment I used the book for the class, Copyright & Trademark. Nolo. 11Ed., to gather information to create the questions for the final. The book states that not only does an IP Lawyer need a law degree, but they “are required to have a technical higher education degree as well as a legal background and must pass a USPTO examination in order to obtain their license” (Patent, Copyright & Trademark. Nolo. 11Ed. p104). I used the listing on their website (www.nolo.com): to find lawyers who are qualified to practice in IP law. This is where I obtained my potential contacts for this class project. I started at the end of the list and soon found out that a lot of the numbers were either out of service or were to a different business. I started to leave messages on some of the ones that went to voicemail, the offices were I actually talked to someone they told me that the lawyer would get back to me. I called about 20 lawyers, talked to 11 receptionists and received 1 return phone call.This is why i was thrilled to run into my friend and have the opportunity to talk to his girlfriend. Her name is Danielle C. Miller and she works for the law firm Sylvester & Polednak, LTD. The phone Number is (702) 952-5200. She was very friendly and helpful. We met up at a local Restaurant along with my friend Ronnie. I introduced myself and asked her a couple background questions. I thanked her for numerous times for coming out to talk to me and help with my project. I told her that she was the perfect choice because she specialized in business law. She told me that her prior law firm was copyright lawyers. She looked over my list of questions and started to give me very specific answers full of legal terms. I took notes and recorded her responses as she spoke. She told me that there were a couple of questions she would have to look up. She said she would e-mail me the answers in a couple days. I received that e-mail this morning. After hearing some of the stories of what the other students have gone through to get even 5 minutes of a lawyers time I feel very fortunate that Danielle spent a half hour with me.

Week 10 EOC: Erin Brockivich vs Flash of Genius

In comparing the two films, I can see why Flash of Genius didn’t to do too well in the theater. Flash of Genius was the dark reality of what litigation can be. Robert Kearns’s story of heart break is just horrible. The big corporation taking an idea from the little guy is something that happens more often than not I’m sure. It took 20 years for him to finally receive a moral triumph; Even though he didn’t receive as much as if he would’ve settled. I consider myself as a designer or an artist and if someone stole my idea I would be very upset also. I’m not sure I would let it consume 20 years of my life though. I could see that he was a beaten man at the end of it all. Is it really worth losing everything just to be found morally right? Erin Brokovich was a feel good movie that hardly showed the reality of litigation. The big corporation in this film was in the wrong once again. It seems that once a company gets that large they just do whatever they want. Erin Brokovich in the film was portrayed in the film unlike any other lawyer that I’ve ever seen or heard about. The lawyers that I’m used to dealing with or hearing about are Lawyers that are greedy and pretty unscrupulous. I did feel good when the large corporations in both films were defeated. It seemed almost impossible when you think what both Dr. Bob Kearns and Erin Brokovich were up against. In the end I enjoyed both films and I’ve learned when it comes to business not to trust anyone. I also learned that to keep all documentation of your work o have something to back you up if needed.

Week 10 BOC: Lawyer jokes

Why does California have the most lawyers and New Jersey the most toxic waste dumps?
. . . New Jersey had first choice!

What's the difference between a porcupine and two lawyers in a Porsche?
. . . With a porcupine, the pricks are on the outside.

How many lawyers can you put on the head of a pin?
. . . Ten, if you make them stand on their heads.

WEEK 7 EOC : 10 LAWYERS WITH WEBSITES

1.     Louis Joseph Tavano 9360 W. Flamingo Rd., Ste. 110-491 , Las Vegas , NV 89147 702-740-0241 www.lawyers.justia.com

2.     Tyler R. Andrews 3773 Howard Hughes Pkwy, Ste. 500 N , Las Vegas , NV 89109 702-792-3773 www.gtlaw.com/People/TylerRAndrews

3.     Robert H. Reynolds 823 South 6th Street , Las Vegas , NV 89101 702-385-3343  http://www.btlaw.com/

4.     James D. Boyle 400 South Fourth Street Third Floor , Las Vegas , NV 89101 702-791-0308 www.santorodriggs.com/attorneys

5.     Mark Ernest Ferrario Kummer Kaempfer et al, 3800 Howard Hughes Pkwy 7FL, Las Vegas, NV 89169-0913  702-792-7000 www.legalforce.com

