Thought Leaders in Law and Business

As experienced litigators who defend accounting firms against allegations of audit malpractice, Hodgson Russ Partners Erin Teske and Mark Harmon have gained firsthand knowledge worth sharing.
 
“The public often has an unrealistic idea of the role auditors perform … They (accounting firms) have insurance and may be viewed as having deep pockets,” Teske said. For those reasons, she believes they can be easy targets for lawsu...

Starbucks, Amazon, Chipotle, Trader Joe’s and other household names have been in the news lately for their union organization campaigns, a post-pandemic trend that likely won’t change anytime soon, according to Elizabeth McPhail, partner with Hodgson Russ. She said some of these unionization efforts are a “product of the social justice movements” and they’re changing labor union organizing. 

In the latest episode of the Th...

Like most institutions, the U.S. Supreme Court is evolving, and the decisions being made these days have gained a lot of attention among business leaders and the public. Recently it has reinstated voting maps, struck down pandemic measures and reinstated relaxed environmental rules. In addition, the Supreme Court’s majority appears to have eliminated “irreparable harm” from the stay analysis, and instead it’s simply staying decisio...

As a partner who leads the cannabis and hemp group at law firm Hodgson Russ LLP, Patrick Hines is often approached at cocktail parties with questions about all the cannabis shops popping up. There’s a widespread belief they must be legal or they’d be shut down. However, that’s not necessarily true, he says. Hines dives into this hot topic with Buffalo Business First Publisher John Tebeau, in the latest episode of the Thought Leader...

Cannabis is a hot topic across the nation as states continue to roll out the regulatory landscape for recreational programs. The litigation going on in New York will likely impact the entire cannabis industry, according to Patrick Hines, partner and leader of the cannabis and hemp group at Hodgson Russ LLP. So far, the licensing process has been complicated with many starts and stops. 

In this episode of the Thought Leader...

With prominent court cases constantly in the news, it can be tricky to interpret how major court decisions involving the First Amendment impact businesses, individuals and the community. Aaron Saykin, partner, media and First Amendment practice leader at Hodgson Russ LLP, dives into this hot topic with Buffalo Business First Publisher John Tebeau, in the latest episode of the Thought Leaders in Law and Business podcast.

I...

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act is one of the most frequently cited and complained about statutes in Washington, D.C., from both parties, according to Aaron Saykin, partner, media and First Amendment practice leader at Hodgson Russ LLP.

The law was enacted in the 1990s and it shields online platforms — like Google, Yelp, Twitter, Facebook — from legal liability for posts published by their users. “This was th...

Starting this August, Hodgson Russ and The Business Journals are teaming up to launch a new podcast miniseries, called Thought Leaders in Law and Business. Hosted by John Tebeau, publisher of Buffalo Business First, the show will examine our nation’s pressing issues and how they affect our communities, from the financial health of banking institutions to the legalization of marijuana and state residency taxes. 

This podcas...