Law And More

Cryptocurrency - Winklevoss Twins' Gemini Trust Acquires Nifty Gateway

In the world of crypto, that is digital currency, Cameron and Tyler Winkleloss are among the movers and shakers.

Their journey from being ridiculed in the film "Social Network" to becoming early adopters of bitcoin is chronicled in the book "Bitcoin Billionaires" by Ben Mezrich.

Currently, their every decision is watched and analyzed for both business and technological implications. The interest isn't only in the category of cryptocurrency. It extends to the entire growing fintech sector. 

So, the business media, including BusinessInsider, took note when the twins made an acquisition. Their fund Gemini Trust purchased Nifty Gateway. A side story on that, which members of the press seem to enjoy, is that is the acquisition also had been owned by twins - Duncan and Griffin Cock Foster. 

The Nifty platform accepts payments through credit and debit cards instead of a complex crypto transaction - that is a crypto wallet. However, that is tracked on a blockchain ledger. 

What is purchased is the Nifty or NFT. On the Nifty Gateway website, there is the explanatory statement:

"Nifty NFT is a digital good which is stored in a global blockchain instead of a local or centralized database - usually an in-game video game object."

The significance of nifties is this: They are different from other forms of crypto in that they are one of a kind. Therefore, they aren't interchangeable on the blockchain.

It is reported by Upcrypto.org that one motivation for this purchase is that the Winklevoss twins predict that all collectibles, both digital and real-world, will migrate to the blockchain in the form of nifties. 

For the current time, Gemni Trust and Nifty Gateway will operate separately.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

The Recovery Industry - Lisa Smith Is Doing Well

Like any needed service, recovery has become an industry.

As such, it provides increasing professional opportunity for those who can put together the right positioning and packaging. 

Among those is Lisa Smith, feathered recently in a Law.com podcast. Earlier, Abovethelaw covered her downward trajectory and climb back up. In the successful book "Girl Walks Out of Bar," Smith tells her story. So had Susan Cheever and Pete Hamill.

Smith's struggle with booze took place when she was an employee in BigLaw, both practicing law and in a job developing new business. Currently she is a self-employed consultant. 

Smith, Cheever, and Hamill are hardly alone in getting being taken over by alcohol. According the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, about 14.1 million of those 18 years of age or older find themselves in that pickle. 

The question is: Does telling your story, as they have, help others who haven't yet had that "moment of clarity" that booze is interfering in one or more parts of their lives? 

Yes, 12-step recovery program Alcoholics Anonymous has institutionalized speaker meetings. At them the recovered share how it was, what they did about that, and how it is now. Yet, at best, AA's success rate is between 8% and 12%. So, no, all those stories aren't creating and sustaining a life without booze.

In my own little life, I have the hunch that sharing my own story, both in formal recovery settings and with those who are slipping into alcohol addiction, hasn't helped anyone.

It probably hasn't helped me either, not in any way. What I realized is this: That story isn't significant to me. I drank and ran into problems. I stopped drinking and ran into new kinds of problems. Both I and, it seems, science are clueless why some recover and maintain sobriety and many more don't. 

Of course, given the devastation alcoholism inflicts on the workplace, the family, and the individual, there is a desperate outreach for what might short circuit the syndrome. That triggers mythologies about what is helpful. Yet, when those illusions are foisted on those in the midst of alcoholism and the recommendations don't succeed, there could be the frustration that accelerates the progress of the disease. 

When it comes to trying to be helpful to another human being who is suffering with alcoholism, it might be wise to take on the mindset and behavior of The Good Parent: Be there, be gentle, be short on advice. Usually retelling all the stories about alcoholism in the family or in one's own life isn't useful. 

Takeaway: This long holiday season give the gift of not sharing your own recovery story or the story of those who managed to climb out of the bottle. Just show you care in an overall way. Download the film "Tender Mercies."

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Ronan Farrow's "Catch And Kill" - Familiar Saga of Power's Abuse, Its Details of Interest to Many Lawyers

On Amazon, Ronan Farrow's "Catch And Kill" ranks #105. The author is an awesome investigative reporter and an equally talented writer. 

But the story he tells is a familiar one: the abuse of power.

That saga stretches all the way to "Genesis" in the "Old Testament."

The higher power (and landlord) over-punishes the tenants Eve and Adam.

Had there been landlord-tenant court back then Eve and Adam might have retained their right to stay in Paradise. That kind of injustice in the bible had been described by famous criminal lawyer Alan Dershowitz.

