Trademark Yourself: The Lanham Act and Likeness Protection in the Entertainment Industry

Trademark Yourself: The Lanham Act and Likeness Protection in the Entertainment Industry

The Lanham Act is the federal statute at the center of nearly every trademark and brand protection dispute in the United States, and entertainment lawyers run into it constantly. From artist names and band marks to character trade dress and false endorsement claims, studios, labels, and talent are turning to the Act to shut down unauthorized use before it does real damage. The panel will then turn to one of the most closely watched developments in entertainment IP. When Matthew McConaughey registered “alright, alright, alright” as a sound mark and Taylor Swift filed to trademark her voice and likeness, both were attempting to address a problem copyright law was not built to solve. The panel examines whether the strategy holds up and whether there may be better solutions. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.

Face the Music: Takeaways from the Live Nation / Ticketmaster Antitrust Case

Live Nation's grip on ticketing, venues, and concert promotion made it the target of one of the biggest blockbuster antitrust cases in the last decade. Taylor M. Owings of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, a former senior antitrust official in the U.S. Department of Justice, walks through the findings in the case, explains how the 2010 Live Nation/Ticketmaster merger set the stage for enforcement, and previews how the concert industry could change as a result of the liability finding. The program also covers lessons learned about antitrust enforcement, including the current roles that federal and state enforcers are playing in bringing cases against monopolists and anticompetitive mergers. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.

The Top 7 Strategies That Increase Case Value, and 5 Mistakes That Kill It

Mike Alder of AlderLaw will examine how insurance companies evaluate attorney behavior to assess risk and shape their litigation approach — and how understanding that process helps attorneys build stronger, better-documented cases. Topics include effective discovery practices, proper documentation of damages, and the litigation habits that consistently move the needle on case outcomes. Attorneys will leave with actionable takeaways they can apply immediately to improve results for their clients. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.

AI in Tax Practice: Practical Workflows from Tax Research to Tax Court

Generative AI is moving from novelty to everyday tax-practice tool. This webinar shows what tax attorneys can realistically do today with Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, using examples drawn from the work tax lawyers handle every week. Through live demonstrations, Steve will show how AI can help analyze IRS and FTB notices, find and test authority in the IRM and Treasury Regulations, review taxpayer records and bank-deposit data, evaluate agreements against tax issue frameworks such as captive-insurance validity, and prepare a first draft of a Tax Court petition from a Notice of Deficiency. The session will also cover where these tools fail: hallucinated authority, missed deadlines, bad math, overconfident issue spotting, confidentiality risk, and the verification steps lawyers should use before any AI-assisted work product leaves the office. Recent frontier-model releases, including Claude Opus 4.7, have improved document reasoning, data analysis, and multi-step legal workflows. The focus of this session is not hype. It is practical use, careful supervision, and knowing what still must be verified. Audio versions of Beverly Hills Bar Association programs are eligible for Self-Study CLE credit in California. Visit www.bhba.org/podcasts for more information.

From Engagement to Enforcement: Managing Fee Disputes and Nonpayment for Attorneys

Aleksandra Hilvert, founder of Vault Legal, provides an in-depth discussion of best practices for avoiding attorney-client fee disputes, protecting your right to payment, and navigating the decision of whether to pursue action when fees go unpaid. Topics covered include key terms to include in engagement letters, setting client expectations around billing, recognizing early warning signs of nonpayment, and understanding options when a client relationship breaks down. Hilvert will also address the practical calculus attorneys face when weighing the financial, reputational, and ethical risks of pursuing collection against the cost of walking away.