About Andrew Brandt
Andrew Brandt is an editor on Super Lawyers‘ staff. He serves as the editor for the Illinois, Northern California, Upstate New York, Missouri-Kansas, and Texas 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
The First-Meeting Manual
How to prepare for your initial legal interviewIf you own a business, odds are favorable that you’re going to need a lawyer at some point in the company’s life. When you do, it’s likely you’re going to have a multitude of questions: How do I find the right attorney? What do I need to bring when I meet with one? How much will it cost? David B. Sosin, a business attorney and former president of the Illinois State Bar Association, says that your lawyer should make you feel comfortable at that first meeting—and should also tell you …
'A Box Seat at the World Series'
Chip Robertson on his stint with Missouri’s highest courtWhat was your path to the Missouri Supreme Court? I was Governor Ashcroft’s chief of staff. And, before that, I had been the number two guy in the attorney general’s office. I was barely 33—and that was basically as young as it had ever been in Missouri. The Supreme Court at that time had six guys, all of whom were older than my father, and most of whom hated each other. There was a sense, among some of the people who were interested in getting the court to do its job a little better, …
Shared Custody for Pets: Who Gets the Pet in a Breakup?
More and more, couples going through a breakup or divorce are having to decide who gets their beloved pet. Couples can plan ahead for pet custody in a prenuptial agreement, or negotiate shared custody for their pets as part of divorce proceedings. For legal advice on pet custody arrangements for divorcing couples, talk to an animal law attorney. Prenuptial Agreements To Avoid Pet Custody Cases The safest option is for the partners to decide who gets the pet in a breakup or divorce at the time …
Expecting the Unexpected
What should you do if you’re injured while riding your bike?In 2019, there were more than 3,800 motor vehicle accidents involving a cyclist who was seriously injured or killed in the New York City area, according to Marc S. Albert, a personal injury attorney at his eponymous firm in Astoria. “Motorists often don’t look out for bicyclists—whether it’s opening a door, going through an intersection, or making a turn,” he says, adding that drivers not seeing bikes in blind spots is another common culprit. Doorings are the most common …
Why Do Life Insurance Policy Benefits Get Denied?
Life insurance policy benefits get denied because of material misrepresentations, policy lapse for premium nonpayment, medical nondisclosure, or fraudulent applications. Insurance covers accidental death, with excluded activity for death certificates tied to illegal acts or with suicide clauses. Claims during the contestability period are subject to policy rescission for missing documentation, age misstatements, or incomplete investigations. Life insurance may delay payouts because of a …
Brand Standing
Should you trademark your business’ name or logo?If 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 …
Should You Trademark Your Business' Name or Logo?
If 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. Businesses with unregistered trademarks may not be in breach of state or federal law, but attorneys agree that there are benefits to successfully filing an application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). If you have any questions, connect with a dedicated trademark attorney today. The …
'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?
Whether 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, …
Find top lawyers with confidence
The Super Lawyers patented selection process is peer influenced and research driven, selecting the top 5% of attorneys to the Super Lawyers lists each year. We know lawyers and make it easy to connect with them.
Find a lawyer near you