Business and AI counsel for startups, entrepreneurs and growing companies
Alan N. Walter 
A slight variant of this insight was originally published in the ABA Journal, the flagship magazine of the American Bar Association, in September 2026 as part of its Your Voice series. When I first watched The Prisoner as a teenager, I was captured, in every sense, by its themes and its aesthetics. A secret agent resigns, is gassed in … Read more
If your New Jersey business uses freelancers, consultants or independent contractors, a new interpretation of the state’s worker-classification rules takes effect today. For some businesses, that could make existing contractor relationships harder to defend. New Jersey has used the ABC test to decide whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor for years. … Read more
This insight first appeared in Bloomberg Law in September 2026 under the title, “DOJ’s OpenAI Copyright Brief Previews AI Licensing’s Future.” The Bottom Line The Department of Justice told a federal judge this month that Congress, not the courts, should decide how artificial intelligence companies pay for the copyrighted material they use to train their … Read more
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority opens applications for Cohort III of the New Jersey Innovation Fellows program on September 9 and closes them December 4 at 5 p.m. The pitch sounds almost too simple. Assemble a team of at least three entrepreneurs, commit full time to a startup in one of the state’s targeted industries and … Read more
In the 20th century, nuclear technology was developed with the hope of tapping into a powerful new source of energy. But its potential for catastrophic destruction as a weapon of mass destruction became undeniable with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, devastating both cities and causing immense loss of life. … Read more
This Insight originally appeared in the September 2026 issue of the ABA Journal as part of the Mind Your Business series. Bar associations throughout the country have steadily issued ethics opinions regarding artificial intelligence. The ABA issued Formal Opinion 512 in July 2024. The Florida Bar issued Opinion 24-1 in January 2024. The State Bar of Texas issued Opinion 705 in … Read more
Drive through almost any American suburb now and there is a good chance a Flock Safety camera is reading your license plate before you reach the next stop sign. The cameras have spread to thousands of towns, homeowners associations and police departments, and the question residents keep asking is simple: is this legal? The honest … Read more
Governor Mikie Sherrill signed S4384 on August 28, 2026, four days before the COVID-era rules were set to expire. The law took effect immediately. The sealed margarita you have been picking up with your takeout since 2020 is now a permanent fixture of New Jersey law rather than an emergency measure on a countdown. The headlines all … Read more
The data center backlash has gone national, and it is moving faster than the law that governs it. Trackers count hundreds of local pauses and prohibitions across dozens of states. San Marcos, Texas removed data centers from its list of allowed uses in June. Lysander, New York approved a six month pause. In New Jersey, East Orange introduced an ordinance barring … Read more
Eight days into a federal trial in Oakland, Meta stopped fighting. On August 26, 2026, the company and a bipartisan coalition of state attorneys general filed a proposed consent judgment and a joint motion to enter it, resolving claims that Instagram and Facebook were built to addict children and that Meta lied about it. The money is the … Read more
On July 17, 2026, a federal appeals court held that New Jersey’s ban on semi-automatic rifles and its ban on magazines holding more than ten rounds both violate the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The en banc Third Circuit decision came down 10 to 5, and the opinions run to roughly 192 pages. Both laws are … Read more
This article was originally published in New Jersey Lawyer in August 2026. When Fraud Moves Into the Closing Process Transactional lawyers have long treated fraud as a problem of deal substance: misstatements in financial disclosures, omissions in disclosure schedules, inaccuracies in representations and warranties. The risk, conventionally understood, lives in the four corners of the agreement. That … Read more