DEFining the Law

What is the mother board? Five DEF attorneys discuss work-life integration and what made them decide to launch their own podcast, named The Mother Board. Listen to their newest episodes at www.themotherboard.buzzsprout.com.

Contracts are a part of our daily lives. We sign financing documents to purchase cars and leases to rent apartments. We are handed thick stacks of paper to review when deciding to invest in seemingly great business opportunities. But few carefully read any of these documents, and almost no one reads the boilerplate language at the end of these documents. This is a mistake.  All too often the person sitting across from us at the “deal table” is more concerned with closing the deal or meeting a monthly sales quota, or even unloading a business that is losing money, than with telling you the whole truth about the deal. 

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Host Christy Walsh discusses the CARES Act with attorney Marsha Ambroise. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was signed into law as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. The CARES Act is an economic relief package that expands unemployment insurance benefits and other relief for individuals and small businesses affected by the economic downturn. One of the particular provisions of the CARES Act is the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (“FPUC”) program. This program provides money to individuals who are unemployed.

"Things that businesses should know and do in a COVID-19 world” with Attorneys Juliana Neelbauer and Camile Hart. Both bring a different viewpoint to managing the ever-changing legal landscape as it relates to COVID-19. As with everything these days, COVID-19 has completely changed how businesses run their day-to-day operations and it seems that there is always something new that businesses should know or that they have to do in order to limit their liability. 

*Update:  On October 10, 2020 the Supreme Court of Georgia passed its Seventh Order Extending Declaration of Statewide Judicial Emergency. In the Order, the Court ended the suspension of jury trials.  Jury trials will not start until at least a month or longer from the date of the Order, due to the time required to summon potential jurors for service.  In addition, the Chief Judge of each trial court has the discretion to decide when to resume the jury trial process.  The backlog for unindicted and untried cases are substantial and the expectation is that proceedings will not occur at the scale that they occurred before the pandemic.  

In this episode, host Christy Walsh will discuss what to do during and after an arrest with attorney Sara Becker. It is best to be prepared. Listen to this episode to know what your rights are, what you should and should not do, and find out if you can prevent detainment after the process has started.

It’s hard to imagine anything in today’s world that has not been impacted by COVID-19. The legal profession is, of course, no exception. Lawyers must be prepared each day to respond and adjust to the shifting sets of challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. The goal for each attorney should be to provide excellent legal services while ensuring that everyone involved stays healthy and safe. SO WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT DEPOSITIONS DURING THIS TIME?

Attorney Ryan Hathcock discusses subcontracting in the construction industry with host Christy Walsh. Diving into workers' compensation benefits involving contractors, Ryan explains how to know which party is liable, if amounts paid can be recouped, and who could be sued for an injury. 

Host Christy Walsh discusses how the 2020 summer associate program went with DEF's six summer associates: Alexander Essex, Kevin Kelly, Tatiana Mosbey, Joi Siler, Tyrra Walker, and Christopher Wood. The legal industry struggled with summer programs due to COVID-19, but Drew Eckl & Farnham decided to move forward with a six week, remote program for our summer associates. 

Partner Karen Karabinos and host Christy Walsh discuss the First Party Property cases arising from COVID-19. Karen has been following all of the cases filed in the U.S. by businesses against their insurance companies seeking to recover certain damages or losses as a result of the shelter-in-place orders related to COVID-19 and shares her insights.