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
How Much Cybersecurity Does My Business Need?
Shawn Tuma, a data privacy and cybersecurity attorney at Spencer Fane in Plano, Texas, says it’s a constant battle with business owners to figure out just how many security measures they need. “We get a litany of directives that say you must protect your data and operating systems, but we don’t always get clear guidance on exactly what that means,” he says. “So, clients struggle to figure out what is the appropriate amount of security for their company.” Unfortunately, more than 80 …
Does My Business Need Cyber Insurance?
According to Shawn Tuma, a data privacy and cybersecurity attorney at Spencer Fane in Plano, Texas, more than 80 percent of his work involves responding to a data breach incident (cyberattack) and then managing it. “We meet a lot of clients through this process, and then after getting the incident behind them, they realize they don’t want to go through this again,” he says. “Usually, you have about three to six months to get something moving, or the feeling is going to wear off. …
Going Forward
Uswah Khan on serving justice one family at a timeMy father was a lawyer in Pakistan. When he immigrated to America, he had to support the family, so he didn’t pursue law. He did accounting work, and he stayed with the same company until retirement. Growing up, I wanted to be just like my dad. I said, “I’m going to be a lawyer.” I took a family law class in my second year, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t feel like I was working, even when I would read the case law in textbooks. I remember applying to three clerkships that summer, …
What To Do If Workers Fail Drug Tests From CBD
One of the things we’ve recently seen in Kentucky is how CBD is impacting the workplace. Employers need to be thinking about what their policy is going to be with respect to its use, as you can get CBD at Kroger now—and pretty much any pharmacy around the state. I’m sure there are people who use it because a doctor has said it might be helpful. But you don’t need a prescription, and other people may be using it based on some personal preference. That presents some complications, because …
The Front Line
Lorena Rivas on her week at the Karnes detention facilityWhen I was a young child, my father was hurt in a very bad accident while working in the oil field. He was disabled—MedFlighted to a hospital and in a coma for a few days. This is when I realized how important it was to have an attorney represent you. With him being out of work, we were struggling financially, and the attorney allowed us to survive. Throughout school, I knew I wanted to have a profession that helped people who are struggling and left with little options, and this was one that …
A Parental Rights Primer for New York
Few parents want to involuntarily lose the rights to their child — even if the child is in the foster care system. “There’s basically a fundamental right for a parent to raise his or her child,” says Jacqueline Newman, a family law attorney at Berkman Bottger Newman & Schein in New York City. “The general presumption is that the best interest is to be raised by your parents. But if that puts you in danger, the state is going to jump in as a last resort.” What Are the Grounds for …
Tips for Writing Effective Nondisclosure Agreements
A nondisclosure agreement (NDA) is an important tool to protect your company's trade secrets and proprietary information. An effective NDA should define the types of information included and confidentiality obligations. NDAs must also comply with federal and state laws. Using a general NDA template may not offer much legal protection for your individual business. The following provides tips and common mistakes to avoid when drafting an NDA. For legal advice or a review of your company's NDAs, …
Wayne Parsons' Contribution to the Apollo 11 Mission
Remembering the mission on its 50th AnniversaryI was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and my dad was a physicist. I followed in his footsteps, getting degrees in physics, engineering and math as an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. And then I went on to graduate school at Michigan in physics. They were building an astronomical observatory on the island of Maui, and I got a job in Ann Arbor helping with building and designing equipment that was going to go on the telescopes, and getting ready to transfer everything out there. A year …
Ale in a Day's Work
Brendan Palfreyman is so good at repping craft breweries, they named a beer for himIn the mid-2000s, Brendan Palfreyman bought a homebrew kit and began making batches using his sink and stovetop. His first was an IPA, and from there he moved onto milds, stouts and porters. “Typically, your darker beers are easier to make—easier to hide the flaws,” he says, laughing. In 2013, a couple of years into a trademark and patent litigation career and almost a decade into homebrewing, Palfreyman moved upstate, where his roots are. “My rates plummeted,” he says, “so I …
Joni's Way
Joni Thome got fired, then changed the state of employment in MinnesotaIn the late 1980s, Joni Thome was five years removed from college and knee-deep in a rewarding career as a program director for Valor Resources, a company that ran group homes for people with brain injuries and developmental disabilities. “Some people had behavioral issues where they would hit other people, or bite. I got bit. There was a lot of very intimate kinds of direct care,” she says. “I remember those people. I remember their names. I remember there was a lot of joy that came …
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