Miami Lawyer Blog

Does your company have a policy regarding social networking sites? If so, then watch out. Recently, in an order filed on October 4, 2012, Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania granted summary judgment dismissing Linda Eagle's claims that she had been damaged by her former employer's theft of her LinkedIn account.

In the suit, Dr. Eagle alleges that while she worked as the President of a company she helped form in 1987 (Edcomm, Inc.), she created an account on LinkedIn--the world's largest networking site for professionals. To assist with her maintenance of her LinkedIn profile, Dr. Eagle gave her password to a fellow employee.

According to the order, Edcomm had a policy that "when the employee left the company, the company would effectively 'own' the LinkedIn account and could 'mine' the information and incoming traffic, so long as it did not steal that former employee's identity." (Order, p. 2.) Consequently, when Dr. Eagle attempted to access her LinkedIn account after being terminated by Edcomm, she was unable to do so--her password having been changed by the company, and her name and picture being replace by those of her successor. Dr. Eagle alleged that business contacts or potential customers trying to access her profile were presented with her experience and credentials, but not with her name or contact information. Dr. Eagle claimed upwards of $100,000 in potential losses due to the inability of potential customers to contact her through her LinkedIn profile.

Judge Buckwalter granted summary judgment for Edcomm, however, based primarily on the fact that Dr. Eagle provided no support for her damage claims and that most of her claims (loss of reputation, loss of business opportunities) are not technically compensable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act ("CFAA"), 18 U.S.C. § 1030. After the grant of summary judgment on the CFAA and Lanham Act claims, Dr. Eagle only has state law claims on conversion remaining, which will continue to be heard by Judge Buckwalter under supplemental jurisdiction.

About the Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is a full service boutique law firm with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Gainesville/Ocala, Jacksonville and New York City. For additional information, please go to www.thefirmmiami.com, or call 305.672.7495.

In 2005, Florida's legislature decided that commercial real estate brokers needed the protection of lien rights. To cure the problem, the legislature adopted a comprehensive statutory system by which commercial brokers could establish liens for both sales and rental commissions.

The commercial broker's lien attaches only to the net proceeds of sale, and not to the real property. That means that buyer acquires title free of lien. The lien arises only when the commission is earned. That generally means when a sales contract is signed.

The lien belongs only to the broker in the brokerage agreement. It can not be factored or sold by the broker, which means the broker can not assign the lien to a third party or sell it. It can not be waived before the commission is earned.

Commercial brokers are required to inform property owners at time a listing agreement is entered that Florida Statutes create lien rights for commissions earned by the broker that are not waivable before the commission is earned. If the broker does not provide a disclosure, the broker can not enforce the lien under the statute.

To enforce the lien, a broker must provide a commission notice to the owner and closing agent. The notice must be sworn and signed before a notary public, and must include name of the owner, legal description of the property, name, mailing address, telephone number and license number of the broker, and effective date of the brokerage agreement. The notice must also include a statement that the statute requires the owner to dispute the claimed commission not later than 5 days after closing or the owner will be deemed to have confirmed the commission and the closing agent is required to pay the commission from the owner's net proceeds.

A notice must be delivered to both owner and closing agent within 30 days after a commission is earned and at least one day before closing. If the broker does not know who the closing agent is at the time the commission is earned, the broker must deliver the commission to the closing agent within 3 days after the broker finds out the identity of the closing agent.

After the broker delivers the commission notice, the broker may record the notice in the public records maintained by the Clerk of Court in the county where the property is located. Recording date establishes its priority with respect to any other claims against the owner's net proceeds of sale. The broker must record a release within 7 days after the commission is paid.

The Statute imposes specific duties on the closing agent with respect to the commission. The closing agent must reserve from the owners net proceeds an amount equal to the commission claimed by the broker if the owner has provided a commission notice. If the net proceeds are insufficient to pay the full commission, all of the net proceeds must be held by the closing agent.

