Carpenter Law Group

03/17/2026

The struggle is real. AI is a useful tool when it comes to things like crafting an email with the right tone, but it is not good at lots of other things, including performing valuations of real estate (as this reel proves) or crafting legal language (as we see in our inbox pretty much every day). Try not to use AI to get substantive answers to complex problems. It might sound good, at first blush, but it's giving you answers pulled from a data set somewhere, and you've got no idea what it's looking at.

03/10/2026

Why U.S. travel agencies should think twice before taking on non‑U.S. clients.

Our firm is part of a network of international travel lawyers, and a really interesting debate is unfolding among the European travel lawyers right now over whether travelers can cancel a trip and get a full refund from their travel agency when flights that a client booked on their own are disrupted by the Middle East crisis.

The catch? Under EU rules, even if the flight wasn’t part of the package, the travel agency or tour operator might still be on the hook. Lawyers there are still arguing about how far that responsibility goes!

For U.S. agencies, this is exactly why it’s risky to book for non‑U.S. residents. If you fall under EU travel rules, you could be legally responsible for refunds even when you're just the booking agent, and even when the part of the trip that cancelled was something your client booked themselves!

Another reminder that sometimes it’s best to stay in your lane — and be grateful we don’t have to navigate the Package Travel Directive here in the U.S.

03/06/2026

This is the recording of the webinar, for those who missed it.

03/05/2026

War involving Iran. Military action in Venezuela. Violence disrupting travel in Puerto Vallarta. When global events dominate the headlines, travel advisors are often the first people clients turn to with questions about safety and risk.

In this webinar, we’ll talk about how advisors can navigate those conversations responsibly while also protecting their business. We’ll cover practical guidance on communicating with clients about safety concerns, provisions in your terms and policies that can help manage risk, and best practices for offering and documenting travel insurance.

Because in today’s environment, it’s not just about responding to the headlines. It’s about making sure your agency is prepared before the next one hits.

Date: Friday March 6, 2026. 2 p.m. Eastern/11 a.m. Pacific
No registration required. Visit this page or the Carpenter Law Group You Tube Channel.

(And yes, it will be recorded and posted to those pages.)

03/04/2026

We're always thrilled when we see a client's smiling face in the travel industry news. And this profile of Danielle made us especially happy! Danielle's not only a client, she's a dear friend of the firm. Congrats, Danielle!

Danielle Dybiec channeled her dual passions for performing arts and travel into a thriving agency.

03/03/2026

•••HACKING ALERT•••

Our firm has gotten these from a couple of agencies already.

It seems that travel agencies are falling prey to email hackers who are sending out phishing scams -- definitely to their lawyers 🥲, but possibly also to your clients and vendors. I'm posting a screenshot of what the attachment looks like.

Check to make sure you haven't been hacked, update your anti-virus and anti-phishing software, install multi-factor authentication, and reach out to your clients immediately, if you think you might have a problem.

03/02/2026

With ongoing conflict in the Middle East leading to airspace closures and widespread flight cancellations, some travelers may currently be stranded or unable to return home as planned.

Travel advisors should communicate proactively and carefully. Reach out directly to airline partners, hotel and ground suppliers, and tour operators to confirm what services are operating and what flexibility may be available. Advisors should also engage travel insurance carriers and assistance providers early to understand what coverage applies for trip interruption, delays, evacuation support, or emergency services.

Advisors should avoid speculating about safety conditions or offering opinions about whether it is safe to travel. Instead, rely on and reference official government advisories, airline guidance, and supplier communications.

It is also appropriate to reinforce to clients that, as a booking agent, your role is limited to arranging travel and relaying information from suppliers and insurers. Advisors can and should be helpful advocates for their clients, but should avoid taking responsibility for operational decisions or outcomes that are outside their control. Where appropriate, refer back to the scope of services and limitations outlined in your Terms and Conditions to help set clear and realistic expectations during a rapidly evolving situation.

Hundreds of thousands of passengers remain stranded, with key air hubs in Middle East closed amid fallout from US-Israeli strikes on Iran

02/27/2026

Non-compete vs. non-solicitation. Not the same thing.

