This ACC Guide sponsored by Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP provides an overview of five specific aspects of brand protection and enhancement in the United States.
The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in biotechnology products and services is becoming a driver of the personalized medicine and health care sectors. While this integration can require special consideration during development of a patent portfolio, stakeholders across engineering, legal, and executive teams in both established companies and start-ups can leverage it to create valuable intellectual property (IP) assets in the marketplace.
On June 23, 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which significantly expanded Americans’ right to bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment. More accurately, the Court significantly curtailed a state’s ability to restrict Americans’ right to publicly carry arms for self-defense. The Bruen decision does not mention the workplace. Nor does the ruling apply directly to the rights of private employers or prevent businesses from enforcing their own restrictions on possession and carry of firearms at their facilities (which the Court indirectly endorsed). The opinion will, however, undoubtedly impact businesses and employers now and in the future. Indeed, in addition to serving as the impetus for a likely increase in guns carried in public generally, the decision will also provide the foundation for subsequent challenges of private restrictions, including workplace bans on guns. Whether those challenges will bear any fruit remains to be seen. What is clear is that Bruen brought gun laws back to the forefront of the national consciousness, and with it a reminder for employers to revisit their workplace restrictions, as well as the law of the state(s) in which they operate.
The U.S. Department of Labor has blogged about the safety of workers during the busy holiday season, indicating an area of potential enforcement for OSHA in the coming weeks. As this is the season for office holiday parties, check out this article from Seyfarth Shaw detailing tips to minimize your organization’s exposure to legal liability and, more importantly, prevent an undesirable incident from occurring at your office holiday party.