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  • Unraveling “Reverse Discrimination” with Leah Stiegler

    What happens when workplace discrimination claims come from members of majority groups? In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, attorney Leah Stiegler of Woods Rogers unpacks the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services. The Court’s ruling—eliminating the “background circumstances rule”—marks a major shift in how discrimination cases are evaluated, reinforcing that Title VII protects everyone equally. Leah shares insights from mock jury trials, explores how geography and community values affect verdicts, and breaks down what employers should know about evolving discrimination standards.

  • Authentic Business Development for Litigators: Stop Chasing Cases and Start Building Clients with John Reed

    What if waiting for lawsuits is the worst growth strategy a litigator can have? In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, host Tom Hagy speaks with John Reed, founder of Rain BDM and host of Sticky Lawyers, about how litigators can build authentic, lasting client relationships instead of chasing the next case. John shares practical insights on defining your professional brand, using emotional intelligence in business development, and adapting your natural style—especially for introverts or those navigating remote mentorship. Whether you’re a new associate or a seasoned partner, this episode offers a roadmap for making your practice more resilient, visible, and genuinely client-centered.

  • New and Improved Antitrust Whistleblowing Incentives with Julie Bracker and Dan Mogin

    Can whistleblowers reshape antitrust enforcement the way they’ve exposed fraud in other industries? In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, host Tom Hagy talks with Julie Keeton Bracker of Bracker & Marcus and Dan Mogin of Mogin Law about the Department of Justice’s new push to encourage insider reporting in antitrust cases. They explore the history of qui tam actions, the power of the False Claims Act, and how individuals could soon play a bigger role in uncovering price-fixing, bid-rigging, and other anti-competitive schemes.

  • Resolving Business Disputes Without Burning Bridges Featuring Judge Alan Fine

    In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, retired Judge Alan Fine of Private Resolutions explores how businesses can resolve disputes without destroying valuable relationships. Drawing on decades of experience on the bench and in commercial litigation, Judge Fine explains the pros and cons of mediation, arbitration, and “private judging,” which allows parties to choose their own judge and resolve matters quickly and confidentially. He shares how aligning your dispute resolution strategy with business objectives—rather than emotions—can preserve partnerships, save time, and achieve fair results.

  • Insurance Coverage Litigation’s Modern Mayhem with Jeremy Moseley

    Insurance coverage litigation isn’t what it used to be. In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, Jeremy Moseley of Spencer Fane unpacks how automation, AI, climate change, and “social inflation” are reshaping risks and fueling high-stakes disputes. From thermonuclear verdicts to dangerous policy gaps, Jeremy offers sharp, practical insights into what insurers, policyholders, and lawyers should expect next.

  • Federal Courts Issue Contrasting Rulings on AI Training and Copyrighted Books Fair Use

    Federal courts in California just issued conflicting rulings on whether training AI models with copyrighted books qualifies as fair use. In Bartz v. Anthropic, the court protected training on lawfully purchased works but rejected the use of pirated copies. In contrast, Kadrey v. Meta allowed AI training on pirated books, calling it “highly transformative.” Tom Hagy explains that with more than 50 similar lawsuits pending, these decisions underscore the legal uncertainty facing tech companies, publishers, and creators—and could reshape the future of AI development and copyright law.

  • Artificial Intelligence Meets Copyright Law with Ryan Phelan and Tiffany Gehrke

    What happens when artificial intelligence collides with copyright law? In this episode of the Emerging Litigation Podcast, intellectual property attorneys Ryan Phelan and Tiffany Gehrke of Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP unpack two landmark court decisions on fair use and AI training data. They explain why courts found AI training to be “transformative use,” how judges are treating legally obtained versus pirated data, and why algorithmic outputs could be the real battleground ahead. With deep expertise in technology and IP law, Ryan and Tiffany offer practical insights into how these rulings may shape the future of AI, copyright, and innovation.

  • Subway Surfing Suit Against Meta and TikTok: Setting the Stage for Social Media Liability

    Social media platforms are under mounting legal pressure as courts scrutinize how algorithms amplify dangerous viral trends. In Nazario v. ByteDance Ltd., a New York judge allowed a wrongful death lawsuit against Meta and TikTok to move forward after a teen died attempting a “subway surfing” stunt allegedly promoted by their platforms. In this article, Tom Hagy examines how the decision challenges long-standing Section 230 protections and signals a shift toward treating social media as potentially defective products when design and targeting harm young users. This case—and others involving viral challenges and youth safety—may redefine platform liability for years to come.

  • Climate Change Law: Tension Increases Over Governmental and Corporate Responsibility

    The world’s leaders still don’t agree on what, if anything, to do about climate change – despite mounting evidence that, as a planet, we are in the soup. A major ruling from the International Court of Justice says states have an obligation to save the planet, as the U.S. president is enthusiastically sprinting the other way, inspiring cheers from his base and jeers from scientists. As for domestic litigation designed to pin liability on the fossil fuel industry, a case in South Carolina faltered as another in Hawaii is clearing hurdles. Read the update from Tom Hagy.

