Blackletter

Today, Tom Dunlap chats with Sharon Virts about building her successful government contracting business, her new book, and her recent philanthropy work.   Sharon began her foundation to support four pillars that she believes are necessary for a thriving community: education, cultural and historic preservation, healthcare, and opportunity for development. The...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses the recent case involving Fresh Hub and Amazon. Fresh Hub alleges that Amazon infringes on their patent IOT kitchen voice technology. Fresh Hub’s patent includes using your voice to order and manage grocery lists. However, Amazon, which now owns Wholefoods, is allegedly using that technology via the Alexa app and other smart devices. The case is still evolving, s...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses the recent Supreme Court Ruling on the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, or CFAA. The case involved an officer who used his access to a state-run computer to search for the license plate of a woman on behalf of a friend. The friend allegedly paid him $6,000 to see if the woman was an undercover cop or not. The federal government prosecuted him under CFAA, but the app...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses the origins of Memorial Day as a day of remembrance and what it truly means. It began a few years after the Civil War as “Decoration Day,” in which Americans, especially in the North, placed decorations on tombstones. Tom touches on its unique presence in Charleston. In the 1970s, the government officially declared the holiday on May 31st as a day of remembrance....

For today’ s episode, Tom discusses the origins of the phrase “Crossing the Rubicon” and how it has appeared in the legal world. He distinguishes that there was no law in Rome that Julius Caesar could not cross the Rubicon River. Rather, it had to do with Imperium, which prohibited Roman generals to return to that area of Italy without disbanding their army. When Caesar crossed the Rubicon, he and...

In this episode, Tom Dunlap chats with Peter Burnett, of Burnett and Williams Firm, about his Ampersand Pantry project that collects meals from local restaurants and gives them to families in need during Covid. Peter has been practicing law for almost 44 years. In that time, he has come to realize the power and importance of community. As someone who owns businesses in his local community, he has...

For today’ s episode, Tom discusses the recent ruling by the PO Board in the Trademark trial with a Georgia Craft Brewery. The brewery couldn’t register the phrase “Dank Tank” for a beer, but the board and the brewery have differing opinions of the word’s meaning. The brewery states that “dank” refers to cannabis and when used in the context of beer, is a unique phrase. The Board said “dank” is a...

For today’s episode, Tom discusses defamation in the current Smartmatic and Dominion lawsuits against Fox. Defamation occurs when someone publishes a written or spoken false statement that hurts the reputation of the company’s character. Tom explains the difference between “slander” and “libel” and touches on its history and burden of proof in England.   Smartmatic and Dominion have sued Fox News...

In Season 5, Blackletter has covered a variety of topics, from building a positive and productive culture to cybersecurity in a remote workspace. We cover topics that have been exaggerated by Covid and will remain relevant long after the pandemic ends.

For today’s episode, Tom continues his discussion on Anti-SLAPP statutes enacted by a number of states. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation, and references when a wealthy and powerful entity is bringing forth lawsuits to silence public criticism or participation. Over thirty states have enacted Anti-SLAPP statutes, which allow the defendant to file a response, saying th...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses Robinhood’s usage of Ice Cube’s image in their newsletter. Robinhood, infamous for the GameStop stock situation earlier this year, used Ice Cube’s image and a parody of his phrase “Check yourself before you wreck yourself” in their educational newsletter, “Snack.” The lawsuit states that Robinhood misappropriated his image and phrase, and Ice Cube does not...

Today, Tom Dunlap chats with Stefan Leipold, the CEO of Stark. He is also the inventor of the magnetic privacy screen for laptops and PCs. Tom and Stefan discuss cyber security concerns and remote work, cyber security and company dynamics and building a career in America.

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses laws that will take effect in 2021 on the state and federal level. In states like Connecticut, new laws will require more police accountability, better training, and de-escalation tactics. In addition, over 20 states passed laws to raise the minimum wage. On the federal level, the use of a “real ID” will be required to board planes. Tom also touches on oth...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses what the Supreme Court’s shadow docket is and how it works. The shadow docket allows for a fast track set up intended for emergencies. A litigant goes before a singular justice and asks that justice to take the case before the rest of the court. It can avoid public discussions, written opinions and advice to lower courts. During the Trump administration, i...

In this episode of the Black Letter Podcast, Tom Dunlap and Stephanie Eberhart of neXco National discuss networking, professional development and the hiring process in a virtual world. The two talk about ways businesses can grow in virtual settings.

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses the Prep Act, or the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act. The law issues declarations that allow for the immunity of companies that create products to combat diseases such as the Zika virus, Ebola, and of course, the coronavirus. Essentially, companies that make masks, ventilators or more are free of liability unless there is willful misconduct...

Tom discusses President Biden’s proposal for his Estate Tax plan. Tom covers what the proposal entails, including reducing the current lifetime credit each individual has from 11.7 million to 3.5 million, and increasing the estate tax from 40% to 45%. He contextualizes the proposal in relation to 2026, where the increased estate tax and the lifetime credit will automatically change. Tom encourages...

Tom discusses buy-sell agreements, which have seen an increased interest during Covid. He touches on how some partners are either entering or existing the business in response to the pandemic, while others are staying. Tom also explains the two types of buy-sell: cross-purchase agreement and the redemption agreement. Overall, buy-sell agreements remove a lot of the what if questions out of the equ...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom goes over the top Dos and Don’ts of Zoom etiquette. Though it’s been a year since the first lockdown, Tom and his partners still see blunders while video conferencing. From muting yourself when not speaking, to camera angle, and backdrop, Tom covers tips to have a better, more professional conference call. He encourages everyone to treat Zoom meetings like in person...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses non-fungible tokens and their recent popularity. Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, exist in blockchain, but unlike Bitcoin, cannot be replaced with something else. NFTs can be anything from a collectable to a piece of digital artwork. The most common use of NFTs can be seen in gaming, where users can trade items for real money to utilize in the game. Listen to...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom touches on smart contracts and how they relate to blockchain. A smart contract is a way to enter into a transaction without having a physical contract. He likens it to a vending machine, where you put money into a chain of events, such as blockchain, and you immediately get out your part of the transaction. Blockchain, an example being Bitcoin stores data and create...

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses his recent work with blockchain and NFTs, or non-fungible tokens. Blockchain is a specific type of database in which information is stored in chains, as opposed to tables in an Excel spreadsheet. He gives a simplified explanation of how data is stored and encrypted in a blockchain. Bitcoin is the most known type of data stored in a blockchain. Tom touches...

Today, Tom Dunlap and Kurt Klaus of Dunlap, Bennett, and Ludwig chat with Will Gee, the CEO of Balti Virtual about the field and future of augmented and virtual reality. Listen in as they cover topics such as VR and the AR Cloud,  the potential future of the industry and what Balti Virtual has learned through business culture, growth and working with some amazing clients.&...

In a lighter rendition of Monday Minutes, today Tom mentions some of the bloopers and blunders that have happened on Zoom during legal proceedings. By now, many of us have seen the lawyer on Zoom with a kitten face filter, saying “I am not a cat.” Tom shares other instances such as naked attorneys, drinking, meth pipes and more!  

For today’s Monday Minutes, Tom discusses Judge Jed Rakoff’s recent book, “Why the Innocent Plead Guilty and Why the Guilty Go Free.” Working in the southern district of New York, Rakoff is an experienced judge who delves into why people are pleading guilty instead of going to trial. The book offers anecdotes and observations on how the legal system and class privilege support this pattern.