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Articles by James Lawrence
The Drinks Trust to host golf fundraiser
Home News By James Lawrence Published: 27 April, 2026 Leading charity The Drinks Trust is hosting a special fundraiser at Denham Golf Club on 21 May - an opportunity for trade professionals to channel their inner Tiger Woods. The Drinks Trust Golf Day 2026 will bring together industry figures for a day of sport, socialising, and fundraising at the historic Buckinghamshire venue, founded in 1911. According to its organisers: "The course offers a rewarding challenge for golfers of all abilities.
Welcome to Connected World
Recent litigation in a case handled by Clyde & Co’s Cross-Border team has highlighted an increasingly common procedural pitfall: the improper service of a Claim Form where proceedings are commenced within the Damages Claims Portal (DCP) but subsequently served under the conventional CPR Part 7 regime. A recent decision on a case in St Helens County Court underscores the strict operation of Practice Direction 51Z ("PD51Z") and the risks for claimants who attempt to mix procedural mechanisms.
Tough wine market still ripe for some
By now you've probably heard: inflation is chronic, geopolitical headwinds are stifling trade, overall consumption is declining in key markets, and competition from rivals has never been fiercer. As a result, many wine producers currently find themselves knee-deep in a manure-soaked field, without so much as a paddle and little sign of firmer ground ahead. Yet amid the doom and gloom, a handful of businesses are thriving despite the difficult macroeconomic context.
A new dawn for English bubbles
For years, the received wisdom was that English sparkling wine would deliver an acid line sharp enough to slice through a cream tea. As author and critic Tom Stevenson once noted: "At a spring tasting, what stood out was the wines' extremely youthful nature and searing acidity.
Forced Labor and the First Amendment
Politics Forced Labor and the First Amendment A salacious case out of California raises important questions about the state’s ability to regulate a wide variety of interpersonal relationships. Loading the Elevenlabs Text to Speech AudioNative Player... Last week, the Second Circuit tossed a federal conspiracy case against the meme publisher Douglass Mackey, a development many are rightly hailing as an important free speech victory.
Here's JPMorgan's summer reading list for the wealthy for 2025
Andresr | E+ | Getty Images The top summer reading list for the wealthy this year includes books on happiness, resilience, artificial intelligence and the future of the U.S. dollar.
The Inheritance Nobody Wants: How Alzheimer's Steals Futures Before It Claims Memories Original
AFOF Sets $2 Million Fundraising Goal to Expand Caregiver Support in 2025 NAPERVILLE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / May 12, 2025 / As the number of families affected by Alzheimer's disease continues to grow, so does the financial and emotional strain on caregivers.
Alzheimer’s Family of Friends Foundation Offers Urgent Financial Relief for Families Affected by Dementia
James K Lawrence Thu, May 1, 2025, 12:30 PM 4 min read NAPERVILLE, IL / ACCESS Newswire / May 1, 2025 / Families across the nation are increasingly overwhelmed by the emotional and financial toll of caring for loved ones with Alzheimer's disease. Rising healthcare costs, limited insurance coverage, and the lack of accessible resources have created an urgent need for support.
Forestry threat to Chilean wine
Chile has a biodiversity dilemma. Three decades ago, visitors to a top Chilean winery would be given a lengthy tour of the new cellar followed by a bells-and-whistles tasting. Today, international guests are whisked straight into the vineyard to gaze at native flora and, after the sun sets, listen to the haunting rhythms of Chilean myotis, a species of native bat.
Wine takes a break from glass
4000 years ago, a group of craftsmen in Mesopotamia (West Asia) discovered how to make glass. Based on a mixture of sand, soda, and lime, this wonderful (albeit brittle) material was perfected over the centuries, reaching a high watermark in the Venetian workshops of Murano. Aesthetically pleasing, malleable and yet relatively easy to break, it has nonetheless been an integral part of the wine experience for over 400 years.
Listen Closely: CMV Shouldn’t Be Overlooked
Hearing loss. Developmental delay. Vision loss. These are all effects experienced by children who contracted congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) at birth. In a healthcare system as well funded and forward-thinking as California’s, no child should be at risk of suffering permanent disabilities as a result of a missed diagnosis. Their suffering could be greatly reduced with early treatment, which requires early detection — preferably at birth. But that approach has yet to be universally embraced.
Heathy For Who? Healthy for Who? A Voter Guide to Props 34 and 35
November is fast approaching, and with it, the opportunity to vote on Propositions in California. Props serve a key democratic role between the public and lawmakers, allowing voters to directly impact policymaking in the state. Of the 10 props on the ballot this election cycle, two pertain to healthcare - Prop 34 and Prop 35.
