eCourses

Need ethics credit? We’ve got you covered! UT Law CLE’s First Friday Ethics streams live every first Friday of the month, and features some of our best ethics speakers and presentations for a total of 3.00 hrs ethics credit. Fulfill your entire annual ethics requirement in Texas in one day!   This month includes: (0.75 hr | 0.75 hr ethics) Mum's the Word: Maintaining Client Confidentiality and Dealing with Ethical Challenges while Working from Anywhere and Everywhere (Replay) Working remotely and virtual meetings are here to stay. This presentation provides practical suggestions for structuring engagement letters, addressing conflicts of interest, and safeguarding client communications across all mediums. Braxton Wilks, Winstead PC - Austin, TX   (0.75 hr | 0.75 hr ethics) Serving Two Masters (Replay) Discuss conflicts that arise between “clients,” the tripartite relationship, Tilley and its aftermath, the ethical dilemmas lawyers face, and knowing who you really represent. Gayla Corley, MehaffyWeber, P.C. - San Antonio, TX   (1.00 hr | 1.00 hr ethics) Generative AI: Developments and Ethical Implications (Replay) Harnessing the power of AI to drive new ways of doing business and increasing growth is something all organizations are trying to do. The use of generative AI creates risks to organizations including violation of privacy, inaccurate or false representations, and unethical practices, to name a few. Implementing the right controls and ethics training alongside generative AI is necessary – so where do you start? Brooke A. Hopkins, Alvarez & Marsal - Dallas, TX Emily R. Apte, King & Spalding - Austin, TX Robert Denby, Vinson & Elkins LLP - Houston, TX Daniel Meyers, TransPerfect Legal - Dallas, TX Matt Wernz, Federal Trade Commission - Dallas, TX (0.50 hr | 0.50 hr ethics) Sanctions and Privileges (Replay) Sanctions: How to get them or avoid them. Privileges: How to keep them or lose them. Hon. H. DeWayne "Cooter" Hale, Retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge - Dallas, TX Trip Nix, Holland & Knight LLP - Austin, TX

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Joint ventures are emerging as an increasingly popular strategy for companies, including financial sponsors, seeking to leverage complementary strengths, share risks, and access new markets. Our experts explore the insights and strategies needed to navigate the complexities in structuring, negotiating, and drafting JVs, including, practical pro-tips to achieve strategic objectives while mitigating risks so the parties can remain honeymooners for life.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 1: Intellectual Property: The Essentials of Copyrights and Trademarks for Creatives - Understand the basic copyright and trademark principles and identify where they apply in music, television/film, podcasting, and influencer deals. Session 2: ​Exploring the Expansion of Criminal Antitrust Enforcement and What Recent Criminal Investigations and Trials Tell Us About the Government’s Tools, Tactics, and Targets - Panelists discuss the expansion of criminal antitrust enforcement and recent investigations that delve into the government's tools, tactics and targets. Session 3: Getting the Most Out of Your Mediation: Tips to Maximize Your Mediation Time - Join Scott Baker as he explores ways to help attorneys make the most of a mediation session as well as the mediator’s skills to help their clients resolve disputes. He'll delve into written mediation statements, pre-mediation conferences, joint sessions and opening statements, negotiations, and mediated settlement agreements. Examples, trends, and case law will be discussed and used to provide practical tips and suggestions to attorneys who represent or counsel clients who use mediation to resolve disputes. This presentation is designed to provide useful information to attorneys of all experience levels.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

An overview of the leading issues related to asset protection and anonymity in business entity structures. Focus on the primary areas of concern when choosing the type of entity, jurisdiction for formation and ownership structure when the goals are asset protection and anonymity and the impact of the Corporate Transparency Act on these choices.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

THIS MONTH: Venturing Into the Future: Navigating AI Implementation, Training, and Usage in Your Organization • NIL Updates • Available Sources of Funds to Save a Home • Fiduciary Duties and LLC’s • My Mind Has A Mind of Its Own: Why Even Good Lawyers Are Lured Into Unethical Behavior by the Way Their Brains Work

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Session 1: Key Considerations in Private M&A Deals in Uncertain Market Conditions  - An experienced panel of legal and financial advisors provide updates on market conditions for private M&A transactions, reviews trends in deal terms, fiduciary duty issues and structural options in distressed sales, and highlights recent Delaware case law and regulatory considerations. Session 2: Corporate Transparency Act: The Law - This presentation provides an overview and review of the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act, including new 2024 FinCEN guidance and a discussion of judicial challenges to the CTA (including the Alabama district court case that ruled the CTA unconstitutional). Session 3: Healthcare Transactions: How to Ensure Compliance and Successfully Complete the Deal! - Modern healthcare transactions are complex and increasingly involving more parties and more issues than other transactions. Discuss real world issues regarding transactions, addressing compliance concerns, and pitfalls to watch for. Session 4: ​The Current State of Non-Competes: Are They Still Enforceable? - Explore the rising tide of opposition at the federal level to the enforcement of covenants not to compete. Focus on the recent moves by the FTC and the NLRB to outright ban (or at least sharply curtail) the use of restrictive covenants and examine the practical alternatives to non-competes available to businesses. Session 5: Gen AI Regulation and Legislation – Federal, State, and Global - Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) adoption across industries and ever-expanding use cases are driving the U.S., states, EU, and countries across the globe to develop and implement comprehensive Gen AI regulation and legislation. Hear a discussion of these developments, related challenges, and the consensus that much of the Gen AI rules and laws, which shape the long-term growth and direction of the sector, will be established in the coming 12-24 months. Session 6: Lessons Learned From GCs Behaving Badly (Allegedly) - It is always better to learn from someone else’s mistakes. Examine examples of in-house counsel allegedly (or admittedly) behaving badly—from alleged assaults and slurs to embezzlement—and what in-house counsel can learn from those situations. Discuss examples of in-house counsel allegedly being punished for doing the right thing, and review applicable Model Rules of Professional Conduct, including Rules 1.13 and 8.4.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

