ProfNet Experts Available on Insurance Policies, Trademark Disputes, Crowd Funding

NEW YORK, May 9, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Below are experts from the ProfNet network that are available to discuss timely issues in your coverage area. If you are interested in interviewing any of the experts, please contact them via the contact information at the end of the listing. To receive these updates by email, send a note to [email protected] with the industries you cover, and we'll add you to the appropriate edition. 

If you are in need of additional experts, you can also submit a query to the hundreds of thousands of experts in our network. You can filter your request by institution type and geographic location to get the most targeted responses. The best part? It's free! Just fill out the query form to get started.

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EXPERT ALERTS

• Sudden Storms a Wake-Up Call
• Trademark Dispute Over 'RG3'
• Capitalizing on Crowd Funding

MEDIA JOBS

• Senior Editor – CNBC.com (NJ)
• Part-Time Reporter – Courthouse News Service (WV)
• Reporter – The Deming (NM)

OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES

• ASJA Recap: The Art of Sourcing
• A Day in the Life of a Boston Globe Journalist
• Grammar Hammer: I Could Care Less

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EXPERT ALERTS:

Sudden Storms a Wake-Up Call
Phillip Sanov
Attorney and Head of Bad Faith Insurance Practice Group
The Lanier Law Firm in Houston
"Recent surprise hailstorms and flash floods provide a stark reminder that the severe storm season is upon us, and home and business owners should be prepared. Now is the time to make sure insurance policies are up to date, and to document the condition of homes, offices and belongings. Too often, we see insurance companies that deny, delay or vastly underpay legitimate claims, often citing 'pre-existing' conditions. Take photos and videos of structures and personal property as proof of ownership and existing conditions. But remember that those pictures do no good if they too are lost in a storm, so be sure to store them online or at a friend's or relative's house."
Media Contact: Alan Bentrup, [email protected] 

Trademark Dispute Over 'RG3'
Bill Munck
Intellectual Property Attorney
Munck Wilson Mandala LLP in Dallas
"The ongoing trademark dispute between Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III and the motorcycle service company Research Group 3 over use of 'RG3' could end up as a case study in how overlapping intellectual property can coexist peacefully. Multiple parties can use the same mark, but they have to use it in different ways. They can do so through the use of a cross-use agreement to avoid confusion. The motorcycle parts supplier definitely has a different customer base. Research Group 3's big concern is that the firm's customers know who they are. RG3 – the football player – has the potential to become like Michael Jordan where everything was 'Mike.' So, the motorcycle service firm has a legitimate concern that Griffin is going to become the more well-known RG3, if he isn't already."
Media Contact: Dave Moore, [email protected]

Capitalizing on Crowd Funding
Holt Foster
Attorney
Thompson & Knight of Dallas
"The use of crowd funding websites such as Kickstarter and RocketHub grew by more than 80 percent last year as small businesses and entrepreneurs increasingly look online to raise money, and with the Securities and Exchange Commission poised to exempt qualified transactions from securities registration, the $2.7 billion crowd funding market is expected to grow even more dramatically. The federal JOBS Act is a potential game changer, allowing businesses to sell up to $1 million in securities annually to individuals who don't meet the current regulatory requirements for income and net worth. These changes will allow small investors to actually gain equity in companies with good concepts and, if certain reporting obligations are met, allow companies to avoid the expense and time needed to comply with existing securities laws."
Media Contact: Barry Pound, [email protected]

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MEDIA JOBS:

Following are links to job listings for staff and freelance writers, editors and producers. You can view these and more job listings on our Job Board: http://bit.ly/pncjobboard

• Senior Editor – CNBC.com (NJ)
• Part-Time Reporter – Courthouse News Service (WV)
• Reporter – The Deming (NM)

See more listings here.

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OTHER NEWS & RESOURCES:

Following are links to other news and resources we think you might find useful. If you have an item you think other reporters would be interested in and would like us to include in a future alert, please drop us a line at [email protected]

• THE ART OF SOURCING: ProfNet hosted a sponsored session at the recent ASJA conference on how journalists work with experts. Freelancers Bobbi Dempsey, Jennifer Nelson and Dawn Papandrea talked about how they find, evaluate and work with subject-matter experts. You can read a recap of it here: http://bit.ly/14VDjC2
• A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BOSTON GLOBE JOURNALIST: Last week ProfNet hosted a free webinar with Boston Globe culture writer, James Burnett, who gave us an inside scoop on what it's like to be a writer for the Boston Globe: http://bit.ly/10xinc7
• GRAMMAR HAMMER: I COULD CARE LESS: Think "I could care less" is grammatically incorrect? Cathy Spicer, aka the Grammar Hammer, says that might not necessarily be the case. In her latest Grammar Hammer, she explores the phrase that lands on so many people's "pet peeve" lists: http://bit.ly/112o1u5

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SOURCE ProfNet