Advertising Law

Sign of the Times: Clorox Seeks Lawyer for Social Media Issues

Clorox is hiring an in-house lawyer to focus on legal issues surrounding social media. The company’s ad for a social media legal expert is “rather surprising,” but it’s a sign of the times, Advertising Age reports. Many companies already use social media to promote their products, and Clorox is no…

Jan 25, 2010 3:14 PM CST

Attorney with Big Ad Budget Can Open Law Office LLC in 49th State, Court Says

In a ruling that is sure to disappoint competing firms that sought to block a national attorney known for his blockbuster advertising budget from establishing a local foothold, the Rhode Island Supreme Court today ruled that James Sokolove can form a law firm limited liability corporation there. It will be…

Jan 22, 2010 12:54 AM CST

Ex-Client Sues Debevoise for $55M re ‘Variety of Chimera & Boondoggles’

It’s a truism that a law firm that sues a client to collect an unpaid bill is almost asking for a malpractice claim. And a $6 million unpaid-bill suit filed by Debevoise & Plimpton last year against a former client is not the exception that proves the rule. In an…

Jan 14, 2010 7:03 PM CST

Parents’ Bill for ‘Balloon Boy’ Stunt: $42K

Federal, state and local authorities have sent a $42,000 total rescue tab to the parents of a 6-year-old Colorado boy who was feared to be aloft, alone, thousands of feet in the air after accidentally setting sail in an experimental balloon, reports the Denver Post. In fact, the so-called balloon…

Dec 22, 2009 11:59 PM CST

Law Firm Website Redesign Lesson: Review Photos as Well as Text

Even when a well-known legal consultant is handling a law firm website redesign, it’s important for partners to retain an oversight role, a small Texas law firm has learned the hard way. Stock photo illustrations of seeming crime victims published in connection with descriptions of Lindeman, Alvarado & Frye’s sex…

Dec 7, 2009 7:54 PM CST

Ethics Complaint: Lawyer Lied About ‘Adult Gig’ Craigslist Ad for Secretary

An attorney discipline count has been filed against an Illinois immigration lawyer for allegedly lying about an ad for a legal secretary that he posted in the “Adult Gigs” section of Craigslist. Although the May 2009 job ad did not expressly list any sexual job duties, a follow-up letter sent…

Oct 22, 2009 11:47 PM CDT

Lawyer Seeks Right to Advertise in R.I., a State in Which He Has No Office

Critics say that attorney James Sokolove is more about advertising than law practice. And at least one or two justices on the Rhode Island Supreme Court seemingly may agree. As Sokolove’s lawyer argued late last month that his client should be allowed to promote his Delaware-based national personal injury firm…

Oct 15, 2009 6:08 PM CDT

FTC Bans Secret Swag Given to Bloggers & Celebrities for Testimonials

The golden era of undisclosed freebies may soon be over for bloggers and celebrities. Those who provide testimonials about products and services will now have to report, under new Federal Trade Commission rules that take effect on Dec. 1, the swag that they could formerly receive in secret. “For bloggers…

Oct 6, 2009 8:56 PM CDT

Federal Judge Sides with LA City Council in Spat Over Supersize Signs

A federal judge has given Los Angeles some respite in the city’s ongoing battle with billboard companies seeking to put up super-sized signs. U.S. District Judge Audrey Collins today refused to grant an injunction sought by Liberty Media ordering the city’s building department to permit 16 new so-called supergraphics, reports…

Sep 28, 2009 7:54 PM CDT

Google ‘Adwords’ Don’t Violate Trademark Law, Adviser Tells EU Court

In an opinion that could point the way for a first-of-a-kind court ruling in the European Union, an adviser to the European Court of Justice says the use of a competitor’s trademark as a keyword by companies advertising on Google doesn’t violate trademark law. The issue is at the heart…

Sep 22, 2009 8:42 PM CDT

Microsoft Files ‘Malvertising’ Case Against Unknown Individuals

Microsoft filed suit in Washington state court yesterday, in an effort to unmask the individuals behind five companies that allegedly have been distributing “malvertising” to users of its personal computers and services. The company has filed suit in order to enlist the court system’s help in identifying, through subpoenas on…

Sep 18, 2009 11:50 PM CDT

Pfizer GC Loses Compliance Chief Role Under $2.3B Drug Marketing Settlement

The general counsel of Pfizer Inc. will no longer oversee the drug manufacter’s compliance program under the terms of a record-breaking $2.3 billion criminal and civil settlement by the company with the U.S. Department of Justice over allegations that it illegally marketed several drugs. Instead, a corporate integrity agreement (PDF)…

Sep 11, 2009 6:58 PM CDT

N.J. Lawyer Plans Suit Over Best Buy’s $9.99 Price Flub; Law Prof Is Skeptical

Updated: Any consumers thinking about suing Best Buy for refusing to honor a listed price of $9.99 for a flat-screen TV should think again, according to one law professor. But a New Jersey consumer lawyer has already done some thinking, and he plans to file a lawsuit today. Best Buy’s…

Aug 13, 2009 12:37 PM CDT

Wyeth Paid for Articles Promoting Use of Company’s Hormone-Replacement Drugs

Evidence unsealed last month in a complex federal case against a drug manufacturer shows that Wyeth paid for at least 40 ghostwritten articles in medical journals promoting the use of replacement hormones in menopausal women. The practice of publishing ghostwritten articles is controversial, because bioethicists say it obscures the connection…

Aug 6, 2009 10:25 PM CDT

Online Fine Print Doesn’t Satisfy the FTC’s New Consumer Chief

The new head of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission wants to protect online consumers’ dignity as well as their pocketbooks. Consumer protection chief David Vladeck told the New York Times that some websites’ tracking of consumer data is “Orwellian.” He wants to change that with…

Aug 5, 2009 12:27 PM CDT