About Andrew Brandt
Andrew Brandt is the associate editor on Super Lawyers‘ staff. He serves as the editor for the Missouri-Kansas, Mountain States, Oklahoma, and Texas Rising Stars magazines, and he additionally writes, fact-checks and proofreads for numerous other Super Lawyers issues (and for the website). He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with degrees in English literature and environmental studies, and his byline has appeared in a variety of places, both online and in print.
Articles written by Andrew Brandt
Should You Trademark Your Business' Name or Logo?
The importance of brand standing in MichiganIf your business has both a brand name and a logo, you are not required to register them with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. However, there are several benefits to doing so. Two drawbacks to not registering, says Jeremy Bisdorf, an intellectual property attorney at Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss in Southfield, include: not knowing if you’re infringing on someone else’s mark, and lacking stronger protection for your brand moving forward. Although you are still sheltered by …
'True Colors'
A look back at the pro bono response to the I-35W bridge collapseAs with the Twins’ World Series victories in 1987 or 1991 or Prince’s death in 2016, most Minnesotans can tell you where they were on Aug. 1, 2007, when the section of the Interstate 35W bridge that spans the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. That evening, during rush hour, 13 people lost their lives and another 145 were injured. The worst man-made disaster in state history—and the second-deadliest bridge collapse in the country’s past 20 years—it is burned into many …
A Better Way
How Bill Bohling helped establish Utah’s first mental health courtWhen Bill Bohling was a third district court judge in Utah, he often saw what he calls frequent flyers. “People with mental illnesses would often not have the benefit of medication or any kind of support. They would end up committing petty offenses—they’d urinate in public; create a disturbance. Usually, a court would sentence them to 10 days or something, and put them on probation for a few months,” he says. “It was a revolving door: in and out, in and out.” In 2000, Bohling …
Can You Get Out of a Lease Agreement?
Yes, but there are some caveats in Northern CaliforniaWhether people are leaving cities for more square footage or coming back to them thanks to rent decreases, they don’t always wait for their current lease term to expire before doing so. “For tenants who are locked into a year lease, there isn’t really a perfect way to get out of it—there is no early termination,” says Daniel Wayne, a tenant’s rights attorney at Wolford Wayne in San Francisco. “If your landlord will not allow you an early to terminate the lease without penalties, …
Navigating the Legal Responsibilities of Being a Rideshare Driver
Tips from Florida attorneys on being an independent contractorAt first glance, driving for a rideshare company comes with plenty of perks, like working when you want, for how long you want, with no boss looking over your shoulder. The reality is less rosy. Rideshare Drivers Are Considered Independent Contractors First, you’re not an employee of the rideshare service—also called a Transportation Network Company (TNC)—but an independent contractor, a role with its own responsibilities. “Approach it as if you’re the owner of a …
'A Massive Wave of Death'
Paul da Costa represents victims from the facilities ranking first and second in the country for COVID-19 deaths at veterans homesIn early May 2020, Paul M. da Costa got a call from a woman whose father had died from COVID and whose uncle had gotten the virus but survived. Both had been residents of the Veterans Memorial Home at Menlo Park, and she said her story wasn’t uncommon. “She presented it to me as, ‘There’s not only smoke—there’s fire,’” says da Costa. “Ultimately, she was more than right: There was a wildfire of epic proportions that could not be ultimately controlled by the people running this …
When the Government Takes Private Property: Eminent Domain FAQs
Answers to common questions about the government’s power of eminent domainEminent domain is a misunderstood area of the law. It’s also a legal area in which, if you’ve been alerted that the government is interested in using your private property, you’re absolutely going to want to reach out to an attorney. We spoke with Steven M. Silva, an eminent domain attorney at Nossaman in Sacramento, California, about eminent domain FAQs and how a lawyer can help someone through the process. How Will I Know the Government Is Going to Use Eminent Domain to Take My …
Where Does the Power of Eminent Domain Come From?
Understanding its origins, misconceptions, and the forms eminent domain takesOne of the most commonly misunderstood areas of the law is eminent domain. We spoke with Steven M. Silva, an eminent domain attorney at Nossaman LLP in Sacramento, California, to learn its origins, its misconceptions, and the forms it takes. Origins of the Government’s Eminent Domain Power If we start from the very beginning, eminent domain is what we call a sovereign power. You’ve heard the phrase, ‘It’s good to be the king.’ And it’s true: When you’re the sovereign over any …
How to Avoid Contract Disputes
A shorter, simpler contract doesn’t always mean a happier partyTypically, a written contract’s force majeure clause—which frees both signers from their obligations when an extraordinary event occurs—is viewed as a boilerplate provision and disregarded. “But the clause has really come to the fore with COVID-19,” says Ted Banks, a business/corporate attorney at law firm Scharf Banks Marmor in Chicago. “People have been surprised by what the force majeure clause has been able to do or not do.” Banks, who has studied cases involving the clause …
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting a Divorce Lawyer
Insights from a divorce lawyer to demystify legal representationIf you’re headed towards a divorce, it’s likely you’ll need a lawyer. Perhaps just as likely? You’ve never needed one before. We spoke with Dori Foster-Morales, a family law attorney and the 2020-21 president of The Florida Bar, about what clients should seek in an attorney, as well as questions to ask and red flags to watch out for. How Do I Find a Divorce Attorney Who’s a Good Fit For Me? Number one, it’s really important to get a baseline by meeting with more than one person. …
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