Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 38
GLOBAL & DOMESTIC OUTLOOK
BOUTIQUE
PRACTICES
CORNERING THE MARKET
By Peter Jones
A
lthough the concept of niche law is not new,
and many attorneys have found great success by
narrowing their focus, some lawyers are getting
really creative with their specialties. From horses
and rockets to craft beer and pets, here are some of the
unique practice areas in which lawyers and firms have
found their groove.
SPACE EXPLORATION
As companies like SpaceX continue to pioneer the commercial space
flight industry, questions over everything from liability in the event that
something goes wrong to ownership of spacecraft and even asteroid
mining claims are becoming increasingly relevant. While a Star Trek-style
court martial is unlikely anytime soon, many firms, including Sherman
& Howard L.L.C. and KMA Zuckert LLC, have spent the last decade developing practices dedicated to law's final frontier.
SOCIAL MEDIA
RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS
Early 2019 brought two hot documentaries highlighting the potential pitfalls of social media marketing. Netflix's Fyre and Hulu's Fyre Fraud both
recount the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival in the
Bahamas - "the greatest party that never
happened" - and the fallout for celebrities and
social media influencers. Millennial schadenfreude
aside, social media influencers can make big
money but also face big legal risks. To serve this
growing market, firms like Pfeiffer Law in Los
Angeles are expanding their entertainment law
practices to advise influencers on staying abreast
of Federal Trade Commission guidelines governing
everything from hashtags to Instagram stories.
While religious institutions like churches, mosques,
synagogues, and temples might answer to a higher
power than most clients, they still face many of the
same legal issues that many other entities do, plus
a few special ones as well. Accordingly, specialty
firms like Nelson Madden Black LLP in New York
City and Nussbaum Speir PLLC in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, have dedicated themselves to serving
religious institutions, assisting with matters ranging
from tax exemptions and employment law to real
estate and First Amendment issues.
FURRY FRIENDS
Americans love their pets; in fact, approximately 44 percent of households have
at least one dog, and 35 percent own a cat, according to the American Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. But that love is not without its downsides. Each year, approximately 4.7 million people in the United States are bitten
by dogs, with 800,000 of them requiring medical care, says the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention. In addition to the (thankfully rare) medical
consequences of dog bites, dog owners may also face legal repercussions. That
is why firms like the Katz Law Firm in San Antonio, Texas, and Geordie Duckler
in Tigard, Oregon, have made animal- and pet-related cases their specialty.
Washington Lawyer - April 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Washington Lawyer - April 2019
Digital Extras
Your Voice
From Our President
Practice Management
Calendar of Events
DC Bar Practice Management Advisory Service feature
Niching Down to Build Up feature
Going Small feature
Global & Domestic Outlook
Worth Reading
Media Bytes
Attorney Briefs
Ask the Ethics Experts
Disciplinary Summaries
The Pro Bono Effect
Community & Connections
Last Word
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Cover1
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Cover2
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 1
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 2
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 3
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Digital Extras
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Your Voice
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - From Our President
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 7
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Practice Management
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 9
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Calendar of Events
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 11
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 12
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 13
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - DC Bar Practice Management Advisory Service feature
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 15
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 16
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 17
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Niching Down to Build Up feature
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 19
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Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Going Small feature
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Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Global & Domestic Outlook
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 39
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Worth Reading
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Media Bytes
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Attorney Briefs
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Ask the Ethics Experts
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Disciplinary Summaries
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 45
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - The Pro Bono Effect
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 47
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 48
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 49
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Community & Connections
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - 51
Washington Lawyer - April 2019 - Last Word
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