Elastic Shape Registration of Surfaces in 3D Space with Gradient Descent and Dynamic Programming
Algorithms based on gradient descent for computing the elastic shape registration of two simple surfaces in 3−dimensional space and therefore the elastic shape distance between them have been proposed by Kurtek, Jermyn, et al., and more recently by Riseth.
UCSF Graduate Student Parents Demand Return of Childcare Grant
Graduate students say they feel misled into choosing to study at UCSF following the University administration’s sudden decision last summer to rescind childcare funding. A petition demanding the return of the need-based childcare grant program has garnered over 100 signatures. Students who signed the petition said they relied on the grant to support their families in the Bay Area’s high cost-of-living, and it was one of the main reasons they chose to pursue graduate studies at UCSF.
Wineries get on the Seoul train
In 1995, Bollinger signed a contract with Shindong Wine, an importer based in South Korea. After much negotiation, arm-wrestling, and copious amounts of kimchi, Shindong agreed to take its first consignment of Champagne from this venerable house. This was a risk for both parties; the market was just waking up to imported labels in the 1990s, while the demand for upmarket fizz was paltry.
Why CT must fund deaf social services
“Welcome to McDonald’s, how can I help you?” As a child of two deaf adults, this was a phrase that I became accustomed to hearing, peering my head over the backseat window of my parents’ 2005 Toyota Sienna to place an order in the drive-thru, acting as the liaison between my family’s McChickens and whoever was working the window.
Inside New York State’s Heedless Crusade Against the NRA
Politics Inside New York State’s Heedless Crusade Against the NRA The legal mechanism the New York attorney general is using to bludgeon the gun rights organization could be used on any objectionable civil society group, even churches. On February 6, in the National Rifle Association’s trial over alleged financial mismanagement, one of the venerable organization’s leaders relayed a line out of a Christopher Nolan movie.
James R. Lawrence, III
James R. Lawrence, III is a Partner at Envisage Law, where he litigates speech issues. He previously served as a Deputy General Counsel in Department of Health and Human Services in the Trump Administration. He has never represented the NRA, but did file a brief on behalf of 18 U.S. Senators and 63 members of the U.S. House of Representatives as amici in NRA v. Vullo. You can follow him on X at @jlawrencenc. The views expressed here are his own.
Fine wine withers on the vine
Belt-tightening affects us all during a cost-of-living crisis, but some waistlines are more generously proportioned than others. Thus, conventional wisdom tells us that the fine wine is inflation-proof; wealthy buyers aren't going to stop quaffing Krug just because of a relative dent in their millions, are they How little we knew.
Atomic Habits: The Magic of Tiny Changes
In the bustling realm of self-improvement, we’re often drawn to the allure of grand resolutions and radical transformations. Yet, James Clear’s “Atomic Habits” whispers a different mantra — one that celebrates the potency of small changes in sculpting significant outcomes. Let’s dive into the essence of “Atomic Habits” and discover how embracing the subtle dance of daily habits can redefine our journey of personal growth.
Safety First! Sufficiency in Australian patent law: Jusand v Rattlejack - Addisons
This is the first appellate decision in Australia concerned with the new test for sufficiency in section 40(2)(a) of the Patents Act. If a product claim might import a relevant range of options, one approach is to identify the “essence or core” of the invention and then determine whether the range is relevant. If the range is relevant the specification must enable the skilled addressee to perform the invention across the entire breadth of the claim (including the range).
Global Bar Report 2023: Middle East and Africa
The bar scenes in Africa and the Middle East are becoming ones to reckon with, with dynamism and diversity on menus from Lagos to Dubai. Dynamic, beautiful, diverse – 21st-century Africa is a sight to behold. This beguiling continent remains profoundly uplifting. You want proof? Visit the dynamic urban areas of Lagos, Nigeria, Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa, where citizens (and tourists) revel in the bonhomie of African nightlife – sometimes a little messy.
Global Bar Report 2023: Middle East and Africa
The bar scenes in Africa and the Middle East are becoming one to reckon with, with dynamism and diversity on menus from Lagos to Dubai. Dynamic, beautiful, diverse – 21st-century Africa is a sight to behold. This beguiling continent remains profoundly uplifting. You want proof? Visit the dynamic urban areas of Lagos, Nigeria, Nairobi, Kenya, and Cape Town, South Africa, where citizens (and tourists) revel in the bonhomie of African nightlife – sometimes a little messy.
Partial Elastic Shape Registration of 3D Surfaces using Dynamic Programming
The computation of the elastic shape registration of two simple surfaces in 3−dimensional space and therefore of the elastic shape distance between them has been investigated by Kurtek, Jermyn, et al. who have proposed algorithms to carry out this computation.
