BLN (Boston, MA) - September 29, 2009

Business Lawyers Network - Boston **Signup**
Topic#1: "Drafting Tips from a Collection Lawyer" by John Postl, Esq.
Topic#2: "Trademarks, Corporate Names & Domain Names" by Lucy Lovrien, Esq.
Place: Ten Winthrop Square, Boston, MA (Directions)

From a clients perspective, collecting payment may be the most important part of an agreement. What does a transactional lawyer need to know about collection? How should agreements be drafted to facilitate collection? John Postl will provide an insider’s view to collection and discuss how to draft provisions for attorneys' fees, choice of law, choice of forum, interest rate on overdue balances, personal guarantees, and other terms.

John Postl is a 1994 graduate of Suffolk University Law School. John has practiced in a variety of settings including law firms, in house counsel and as a solo. He concentrates his practice in commercial litigation with an emphasis on creditors' rights. John also practices general civil litigation, landlord/tenant, and some residential and commercial real estate purchase, sales and leasing. He is an avid light aircraft pilot and handles some aviation law matters, including FAA enforcement actions against pilots. He has been a member of the Civil Air Patrol for almost thirty years and is assigned to CAP National Headquarters as the Senior Assistant National Legal Officer.

Lawyers know the difference between corporate names and trademarks, but clients may not. Every corporation name is unique but only in the specific state of incorporation (e.g., there can only be one "Crazy Corporation" per state). However, many clients make the mistake of thinking their corporate or business name can be used for all purposes including trademark use. Without taking a few steps early on, they may be investing in the goodwill of their business, but later be forced to change their name or enter into a licensing agreement that limits their freedom. Lucy Lovrien will outline the basics for name selection and what lawyers (or their clients) should keep in mind.

Lucy D. Lovrien is a director of Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts, now part of the Arts & Business Council of Massachusetts. She conducts a solo practice in Boston focusing on litigation, copyrights, trademarks, contracts/licensing, publishing agreements and business law. She lectures frequently to artists’ groups, writers’ groups and colleges in Boston, Cape Cod, Rhode Island, and at MCLE. She is currently the co-chair of the Arts and Entertainment Law Committee of the Boston Bar Association. She represented the artist-plaintiff in the first federal moral rights case involving whether the removal of site-specific art violates the federal Visual Artists Rights Act, Phillips v. Pembroke Real Estate, Inc. She is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law and Yale College.

**Thanks to John Postl and Lucy Lovrien for hosting the meeting!

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