Mobile Version Subscribe Issue Archive Contact Us About Us Advertise

RSS | Login | Register

Legal

The rewards and risks of social media engagement

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert May 11, 2012

Social media offers potentially lucrative opportunities for PR agencies.

Overtime laws are becoming a growing concern

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert March 30, 2012

Companies, including many PR firms, think they are not required to pay overtime to employees who have college degrees and who receive annual salaries. Think again.

J&J settlement offer rejected

Virgil Dickson March 13, 2012

The US Justice Department has rejected a $1 billion settlement offer by Johnson & Johnson over allegations that it marketed Risperdal for unapproved uses.

Agencies need to be clear on what constitutes confidentiality

Hubert Crouch, Crouch & Ramey March 01, 2012

In Weber Shandwick v. Hill+Knowlton Strategies, et al, a former employer sued its ex-employees and new employer over the alleged violation of agreements relating to confidential information and the non-solicitation of clients.

Legal experts highlight rarity of Weber's suit

Lindsay Stein January 20, 2012

Weber Shandwick's move to take legal action against Hill+Knowlton Strategies for allegedly stealing confidential information, clients, and employees is one rarely seen in the industry, PR recruitment and legal experts tell PRWeek.

The PR Week - January 20, 2012

January 20, 2012

Gideon Fidelzeid, Frank Washkuch and Lindsay Stein discuss Weber Shandwick's injunction against Hill+Knowlton Strategies; US Cellular's agency search; SOPA/PIPA protests; and results of Ikea's agency review.

Fear, ethics, legal, and Wikipedia

David King, Wikipedia Ethics LLC January 10, 2012

There are plenty of reasons to fear Wikipedia.

Think before you link to avoid violating copyright law

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert December 22, 2011

Often, the fastest way to communicate information digitally is to "link" to it. However, making a digital copy of copyrighted material and forwarding it by email can be a violation of copyright laws. So where does lawful linking end and unlawful copyright infringement begin?

Review the consequences of hiring an unpaid intern workforce

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert October 28, 2011

What do AT&T, IBM, the Cleveland Indians, and more than 800 other employers have in common? They are all openly seeking unpaid interns on Craigslist and Monster.

Wireless carriers square up for court battles

Chris Daniels September 16, 2011

WASHINGTON: The fight over the legality of AT&T's $39-billion bid to acquire T-Mobile USA has just begun. But the battle lines from a communications perspective have already been drawn.

A troll is at your PR doorstep with a patent-infringement claim

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert August 05, 2011

There are two reasons for the sharp uptick in the number of patent claims against PR firms.

Protective agreements: don't let the courts define things for you

Michael Lasky, Davis & Gilbert June 24, 2011

Many companies require employees to sign restrictive or protective covenants as a condition of employment.

Is Wal-Mart's gender discrimination win really a win?

Michelle Lodge June 24, 2011

The Supreme Court passed down a major victory for Wal-Mart this week, but as anyone who has come out on top knows, it's how you handle the win that can build up or tear down a reputation.

Recent lawsuit sheds light on agency liability

Chris Daniels April 15, 2011

PR firms need to be aware of their legal liability in claims they put forth on behalf of clients, as underscored when PR firm TransMedia Group revealed it had received cease and desist letters in its promotion of client, medical device company RyMed Technologies.

Corporations confront gender discrimination suits

Jaimy Lee March 01, 2011

Monique da Silva's gender discrimination lawsuit against MSL Group and Publicis Groupe is one of several similar lawsuits that women have filed against large corporations in recent years.

Former Fleishman leaders set for jail

Alexandra Bruell January 11, 2011

The Los Angeles Daily News reported that Douglas Dowie, former GM of Fleishman-Hillard's Los Angeles office, will begin serving a three-and-a-half-year prison term next month for fraudulently overcharging clients, a case on which PRWeek reported extensively in 2006 and 2007 during the initial trial.

Firms decline further comment on Greenpeace lawsuit

Jaimy Lee December 02, 2010

WASHINGTON: Ketchum, Dezenhall Resources, and Dow Chemical continued to decline to comment following the filing of a lawsuit by Greenpeace earlier this week against the companies for corporate espionage.

GSK to pay $750 million on defective drug charges

Jaimy Lee October 26, 2010

GlaxoSmithKline agreed to pay $750 million to settle criminal and civil charges that the pharmaceutical company manufactured defective drugs.

Crisis can create shared opportunity for PR and legal teams

Larry Kamer September 24, 2010

This week I participated in a productive conference call about a client's crisis strategy that included a thoughtful risk-benefit discussion about potential legal, communications, and political strategies.

Crisis agencies form strategic partnership

Kimberly Maul August 26, 2010

LOS ANGELES: Englander Knabe & Allen and The PR Consulting Group are forming a crisis consulting partnership, bringing together two firms based in Los Angeles and New York, respectively.

Toyota subpoenaed again on steering flaws

Sheelagh Doyle July 20, 2010

Toyota has been subpoenaed again by a New York grand jury seeking information on steering-related defects and potentially widening an investigation into the handling of the automaker's 2005 recall.

Gottheimer leaves Burson for senior counselor role at FCC

Jaimy Lee June 23, 2010

WASHINGTON: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) named Josh Gottheimer as senior counselor to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, starting in mid-July.

Financial world faces a rough road to earn back public trust

Julia Hood June 01, 2010

Just over a year ago, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart famously tore into Jim Cramer, host of CNBC's financial hype-fest Mad Money, for what the former saw as editorial malpractice

Survey: legal profession increasing reliance on social media

Sheelagh Doyle May 18, 2010

NEW YORK: Social media has become more widespread as a b-to-b tool for the legal profession, but a generational gap still exists, according to a survey of in-house counsel by Greentarget Strategic Communications.

Mayer joins Sitrick lawsuit

Kimberly Maul May 17, 2010

In April, Richard Wool, a former employee of crisis management firm Sitrick & Co., sued Michael Sitrick, chairman and CEO of the agency, for manipulating the value of its employee stock option plan.