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YOU’RE PASSIONATE ABOUT YOUR IDEAS. SO ARE WE
CROWLEYLAWLLC.COM
APRIL 2026
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Thoughts on the Communication Revolution From Riders to Routers
Philip Crowley’s debut book, “ AVOID STARTUP FAILURE!: Learn the Top Ten Causes of Failure for Technology Startups and How to Turn Them to Your Advantage ,” reveals the insider secrets and strategic tools that help many startups avoid common missteps and promote long-term success. Scan the QR code to order your copy on Amazon today!
How many times have you written or responded to an email or text today? When was the last time you sent a paper fax? As a legal professional representing the technology and life sciences industries, I have the privilege of encountering extraordinary innovations every day. As remarkable as many of them are, some of the most fascinating advancements are those we’ve been using for years without much thought. Just imagine how much ingenuity it took to create videoconferencing capabilities or even the ability to email someone on the other side of the world. It’s possible to conduct business these days without fully appreciating how the entrepreneurial spirit transforms the humble beginnings of an idea into a global phenomenon.
these days, but there was a time when messages traveled only as quickly as a horse’s hooves could move. This month is the 166th anniversary of the Pony Express, which began in 1860. Despite its storied history (made all the more colorful through the notoriety of its most famous participant, William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody), the Pony Express lasted only 18 months before being superseded by the completion of the transcontinental telegraph. Another significant April event occurred in 1874, with the birth of Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio. Fast-forward to April 2026, and we conduct the majority of our personal and professional communication via cellphones, email, text and video chat. There’s also social media, which reached a considerable milestone last month with the 20th anniversary of the first “tweet” on Twitter (now X). To say our methods of communicating have evolved exponentially since the days of the Pony Express would be an understatement. The question is, what does it all mean, and how does it affect people’s lives? Well, based on current trends in the life sciences and technology spaces, it certainly means the ongoing ascent of artificial intelligence (“AI”). As anyone who reads this newsletter or follows my “From Lab to
Case in point: Most of our communication is done with the click of a computer key
Patient, Garage to Market” podcast knows, I’m fascinated by AI technologies and enjoy learning as much as I can from innovators on the front lines of its development. That said, I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge some of the ethical complexities surrounding AI. For one thing, the continued use and refinement of AI Continued on Page 3 ...
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A Garden State Graduate’s Golden Opportunity From Faith to Future
Hope Through Education Chairman Terry Conley is one of many organization members thrilled by Christopher’s professional ascent. “Every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. As we look to the future, I invite you to join us in opening doors, changing lives and building brighter futures, one student at a time. I congratulate Christopher on his achievements and wish him much success in his future pursuits.” Christopher’s middle brother, Christian, is also a Hope Through Education scholarship recipient and will be graduating from Seton Hall University with a degree in finance later this year. The youngest of the three siblings, Alexis, is currently an eighth grader at St. Bartholomew’s School in East Brunswick and plans to pursue a career that utilizes his interest in either mathematics or history. Christopher’s mother, Jasmin Torres, is as appreciative of the support he has received as she is proud of everything he has accomplished because of it. “If it wasn’t for Hope Through Education, I don’t know whether my kids would be where they’re at right now!”
The future depends on schooling, and the New Jersey-based charity Hope Through Education is building it one deserving student at a time. Founded in 2018, Hope Through Education is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to providing financial support to underprivileged students in the central part of the state. In 2025 alone, the group distributed more than $1 million in partial scholarships to over 600 students to help them attend quality, values- based institutions.
his alma mater, Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.
