Can Your Client Legally Fly a Drone?

Drones

Drones were apparently the popular holiday gift last month — to the point that the FAA issued special guidance for new flyers.drones

“Can Your Client Legally Fly a Drone?” is from the January 2015 Palm Beach Bar Bulletin and explains the trial ruling in the Pirker case and some of the basics about recreational and commercial drones.

While the Pirker appellate decision came out just prior to publication, this article is one of the few legal analysis pieces which points out how frequently Pirker is mis-applied and misunderstood.

The article provides guidance beyond fliers in Palm Beach County or Florida.

Coming up: next month’s article on collecting evidence via drone.

1st Amendment
Applying “Old” Laws to New Technology: Smartphones, Recordings, Privacy (at FAU)

Special thanks to attorney / instructor Larry Buck for inviting me to speak to his Florida Atlantic University “Law in the Real World” honors class about my practice, particularly how we apply traditional laws to new, emerging technologies. We discussed: drone regulation First Amendment and social media (US v. Hobgood, …

Drones
Christopher Hopkins & Shawn Holmgren of Palm Beach Drone at South Florida PRIMA

I am pleased to contribute to Palm Beach Drone’s presentation, Promoting the Safe Use of Aerial Drones in the Workplace, at the South Florida Public Risk Management Association meeting in Hollywood, Florida. Check out Palm Beach Drone at their website, here. For a copy of our presentation, it is 2016 …

Drones
Register Your Drone with FAA — Businesses, Hobbyists, and Parent Who Bought One Over The Holidays

You likely have heard that the FAA has required every drone to be registered.  And, especially with the holidays, that particular task may have fallen down your list of things to do.  Change that. Drone registration is mandatory.  Even the large amateur drone association(s) finally concluded that everyone should go …