If the broker has recorded a commission notice with the Clerk for at least 60 days, the closing agent is charged with constructive notice and must comply with the withholding requirement. Accordingly, the statute allows the closing agent to require the owner to deliver a sworn statement as to existence of terms of any brokerage agreement and the name, address, and telephone number of any brokerage who might have a claim to a commission. If the closing agent obtains this sworn statement from an owner, the closing agent must reserve from the owner's net proceeds an amount equal to the total commission disclosed by the owner, even if the closing agent did not receive a commission notice from the broker. If the closing agent determines that the owner's net proceeds will be inadequate to pay the entire commission, he must notify both owner and broker of that fact within 3 days of making the determination.

If the owner's cash from closing is insufficient to pay the commission, but the owner is getting a purchase money note, the closing agent is to reserve and release the note only as the owner and broker agree. If the owner and broker do not agree within 5 days after closing, the closing agent is required to file a court action seeking an order of disposition of the note.

Upon request of the closing agent or the owner, any broker who has recorded a commission notice with the clerk must give the closing agent a release in recordable form. The closing agent is required to hold the release in escrow until payment of the commission. The closing agent may deduct from the broker's commission recording cost of the release.

If the owner disputes the commission notice, the statute provides an expedited procedure under which the owner can apply for a court order. Under the procedure, the broker is ordered by the judge to show why the commission notice should not be discharged. If the broker fails, the broker must pay the attorneys fees and costs of the owner and the closing agent and the court will enter an order releasing the broker's.

There is no comparable statute with respect to residential real estate. In fact, Florida Statutes prohibit a broker or sales associate form recording any document which would affect title or encumber real property for purpose of collecting a commission unless expressly permitted by contract with the owner or the broker has otherwise perfected his claim through court judgment.

The statutes give commercial brokers a powerful tool for collection of commissions. They also increase the importance of reading and understanding all terms of brokerage and commission agreements. In your case, prompt action will minimize any problems. I suggest you consult with an experienced attorney immediately.

About the Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is a full service boutique law firm with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Gainesville/Ocala, Jacksonville and New York City. For additional information, please go to www.thefirmmiami.com, or call 305.672.7495.

The Miami Herald last Friday reported on a Facebook Internet Cancer Scam. A copy of the article can be found here. The article discusses Cindy Choi's long-running cancer deception/scam using Facebook and underscores the dangers of predators on the ubiquitous Facebook social networking site.

Although Choi broke hearts and sometimes apparently stalked some girls, she (acting as a he) never introduced herself physically. And no underage girls admitted to sexual activity over the phone or online.

Ultimately, prosecutors could not bring a case against Choi, who deleted her accounts and a blog before investigators could preserve them. If a user deletes a page, Facebook claims, the records are gone for good, although the company admits "some information may remain in backup copies or logs for up to 90 days."

No U.S. law exists that requires Internet providers to retain records for a certain time period. Across the nation, authorities have made many arrests of Facebook users who prey on young people or defraud the sympathetic.

Occasionally, the site provides police tips. In March, the site tipped off Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents that a 32-year-old Orlando man was seeking sex from a 13-year-old girl through the site. He was arrested.

In many more cases, perpetrators are caught after the fact.

In January 2010, a Key West man was arrested after authorities said he posed as a sorority sister on Facebook, blackmailing young women at Louisiana State University into posing nude.

Oscar Garcia, 30, was arrested in February after Miami police say he created a fake Facebook page to look at the page of a 11-year-old girl. He found a cell number on the girl's page, offering to send her photos of his penis, police said.

In one extreme case, a British registered sex offender, posing as a teen in 2009, murdered a 17-year-old girl he met on Facebook.

As for cancer fakes, a New Jersey woman was arrested last month after investigators say she posed as a cancer patient, duping supporters into giving her more than $15,000. In September, an Arizona woman was jailed for one year after she falsely claimed to have breast cancer -- using donations instead to pay for breast implants.

One recent Facebook scam, for instance, involved a fake page offering free gift cards. Together with a similar trick pulled just a few weeks earlier, more than 100,000 people fell for it.

Victims had to sign up for the supposed deal, giving their names, addresses, and other details, but the gift cards never arrived.

In another Facebook scam incident, victims were invited to complete a credit registration form, but downloading it installed malware that crashed their PCs -- but only after capturing all their confidential information.