How to spin-off, split-off, or split-up a passthrough entity, business and tax considerations and pitfalls for the unaware. 

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Session 01: Case Law Update Part 1 - A survey of recent Texas cases addressing significant issues (fiduciary duties, piercing the entity veil, and more) in the context of LLCs and partnerships (including limited partnerships and LLPs). Session 02: Case Law Update Part 2 - Continuation of a survey of recent Texas cases addressing significant issues (fiduciary duties, piercing the entity veil, and more) in the context of LLCs and partnerships (including limited partnerships and LLPs). Session 03: Secretary of State Update - Learn about filing tips and resources that can make your transactions with the Secretary of State (SOS) easier and more predictable; hear updates on our system modernization program, including an overview of online services available in the new SOS Portal.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides No Materials

An examination of special purpose business structures in the entertainment industry, commonly known as "Loan-Out” companies, and issues that arise when celebrities, such as actors, musicians, athletes, famous doctors, etc. utilize these Loan-Out companies to own their intellectual properties and provide their professional services, including a discussion of related ligation such as Hall v. Oates (2023).

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A review of Texas law related to the fiduciary duties of managers, officers and members of Texas LLCs, including a recent trend related to informal fiduciary duties.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

THIS MONTH: Yet Another Acrimonious Election Year: The Challenge of Political Talk at Work (and On Social Media) • I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do): Celebrity Entities and Entanglements • Guardians of the Galaxy: General Counsel's Challenges in Managing Risk and Protecting a Nonprofit's Brand • 2024 Ethics Referendum: What Passed, What Didn’t, and What Now? • Consumer Mass Arbitration and Class Actions

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Session 01: Individual Members and Partners Part 1: Overview and Recent Developments - A discussion of recent developments in the area of employment law that may impact individual owners and employees of LLC's and partnerships including the recent U.S. Supreme Court holdings in Muldrow v. City of St. Louis and Federal Trade Commission non-competition rules. Session 02: Individual Members and Partners Part 2: Getting Granular - A discussion of “what happens next” when a member, partner, or owner leaves an entity and how to handle contentious exits. During our presentation we address enforcement of non-competition and nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality and intellectual property issues, how to enforce buy-sell provisions, and what to do if your entity does not have exit mechanisms.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

This presentation discusses which of the proposed Disciplinary Rules passed, the impact of those rules, and the important changes that lawyers can make to integrate those provisions in daily practice of law.

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Whose “default” is it? A review of select provisions of the TBOC that may surprise you when operating agreements don’t address an issue and instead rely on the statutory default.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

Working remotely and virtual meetings are here to stay. This presentation provides practical suggestions for structuring engagement letters, addressing conflicts of interest, and safeguarding client communications across all mediums.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

A discussion of practical considerations for business lawyers and their clients when businesses are considering bankruptcy.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

This panel discusses the current treatment of individuals’ distributive share of partnership income for self-employment tax purposes, including the recent Tax Court pronouncement on treatment of individuals who are limited partners for purposes of state law.  

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 01: Corporate Transparency Act Part 1: The Law - This presentation provides an overview and review of the statutory and regulatory requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act, including new 2024 FinCEN guidance and a discussion of judicial challenges to the CTA (including the Alabama district court case that ruled the CTA unconstitutional). Session 02: Corporate Transparency Act Part 2: Ethical and Practical Considerations - Various ways to address the Corporate Transparency Act in the context of entity formation, continued operation and client communication.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides

An overview of trademark and related intellectual property issues for business lawyers, including the following topics: What is a trademark? How can brands and trademarks be protected? What is the difference between a trademark, a trade secret, a copyright and a patent?

Includes: Video Audio Slides

Session 1: The Grievance Process and Most Common Violations - The presentation is intended to provide general information regarding the amendments made to the grievance process in 2018, the proper way to respond to a grievance identifying attorney misconduct, and common problems to avoid in practice. Session 2: So You Think You Know Your Evidence and Procedure? - An interactive and entertaining presentation testing your knowledge of the Texas Rules of Evidence and Procedure. Session 3: Research on Legal Writing - Get information about empirical research on legal writing techniques. Research supports plainer writing, reduced use of intensifiers, reduced use of “emotional” words, and use of narrative. Research also supports “connectives” (transitions), priming, and the value of resources, i.e. money. Session 4: Dealing With the Problem of Opposing Counsel - How to avoid intimidation and manage the disruptive, disreputable, and overly zealous opposing counsel in an ethical, civil, and professional manner.

Includes: Video Audio Paper Slides