And, lawyers reading the detailed accounts Farrow presents of proven and alleged injustices inflicted on women by entertainment industry power players will have much to analyze. Those of them not directly in the loop of criminal prosecution, criminal defense or civil plaintiff/civil defense likely envy those who are.

Also, there really do still exist men and women who haven't gotten enough insider information on how the business of entertainment really works. They will also find "Catch And Kill" a riveting read. Afterwards, they may warn their loved ones to steer clear of that industry.

However, for others the 414 pages may become tedious.

The story line seems to be as predicable as the 2019 episodes of "Law & Order SVU." There are powerful men and those who protect them (some allegedly even in law enforcement). There are ambitious women who seem to be naive (didn't their mothers/mentors warn them?). There is then a time of exposure including internal investigations by brandname law firms, actual legal action, negative media destroying careers, and backlash. Regarding the latter, women who did speak up or filed lawsuits told Vanity Fair how they have been blackballed in the entertainment business. Here is that article.

Come on, #MeToo is a movement which has peaked. Much of what is in "Catch And Kill" is already known or has been suspected.

The more interesting issue is: Can power be tamed into humane behavior? That is, in supposed civilization is there progress in values?

At the meetings of the Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie, president Douglas Berger leads discussions of that.

In the group there are optimists who argue that some aspects of society have evolved into enlightened norms.

There are also cynics like myself who envision the dark creatures portrayed in "Catch and Kill" simply mutating into other forms. Their predatory activity will shift from alleged sexual misconduct to whatever they assume they can get away with. 

Realists mouth the old adage: In restaurants in Manhattan, if rats stay in the basement, all is well. Chaos happens when a few make it up the stairs and plop in diners' laps. Perhaps the best we can hope for from #MeToo is that the rats have gotten it, for now, to stay in the basement.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Lawyers/Law Students - Fun Way to Understand Bitcoin, et al.

Quinn Emanuel has joined other leading-edge law firms such as Perkins Coie in accepting cryptocurrency from clients as payment. Actually, Perkins Coie has a practice in blockchain technology and digital currency.

But there still remain many other law firms and even tech-savvy law students who don't understand the fundamentals of crypto and its implications for all institutions, including government.

A fun way to fill that knowledge gap is the May 2019 book "Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption." The author Ben Mezrich has previously published "Accidental Billionaires" which had been turned into the film "Social Network." Based on 102 customer reviews, his new book has an almost 5 rating. Its rank on Amazon is 13,683. Here it can be ordered.

Using the story-telling technique Mezrich explains in simple terms the benefits of a virtual currency such as bitcoin. He illustrates that with what can happen with traditional forms of currency, overseen by government, when there is a crisis. In Cyprus, the people lost most of their savings in banks when the government used it to pay off the nation's debt. 

In contrast, for bitcoin there is no government oversight. Actually, no middleman at all. "Miners" create the tokens, for a fee, and they are stored not in banks but digitally. The peril is security. Tokens can be "stolen" if there is access possible through the internet. That's the importance of what's known as a cold wallet, that is, not being linked to the internet.

Transactions can be anonymous. That is a key advantage with all the fears about privacy. 

In addition, the underlying technology - blockchain - can be applied to myriad other uses. One is quickly tracking down the source of a food containment. 

Mezrich wraps the story around how Tyler and Cameron Winkelvoss got into bitcoin. Surprisingly they were not geniuses who recognized the potential of crypto. Instead it was desperation. They were shut out of investing in startups because of their backstory with Facebook. Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists were, at the time, in some way associated with Facebook and didn't want to risk upsetting that relationship.

So, when the twins heard about bitcoin during a vacation they were motivated to research it.

From the get-go, they saw that a major problem was cybersecurity. They went to great lengths establishing a system to protect their tokens.

Soon enough they became bitcoin ambassadors. That not only put the Facebook chapter of their lives behind them. It also rebranded them as visionaries and Mark Zuckerberg as the establishment. The twins became the new cool. Along the way, they became billionaires. 

"Bitcoin Billionaires" would make a charming stocking stuffer this holiday season.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Woody Allen & Amazon Settle Lawsuit - But, Nothing About Allen Branding Changed

The lawsuit "Gravier Productions et al. v. Amazon Content Services" was really about a dispute between former lovers.

Woody Allen, who had left Mia Farrow for a love affair and later marriage with her adopted daughter, had again been targeted in the media for alleged child molestation.

The timing - that is, during the strengthening of the #MeToo movement - was perfect for that renewed attack by Farrow & Family. A major creator of the bad press had been Allen's own son Ronan Farrow. He had become prominent in investigative journalism. 