In June 2023, during his junior year at Stevens, Christopher participated in a three- month internship at S&P Global in New York City. In July 2024, he joined the company as a full-time software engineer after graduating from the institute with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science. Before long, Christopher was working side by side with team members at least 15 years his senior. With his second anniversary at S&P Global
Now 23, New Brunswick resident Christopher Rodriguez was introduced to Hope Through Education in 2019 during his senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Edison. The organization provided him with resources to help him pursue a college education in computer science.
fast approaching, he remains committed to learning all he can while contributing to the company’s ongoing success. “The opportunity I’ve been given to work and contribute independently has been the most rewarding thing about being at
Along the way, he crossed paths with Hope Through Education co-founder Philip Crowley (Crowley Law LLC). Impressed with Christopher’s potential, Crowley suggested that he consider attending
S&P Global,” he says. “Some corporate jobs are based mostly on building a quota and following certain criteria, but this position affords me the opportunity to solve problems in my own creative ways.”
For more information on Hope Through Education, please visit HopeThroughEducationUSA.org .
“We are the founders of P5 Designers, a full-service design and development firm located in Milford, New Jersey. Founded in 1996, the company prides itself on being a one-stop shop for clients, offering tailored design, management and production services for products primarily related to the delivery of pharmaceuticals. “Along the way, we built a separate startup, P5 AMVC Systems Inc., to support a blood collection device we had developed. Because this new venture was not in our typical realm, we soon realized we needed assistance in keeping this new facet of our work logistically, financially and legally sound. “In May of last year, we met Phil Crowley at a BioNJ meeting we attended to present to potential investors. He approached us and said, ‘I want you to take a look at my 10 steps for why companies don’t succeed.’ Since that first encounter, Phil has been a marvelous guardian and protector for us. Instead of having a cold relationship with a lawyer, we have a warm relationship with a true gentleman who always makes us feel comfortable. “These are exciting times for P5 AMVC Systems Inc. We’ve spoken with some of the industry’s most renowned pathologists at the University of Pennsylvania and Washington University. Given the outstanding test results we’ve received from our initial models, these pathologists intend to run clinical trials for us and publish the results. Phil’s expertise and support have been critical to our progress. “If a dictionary ever required a picture next to ‘business lawyer,’ an image of Phil should be there. He is worth his weight in gold.” –Paul and Sue Carse P5 AMVC Systems Inc. Steady Support for Scientific Success
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From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market WILL MACHINES MOLD FUTURE MARKETS?
could have a detrimental impact on the careers of knowledge workers, including lawyers. I can’t help but think of the young professionals who are currently working hard to learn a craft that will eventually (perhaps even soon) be performed solely through AI. The art of learning will be affected as well, as there will be less demand for young people to learn skills that have traditionally helped them solve problems and perform tasks independently. Of course, there’s also a positive side to consider. Adapting to change is a cornerstone of any successful entrepreneurial endeavor. Think of the buggy whip workers who had to pivot into careers in the automotive industry. AI will present new opportunities for anyone willing to learn and adapt to changing circumstances. The technological advances we’re seeing today may be overwhelming or even threatening in some cases, but the spirit of ingenuity needed to succeed amid them is as old as entrepreneurship itself. I have no doubt that technology and life sciences startups will succeed in this changing landscape, and I’m sure the most intrepid young professionals among us will embrace the new skill sets demanded of them. Naturally, the practice of law will move on accordingly to provide innovators the support and guidance they need. Just as the riders on the Pony Express couldn’t have imagined a letter being sent from New Jersey to California with a single keystroke, the communication methods that will exist centuries from now are beyond our comprehension. But for now, perhaps the greatest way to communicate is among the oldest. No matter how impressive technology becomes in our lifetimes, nothing beats communicating one-on-one to establish meaning and trust with another human being. These days, it seems to me that people distrust our institutions but yearn to trust someone . In an age when so much falsehood and hype pervades the internet and elsewhere, success in business and life awaits anyone who can look someone in the eye, communicate effectively and present themselves as someone to trust and believe in. ... continued from Cover
Scan to Watch!
