Tech Law Talks

How private equity firms can maximize the value of their portfolio companies by managing technology and data risks

Technology and data risks at portfolio companies directly impact the value of these companies as these risks are becoming a major focus of due diligence when the companies are sold, often leading to a reduction in purchase price, indemnifications, or, in some instances, killing the deal. Whether you’re faced with a data breach that damages brand reputation or discloses highly valuable, confidential information or with privacy policies that do not allow for the sale of customer information, the importance of portfolio companies proactively managing these risks is paramount and can be done without significant investment.
Gary Barnabo, Anthony Diana, Catherine Castaldo and Sheek Shah discuss these issues at a high level, introducing the concept and offering some steps that private equity companies can take to manage the risks, with future podcasts providing more specific guidance.

Why every organization should roll out an AI employment policy

AI is all the rage, and employees may be using AI without their employers understanding, or putting in place a policy to lessen, the risks of using this new technology.  Find out about the risks and legal issues to consider and why it’s important to have a policy in place that governs the use of AI by employees. 

Three times a charm or three strikes, you’re out? Data transfers and the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework

Reed Smith Partners Cynthia O’Donoghue and Andreas Splittgerber delve into the recent developments surrounding the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and discuss other data transfer mechanisms.

eComms for financial services: What regulators get wrong (and right) about eComms

In the latest eComms episode with Smarsh regarding managing the risks associated with electronic communications (eComms) for financial services firms, Anthony Diana and Therese Craparo are joined by Tiffany Magri from Smarsh. Together, they discuss the messaging from regulators regarding compliance with the eComms regulations, considering the recent guidance, fines and public statements on eComms compliance. The discussion will cover the challenges the financial industry faces in attempting to interpret and comply with regulators’ expectations from both a practical and technological perspective. 

eComms compliance for financial institutions: Responses to regulatory investigations

A regulator has just sent you an inquiry or a subpoena regarding unauthorized use by one of your employees of text messaging or a third-party electronic communications application.  What steps should you take to ensure you can respond effectively to the inquiry? This episode of our eComms series with Smarsh sees Anthony Diana, Kiran Somashekara, and John Lukanski accompany Tiffany Magri from Smarsh to answer this question and more. They discuss what the regulators’ expectations are for the inquiry or subpoena and the necessary actions all firms should be taking to minimize their risk.

ChatGPT: What are the legal challenges in Europe?

Partners Andy Splittgerber, Michaela Westrup, and Alexander Klett discuss the legal risks and challenges associated with the use and operation of ChatGPT in Europe, and Germany in particular. They cover potential issues in the areas of data protection, copyright, anti-trust, and competition.

Data transfers in the EU, UK, and China

Join Reed Smith Tech & Data partners Cynthia O’Donoghue, Andreas Splittgerber, and Barbara Li as they discuss the legal updates and changes relating to cross-border transfers of personal data from an EU, UK, and Chinese perspective. In this episode, participants dive into the latest developments and legal issues and explain best practices that organizations must consider when transferring personal data to or from these regions.

The disinformation “cold war”: Can brands and corporations win?

As online disinformation becomes more prevalent, partner Anthony Diana and founder/CEO of AREDA Ventures Scott Mortman discuss the rise of disinformation, explain how fake users are now able to spread disinformation more efficiently, and explore the risks that disinformation poses to companies and their brands. They also discuss emerging trends in disinformation, including the rise of deep fake technology and its future impact on global business.

Patents in the world of the metaverse

As the metaverse continues to evolve, partner Christine Morgan and associate Hallie Wimberly explore the origins of the metaverse, discuss early examples of virtual reality innovations and metaverse environments, and outline the differences between current centralized and decentralized metaverse platforms. They also discuss examples of recent metaverse patents issued by the USPTO and the opportunities and risks associated with enforcing such patents.

eComms compliance for financial institutions: Bad actors

Bad actors are constantly looking for ways to infiltrate financial institutions for personal gain. Whether it be customers, employees, or third parties, every institution needs to be aware of the potential risks associated with bad actors and how to appropriately identify and investigate these risks. This episode of our eComms series with Smarsh sees Kiran Somashekara, John Lukanski, and Kile Marks join Tiffany Magri from Smarsh, and together, they dive in and discuss who exactly can be a bad actor, what tools to use and red flags to look for to find bad actors, and the obligation to investigate potential bad actors as they appear.