A particularly sneaky recent Facebook scam masquerades as an antivirus service. Victims are invited to download a product called Facebook Antivirus, which then hijacks their list of "friends" and asks them to download the product too, then posts pictures on their pages.

Also, Facebook was targeted by a phishing agent inside an unsolicited email that tricked users into thinking they were resetting their usernames and passwords. They were taken to a bogus page where they had to key in their real username and passwords, information that was then used to hijack their accounts.

You'll find similar types of scams on other social networking sites.

Tips for Avoiding Facebook and Other Social Media Scams

1. Install Internet security software from one of the big-name providers and keep it up to date. Never download or install supposed security programs that purport to be linked to a specific site you use, like Facebook. Use a security program or a browser that includes an anti-phishing website checker.

2. If you follow a link that's supposed to take you to another page on the same site, check the address bar of your browser to make sure of where you really are. For example, if it's a genuine Facebook page, the address will begin with www.facebook.com.

3. When you receive emails, posts or messages, never assume they're from who they say they are -- even if they're friends.

Be especially wary if:

- They ask for money; don't send it without independently verifying the source.

- They invite you to download a program.

- They contain an attachment (most social networking site operators, including Facebook, don't send attachments).

4. Don't give your password to anyone. Make it a tough one to guess and change it frequently. See Get Tough With Computer Passwords and Secret Questions for more advice on passwords.

If, for any reason, you're asked to change your password, visit the social networking site by keying its address into your browser, not by clicking a link.

5. If you receive or hear of an offer, like a free gift card, it's often a scam. If you're not sure, go to the website of or contact the company that's supposedly offering the card and check it out with them.

Be aware of the risks of providing any personal details on a website. Only provide them to sites you're 100% sure are legit and who have a privacy policy that makes clear how those details may be used.

6. Know that if you post your picture and personal details about yourself, you are, at least to some degree, laying yourself open to a possible identity theft.

Many people do choose to do this, but you should, at least, know the risk.

Click here for the FBI's page on Internet scams.

About the Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is a full service boutique law firm with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Gainesville/Ocala, Jacksonville and New York City. For additional information, please go to www.thefirmmiami.com, or call 305.672.7495.

FRAUD ALERT!!! Florida Real Estate Licensees - Agents and Brokers!!!

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulations- DBPR- is warning ALL Florida real estate licensees, that is agents and brokers that apparently there is an identity theft scam that is targeting real estate licensees. For more information on the warning, click here. An unsolicited email which appears to be from the Department warns of pending disciplinary action against licenses. The email directs the recipient to call a Department investigator at a toll-free number and provide personal identification information.

Of course, any email like this is meant to scare the pants off of you and throw you off guard so that your defensive mechanism steps up to take action to protect your livelihood from possibly being pushed to a stop. This is intentional.

The broker is then told in the email to call an 800 number, provide their personal information to a " department investigator" .
The Department has confirmed that the email communication is in no way connected with the Department or its regulatory authority. This email is NOT from DBPR, the investigator is a scammer trying to get your personal information so they can steal the caller's identity.

If you get an email like this DO NOT RESPOND TO THE EMAIL and DO NOT CALL THE NUMBER IN THE EMAIL!!!!

Instead, call the DBPR at 850-487-1395 or go to the website to check on the status of your license and if there are any actions being taken on your license.

The theft of identity is a crime and should be reported to the authorities and to your local law enforcement.

The Department is currently investigating this scam and will keep updates on their website.

About the Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is a full service boutique law firm with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Gainesville/Ocala, Jacksonville and New York City. For additional information, please go to www.thefirmmiami.com, or call 305.672.7495.

This Friday, October 5, 2012, the Bass Museum of Art in partnership with the Humane Society of Greater Miami's Young Professionals group, PetNet, hosts in monthly Bass After Sunset. Attendees will enjoy the following exhibitions on view:

*UNNATURAL

*John Cage: Variations VII, 1966

*Bass Museum of Art | Selections from the Collection in conversation with works by janine antoni, michele oka doner, rimma gerlovina & valeriy gerlovin, ana mendieta, anne olofsson, manny prieres and peter voulkos

*Egyptian Gallery

There will be beats by dj josef, courtesy cocktails provided by GREY GOOSE vodka (21+) | mixologist and a beats after party at chalk ping pong & billards lounge: beats guests get one free drink at chalk and free ping pong from 11pm - 12am!

