In this week’s edition of ‘Law360 Legal Lions’, Susman Godfrey LLP and Truelove Law Firm lead the charge. The leading news is of a Texas state jury awarding $287 million to Koninklijke KPN. The Dutch telecommunications company was embroiled in a contract dispute with Samsung Electronics Co. The jury’s decision leans in favor of Koninklijke…
On Thursday, Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court issued a warning stating that candidates of the 2024 municipal elections might face disqualification or have their mandates rescinded if they use artificial intelligence to attack opponents. Alexandre de Moraes, the President of the Superior Electoral Court, emphasized that the 12 resolutions governing the elections will enable the court…
Law firms Herbert Smith Freehills, and Addleshaw Goddard have provided advisory services for a significant transaction in the UK property market. The iconic BT Tower in London, which made its debut in 1965 under the watchful eye of then prime minister Harold Wilson, is heading for a transformation. According to Law.com, the renowned historical site…
The Biden administration has recently announced that it is seeking comments regarding the risks and benefits associated with artificial intelligence models that possess widely available model weights. These model weights, key components of AI systems, could produce consequential outcomes impacting national security. Bloomberg Law reports this administration’s solicitation for public opinion as part of a…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on Tuesday a reboot of its consumer advisory panel, placing a significant focus on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the telecommunications industry as reported by Law360. This development comes as AI continues to evolve rapidly, increasingly finding application in numerous sectors, including telecommunications. The move underscores the…
Paul Hastings, an international law firm with 22 offices worldwide, announced on Monday, February 12, 2024, that David Elder, Christopher Centrich, and Patrick Hurley have joined the firm as partners in its Houston office. Previously employed at Akin Gump, the trio brings significant expertise in capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, and securities law….
Leading law firm Fox Rothschild recently announced the appointment of Duccio Mortillaro as the head of their Italy practice group. Mortillaro has a robust background in corporate law, specializing in international business relations and project finance. He previously served as a partner at Raines Feldman Littrell, supporting multinational corporations and non-U.S. business entities in their…
Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD) and Micron Technology Inc. announced on Monday that they have appointed Ava Hahn and Michael Ray, respectively, as their top legal executives. Ava Hahn is taking over the role at AMD, replacing the outgoing legal chief, Harry Wolin, who is retiring. She recently worked as the top legal officer for…
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas found himself haunted by a major 2005 telecommunications ruling recently. Both he and his Supreme Court colleagues were contemplating if they should overturn a long-standing principle that commands judges to respect interpretations of ambiguous statutes provided by federal agencies. This legal precedent has influenced the decisions within the American…
On Wednesday, advocates sharply criticised a 2005 Supreme Court ruling authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, arguing it shows how the court’s case law has deviated from its intended course. Thomas was present during these arguments, putting him in the unenviable position of witnessing the dissection of his own ruling. The ruling in question relates to…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been accused of exceeding its regulatory authority by various industry groups, including The National Cable & Telecommunications Association, after proposing changes to the “negative option rule”. This rule governs whether a consumer has accepted a company’s offer of products or services. An informal hearing was held where these groups…
The Lok Sabha privilege committee, responsible for investigating breaches of privilege in the lower house of India’s Parliament, adopted on Friday a resolution to lift the suspension imposed on three opposition members during the ongoing winter session, according to reports from local news sources. The suspension was originally enforced on the members over charges of…
The Winter Session of the Indian Parliament that concluded on December 22nd was one among the most turbulent and high-stakes sessions in recent Indian history. The events saw the passage of 18 laws, a controversial mass suspension of 146 Opposition Members of Parliament (MPs)—a move hitherto unheard of—and another Opposition MP’s rare expulsion. The mass…
Salespeople who were involved in the $1 billion TelexFree multi-level marketing scheme for internet call technology were not successful in their bid to engage Bank of America NA in their extensive lawsuit against banks and other organizations and individuals. As reported by Bloomberg Law, the court presiding over the cases has allocated counsel costs and…
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, gave her assent to the much-discussed Telecommunications Bill, 2023, which aspires to reform the telecommunications sector in India. This approval came in the wake of the bill’s passing by both houses of the Indian parliament – the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. On December 20th, amidst a suspension…
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has criticized the use of a cybercrime decree in Tunisia, alleging it is being weaponized against political opponents. Among those affected are Chaima Issa of the opposition coalition National Salvation Front, and Sofiane Zneidi from the country’s largest opposition party, Ennahda. Issued by Tunisian President Kais Saied on 13 September under…
Reputable international law firm, Morgan Lewis, has expanded its team with two power additions. Private Equity experts, Hans “Peter” Leube and Marianne Nawroth, have made the move from Bird & Bird to join the Morgan Lewis team in Frankfurt, Germany. Leube and Nawroth will center their expertise on mergers and acquisitions. Specifically, they will primarily…
With experience spanning diverse subfields of the intellectual property legal territory, Jon Gurka has now joined Crowell & Moring as a partner in their intellectual property department, a recent announcement from the firm confirms. Gurka’s extensive expertise ranges from patenting to trademarks, and from trade secret regulation to breach of contract matters. A spotlight on…
Last Friday, INTERPOL released a report detailing its latest findings from “Operation Storm Makers II,” an investigative operation focused on human trafficking-based cyber fraud. Crucially, the report reveals that this type of crime has now expanded to Latin America, significantly extending its geographic reach from its traditional center in Southeast Asia. This expansion was discovered…
Renowned law firms, Butler Snow and Polsinelli, have recently taken legal action, filing a lawsuit against a certain telecommunications executive. It has come to their notice that the executive in question may have misused an overpayment of $3M for personal expenses. This serious allegation has escalated rapidly, prompting immediate legal endeavors. The suit was brought…
In a significant development for the telecommunications sector, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). The notice suggests the reinstatement of the open Internet rules previously adopted under the 2015 Open Internet Order. The measures, if enacted, could have significant implications for companies that offer broadband internet access service…
On November 28, 2023, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) granted a limited extension of the critical deadline vital to the tech-law sector. The deadline revolves around the prioritization of Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)-formatted emergency alerts. Pertinently, these regulations chiefly impact customers of equipment vendor Sage Alerting Systems (Sage). These clientele, operating as Emergency Alert System…
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) released a Notice of Opportunity for Public Input on November 29, 2023. This announcement underlines the forthcoming implementation plan for the agency’s National Spectrum Strategy, an initiative outlining the national objectives for spectrum policy set by the Biden-Harris Administration. The NTIA has expressed interest in entering dialogues to…
The path was cleared for financial penalties to be administered more liberally in cases of ‘gun-jumping’ during mergers and acquisitions, as confirmed by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on November 9, 2023. The ruling came as a result of an appeal brought forward by Altice, a multinational telecommunications corporation found guilty of infringing standstill…
In a recent development concerning corporate accountability, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) heralded a settlement case with Global Tel*Link, a significant telecommunications entity servicing prisons and jails. The company’s unique clientele primarily consists of incarcerated individuals and their close kin, who create accounts with the telecommunications provider, offering sensitive personal information such as usernames, passwords,…