About Trevor Kupfer
Trevor Kupfer is a senior editor on Super Lawyers’ staff. He is editor of the Illinois, South Carolina, Michigan, and Wisconsin magazines, in addition to being a writer and fact-checker of Super Lawyers’ other projects. He has a degree in journalism from an accredited program (University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire) and has written for such newspapers and magazines as Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, Volume One, Wisconsin State Journal, The Capital Times, Global Food Forums, and various publications under the groups Tribune Media Services, Capital Newspapers, and Conley Media. He has served on crime and courts beats and, in college, he aided an investigation through the Wisconsin Innocence Project.
Articles written by Trevor Kupfer
Old Law, New Tricks
How Brian J. Bergman and Jason Barbato secured redevelopment land for LA CountyThe blocks at the corner of Vermont and Manchester avenues have seen little besides criminal activity and blight since they burned down during the riots of 1992. Finally, in 2015, landowner Eli Sasson held a groundbreaking for a redevelopment project; but after two years and little progress, county board members decided to do something about it. They called Brian J. Bergman and Jason Barbato. “It was right after this big trial victory having to do with putting a subway tunnel underneath …
Six Questions To Avoid Insurance Disputes in Georgia
When you’re looking to buy a car, you do all the necessary research on price, features, safety, etc. When you buy a big-screen TV, you look at the measurements, the resolution, and all the desired specifications. “But when you have to buy insurance, you have no idea what you bought,” says Jeffrey D. Diamond, an insurance law attorney in Atlanta. “You just buy it to have it, and it’s done. But you don’t know what’s covered. “The reasonable expectations of a homeowner who …
How To Solve Land Use and Zoning for a Cannabis Business
If you’re looking to create a cannabis enterprise in Oregon, the real estate approval process is crucial. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) regulates and taxes the state recreational marijuana industry, and will not issue an operating license without the proper land use and zoning. “The most important thing is making sure that the land you're using or the land you want to get is suitable,” says Andrew C. DeWeese, an attorney with Green Light Law Group in Portland. “There's a …
When Are Non-Disclosure Agreements Enforceable?
Non-disclosure agreements are enforceable if they are part of a signed contract for financial compensation, not requiring illegal acts or violating public policy, and have a reasonable scope. Factors to determine legal validity include time limits, geographic restrictions, and mutual agreement. Employers use NDAs in employment contracts for protecting interests and fighting information theft, including trade secrets, confidential information, business secrets, and proprietary data. Violating an …
A Lawyer Olympics
Last year’s nuclear energy project was a decathlon of legal actionsOn July 31, 2017, SCANA Corporation and South Carolina Electric & Gas Company filed a petition for approval with the Public Service Commission of South Carolina to stop construction of two nuclear reactors in Jenkinsville. The time and money in the original plan were running out, and completing it would take significantly more of both. The problem: It had already cost more than $9 billion and produced zero energy. What resulted were legal actions filed from every conceivable side. Matthew …
Maine Cannabis Laws: Compliance Tips for Owners
Maine voters passed the Marijuana Legalization Act in 2016, which became law in 2018. Within a year, businesses were already starting to sprout up. But those interested in making a quick buck may want to seek other ventures, says Hannah E. King, a cannabis attorney with Drummond Woodsum in Portland, who also helped draft the legislation. Though legal cannabis has proven to be successful since 2012 — when it was first legalized in Washington and Colorado — the industry remains highly …
Charity Begins at Home
Marty Stoll is dedicated to providing Iowans with affordable housingMarty Stoll’s interest in affordable housing goes back to when she was 6 years old. Her parents divorced, and her stay-at-home mother struggled to support Marty and her brother. Though she entered the workforce and balanced three part-time jobs, she still fell behind on the mortgage. “My family went through a rough time and, but for the grace of some very kind folks at the local bank who were flexible and willing to work with us, we would have lost our home,” says Stoll, a real estate …
By Design
Law is what happened after Adam Levine was busy making other plansIn 2013, when Adam Levine was a clerk with Casey Gerry, he pictured himself going into construction defects, land entitlements or real estate law—something that would benefit from his 11 years in the architectural field. Then he took on a personal injury matter. “I had this case,” he says, “where my experience allowed me to come up with the ideas for things to ask for in discovery, in depositions. … I started to see that there might be quite a bit of overlap between my experience in …
Does Suicide Make a Life Insurance Policy Void?
If you or someone you know is struggling, consider contacting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for support. Call or text 988, or chat online at https://988lifeline.org/. Suicide does not void a life insurance policy if it is after the exclusion waiting period. Most insurance policies have a two-year limit contestability period from the policy's effective date. The incontestability clause allows the insurer to issue a beneficiary claim denial for failing to disclose a mental health …
One Question Separates Good Workers' Comp Attorneys from Bad
Imagine you’re planning to sell your home. The realtor you’ve chosen has a good track record and makes your posting without fault. But then, the offers start coming in, and they’re lower than your asking price. A realtor who’s working in your best interests will advise you to wait a bit longer, until a higher offer comes in. Others will simply ask you to accept the highest bid and move on. This is not unlike attorneys in workers’ comp: Some operate on a volume basis — looking to …
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