Do NFL Players Have a First Amendment Challenge to the National Anthem Policy?

Colin Kaepernick first gained attention for his protests of the national anthem during National Football League preseason games in August 2016. Following Kaepernick’s lead, many athletes across various sports began demonstrating during the pre-game rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner.” The protests were met with widespread debate and incited responses from nearly every sports and media commentator. President Trump took to Twitter, posting a series of tweets sharing his strong feelings on the issue, calling for players who knelt to be “fired.” Kaepernick has …

October 10, 2017 NFL

Will the NFL Terminate Players Who Kneel During the Anthem?

Experts have suggested NFL players who kneel during the anthem are unlikely to be terminated. And so far, no players have been. A few weeks ago, President Trump suggested players who do kneel during the anthem should be terminated. Reactions to President Trump’s comments were varied and some time later, many players have continued to kneel or lock arms with other teammates in a showing of solidarity.

The reason the NFL or its teams have taken no action could be purely legal. Players are employees …

February 16, 2017 General

Will President Trump Change the Course of Sports Betting in the United States?

Earlier this month, the United States Supreme Court chose not to strike down New Jersey’s challenge to the federal ban on sport betting, but rather called upon President Donald Trump and his administration to opine on the controversial issue. This decision comes after New Jersey’s multi-year long fight to convince the federal government to end its ban on sport betting, in order to benefit New Jersey’s struggling casinos and racetracks.

As background, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) has prohibited most states …

August 5, 2016 Intellectual Property, Copyright, and Trademark

No Bed of Roses for Trump: Queen Revokes Rights to Signature Anthem

Donald Trump received the Republican Party’s nomination, but it has been no pleasure cruise since then. At Donald Trump, Jr.’s casting of the votes for the New York delegation, Donald Trump received the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the nomination. The next day, Trump accepted the nomination with Queen’s “We Are the Champions” heralding in the background. Shortly after, Queen took to twitter, declaring the song’s usage “an unauthorised use at the Republican Convention against our wishes.” The band pulled Trump’s rights to play the …

March 4, 2016 Golf / Litigation

Trump Sues Neighbors Over Cut-Down Trees

On February 5, 2016, a golf resort and complex in Doral, Florida, filed five separate lawsuits against its neighbors on allegations of criminal trespass and destruction of property. The resort, titled “Trump National Doral,” which is owned and operated by a company headed by the Donald himself called “Trump Endeavor 12 LLC,” claims that neighbors to the course cut down plants and trees that abutted their respective properties. According to the individual complaints, which were filed separately against each homeowner, the foliage was planted completely …

December 8, 2015 Golf / Litigation

Golf Club Members to Court: Trump Not Entitled To Summary Judgment

A Florida Federal District Court received a response in opposition for summary judgment motion on Monday November 30, 2015, by a class of former Ritz-Carlton Golf Club & Spa members seeking refunds on allegedly denied membership deposits. The response motion was filed against Donald Trump’s Jupiter Golf Club LLC, which had moved for summary judgment earlier this year. Trump had purchased the highly-touted Florida country club in 2012.

The class argues that Trump bought the club on condition it abide by the then-existing membership agreements …

February 25, 2015 Litigation

Donald Trump Takes Doral Noise Ordinance Issue Out of Court

Donald Trump decided to drop the lawsuit he filed a week ago against the City of Doral that challenged the constitutionality of the city’s noise ordinance.

Instead, Trump decided to have negotiation talks with the city, according to his spokesman Ed Russo who said, “In good faith, we have decided to voluntarily withdraw our lawsuit against the city, and we look forward to productive discourse regarding this matter.” The ordinance at issue is Section 26-128 of Doral’s charter that provides that the standard for …

August 7, 2014 Defamation

The Donald Salvages Trump Name with Lawsuit

On Tuesday, August 5, Donald Trump filed an action in the New Jersey Superior Court against Trump Entertainment Resorts, Inc. to get his name off two of their Atlantic City Casinos. The Donald seems to think the poor state of conditions of these Casinos is causing harm to the prestigious reputation of the Donald Trump brand.

The lawsuit seeks to have the name “Trump” removed from the Trump Plaza and the Trump Taj Mahal as they are being operated in breach of a …