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Crimson Yachts v. Betty Lyn II Motor Yacht, No. 09-11288, concerned an action seeking to enforce a maritime lien for major repairs plaintiff performed on a motor yacht. The court of appeals reversed the dismissal of plaintiff’s in rem claims against the yacht, on the ground that the yacht constituted a vessel and, therefore, was subject to maritime liens and the court’s admiralty jurisdiction. As the court wrote: “Appellant, shipyard Crimson Yachts, seeks to enforce a maritime lien for major repairs it performed on a motor yacht, Appellee the Betty Lyn II....

Apple watches are the coolest, not to mention the most popular watch in the world. The iWatch is so popular Apple is now the world’s biggest watchmaker. According to reports, the smartwatch has outsold the entire Swiss watch industry. So why oh why did Apple complain about AT&T and Verizon, the biggest cellular networks in the United States? After all, the Apple Watch doesn’t work very well without a cellular network....

Does a prohibition on employee dreadlocks amount to racial discrimination, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act? Not according to the Eleventh Circuit. Though dreads may be closely associated with African American race and culture, a ban on the hairstyle doesn’t amount to racial discrimination, the court ruled last Thursday. The ruling came after the EEOC brought a lawsuit on behalf of Chastity Jones, an applicant who was offered a job at a customer service call center, on the condition that she chop off her dreadlocks....

For the most part, everyone, including non-lawyers, know what an appeal is, and what it means to appeal. The term isn’t exclusively a legal one, yet has been used in the legal context for centuries now. The term, or better yet, the appellate process, as we know it today, traces as far back as the 11th century in Japan and 14th century in England. The roots of the term itself are old English, old French, and Latin....

FindLaw columnist Eric Sinrod writes regularly in this section on legal developments surrounding technology and the Internet. Facebook has decided to let teenagers share their posts even more broadly. According to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook users between the ages of 13 and 17 will be able to set their posts as “public,” meaning that they can be viewed by anyone on Facebook, not just friends and friends of friends....

The nation’s fastest growing cell phone carrier is about to meet the Federal Trade Commission in a courtroom, and the fallout could be more than a few fines – the PR hit from allegedly cramming bogus fees on customers’ bills could cost the company dearly. The FTC announced earlier this week that it filed a complaint [PDF] against T-Mobile, accusing it of knowingly passing along unauthorized fraudulent third-party charges to consumers, while taking a thirty-five to forty percent cut....

Two words: speed and access. (Technically, that’s three words but you’re slowing down the process if you’re computing.) When it comes to internet service, we want it faster and we want it yesterday. We’re lawyers, and we have things to do! Two more words for you: Google Fiber. Actually, you may have two questions. How fast is it and where can I get it? Super-Fast Internet It’s hard to say exactly how fast Google Fiber delivers because speeds vary....

Sooner or later, crazy people will walk in your door. It could be a good thing if you get them professional help. You’ll know when they need a doctor, not a lawyer. But if you have a delusional client or a crazy person on the other side of a case, you should get some help – for yourself. It could be a matter of life and death. “Borders on Delusional” Omar Enrique Santa Perez was one of those – a crazy man with a case....

This opinion (via The Recorder) was promising by page 2, when the court noted that “Respondent denied the allegations contained in the NDC and then wrote a 16-page soliloquy with little to no rational connection to the charges at hand.” By the time the opinion got through a Natalie Portman comparison and a Barack Obama mention, it was even better than that dude who slept with more than a half-dozen of his divorce clients....

If you’re an attorney (or anyone) using Windows, computer security experts have an urgent message for you: uninstall QuickTime, immediately. That’s because the Window’s version of QuickTime, the multimedia program found on most computers, is no longer supported by Apple, its maker. That means the software will still work, but there will be no more security support – leaving QuickTime users vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. So, follow the advice of the experts (including the Department of Homeland Security) and kick QuickTime off your computer....