There have been endless discussions about how artificial intelligence (“AI”) is impacting human productivity and communication, but what about its role in revolutionizing robotics ? This and a host of other intriguing questions are explored at length in Episode 14 of Philip Crowley’s “From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market” podcast. Professor Brendan Englot, a faculty member at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken and the director of the Stevens Institute of Artificial Intelligence, joins Philip to unpack how AI is reshaping everything from academia to the global workforce. A mechanical engineer with a lifelong interest in robotics, Professor Englot joined the Stevens Institute of Artificial Intelligence (an entity founded in 2018 as a self-described “interdisciplinary, tech-driven collaboration of engineering, business, systems and design experts” ) as its director in 2023. Since that time, the group has grown from approximately 50 faculty members to over 100, representing nearly one-third of Stevens’ total educator base. The institute’s ongoing work has revealed an increasingly strong likelihood that AI- driven robots will eventually replace humans in certain occupations. “In robotics, we have a set of tasks we call dull, dirty and dangerous … the ‘Three Ds,’” Professor Englot explains. “Those are the ones that we’re really focused on [in] trying to eliminate the need for humans to expose themselves to risk and danger through those kinds of tasks, [such as] diving to the extreme depths of the ocean to operate an oil drilling site, working in certain types of construction that are highly dangerous, going to outer space or working in different kinds of piloting applications.”
Although current AI technologies have shown great potential, Professor Englot noted that limitations still exist.
“[AI] is becoming increasingly capable, but what it cannot do is generate new knowledge [...] I don’t think there’s an AI yet that knows how to advance the frontier of knowledge.” Hosted by Crowley Law LLC Founder and Managing Partner Philip Crowley, the “From Lab to Patient, Garage to Market” podcast is available on YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all major podcast channels.
The advancements civilization has made are worthy of celebration this month (and always), but we should
never forget the humanity and interpersonal connections that have driven those innovations and will shape the technological marvels to come. –Philip Crowley
SCAN TO VIEW THE “FROM LAB TO PATIENT, GARAGE TO MARKET” EPISODE ARCHIVE!
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In This Issue
1. The Tech Shift in How We Talk
2. A Standout Student’s Swift Success
Client Testimonial
3. Podcast Preview
4. The Hidden Costs of Copying the Competition
The Case Against Copycats The Strongest Brands Are Built, Not Borrowed
Developing a hot new product or service in today’s marketplace is a daunting challenge. Some impressive business successes have come from scientific or technological breakthroughs, such as weight-loss drugs and artificial intelligence apps. Others are extensions of existing technology. Either way, innovation requires significant behind-the-scenes effort and risk-taking, and in almost every case, it spawns an army of imitators. Many businesses are tempted to take the easier path and imitate their most successful competitors rather than striving to innovate. Consider the stampede of restaurant operators into fast-food chicken chains. Amid our national love affair with high- protein meats, new chicken restaurants are popping up on every street corner. In a competitive frenzy of that magnitude, new
entrants’ unique brand stories risk being lost in an oversaturated market.
Copycat strategies also tend to lure businesses into a price war. Grocery chains have squeezed their profit margins mercilessly by mounting head-to-head promotions. In contrast, those that offer consumers something genuinely new, such as H-E-B or Aldi, have maintained more control over pricing and profit. A copycat business strategy also erodes a business’s culture and morale. Product development and marketing teams that spend most of their time working on knockoffs begin to see themselves as inferior. The ultimate result of copycat marketing is mediocrity.
and identity gives customers a reason to choose it over others.
To break the copycat cycle, look beyond competitors for ideas. Invest in innovation by drawing on workshops and design-thinking strategies to empower your teams. Also, find a way to reward the development and testing of new products and ideas. And treat failure as an inevitable byproduct of innovation. By consistently investing in innovation, companies can build brand identities that attract top talent and inspire customer loyalty. Over time, they can also reap bigger profit margins, lasting growth and the rewards of being the direction-setter others want to follow.
In contrast, departing from the herd to launch a new brand with a distinct purpose
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