A non-compete clause tries to stop someone from working in the same industry after a relationship ends. For independent contractors, those clauses are often unenforceable or heavily restricted, especially when they limit someone’s ability to earn a living. In some states, they're even unenforceable against employees.

A non-solicitation clause is different. It doesn’t stop someone from working. It simply says they can’t actively poach an agency’s clients, advisors, or referral relationships after they leave. Courts are far more likely to enforce these provisions because they protect legitimate business interests without banning competition altogether.

Bottom line: agencies usually can’t lock ICs out of the industry, but they can protect their client lists and relationships with well-drafted non-solicitation language.

02/23/2026

With the recent disruptions in Puerto Vallarta, many travel advisors are being asked a familiar question: “Is it safe to travel to Mexico right now?”

From a legal risk perspective, this is not a question advisors should be answering directly. Several years ago, a Texas-based travel agency was drawn into a lawsuit after posting publicly about how safe it was to travel to Mexico. A tragic incident later occurred during a client’s trip, and the agency was named in litigation along with numerous other parties connected to the booking.

Although the agency was ultimately dismissed from the case, its prior public statements about destination safety made the process of getting out of the lawsuit far more complicated, time-consuming, and expensive than it otherwise might have been.

The takeaway for advisors is simple. You are not a security expert, a government authority, or a guarantor of traveler conduct or outcomes. Stick to objective facts, refer clients to official government advisories and supplier communications, and avoid characterizing destinations as “safe” or “unsafe.” What you say in marketing and social media can resurface years later in ways you never expected.

Airlines have temporarily suspended flights to Puerto Vallarta due to a security situation following the death of drug lord 'El Mencho.'

02/19/2026

UPDATE: Though the initial email we saw came from Virtuoso, ASTA, Travel Leaders and Signature are all making advisories to their networks about these scams, and they also include text message outreach in some cases. Check your emails for updates from your networks.

🚨 Security Alert for Virtuoso Advisors 🚨

Virtuoso advisors, please check your email for an important message from the Virtuoso Cyber Security Team regarding a new phishing scam targeting the Virtuoso network.

Scammers are impersonating prospective clients, claiming to have found your details on Virtuoso.com, and then pushing their own “Zoom” or meeting links that may contain malware. Please remember: you should always provide the meeting link and never allow remote control of your computer to an unknown or unapproved party.

Our firm has also heard reports of similar scams targeting ASTA members.

Read the full details and safety tips in your inbox now so you know exactly what to watch for and how to protect yourself and your clients.

02/19/2026

Ever wondered why lawyers sometimes get a bad rap? This might be part of the reason.

A recent lawsuit tried to hold a restaurant liable for selling “boneless wings” — on the theory that they’re really just chicken nuggets in wing’s clothing. The judge didn’t just dismiss the case; he noted that it had “no meat on its bones.”

And this is exactly the kind of claim that gives the legal system indigestion.

At Carpenter Law Group, we spend a lot of time explaining that not every disappointment is a lawsuit, and not every semantic squabble belongs in court. Some claims are all sizzle and no substance — and they tend to get drumsticked right out the door.

Friendly reminder:
• Not every squawk deserves a summons
• Courts are for real disputes, not menu metaphysics
• And “boneless” shouldn’t apply to legal theories

We’re serious about protecting clients from real risk — and just as serious about calling out claims that are half-baked. If you want to talk turkey about what actually belongs in court, we’re always happy to weigh in.

A Chicago man filed a lawsuit in 2023 against Buffalo Wild Wings, arguing that it had engaged in false advertising of its boneless wings. A judge said the claim “has no meat on its bones.”

02/12/2026

If you’re a client of Carpenter Law Group PC and you use Tern in your tech stack, we’ve made your life a little easier. You can now find our New Client Agreement template directly in the Tern Community Library under Forms. It’s the same version we include in our flat-fee Terms & Conditions package—so instead of building it from scratch, you can pull it down, tailor it to your agency, link it to your T&Cs, and start using it right away. One less document to reinvent.

You can either search for Carpenter Law Group in the Tern Community Library, or go to this link: https://app.tern.travel/forms/U_6HHKnEPIj7WeQwDM8_4g