The Bass Museum of Art is a renown art museum in Miami Beach, Florida featuring a collection of Antiquities, Renaissance, and Baroque art and also provides educational programs and teacher resources that aim to inspire a new generation of creative artists. Aaron Resnick is a member of the Silver Director's Circle and has sat on the executive committee for the Art Crowd. Currently, he also is on the host committee for the monthly Beats After Sunset @ the Bass.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick is one of the few South Florida firms with an Art Law division.

"Sandra Gamarra: At the Same Time" through October 16 at the Bass Museum of Art 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach Call 305-673-7530 or visit bassmuseum.org.

For many real estate professionals, commission disputes are simply part of the business. In fact, just about every licensee's career--whether spanning several years or several decades--is likely to include at least some experience with a dispute over commissions. Of course, the origin of the dispute may vary. Maybe it involved a seller whose property you had listed, who decided before the closing that he or she didn't want to pay the listing agreement's agreed-upon commission. Or the dispute was with a broker from another firm and involved the question of whether or not you were the procuring cause of a sale.

In this blog post we will discuss the different type of commission dispute--the one that arises between brokers and their sales associates -- and some of the common questions.

Will the Florida Real Estate Commission resolve a commission dispute that exists between a broker and his or her sales associate?

No. Generally speaking, FREC doesn't resolve commission disputes. Disputes over commissions (or any other agreed-upon compensation) between a broker/brokerage firm and its sales associates are civil matters. The ultimate recourse for sales associates looking to recover unpaid commissions is to file suit against the broker/brokerage firm.

If these disputes are civil matters, then what factors would be considered by a court in determining the outcome of the lawsuit?

Generally, the "employment" agreement that exists between the broker/brokerage firm and the sales associate will be the controlling factor in determining outcome. Many brokers require a sales associate to sign a written independent contractor agreement as a condition to being allowed to place his or her license with the broker.

These written agreements typically address compensation matters such as the amount of the sales associate's commission split, when a sales associate earns a commission, the time frame in which the broker/brokerage firm is obligated to pay the sales associate, the rights of the broker/brokerage firm to deduct from the sales associate's compensation amounts due the broker/brokerage firm, as well as many other matters relating to the broker-sales associate "employment" relationship.

In addition to a written independent contractor agreement, any existing office policy manual as well as the past business practice of the broker/brokerage company and any verbal agreement between the parties that can be shown to exist may play an important role in determining a sales associate's entitlement to, and the broker/brokerage firm's obligation to pay, the disputed compensation.

If a sales associate who obtains a judgment for disputed commissions is not paid by the broker pursuant to that civil judgment, would FREC then have cause to discipline the broker if it receives a complaint against the broker?

Yes. Section 475.25(1)(d), Florida Statutes, provides that FREC may discipline a licensee where a civil judgment for a share of a commission has been obtained against that licensee "and said judgment has not been satisfied in accordance with the terms of the judgment within a reasonable time. ..."

Some commission disputes between brokers who are real estate licensees are subject to mandatory arbitration at their local Board/Association of Realtors®. Would a commission dispute between a sales associate and his or her broker, where both parties are Realtors, also be subject to arbitration at the local Board/Association of Realtors®?

Such a dispute would be subject to local Board arbitration only if both parties (i.e., both the broker and the sales associate) voluntarily agree to the arbitration in writing and the local Board/Association of Realtors® finds the matter properly subject to arbitration.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.'s group of attorneys are able to assist clients in every facet of Fashion Law. For more information contact attorney Aaron Resnick,
e the norm." According to Resnick, proper legal work may have prevented this dispute.

Sen. Charles Schumer earlier this month presented a modified version of legislation that would put more teeth into copyright protection for fashion creations. To read an article on this published in Women's Wear Daily, please click here.