In response, Amazon backed off its contract to partner with Allen on four movies. Allen filed the "Gravier v. Amazon" lawsuit last February, contending breach of contract and requesting almost $70 million in damages. Here is a copy of the complaint. 

What Allen hammered was that Amazon had been well aware of the allegations long before the new wave of attack journalism. 

The New York Times reports that Allen and Amazon have settled. The case has been dismissed with prejudice and the terms and conditions are confidential.

Meanwhile, the Allen Brand has not been redeemed. The entertainment industry has been hit hard with allegations of sexual misconduct. It has been easy to include Allen in those, at least in America. In Europe, he has found the environment more accepting of him as artist, no matter how the media outlets position and package him in the U.S. America hasn't been able to shake off its Puritan ethos.

In a sense, this saga is yet another morality tale of not becoming romantically involved with those at work. Allen had hired Farrow for a number of films. He would have been smart to keep that relationship off-limits for matters of the heart. If and when the love affair sours, retaliation often happens. Sometimes it's by both parties. Sometimes, only one. 

History may not treat Allen the artist and the man kindly. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Lawyers - The 5 Must-Ask Questions about Your Content Marketing

Too much of content marketing is ineffective.

That is, it doesn't motivate prospects to take the Call To Action (CTA).

The failure is occurring in all lines of business, including professional services such as law.

One major reason for the miss is this: The content marketing, in tone, organization, and text/visuals, isn't created to engage prospects.

Instead, it's about you.

And, selling isn't about you.

From the get-go, the serpent in the Garden of Eden knew that. He custom-made his pitch to persuade Eve. The fit was perfect. She responded to the CTA.

The classic example of the wrong everything in content marketing is the book intended to both brand the author as an expert and to sell the whatever. 

On the one hand, the tone and text are conversational. That kind of intimacy is a must in this era of social networks. Yes, continue to use the first-person "I" in most books.

On the other hand, the author takes over the narrative with excessive intrusion of the self. Unfortunately, the surge of narcissism also is part of the shift to conversational communications.

To keep the tone, format, and text/visuals of content marketing on-track filter ever strategy and tactic through the 5 questions:

• Am I helping prospects to solve their challenges?
• Is the package customized for each target, such as iGen or Baby Boomers?
• Am I doing this in as brief a manner as possible? Or is there excess whatever, including commentary from me?
•  What is blocking prospects from buying, be that a point of view, product, service, or fundraising campaign? 
• Am I continually editing the content marketing to align with results? Yes, it's all a work in progress. 

The good news is that there is time to retrofit content marketing before the next downturn, which signs indicate is on its way.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

From Yale Law School to Halle, Germany - Jews Now, But Who's Next?

The current escalation of anti-semitism should scare anyone who deviates even a bit from what's classified as the "norm."

Be in the right box or endure the peril of "excommunicado" (as described in the popular "John Wick 3" movie). 

Those boxes are getting smaller.

At Yale Law School there was a negative graffiti about Jews. In Halle, Germany on the holiest of Jewish religious holidays, two were gunned down outside a synagogue. 

One reason I high-tailed it out of southwestern Arizona was what I label "anti-semitism lite." I am not Jewish. Many there decided I was a "New York Jew." Of course, I was interrogated, in a hostile manner, about why Jews do this or that. I was isolated. No one believed that I wasn't Jewish, assuming I was simply taking on protective coloring.

Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres was lambasted on social networks for sitting next to someone on the political right. 

Oh, sure, the boxes always were there. In the densely populated immigrant neighborhood in which I grew up, the Irish, because they are longer in America, let it be known that they better than the Italians, Polish, and later the Puerto Ricans. The enterprising Italians with their grocery stores and restaurants knew they were superior to the lazy Irish. The Polish made it their business to only hire fellow Poles on the Hudson docks. And Puerto Ricans rolled their eyes at the inability of the rest to enjoy themselves.

No, the Old Neighborhood didn't embed the ethos of a Hallmark card.

What's new and disturbing is that in this era those securely in the box have guns. It's downright dangerous to look, walk, or talk "wrong." That's the way it is. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

"Robinson v. De Niro, Canal Productions" - Time Capsule of When We Were All Office Wives, Office Husbands

The lawsuit "Graham Chase Robinson v. Robert De Niro, Canal Productions" transports us to a very different time.

The complaint (read here) and the media coverage (read here) serve as kinds of time capsules.

The norms in the work place back then were that mid-level white-collar employees, both females and males, often served their superiors as office wives and office husbands. Most of us didn't give that expectation by our bosses and other higher-ups a second thought. Those who did had the fatalistic mindset: You can't fight city hall.