Gold Medal coffee fight - Lavazza prevails in dispute with Cantarella Bros over the use of ORO as a trade mark
The Federal Court of Australia has determined the long-standing dispute between coffee giants Cantarella Bros and Lavazza Australia. While the Court found that Lavazza had been using Cantarella’s ORO trade marks on its packaging, it held that those trade marks were invalid and should be cancelled from the Register and no issue of infringement therefore arose. Background Cantarella and Lavazza have each been selling coffee products in Australia for many years.
Caudill et al v. North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc. et al
Plaintiff: Christopher Robert Caudill, Rachel Irene Niketopoulos and Dovid Ephraim Friedlander Defendant: North Carolina Symphony Society, Inc., NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES and Sandi MacDonald Case Number: 5:2023cv00489 Filed: August 31, 2023 Court: US District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina Presiding Judge: James C Dever Nature of Suit: Civil Rights: Jobs Cause of Action: 28 U.S.C. ยง 1331 Fed.
Topological Design and Synthesis of High-Spin Aza-triangulenes without Jahn-Teller Distortions
Download Hi-Res ImageDownload to MS-PowerPointCite This:ACS Nano 2023, XXXX, XXX Terms & Conditions Most electronic Supporting Information files are available without a subscription to ACS Web Editions. Such files may be downloaded by article for research use (if there is a public use license linked to the relevant article, that license may permit other uses).
Chris Eden, executive head chef at Gidleigh Park in Devon
Born and raised in Cornwall, and having spent most of his career in the south west, Chris Eden spent time cooking in London before returning to Cornwall in 2007 to lead the kitchen at Driftwood. Awarded a Michelin star at Driftwood in 2012, Chris retained the accolade each year, until his move to Gidleigh Park in 2019, which has just been awarded a Michelin star in the Michelin Guide 2023.
Spotlight: class action procedure in United Kingdom (England & Wales)
All questions Procedure i Types of action available As noted in Section I, the regimes available for English class or group actions broadly fall into two categories: opt-in procedures and opt-out procedures. ii Commencing proceedingsRepresentative actions As noted above, not only can representative actions be utilised for any type of claim, but there are also no requirements pertaining to the number of representees, be they claimants or defendants.
Mickle, King distinguished themselves as trailblazers with courage, competency, conviction
James F. Lawrence How fitting it is that the renaming of the downtown Alachua County criminal courthouse in honor of the late U.S. District Judge Stephan Mickle comes amid celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. Both were African-American men who distinguished themselves as trailblazers with courage, competency and conviction.
Imagine if the global village concept was truly valued
James F. Lawrence The myopia evident in the swift and punitive treatment of South Africa following its early detection of the omicron variant ought to prompt recognition of the virtue of equity. Moreover, with the start of the New Year, now is no better time for nations and communities to sincerely commit to fairness and equal treatment. Let’s finally start to take seriously the words in the Pledge of Allegiance: liberty and justice for all.
Burdensome utility costs disproportionately affect low-income Black households
James F. Lawrence As a follow-up to recent canvassing in east-side neighborhoods, Gainesville for All will be joining the ranks of those seeking solutions to burdensome utility costs that are disproportionately hitting low-income Black households and people on fixed incomes. We’re excited that Robert J.
It’s hard to salute a justice system that still perpetuates injustice
James F. Lawrence After recent verdicts in the trial of three white men accused of killing an unarmed Black jogger, I admit to being ambivalent. No, it isn’t that I disagree with their murder convictions. Hardly. Rather, verdicts in the shotgun slaying of Ahmaud Arbery capped a week of findings in cases of racial injustice that at once redeemed the criminal justice system and raised fears of futility.
Gainesville For All initiative helps engage fathers in their children's lives
James F. Lawrence A local pastor in his 40s told the story of growing up without his father but finally making peace with him later in life. But it was on his father’s death bed that the pastor learned why there had been such distance between the two. “He said he didn’t know how to be a father,” the pastor recalled.
Health inequities in east Gainesville part of wider problem for African Americans
James F. Lawrence As I flipped through a PowerPoint presentation that amplified the local health inequities and disparities that primarily exist in east Gainesville, I couldn’t help but think of the recent deaths and health challenges facing several family members and friends. Sadly, as an African-American, what I’m been witnessing lately is all too common, especially in this era of COVID-19. In the past three weeks alone, I’ve lost a lifelong friend and two fellow members of my church to cancer.
Join GNV4ALL's anniversary events as we double down on our commitment to systemic change
James F. Lawrence Add Gainesville for All’s upcoming general meeting to your list of fall kick-off activities. For five straight years, after a summer hiatus, we’ve used the fall to launch a renewed and focused push for systemic change as a remedy to the poverty and racism that has plagued this region for too long. This is a special year for us — our fifth anniversary, and we hope that you will join us in celebrating our achievements as we double down on our commitment to systemic change.
