In her recent article Governor’s Proposed PACER and PRESS Legislation Seek to Lower GHG Emissions with Kevin Garber, Jessica Deyoe discusses the announcement by Governor Shapiro’s office of the Pennsylvania Climate Emissions Reduction Initiative (PACER) and the Pennsylvania Reliable Energy Sustainability Standard (PRESS) legislative proposals. Together, these two initiatives seek to lower greenhouse gas emissions and promote the use of alternative energy for the electric energy grid in Pennsylvania. To read the full article, click here.
Attorney Susanna Bagdasarova will present “Digital Law: Navigating AI in Legal Practice” at the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s (ACC) Spring Training on Friday, April 26, 2024. The last year has been characterized by a rapid increase in the interest and awareness of artificial intelligence (AI). This session will provide an overview of the rapidly evolving landscape of AI and its implications for legal professionals. It will cover the fundamentals of artificial intelligence, recent regulatory developments, available legal AI tools, and key considerations for in-house counsel. Join the ACC as they gain insights into developing internal AI use policies and practices, navigating AI use by outside counsel, and understanding and addressing key risks associated with AI implementation by employees and third party vendors, including intellectual property, privacy, and cybersecurity. For more information, click here.
In their recent article Public Posting 2.0: High Court Creates Test for When Social Media Posts Are State Action with Harley Stone, Anna Jewart and Alex Farone explain the issue that the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on: When does a public official’s social media activity on a personal account constitute state action, subjecting the public official to liability? They also discuss how municipalities should take this opportunity to revisit their internal policies concerning social media. To read the full article, click here.
In their recent alert U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Finalizes National Primary Drinking Water Regulations for Certain PFAS Chemicals Jean Mosites and Mackenzie Moyer discuss the finalized National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) Rule and how it is regulating six PFAS substances under the Safe Drinking Water Act by the U.S. EPA. This final rule establishes the first-ever nationally enforceable drinking water standards for PFAS. To read the full alert, click here.
In her recent alert New to Whom? The Fifth Circuit strikes down EPA’s attempt to regulate ongoing uses of PFAS under TSCA’s “significant new use” provision with Joseph Schaeffer, Sloan Wildman discusses an important opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that provides industry with much-needed clarity and predictability of the regulation of PFAS under a new use provision of TSCA. To view the full alert, click here.
Attorney Mackenzie Moyer will serve as panelist for “PFAS Forever Chemicals and Brownfields – What you need to know” during the Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s PA Brownfields Conference on Wednesday, March 25, 2024. Forever chemicals, also known as PFAS, are everywhere. It’s a local issue and a global issue. As the EPA puts forward new regulations, Brownfields are facing new challenges for due diligence and public engagement. This panel will share current PFAS information and how properties in our region are impacted. They will also discuss appropriate steps to take in due diligence, testing, risk assessment, communication of the risks, and the obligation of owners, property developers, and consultants. For more information, click here.
Kristen L. Petrina recently joined Babst Calland as an associate in the Corporate and Commercial and Emerging Technologies groups. Ms. Petrina represents domestic and international clients on a broad range of general corporate and commercial law matters, including recapitalizations, restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending, commercial contracts, entity formation, corporate governance, and corporate exit and succession planning.
Prior to joining Babst Calland, Ms. Petrina was an associate of Dentons Cohen & Grigsby. She is a 2022 graduate of Thomas R. Kline School of Law of Duquesne University.
In her recent alert D.C. Circuit Delivers EPA a Loss on Startup, Shutdown, and Malfunction Waivers under the Clean Air Act with Joseph Schaeffer, Gina Falaschi Buchman discusses the long-awaited decision in Environmental Committee of the Florida Electric Power Coordinating Group, Inc. v. EPA, in which it vacated the majority of an EPA final agency action commonly referred to as the 2015 SSM SIP Call in the D.C. Circuit. To view the full alert, click here.
In their recent article Developments in Data Privacy, Justine Kasznica and Ember Holmes discuss developments to the Pennsylvania’s Breach of Personal Information Notification Act (BPINA) and next steps. To view the full article, click here.
Attorney Christina Puhnaty will serve as a panelist for the Energy & Mineral Law Foundation’s (EMLF) Careers in Energy Program on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Each year EMLF brings a panel of energy law practitioners to its member law schools to provide an opportunity for students to hear from those in the energy field and make connections with potential future employers. EMLF Staff is also in attendance to discuss EMLF’s academic scholarship opportunities and the Schetroma Travel Grant which provides travel to the EMLF Annual Institute. Panelists will discuss their educational and career paths and what the day-to-day duties are in their current role, as well as take questions from those students in attendance. For more information, click here.
The Babst Calland Women’s Initiative celebrates the collective efforts made this year to connect women attorneys and to promote inclusivity. Some of our 2024 projects include CLE programs, lunch and learn meetings, informal networking events, community service events, mentoring circles, annual client event, and attorney spotlight articles. If you are interested in coordinating with Babst Calland’s Women’s Initiative, please contact Carla Castello, Chair, at ccastello@babstcalland.com.
Today marks International Women’s Day (IWD), a global day to celebrate the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This year’s theme for IWD is #InspireInclusion. When we inspire others to value women’s inclusion, we create a better world, and when women are inspired to be included, there’s a sense of belonging, relevance, and empowerment. At Babst Calland, we are proud of our incredible group of women attorneys and professionals who bring their unique perspectives and skills to the Firm. We celebrate you, and to all women everywhere, we see you, we support you, and we stand with you.
For more information on IWD, click here.
On March 8, in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Babst Calland’s Women’s Initiative is partnering with TEDxPittsburgh and Radiant Hall in an event featuring the film screening of the documentary Street Heroines. A moderated panel discussion with local artists will follow with former TEDxPittsburgh speaker and Radiant Hall alum Njaimeh Njie, IIE-Artist Protection Fund Fellow in residence at the Global Studies Center at the University of Pittsburgh Haifa Subay, and Pittsburgh Public Art Commission Member Anneliese Martinez. Street Heroines is an award-winning feature-length documentary celebrating the courage and creativity of women who despite their lack of recognition in a male-dominated subculture have been an integral part of the graffiti and street art movement since the beginning.
Join us on March 8, doors open at 6:00 PM at Alloy 26, 100 S. Commons #102, Pittsburgh, PA. For details and tickets, visit event page here.
Attorney Susanna Bagdasarova will present “Understanding the Basics of Artificial Intelligence” at the 2024 Appalachian Land Institute on Thursday, April 4, 2024. For more information, click here.
Attorneys Gina Buchman, Betsy Dupuis and Jean Mosites will present the following topics at PBI’s 2024 Environmental Law Forum, April 10-11, 2024:
Gina Falaschi Buchman (“Basics of Federal and Pennsylvania Air Pollution Regulation”);
Betsy Dupuis (“Land Use/Zoning Law Update”); and
Jean Mosites (“Climate Change Litigation: Past, Present and Future”).
For more information, click here.
Gina Buchman
Betsy Dupuis
Jean Mosites