On September 20, the Innovative Design Protection Act of 2012 (S. 3523) (IDPA) was reported favorably out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. IDPA is a successor to the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act of 2010 (S. 3728), a bill also introduced by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY), which failed to advance. Now out of committee, the bill will be placed on the Senate's legislative calendar.

IDPA would provide three years of protection for fashion designs that "(i) are the result of a designer's own creative endeavor; and (ii) provide a unique, distinguishable, non-trivial and non-utilitarian variation over prior designs for similar types of articles." IDPA would protect designs for clothing, including undergarments, outerwear, gloves, footwear, and headgear; handbags, purses, wallets, tote bags, and belts; and eyeglass frames.

The owner of a protected design would be able to enforce its rights only with respect to a "substantially identical" design that is "so similar in appearance as to be likely to be mistaken for the protected design, and contains only those differences in construction or design which are merely trivial."

Once notified, the alleged infringer can avoid liability by curing the infringement before an action is commenced. Even if a cure is not effected, the owner of the protected design would only be able to recover damages that accrue after the infringement action is commenced.

While the revised bill is designed to provide narrow protection for the creative efforts of designers who make innovative contributions to their fields, the bill has significant opposition from manufacturers and retailers. The objections of the bill's opponents include that the bill will make it more difficult and more costly to manufacture and sell fashionable clothing to average consumers.

The companion House bill (H.R. 2511, the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act) was referred to the House Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet in the summer of 2011, but the Subcommittee has taken no action to advance the legislation. Both Houses of Congress have adjourned until after the November elections, so no further action can occur on either S. 3523 or H.R. 2511. However, Congress will return for a so-called "lame duck" session following the election. While both manufacturers and retailers have opposed this legislation in the past, lame-duck sessions can be unpredictable and consequently both bills bear tracking and consideration by those in the fashion industry who are concerned about how the bills may impact their businesses.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is one of the few Florida firms that has a practice group dedicated to Fashion Law. Fashion law is a specialized area of law that deals with intellectual property (copyright and trademark law, including brand licensing), domestic and international business transactions, textiles, merchandising, employment and labor concerns, and customs (import/export issues). Traditionally, most fashion lawyers work for established fashion and luxury goods companies in major urban commercial centers such as New York City, Paris, London and Milan. Some fashion lawyers work within the company, and others work outside the company for law firms.

Fashion attorneys participate in a variety of legal activities and negotiate deals for their clients. The clients may be large retail chains, haute couture labels, high-fashion models, or an unknown designers just starting out. If and when the situation arises, a fashion attorney will litigate for his or her clients in court.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.'s group of attorneys are able to assist clients in every facet of Fashion Law.

According to a recent article, which you can read here,

"Sam Panama Trading Co. has filed a $30 million lawsuit against the [MTV] network and parent company Viacom alleging that it expected to make a ton of money selling clothing and luggage products featuring the MTV brand.

A licensing deal was signed with MTV Networks that allowed the company to offer products in 30 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, but then San Panama says it discovered that MTV and Viacom 'never registered the licensed marks and logos in many of the territories licensed to plaintiffs under the agreement.'..."

MTV and Viacom are now being sued for breach of contract. The distributors say they expected to reap more than $30 million in sales, but thanks to MTV's alleged failure to go the extra mile in protecting its logo and other marks, they say they have suffered damages to be proved at trial. The defendants, according to the lawsuit, "knew or should have known that third parties had or claimed to have the right to use the licensed marks and logos."

Attorney, Aaron Resnick, notes that it is extremely important that companies consult an attorney or situations like this will b

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is one of the few Florida firms that has a practice group dedicated to Fashion Law. Fashion law is a specialized area of law that deals with intellectual property (copyright and trademark law, including brand licensing), domestic and international business transactions, textiles, merchandising, employment and labor concerns, and customs (import/export issues). Traditionally, most fashion lawyers work for established fashion and luxury goods companies in major urban commercial centers such as New York City, Paris, London and Milan. Some fashion lawyers work within the company, and others work outside the company for law firms.

