It has been widely reported that bitcoin entrepreneur Charlie Shrem is going to agree to a plea deal.   There has been less coverage, however, regarding the Judge’s August 18, 2014 Order. This Order is important to the US v. Faiella and Shrem case because the defendants lost their argument that bitcoin …

  This November, Florida voters will consider whether to legalize medical marijuana.  If so, Florida would join several states which have allowed recreational and/or medical cannabis cultivation, distribution, and use. But it remains illegal under federal law.  Can lawyers advise their clients about a marijuana business which is legal under …

Thanks to the Florida Dispute Resolution Center for inviting me to speak at the 22nd Annual Conference this year in Orlando. The materials from the presentation are here. The Adobe Voice presentation about mediation is here.

Back in April 2014, I spoke to the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce about the security of emails and phone communications in the business world (materials are here). This article, “One Year After Snowden: How Safe Are Your Calls and Emails?,” summarizes the key Snowden disclosures over the last year …

A Google Trend report shows that “Florida Medical Marijuana” has generated massive attention since 2013.   I attended a recent Florida Cannabis Coalition meeting and, while the speakers were good, the attendees seemed uneducated (case in point, people literally got up and left when they heard about the $150,000 application …

With the revelation that Facebook is tracking users across the web, even if you log off, I have deleted my Facebook account.   Yes, deleted.  Not just deactivated. You can “deactivate” your Facebook account and it disappears from sight but it is still there in the Facebook vault, ready for …

The hot bitcoin-related story involves the settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and bitcoin-advocate, Erik T. Voorhees. This case involves bitcoin but is not about bitcoin.  Stated differently, this case is not an attack on bitcoin.  It simply involves charges of a crime unrelated to the virtual currency …

A strange title to an article, I know.  But it will make sense at the end: Governments around the world are struggling to define, and therefore regulate or ban, virtual currency such as bitcoin.  Here in the U.S., various federal agencies have differing conclusions.  So do various states. Meanwhile, in …

A boring probate opinion may shed light on the problem of errors with pre-printed legal forms. The unfortunate lesson: “there’s an app for that” is not a replacement for hiring a lawyer. You have certainly seen these kind of pre-made forms — pushed on tv ads, the internet, and by …

An app called “If This, Then That” or IFTTT exists to bring together your smartphones alarms, notices, social media, and other internet tools so that you can, as their tag line says, “take control of the internet.” This article, “If This Then That (IFTTT” For Lawyers” explains how to combine …

Special thanks to the Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce for hosting “NSA Mass Surveillance – How Secure Are Your Calls and Emails?“ If you would like to download a PDF of the presentation, it is here (also under “Materials, along the right column of this page).

  The Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce is presenting “NSA Surveillance – How Secure Are Your Calls and Emails?” on Wednesday, April 30, 2014. This presentation will explain NSA mass surveillance of email and phone communications and will discuss the security of your personal and business communications. It will provide …

In the wake of the Snowden disclosures, lawyers and their clients are looking for ways to communicate, research, and generally use the internet without mass surveillance. This article from the April 2014 edition of the Palm Beach Bar Bulletin explains (a) Tor and its practical applications to use the internet …

If you use a coupon from the internet, “like” a company on Facebook, enter contests, or otherwise connect with a company like General Mills, any dispute that arises may be forced into arbitration — waiving your right to bring a lawsuit in state or federal court. Per a report from …

The Conference of State Bank Supervisors’ (CSBS) Emerging Payments Task Force is holding a public hearing on Friday, May 16, 2014 in Chicago in order to seek information involved in legacy payment systems, retain payment innovations, and virtual currencies (namely bitcoin). If you’re unfamiliar with CSBS, it is a nationwide …