6.     Mark R Borghese 7251 W. Lake Mead Suite 530, Las Vegas, NV 89128 702-382-4804 www.martindale.com

7.     Ira W David 380 Howard Hughes Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89169 702-222-2113. www.morishitalawfirm.com

8.     Christopher Benjamin Anthony Albright, Stoddard, Warnick & Albright, 801 S Rancho Dr Ste D4, Las Vegas, NV 89106 702-384-7111 http://www.attorneyhelp.org/

9.     Patrick W. Kang 5516 S. Fort Apache Rd., Ste. 120 , Las Vegas , NV 89148 702-533-0901 www.legalmetric.com

10.  Adam Pontaleone Segal Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, PC, 300 S 4th St #1200, Las Vegas, NV 89128 702-464-7001 http://www.bestlawyers.com/

WEEK 7 EOC: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY QUESTIONS

1.       In what ways would the engineer that chose the rebar at the Harmon building at City Center be held liable? Can he be sued civilly?

2.       How would I protect an original piece of audio and prevent people from performing it live?

3.       If an interior designer specs out a specific piece of furniture or flooring, and the item injures someone. Can he or she be held liable?

4.       If a drafting contract was documented for a design and the company lost ownership, can I still be compensated?

5.       If I propose a design for a potential client and they refuse the design but use it regardless what can I do?

6.       If I work on a video project with a partner and it was free, but they sell it later can I be compensated?

7.       Are the penalties for offenses similar in all states?

8.       If production work is created using a popular program, am I allowed to make money off of it?

9.       If a building is formed from a plan, and it doesn’t hold up well who is blamed?

       10.     If a film I worked on is produced and shown in theatres, and my name is left out of the is       credits there anything I can do to be compensated?

Week 6 EOC: illicit

My girlfriend recently went to went to Cambodia to visit family. While she was there she went to the local market and bought three Breitling watches and around five Louis Vitton bags for $100.00. Each watch that she bought if real was worth between $5,000 to $7,000. When she got back and gave me the watches I was excited to receive them. They looked so real and heavy like the real deal. I was amazed at how nice they looked. I haven’t worn them yet, I felt weird wearing such an expensive watch. After viewing the movie I definitely won’t wear them. I have to admit that I’ve bought illicit items before and have worn them with no qualms. I now feel bad for that. All the items that I’ve owned that were illicit were bought because I wanted to feel good about myself and what I had, I wanted to “keep up with the Jones’s “. I vow to never do that again. I think this movie was a real eye opener. The effects of sales of these illicit are far reaching. When I purchased these items in the past I had no idea the ramifications that my actions were. I’m going to talk to my girlfriend about this film and find it on the internet and show it to her. I’m sure after watching it she will have the same reaction that I had. It is really sad that this happens almost unthwarted in by officials in law enforcement. It’s sad to see all the corruption in the world that lets things like this happen. I deal with luggage every day at my job, and I have become pretty good at picking out fake Louis Vitton bags. It amazing how many I see on a daily basis. I wonder if those people saw this movie would they purchase another knock off. I hope not

Week 5 EOC: Lawyers looking for fame

   “Laws, like the spider's web, catch the fly and let the hawk go free.”- Spanish proverb  You here of stories in the media all the time of Lawyers being overzealous and being hungry for fame. After reading the article 10 lawyers and Supreme Court I was angered and sadden. For a Lawyer to take a case merely in the hope that the case would go to the Supreme Court is just appalling. There’s one and only one reason they’re interested, “It’s not because they love the client or believe in the legal principle the case presents. That is just wrong in so many ways. On one hand you would hope that the client is getting the best representation but on the other hand at what cost.

“It is better to be a mouse in a cat's mouth than a man in a lawyer's hands”. Spanish Proverb Gloria Allred is a good example of a lawyer putting herself before her client.  Gloria Allred has many times put her so called expertise to work on someone that been hurt or injured someway by another person. She only takes cases that are high profile and will get her face on television. She seems to be in a lot of cases just a publicity hound setting up all sorts of press conferences to get her and sometimes her clients on CNN Fox News or any other news channel she can get on. I wonder if it would be better to do these cases a different way.“Despite the generous rewards that state juries dole out, in many cases, victims receive less than 50 cents on the dollar in settlements with the lawyers takingtherest.Thisisnotjustice.”PatRoberts www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/lawyers.html

I hope to never need a Lawyer again because I have such a great dislike for them.