Civil Law

U.S. Trademark Strategy: What Asian Companies Should Consider Before Entering the Market

On October 26th, Lauren Leipold, J.C. Heinbockel, and Raymond Wong presented “Trademark Strategy for Asian Companies Entering the U.S. Market: Trademark Protection and Monetization.” The program explored an increasingly important question for companies looking to grow in the United States: how can trademark strategy support not just brand protection, but broader business objectives?

For Asian companies entering the U.S., one of the most important distinctions is that U.S. trademark rights are based largely on use in commerce. Registration … Read the rest

Civil Law

“Ottawa Charter at 40” Panel Presents on Support for Personal Skills and Social Development

As suggested in my previous post introducing the October 2026 conference in Canada that reexamined the public health goals set by the Ottawa Charter in 1986, there was reason both for modest celebration and serious critical thinking about what has happened during the last 40 years.

In a morning panel on October 21, we were tasked with the 4th Pillar of the Ottawa Charter, focusing on “personal and social development.” The presentations ranged from detailed frameworks for implementing new health … Read the rest

Civil Law

All or Nothing? Second Circuit Clarifies Scope of Sexual Harassment Arbitration Law (US)

A recent decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit clarified the reach of the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act (“EFAA”), with significant implications for employers in New York, Connecticut, and Vermont seeking to enforce arbitration agreements.

On September 30, 2026, in Diaz-Roa v. Hermes Law, P.C.,[i], the Second Circuit held that when an employee properly invokes the EFAA, a pre-dispute arbitration agreement is unenforceable as to the entire lawsuit, … Read the rest

Civil Law

Madrid or Miami? Why the Colombian private client should look to Europe

Plaza Mayor de Bogotá, 1846. Edward Walhouse Mark. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

For two generations, a Colombian family that wanted security abroad bought an apartment in Florida and, in time, applied for a green card. Madrid was the respectable second choice. In 2026 that order deserves to be reversed for a family that keeps its business in Colombia. For seven months of this year the United States suspended immigrant visas for Colombian nationals; it still has no income tax … Read the rest

Circuit Courts

Cybersecurity Incident Disrupting Bankruptcy Court Operations

BAE Systems IT and websites that support the operations of the Bankruptcy Noticing Center (BNC) have been impacted by a cybersecurity incident. The BNC produces and transmits bankruptcy notices for all federal bankruptcy courts around the country, and BAE Systems operates BNC systems and websites on behalf of the Federal Judiciary.
Judiciary News – United States Courts… Read the rest

Civil Law

The OCC’s Final Debanking Report and the CFPB’s Response: Key Takeaways

On October 14, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) released its final report on the results of its review of debanking at the nine then-largest national banks under its supervision by asset size, as part of its implementation of Executive Order 14331, “Guaranteeing Fair Access to Banking for All Americans” (EO 14331), which was issued in August 2025. The same day, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it will investigate whether the banks featured in … Read the rest

Civil Law

Should AI Agents be legally liable for their actions?

BankInfoSecurity.com reported that “Although U.S. frontier firms created artificial intelligence agents that went on a hacking spree, breaking the laws of at least two countries, the engineers and managers of frontier labs shouldn’t be held liable, a lawyer from OpenAI said Thursday.” The October 8, 2026 article entitled “OpenAI Lawyer: Labs Shouldn’t Be Liable for AI Agent Hacking” (https://www.bankinfosecurity.com/openai-lawyer-labs-shouldnt-be-liable-for-ai-agent-hacking-a-33050) included these comments:

“A lot of it turns on intent,” Alex Iftimie, the company’s deputy general counsel, told a panel discussion … Read the rest