Fashion attorneys participate in a variety of legal activities and negotiate deals for their clients. The clients may be large retail chains, haute couture labels, high-fashion models, or an unknown designers just starting out. If and when the situation arises, a fashion attorney will litigate for his or her clients in court.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.'s group of attorneys are able to assist clients in every facet of Fashion Law. For more information contact attorney Aaron Resnick,
e the norm." According to Resnick, proper legal work may have prevented this dispute.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. has announced that Efrain Carlos, a 10 year commercial litigator, has become associated with the firm. Since becoming an attorney in 2001, Mr. Carlos has had the pleasure of sharing his services and expertise with hundreds of clients in Florida and abroad. Born and raised in Florida, he obtained his Juris Doctor from the Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center in 2001. He was the Articles Editor for Nova Law Review and Teams Technical Editor for Nova Moot Court Honor Society. He was also on the Bilingual Translating Committee for the Nova Journal of International & Comparative Law. Mr. Carlos was a Law Clerk, for Chief Magistrate Judge Stephen T. Brown of United States District Court, Southern District of Florida as well as for Judge Nancy J. Pollock, Eleventh Judicial Circuit, Miami-Dade County. He was previously associated with the National Firms of Fowler White, Wilson Elser & Arnstein & Lehr and has provided legal work for AIG, Chartis, Travelers, GAMC, Zurich, N.A., The Hartford, Markel, Chubb, ACE and Lloyd's of London. In his spare time, Mr. Carlos enjoys coaching his two son's baseball and soccer teams and participates in endurance triathlons. Mr. Carlos is bilingual and has roots in Miami and Coral Gables.

About the Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is a full service boutique law firm with offices in Miami, Boca Raton, Gainesville/Ocala, Jacksonville and New York City. For additional information, please go to www.thefirmmiami.com, or call 305.672.7495.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is extremely proud to have developed a practice group focusing on art and cultural property law. The firm handles all types of art litigation and alternate forms of dispute resolution, and also actively represent and counsel clients in corporate and commercial art law matters.

The Wall Street Journal has an update on a proposed bill in the Senate (Schumer - NY) to revive tax incentives for fractional gifting of art to museums. Read the article here. Senator Schumer's proposed bill can be read here.

Sen. Schumer hopes to "restore the incentive for collectors to share these works of art with the public," he said.

Among other things, the proposed change allows donors 20 years to complete the donation of the gift and lets them take a tax deduction on some of the appreciation.

Here is how it would work: In the first year, if a donor who owns a $10 million painting contributes 10% to a museum, he would receive a $1 million deduction. If the donor gives another 10% the next year and the fair-market value of the artwork has increased to $12 million, the donor receives a deduction on the appreciated value, although it is limited to his 90% stake in the artwork, and thus would amount to $1.08 million.

Earlier in the year, Senator Schumer introduced a bill to permit deductions for works of art donated to charities - if (among other requirements) you can get an appraisal. This bill was introduced in February and sent to committee.

Non-litigation art lawyers at the Firm include trust and estates experts who advise visual artists and their estates on taxation and estate planning matters such as setting up foundations and donating works of art to museums.

Fashion law is a growing niche practice addressing diverse areas that affect the fashion industry, including intellectual property, financing, international trade, government regulation, real estate, zoning, dress codes, and other employment issues.

Reuters: "In fashion circles, lawyers becoming sought-after accessories"

Excerpt:

"One of the hottest new trends in fashion is emerging from an unlikely venue: law school.

Fashion law is a burgeoning niche practice in New York and Los Angeles, both hubs of the approximately $200 billion U.S. apparel market, with both legal firms and design houses hiring specialist attorneys.

Their charge is to negotiate real estate deals, advise on mergers and acquisitions, deal with employment disputes and, in some of the most high-profile work, litigate copyright claims. Those claims can be crucial to fashion labels...."

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is one of the few Florida firms that has a practice group dedicated to Fashion Law. Fashion law is a specialized area of law that deals with intellectual property (copyright and trademark law, including brand licensing), domestic and international business transactions, textiles, merchandising, employment and labor concerns, and customs (import/export issues). Traditionally, most fashion lawyers work for established fashion and luxury goods companies in major urban commercial centers such as New York City, Paris, London and Milan. Some fashion lawyers work within the company, and others work outside the company for law firms.