Emerging Litigation Podcast

Last Days of Patent Eligibility Confusion with Ryan Phelan

In this episode, we discuss the intricate landscape of patent eligibility in the United States, twin patent law decisions from the Supreme Court, and the proposed Patent Eligibility Restoration Act and how -- if passed -- it could unlock new opportunities for innovation amid the challenges posed by judicial exceptions with seasoned patent attorney, Ryan N. Phelan of Marshall Gerstein. Listen now!

IP Protection, Secure Transactions, and Bored Apes: NFTs with Cameron Pick

In this episode, we discuss the evolving landscape of NFTs – or non-fungible tokens – which have taken the digital world by storm – or perhaps just a downloadable picture of a storm – promising to revolutionize not only the way we perceive, protect, purchase, and own digital assets, but how we might even buy a house or other assets in the real world. Guest Cameron Pick of Marshall Gerstein draws on his expertise in intellectual property law to provide insights into the changing dynamics of NFTs and the legal issues that accompany them. Tune in now!

Humans at Work with Leah Stiegler

In this episode, Leah M. Stiegler, principal attorney at Woods Rogers, shares practical solutions for a variety of challenges, like love at work, pregnancy at work, discord at work, harassment at work, and working overtime. She talks about gender identity protections, implicit biases, and microaggressions, plus conducting administrative investigations, and ideas to mitigate risk, stay out of court, and maintain a positive work environment. Enjoy now!

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Emerging Litigation Journal

Class action alleges Ziploc misled consumers about harmful microplastics in its products

Amid rising concerns about toxic chemicals in consumer products, Apple finds itself under scrutiny. Guest contributor Justin Ward examines the controversy surrounding Apple’s smartwatch bands after researchers detected elevated levels of PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” While Apple insists its products are safe, a class action lawsuit alleges deceptive marketing and health risks, raising broader questions about accountability and chemical transparency in tech and apparel.

What DEI Changes Mean for Employers Featuring Patice Holland

As political and public scrutiny of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs grows, employment attorney Patice Holland of WoodsRogers joins the Emerging Litigation Podcast to explain how employers—especially federal contractors—can reassess DEI initiatives while staying compliant with discrimination laws, navigating shifting enforcement priorities, and managing legal, operational, and reputational risk. Tune in now!

Facing PFAS lawsuit, Apple claims watch bands are safe, but what does the evidence say?

Amid rising concerns about toxic chemicals in consumer products, Apple finds itself under scrutiny. Guest contributor Justin Ward examines the controversy surrounding Apple’s smartwatch bands after researchers detected elevated levels of PFAS, or “forever chemicals.” While Apple insists its products are safe, a class action lawsuit alleges deceptive marketing and health risks, raising broader questions about accountability and chemical transparency in tech and apparel.

HB Webinars on CeriFi LegalEdge

Copyrightability of AI Generated Work

Take this webinar featuring Perkins Coie LLP attorneys Lisa Ortiz and Sean West to gain a better understanding of the challenge of determining human authorship in AI-generated works, the guidance and disclosure rules established by the Copyright Office, the importance of addressing copyright ownership and usage rights in AI-related license agreements, and the implications of joint ownership of AI models and output. Learn about the categories of work in which AI is being applied in the practice of law, e.g., legal research, document drafting, deposition preparation, and discovery review. Understand the various risks associated with AI, e.g., biased and inaccurate outputs, unauthorized disclosures of private data, and intellectual property infringement.  Get an overview of governmental regulation and guidance. Finally, start your journey to develop best practices in establishing AI governance teams and processes with an eye toward complying with regulations and mitigating risk. Check it out!

AI Survival Guide: Best Practices to Mitigate AI Litigation Risk

Organizations using artificial intelligence-based technologies that perform facial recognition or other facial analysis, website advertising, profiling, automated decision making, educational operations, clinical medicine, generative AI, and more, increasingly face the risk of being targeted by class action lawsuits and government enforcement actions alleging that they improperly obtained, disclosed, and misused personal data of website visitors, employees, customers, students, patients, and others, or that they infringed copyrights, fixed prices, and more. These disputes often seek millions or billions of dollars against businesses of all sizes. This webinar identifies recent trends in such varied but similar AI litigation, draws common threads, and discusses best practices that corporate counsel should consider to mitigate AI litigation risk. Our excellent speakers are Jerry Maatman and Justin Donoho of Duane Morris.

Legal Innovation: Choosing the Best AI Tools and Strategies for Success

During this webinar, Robinson+Cole's knowledge management professionals Liz Salsedo and Jim Merrifield help you better understand artificial intelligence and generative AI.  Learn about the categories of work in which AI is being applied in the practice of law, e.g., legal research, document drafting, deposition preparation, and discovery review.   Understand the various risks associated with AI, e.g., biased and inaccurate outputs, unauthorized disclosures of private data, and intellectual property infringement.  Get an overview of governmental regulation and guidance. Finally, start your journey to develop best practices in establishing AI governance teams and processes with an eye toward complying with regulations and mitigating risk.  

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