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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

False Claims Act, Health Care Whistleblowers, and Whistling in the Wind with Justin Lugar

In this episode, we discuss How whistleblower cases come about, the benefits of rewarding whistleblowers, how things are done differently outside the U.S., what’s driving the acceleration of this area of law, and best practices when your company is served with guest Justin Lugar of WoodsRogers. Drawing on his background as both public servant and private practitioner, Justin walks through these issues and others.

President Biden’s Critical Infrastructure Cyber Memo and CrowdStrike’s Whoopsie Daisy with Elizabeth Burgin Waller

In this episode, we discuss our nation's critical infrastructure in the context of cybersecurity, addressing President Biden's recent National Security Memorandum on Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience and its implications for sectors like energy, water, and transportation, with guest Elizabeth Burgin Waller of WoodsRogers. Beth also comments on a recent global system glitch that underscores the vulnerability of the networks behind many of our most critical services. We're talking CrowdStrike and Microsoft Windows.

Trademarks, Copyrights, Brands, T-Shirts, and Champagne with Tiffany Gehrke and Kelley Gordon

In this episode, we discuss three matters relevant to anyone watching copyright and trademark law, or anyone fond of branded t-shirts and fancy French beverages, with guests Tiffany Gehrke and Kelley Gordon, both Partners at Marshall, Gerstein & Borun LLP. Listen and learn more! Tom even (somewhat) learned how to say something in French. Mon dieu, people!

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Supreme Court to Reconsider Separate Sovereignties

The Supreme Court’s decision to review Barrett v. United States signals a potential shift in how the long-standing “separate sovereignties” exception to the Double Jeopardy Clause is applied. This article by guest contributor Bret Thurman offers a deep dive into the historical, constitutional, and practical complexities of double jeopardy, from its roots in ancient Greece to modern-day interpretations. It explores how exceptions—like implied acquittals, mistrials, and fraud—have shaped the doctrine, and raises questions about whether dual prosecutions still make sense in today’s legal landscape.

Injunction against Trump’s DEI executive orders unlikely to stem massive wave of ‘reverse discrimination’ lawsuits

Justin Ward examines the recent federal court injunction against President Trump’s executive orders targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs. While the ruling temporarily halts enforcement of these orders, legal experts suggest it’s unlikely to slow the growing wave of “reverse discrimination” lawsuits. Since the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admission v. Harvard, more than 100 claims alleging discrimination against majority groups have been filed. Additionally, state legislation and an upcoming Supreme Court case, Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services, could further lower the bar for such claims, potentially fueling even more litigation.

2025 California Wildfires Prompt Wave of Suits

Bret Thurman provides an in-depth look at the surge of legal actions stemming from the catastrophic 2025 California wildfires, which caused widespread destruction across Southern California. He explores the numerous lawsuits filed against major utility companies like Southern California Edison (SCE) and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), as well as actions against landlords accused of price gouging in the wake of the disaster. Key legal theories include negligence, inverse condemnation, and public nuisance, with plaintiffs arguing that mismanagement, delayed responses, and regulatory failures significantly contributed to the scale of the devastation. These cases could set important legal precedents for disaster liability and corporate accountability in California and beyond.

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Property Insurance Coverage for Emerging Risk of Underground Climate Change 

In this CLE webinar, Anderson Kill attorneys, Dennis J. Artese, Ethan Middlebrooks, and Thomas Dupont and professional engineer, Kenneth R. Quigley discuss permutations of policy language and state law that may affect coverage for damage caused by underground climate change, including how state law treats anti-concurrent causation clauses, whether “human-caused” exceptions to earth movement exclusions may apply to underground climate change, and whether “abrupt collapse” exceptions to exclusions for building collapse may apply when undetected structural damage triggered by underground climate change triggers collapse.

PFAS Litigation: Predicted Trends Given Regulatory Changes

Every week, the PFAS litigation and regulatory landscape changes dramatically. The EPA presses forward full steam ahead with numerous PFAS regulations, while the states have proposed hundreds of pieces of legislation related to PFAS in the last three years. Meanwhile, class action litigation, environmental pollution litigation, and greenwashing suits are being filed against companies at a dramatically increasing rate year after year. In this CLE webinar, CMBG3 Law attorney John Gardella discusses the latest on regulatory and litigation issues related to PFAS and how they will impact corporations.

The Medical Monitoring Tort Remedy

The medical monitoring tort remedy – allowing for medical monitoring without physical injury – is recognized in 14 states and not allowed in 23. The law is divided in two states while the rest have not specifically addressed the issue. States that allow medical monitoring to do so when a group of claimants is at increased risk of disease or injury due to exposure to a known hazardous substance or a dangerous product as the result of a defendant’s conduct. Under this tort remedy, claimants are tested periodically, for an agreed or decided period, usually between 10 and 40 years. In this CLE webinar, Gentle Turner & Benson LLC attorneys Edgar (“Ed”) C. Gentle III and Katherine (“Kip”) A. Benson discuss the evolution of the medical monitoring tort, related cases, tests to determine whether the tort should be applied, types of monitoring, and the arguments for an against medical monitoring.

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