Fashion attorneys participate in a variety of legal activities and negotiate deals for their clients. The clients may be large retail chains, haute couture labels, high-fashion models, or an unknown designers just starting out. If and when the situation arises, a fashion attorney will litigate for his or her clients in court.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A.'s group of attorneys are able to assist clients in every facet of Fashion Law. For more information contact attorney Aaron Resnick,

Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is proud to announce its sponsorship of the Little Lighthouse Foundation's Annual "Nightmare on the Beach" on Saturday, October 27, 2012 at the historic Bath Club (invite below). The event will benefit the Little Lighthouse Foundation, Inc. a Florida based 501(c)(3) and children of South Florida. Mr. Resnick is a founding director of the Little Lighthouse Foundation.

The Little Lighthouse Foundation seeks, identifies and provides support to children and their families with health, educational, and financial challenges. This support comes through the deployment of trained volunteers and/or select financial contributions. For more information on the Little Lighthouse Foundation, please go to: www.thelittlelighthouse.org

For more information on the event or to purchase tickets go to: www.nightmareonthebeach.com

Law Offices of Aaron Resnick's Lawsuit Against the W Hotel Featured in the New York Times

Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The hotel operators sign management contracts, but they don't lock themselves in forever. One day the W South Beach could be a W and the next it could be a Sheraton.

The fine print has created work for lawyers. In June a group of pro football players sued the W South Beach's developer, 2201 Collins Fee (led by Mr. Edelstein), alleging that the developer had used a "sophisticated scheme to lure buyers to the project by using the W name as bait only to sell them a unit that was not in fact a W unit." The players are looking to get back their deposits.

'A condo hotel is a very difficult investment strategy," said Aaron Resnick, a Miami lawyer representing the football players in the suits. "It's not such an easy, simple purchase where you are going to buy and get a rent check every month. It is a lot more complicated than that.'"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/realestate/big-deal-w-south-beach-a-sexy-investment-but-read-the-fine-print.html?pagewanted=all

Attorney, Aaron Resnick, Founding Chairperson of the the Friends of the New World Symphony, has been named to the National Council for the Friends of the New World Symphony for 2012-2013.

Aaron Resnick working with Stacey Glassman founded the Friends of New World Symphony and the group has become a model for next generation patron of the cultural arts groups in the United States. Friends' events have become some of the most important on the South Florida cultural calendar. With over 1000 people attending events and annually joining this group of music lovers, hipsters, and culturally conscious, Friends events generate buzz and revenue to support the New World Symphony and its fellows.

The Mission of the New World Symphony is to prepare highly-gifted graduates of distinguished music programs for leadership roles in orchestras and ensembles around the world. A laboratory for musical education and expression, the New World Symphony, through a wide range of performance and instructional activities, seeks to develop in participants the full complement of skills and qualifications required of twenty-first century first class musicians. The new Frank Gehry home of the New World Symphony has been featured from the New York Times to Shanghai.

Picture from the 2012-2013 Friends of the New World Symphony Dinner.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. and Aaron Resnick are proud supports of the Friends of the World Symphony.

Tonight, Friday, June , 2011, the Bass Museum of Art celebrates its monthly first-Friday happy hour event, Beats After Sunset, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Guests in attendance will be treated to a preview of the museum's newest exhibitions including: Charles Ledray. There will be beats by Terence Tabeau, a special Jacques Smith Pop Up Shop, and complimentary cocktails.

The Bass Museum of Art is a renown art museum in Miami Beach, Florida featuring a collection of Antiquities, Renaissance, and Baroque art and also provides educational programs and teacher resources that aim to inspire a new generation of creative artists. Aaron Resnick is a member of the Silver Director's Circle and has sat on the executive committee for the Art Crowd. Currently, he also is on the host committee for the monthly Beats After Sunset @ the Bass.

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick is one of the few South Florida firms with an Art Law division.

The Bass Museum of Art is located at 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach. To call: 305-673-7530 or visit bassmuseum.org.