Seldom does substantive change occur without disruption
James F. Lawrence How is it that there wasn’t a single question from Gainesville city commissioners during a recent City Hall presentation on a long-awaited study meant to address such distressing racial equity problems as black businesses making up just 1% of city vendors? OK, may be the commissioners already thoroughly understand the problems of racial disparities and inequities in city government.
Courageous local leadership, unifying Olympics offer rays of hope and sanity
James F. Lawrence Given all the political lunacy and chicanery around COVID-19 and the constant barrage of partisan histrionics in Washington and Tallahassee, this year’s Olympics could not have been better timed. The games, and even some noteworthy local events, provided desperately needed rays of hope, if only briefly. Much is being said lately about how the pandemic is affecting Americans’ mental health. Almost everyone seems to be living on the edge as COVID bounces back.
Family Learning Center would help make progress on gun violence, illiteracy and poverty
James F. Lawrence The recent spate of local gun violence has again focused attention on a problem that keeps resurfacing unabated in urban communities nationwide. Maybe, just maybe the reason that’s so is because too many communities bought into quick fixes such as more cops, stiff prison terms and tough gun control laws.
McGraw's removal threatens to undo gains made locally toward racial reconciliation
James F. Lawrence It’s strikingly ironic that amid efforts to finally acknowledge Alachua County’s horrid racial past and move toward meaningful remediation, a major setback to systemic change has suddenly emerged. The removal of Diyonne McGraw from the Alachua County School Board by Gov. Ron DeSantis threatens to undo one of the most significant gains made locally toward racial reconciliation in decades.
GNV4ALL center will serve low-income children, also try to help stabilize their families
James F. Lawrence Gainesville for All supporters started talking about making affordable early learning education available to struggling east-side families at the first meeting of our community-based advocacy organization nearly five years ago. A recommendation for a high-quality early learning school followed in 2017.
Republicans seem to be sending message that they're intervening 'because we can'
James F. Lawrence Looking back at the recently adjourned 2021 Florida Legislature, the insights of Gideon J. Tucker, a New York newspaperman and lawyer during the late 1800s, seem particularly astute.
Republicans seem to be sending message that they're intervening 'because we can'
James F. Lawrence Looking back at the recently adjourned 2021 Florida Legislature, the insights of Gideon J. Tucker, a New York newspaperman and lawyer during the late 1800s, seem particularly astute.
For too long, employers have profited on the backs of the poor
James F. Lawrence Admittedly, I’m no fan of Mitch McConnell, and frankly, it’s unlikely I ever will be. But recently the Senate minority leader flared up my disdain for his politics and policies more than usual by implying that too many working-class Americans, like the thousands who live in the Gainesville area, are a bunch of deadbeats.
GNV4ALL volunteers working to reverse lost gains for African Americans
James F. Lawrence I recently ran across this vintage photo of a one-room schoolhouse in Florida (St. John’s County) for Black children. My mind immediately flashed to my deceased parents who often told stories of walking barefoot to their one-room schoolhouse in the Piney Woods of Jefferson County near Tallahassee.
Justice for all is more than an ideal
James F. Lawrence The long-awaited verdict in the murder trial of Derek Chauvin showed the world that American justice justice for all doesn’t have to be a mere ideal. Still, it can’t be ignored that Chauvin’s murder convictions happened amid a spate of troubling violence that continues to spiral out of control. President Joe Biden correctly called the violence a “national embarrassment” during a recent meeting with Japan’s head of state.
James Lawrence: Echoes of Ocoee massacre in current voting restriction efforts
Growing up in Orlando during the latter part of the Jim Crow era, I always heard bits and pieces of tales about how Black people were hated in the nearby citrus community of Ocoee. Only in recent years did I learn the history behind Ocoee’s reputation among Black folks. On Nov. 2, 1920, as many as 50 Black people were killed by a white mob because Black people dared to show up at the polls to cast their ballots.
Oprah interview exposed a global pandemic of racism
James F. Lawrence After Oprah’s jaw-dropping interview with Harry and Meghan, is there anyone who still seriously believes the pervasiveness of racism and prejudice has been overblown by social-change advocacy groups such as Gainesville for All, Black Lives Matter and their supporters? Sadly, yes.
Pursue reparations along with remedies to inequities
James F. Lawrence One of the most memorable interviews I conducted with my cousin Sarah Glenn before she passed away at age 105 in 2004 was one during which she described how, as a slave, a relative was savagely beaten, hog-tied and his body covered with fire ants on the El Destino Plantation near Tallahassee.
GNV4ALL is organizing a Black fatherhood team
James F. Lawrence There are a multitude of achievements to celebrate during this Black History Month but, sadly, the status of too many black men isn’t among them. Gainesville for All is stepping up to help change that predicament. A barrage of negative statistics dating back to Daniel Patrick Moynihan’s 1960s report, "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action," has created an unseemly image of Black males as men and as fathers.
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