It’s FindLaw’s “Legal Shark Week” which means, like it or not, you’re going to see a lot of shark-themed posts. If you were traumatized as a kid by the movie “Jaws,” we apologize in advance. Today’s topic? Three ways you can be a tech-savvy shark, starting with social media, and continuing with metadata and e-discovery. And as you’ll see, these tips aren’t just for the fiercest predators – some of them are actually necessary to be a competent guppy:...

Sanctions Against Plaintiff’s Counsel in Sexual Harassment Matter In Norelus v. Denny’s, Inc., No. 07-14077, a sexual harassment action, the court affirmed the district court’s order sanctioning plaintiff’s counsel for attempting to substantially modify plaintiff’s deposition testimony where it was entirely reasonable for the district court to conclude that counsel acted with objective recklessness when they created the errata document and then continued to pursue plaintiff’s claims after the creation and submission of that document had made her claims untenable....

Waze has become the next-generation police scanner, and the cops definitely don’t like it. The Google app allows users to post locations of police checkpoints. The mobile app also forewarns drivers of speed traps and red light cameras. New York City police have a big problem with it. They want Google to take it down or else. Like, they’ll give Google a ticket? Encourages Reckless Driving? In a letter, NYPD’s representative told Google the app encourages “reckless driving....

Bankruptcy court’s award of $20,000 preference recovery judgment against National Lumber, in bankruptcy trustee’s action to recover money paid to a creditor, is affirmed where: 1) the conclusion that the debtor exercised sufficient control over the funds at issue to demonstrate that they were an interest of the debtor in property is supported by the record; and 2) the successor judge had no obligation to recall witnesses or to order a new trial....

Two months ago, we asked a not-so-simple question: Should you accept bitcoin for your services? The answer, for at least two firms, was a resounding yes. Two firms, a Houston DUI and drug defense firm and an Illinois and New Mexico small business law firm, recently announced that they will accept Bitcoin for services. While the move may pay dividends in the short-term as a publicity stunt (they got our attention, after all), we can’t help questioning the wisdom of the move long-term....

The Supreme Court’s recent decision in Spokeo v. Robins is already being felt in courts, including in a class action against Lyft over the company’s background check procedures. Lyft’s drivers alleged that the company broke the law when it conducted background and credit checks without informing them. But that suit was tossed last Wednesday, largely on the basis of Spokeo. That May, 2016 decision held that plaintiffs must show a concrete injury to gain standing when alleging a violation of their privacy rights....

If you’re lucky enough to be on one of the in-house counsel teams of Facebook, Google, Apple another giant tech company, then you’ve already heard about the U.K.’s proposed Investigatory Powers Bill. Your companies are not happy. But what are some of the concerns that are getting tech firms so upset? In May of 2015, the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Theresa May introduced the Investigatory Powers Bill that included what some have branded as vague language calling for the immediate response against terrorism, organized crime, and cyberbullying....

It is no secret that the justice system tends to favor the wealthy. People with more money are better able to afford the cost of accessing justice. And it’s not just paying the costs for private attorneys and experts in civil cases, in the criminal justice system simply being able to afford bail provides the wealthy with a significant privilege and advantage compared to those who can’t afford any amount of bail....

Outside counsel. They are a necessary evil for the overburdened in-house attorney. When a matter crosses your desk that is beyond your expertise, or beyond your schedule, you pass it on to outside counsel, and cross your fingers. Will they overbill? More like, by how much will they overbill? Meet Viewabill. The startup first got our attention a few months ago, right about the time the “churn that bill, baby!” email from DLA Piper leaked....

The First Amendment doesn’t give lawyers license to criticize judges in court pleadings, according to Lawyerist. Monday, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that there’s no authority for the idea that the First Amendment shields a lawyer who files an inappropriate and unprofessional pleading from sanctions. It sounds like Gleason already had a strained relationship with the bankruptcy court, but the situation spiraled out of control when he directed the following statement to the judge in a response to a show cause order: “It is sad when a man of your intellectual ability cannot get it right when your own record does not support your half-baked findings....