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court: What you need to know (part 3)

In this third and last episode of the podcast series, Reed Smith Paris partners Marianne Schaffner and Thierry Lautier focus on what companies should do with regard to the European patents of their competitors, and they reveal strategic tips to help mitigate the risks of injunction and damages in the “UPC zone”.

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court: What you need to know (part 2)

With the UPC expected to enter into force on April 1, 2023, Reed Smith Paris partners Marianne Schaffner and Thierry Lautier focus this podcast on companies who have European patents and reveal strategies to adopt when enforcing European patents before the UPC or the national courts.

The Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court: What you need to know (part 1)

The long-awaited Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the European Patent with Unitary Effect (UP) should significantly change the European patent landscape. Reed Smith Paris partners Marianne Schaffner and Thierry Lautier provide an overview and the main changes induced by the UPC and the UP.

eComms compliance for financial institutions: Collaborative tools

In the latest episode of our eComms series with Smarsh, partners Anthony Diana and Therese Craparo are joined by Blane Warrene of Smarsh to address the use of collaborative tools by financial institutions. The discussion focuses on different approaches institutions take when using collaborative tools, the questions every firm should ask prior to adopting such tools, and whether and how regulations govern their use.

eComms compliance for financial institutions: Supervision requirements & challenges

Our eComms series with Smarsh continues as Greg Breeze joins attorneys Anthony Diana, John Lukanski, and Kiran Somashekara to discuss supervision for eComms. They address what must be supervised and surveilled, as well as trends and challenges in the industry.

eComms compliance for financial institutions: Recordkeeping and storage requirements

Regulations impose on financial institutions a strenuous set of capture and storage requirements for electronic communications. Several of these regulations are over half a century old and do not contemplate the ever-accelerating shift to new and innovative forms of eComms. The solution: focusing on content, maintaining current controls, and developing and properly enforcing policies. 
In our latest podcast, Anthony Diana, John Lukanski, and Kiran Somashekara join Robert Cruz from Smarsh to discuss electronic communications capture and storage requirements and how they impact financial institutions.

What in the world is happening to data protection in China?

Major developments are taking place in the regulation of data in China. Kicking off a quick overview of the developments, Amy Yin joins Bryan Tan to cover the ground on the new data protection and data security laws.

M365 accessibility: Vision-specific tools

Join Angie Matney and Anthony Diana from Reed Smith, James Hart from Lighthouse, and Emily Dimond from PNC as they discuss M365’s vision-specific accessibility tools. They explore the types of tools offered, the technical and legal implications of their use, and a framework that businesses can employ to address the various associated risks and considerations.

Update on data transfers

Cynthia O’Donoghue and Aselle Ibraimova from Reed Smith’s London Office discuss changes in the EU/UK to the standard contractual clauses for data transfers between EU/UK and non-EU/non-UK countries. The two explore the new interpretations of the rules on data transfers by the EU Data Protection authorities, the impact on day-to-day compliance, the introduction of data transfer tools by other countries around the world, and the adjustments that businesses need to make as a result of these changes.

eComms compliance for financial institutions: What are eComms?

Financial regulators are increasingly concerned with the enforcement of electronic communication requirements, making compliance a top priority for financial institutions. However, compliance has become greatly complicated by the many changing and emerging technologies as well as an amorphous definition of what an eComm actually is.
Anthony Diana and Therese Craparo join Robert Cruz from Smarsh to discuss what electronic communications are and how they impact financial institutions.