The surge in artificial intelligence is driving a rapid increase in demand for data centers and their significant power needs, creating challenges for businesses in securing adequate power and land. This region is well-positioned to capitalize on this trend due to its abundant energy resources, available sites, and highly skilled workforce. Moore Capito recently joined Allegheny Conference on Community Development Chief Growth Officer Matt Smith in the Pittsburgh Business Times offices for a conversation about the opportunities and challenges for the region, when it comes to data center growth.
View the full article and video.
No other technology trend is evolving faster than artificial intelligence. Its impacts are being felt far and wide. Babst Calland’s Chris Farmakis and Susanna Bagdasarova go on a deep dive to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of AI, including its ability to drive economic growth and create new revenue streams, while also raising concerns about data privacy and intellectual property protection.
The duo emphasized the need for responsible use of AI in legal work, including accuracy, verification, and regulatory oversight, to minimize risks for clients and provide creative solutions. Chris and Susanna also highlighted the importance of understanding AI from multiple perspectives to ensure ethical development and use.
A conversation with James Chen, pioneer in electric transportation and sustainable energy
The transportation industry is in “the midst of a revolution,” changing the paradigm of how we transport people and goods on the nation’s public roads, said James Chen. Chen, who heads the Transportation Technology and Energy practice at Babst Calland, speaks about trends and developments in new transportation and energy technologies.
Click here, to view the full article and video.
As a new space race heats up, we are travelling to a whole new world of legal questions for us on Earth — like ‘who owns space?’
Attorney Justine Kasznica, who is an expert on all things relating to ‘space law’ speaks with Alisdair Bates with ABC Radio Sydney to tell us how law operates on the final frontier.
To listen to the full radio broadcast, click here.
Jim Chen, a shareholder in the Transportation Technology and Energy, Emerging Technologies groups, details some of the latest trends in the transportation and energy industries and overviews what challenges companies are facing in this revolution.
Chen’s clients are entities in the transportation and energy industry focusing on alternative fuel powertrains, energy storage, energy delivery systems and semi-autonomous and autonomous driving technologies. In addition, he has experience in business development matters including leading commercial deals for new sites/facilities.
If you have any questions about developments in new transportation technologies or sustainable energy, please contact Jim Chen at 202.853.3469 or jchen@babstcalland.com.
Read more.
December 31, 2023 is the deadline for submission of the inaugural Section 201 Gag Clause Prohibition Compliance Attestation to the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury.
The federal government passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act in 2020 (CAA) with the goal of improving price and quality transparency in healthcare. Specifically, Section 201 of the CAA prohibits employers/plan sponsors from entering into contractual arrangements that contain “gag clauses.”
To ensure compliance, Section 201 requires that plans submit an annual attestation that the plan did not enter any agreements that contain gag clauses.
Jennifer Malik provides practical insight to ensure that your company is compliant.
If you have any questions about the Section 201 reporting requirements in the CAA, please contact Jenn Malik at 412.394.5490 or jmalik@babstcalland.com.
Read more.
GlobalPittsburgh Director Nadya Kessler and Babst Calland Attorney Susanna Bagdasarova discuss the benefits of ‘citizen diplomacy’ and opportunities for local and international business leaders.
To view the article, click here.
To view the full video and article, click here.
Earlier this year, Pennsylvania’s Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (BPINA), underwent its first major update since it was signed into law in June 2006. The Amended BPINA went into effect on May 2, 2023.
Ember Holmes details how the Amended BPINA affects all Pennsylvania entities that store information belonging to Pennsylvania residents, but has the most significant impact on state agencies and entities that contract with state agencies.
Ember also tells us about what businesses are facing with new requirements in data privacy, what’s in store for 2024 and how to be sure your company is in compliance.
Read more.
In this episode, Pittsburgh Technology Council (PTC) and Kevin Douglass, a shareholder in the Firm’s Emerging Technologies Group, discusses the common conflicts faced by owners of emerging technology companies when developing and refining products and services for the marketplace, while managing investor revenue and profit expectations.
Kevin provides insights into how he counsels and mediates disputes between or among business owners, managers, directors, and officers.
They explore the reasons behind the conflicts, such as differences in company vision and impatient investors, and how they can be resolved more quickly through effective communication and the TALK acronym.
PTC and Kevin also discuss how legal counsel can help by providing objective advice and analysis of the documents and issues involved. Tune in to learn how to navigate conflicts and find creative solutions that meet the objectives of all parties involved in closely-held businesses in the tech industry.
Read more.
For this episode, Pittsburgh Technology Council is talking with Justine Kasznica who is a shareholder and Chair of the firm’s Emerging Technology Practice. Justine is also at the center of the Pittsburgh region’s growing space industry. She is the founding member and Board Chair of the Keystone Space Collaborative as well as a founding board member of the Moonshot Museum. She also serves as outside general counsel to a number of aerospace clients across the U.S.
Hear Justine talk about:
- The current state of the region’s space industry in the public and private sector.
- What makes the tri-state area an attractive place for today’s space industry.
- How involved are local technology companies and the universities in the growing interest in commercial space development.
- With new laws and regulations that are emerging with this dynamic industry, discover how Babst Calland is positioned to support these space and related tech companies.
Read more.
Justine Kasznica, Shareholder and Chair of the Emerging Technology Practice, discusses the growing space economy in the Pittsburgh region.
To view more, click here.
On this episode, Babst Calland Attorneys Nicholas Faas, Ember Holmes and Audra Hutter discuss the different kinds of cybersecurity threats facing companies.
All the key topics include:
- Ransomware – a kind of malware that targets sensitive information, encrypts the information so it cannot be accessed, then demands a ransom in exchange for decryption.
- Hacktivism – computer hacking done to further the goals of political or social activism.
- Malware – a malicious software designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorized access to a system by exploiting its vulnerabilities.
- Phishing Scams – malicious emails or website links to infect a system. Phishing emails often appear to come from a legitimate organization or person, and they contain links or attachments that run malicious codes on the system, infecting it with malware.
In particular they look at how cyber threats are impacting the energy industry as detailed in the Babst Calland Report: https://reports.babstcalland.com/energy2022-2/
Read more.
Featuring Justine M. Kasznica, Esq. Shareholder and Chair of Babst Calland’s Emerging Technologies Group, this episode explores some of the key regulatory hurdles, challenges and opportunities facing Pittsburgh’s growing technology industry.
Justine details some of the fastest moving sectors, including autonomous vehicles, IoT, electrification, energy and data privacy/cybersecurity that are building Babst Calland’s Emerging Technologies Group.
Plus, she also looks at how well-established companies in the region are investing in new technologies to improve their operations and competitiveness.
Read more.
Babst Calland Shareholder Justine Kasznica on guiding our region’s tech evolution and growth amid legal and regulatory challenges.
Read more.
In this episode of the Babst Calland Emerging Tech Law Podcast Series, Justine M. Kasznica, Esq., Shareholder and Chair, Emerging Technologies Group, details the inaugural 2022 Keystone Space Collaborative Conference that kicks off April 20 at the Carnegie Science Center.
Get full conference details at:
https://www.keystonespace.org/collaborative-inaugural-conference.