Blue collar employees usually were out of the loop on that practice because of unions. Superiors wouldn't dare send the production worker to run to their kids' school with lunch money. 

One snowy Detroit winter in the mid 1980s, the boss's boss had me swing by the University of Michigan before work. I had to find a parking space, the right building, and the right office to pick up forms for him. Since I lived near the Ann Arbor campus, I was the one recruited. Never did I assume I was being targeted for any unique disrespect. That's just the way it was.

At a tech company, a friend became an office husband when a new boss had been parachuted in from the south to the east. From the get-go the latter hated the transfer and made no effort to make the best of it, at least not emotionally.

My friend had to listen to the boss' private outpourings of distress, accompany her and her family on house-hunting, and pick up tidbits in the grapevine for her. The friend rolled his eyes a few times when he talked about all that with me. That was mostly because he found the boss a pest, not because he considered the tasks out-of-line. That's what you did, at least if your eye was on upward mobility.

Of course, times are different now.

A major game-changer has been the ability to file a lawsuit about behavior in the workplace without necessarily burning bridges.

But there is still risk. According to Vanity Fair, big ones. Some women, in the spirit of #MeToo, filed high-profile lawsuits. Unlike Gretchen Carlson who settled for millions and found new career doors opening, they perceived they had lost everything. They didn't land a windfall settlement and they reported being blackballed in their professions.

Would I be an office wife in 2019?

For a well-connected client who paid well and didn't ask for any services in the sexual realm, sure, I would visit their parent in an nursing home and do active listening to personal problems.

Boundaries are messy.

Also, I came of age during the vestiges of the Frank Hague political machine in Jersey City, New Jersey. That's the way the world worked, maybe still works. Not one member of my immigrant family was ever without work. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

 

Graham Chase Robinson Files Lawsuit Against Robert De Niro/Canal Productions - Represented by Sanford Heisler Sharp

Today, announces law firm Sanford Heisler Sharp, Graham Chase Robinson filed a lawsuit against Robert De Niro and his business entity Canal Productions.

Here is the posting on SHS' website.

And, here are more details from USA Today.

In the complaint, which you can read in full here, former long-time employee Robinson contends that the workplace was hostile and embedded gender discrimination.

The behavior allegedly included verbal abuse, unwanted physical contact, compensation gender bias, and assignments of "office wife" tasks. There she had worked her way up to Vice President of Production and Finance. 

She quit in April. Her legal counsel informed De Niro/Canal Productions that she was considering filing a lawsuit. 

In May, in what some perceive as a pre-emptive move, De Niro/Canal Productions filed a lawsuit against her.

Robinson's current legal team assesses that lawsuit as intended to inhibit her ability to file today's lawsuit, harm her reputation, and make it difficult for her to obtain other employment. Yes, she experiences that as retaliation. 

The plaintiff is requesting $12 million. 

Currently, De Niro is engaged in a major film comeback. He is the lead character in Martin Scorsese's "The Irishman." The reviews have been glowing. You bet, he is what is known in the legal world as "a deep pocket."

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Suicidal Ideation - That Kicks In Long Before Law School

"Are you thinking of killing yourself?"

That's what students at the elite University of Pennsylvania have been trained to put out there with peers.

That's part of a program in active listening. During the past 6 years 14 students there had committed suicide.

No, the suicide problem, including ideation about offing oneself, doesn't start in the pressure-cooker years of law school.

Moreover, lawyers no longer have a monopoly on the high rate of actual suicides. Despondent about finances and being flamed on social media by clients, veterinarians are also resorting to killing themselves in record numbers. 

Now, despite such sophisticated efforts to prevent suicide at the U of PA, the darkness hasn't lifted. Actually, as The Wall Street Journal reports, it has increased.

About 6 months ago, Gregory Eells came from Cornell University to head the counseling function at U of PA. Now, he is dead - yet another suicide in that academic community. 

According to the WSJ, he had been popular with students. They are honoring his contribution. 

There will be a pile-on of speculation why Eells opted for self-deliverance.

But, the reality may just be that suicidal ideation has become increasingly the norm - throughout all generations.

It's no longer unusual for a family member, friend, neighbor, or colleague to share that mindset. Interestingly, they frequently also note that in the past several months they had contacted a suicide hotline. 

Most of them confide that they feel like a failure. Success is the unofficial religion of America. Those who don't achieve enough of that by a certain age are, as in the film "John Wick 3," declared "excommunicado." In their isolation, they are left to their own self-hating thoughts. 

American culture needs a detox from the extreme success ethos. The meme to replace that could be: You can pay your bills, you're doing great. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.