Maria Dinzeo

Companies Must Tread Carefully as Regulators Step Up Enforcement Actions

ANALYSIS “These are bet-the-company matters. It’s not just on the monetary piece—which can be crippling in itself— but the potential injunctive provision that would require changes for businesses that makes it impossible to continue operating in a…

SEC's New Insider Trading Rules Could Have Some Unintended Consequences

ANALYSIS “When you put up barriers to use of 10b5-1 plans, I think you set up scenarios that might create some more urgent circumstances for trading, and those are the ones that are harder for general counsel to make a call on," said Daniel O'Connor,…

Litigators' Advice to Companies on FTC Non-Compete Ban

What You Need to Know Companies would have until at least September to get in compliance.Businesses should act now to limit non-competes to employees for whom they are essential.FTC enforcement likely would focus on companies using non-competes with…

Laid-Off In-House Lawyers Still Finding Jobs, But Could Face Stiffer Competition

January 13, 2023 at 10:00 AM 4 minute read Recruiting Maria Dinzeo What You Need to Know There are still lots of in-house jobs, though companies are taking longer to hire.Job seekers should capitalize on their networks to find new positions. In-house…

As Companies' Fears of Data-Breach Litigation Soar, Legal Terrain Rife With Uncertainty

Companies are entering 2023 with sky-high anxiety over potential legal fallout from data breaches, according to litigation-forecast reports published by law firms this week, and their worries are amplified by uncertainty over who courts will allow to…

'There Are Headaches Galore': 3 Risk Areas That Will Reign in 2023

Special Reports › Tech Sector Risk Watch ANALYSIS “2023 will be a momentous competition law year," said William Kovacic, a former FTC chairman. January 11, 2023 at 04:08 PM 6 minute read Risk and Compliance Maria Dinzeo What You Need to Know The…

Barrage of New Laws, Regulations Coming in 2023

Special Reports › Tech Sector Risk Watch ANALYSIS "It's going to be a year with a lot of fireworks and drama,” said Brad Rosen, a senior legal analyst at Wolters Kluwer. January 11, 2023 at 03:13 PM Risk and Compliance Maria Dinzeo What You Need to…

McDonald's Franchisee Accused of Ignoring Widespread Sexual Harassment to Pay Nearly $2M

The owner of 18 McDonald’s franchises in California, Arizona and Nevada will pay roughly $2 million to settle allegations that it allowed sexual harassment against teenage employees to continue unabated, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission…

Former Deputy GC at EV Company Canoo Among Execs Accused of Corporate Espionage

Electric vehicle startup Canoo is accusing a swath of its former C-suite executives—including deputy general counsel Michael Fielkow—of stealing trade secrets to form their own competing EV company using Canoo’s proprietary technology. Canoo, which…

Risks Abound With Twitter In-House Gutting

A wholesale gutting of Twitter’s legal department in the months following Elon Musk’s $44 billion takeover has reduced its in-house team to a skeleton crew, exposing the company to risk on multiple fronts. A legal team that once stood at 150…

US Judge Disinclined to Overturn Former Uber Security Chief's Conviction in Data Breach Case

"We're flexing our rhetorical muscles for the appeal," Joe Sullivan's defense attorney John Cline told a federal judge who said he's not likely to overturn a jury's verdict convicting the former Uber security chief of concealing a data breach in…

Law Firms Risk Bad Optics With Lavish Year-End Bonuses

What You Need to Know Major law firm bonus announcements may strike their in-house clients as tone-deaf.In-house counsel say associates may deserve bonuses, but firms should be aware of the optics amid rate hikes.Firms should remain client-centric in…

Elon Musk Fires Twitter Deputy GC James Baker Over Possible Role in Squelching Hunter Biden Story

"In light of concerns about Baker’s possible role in suppression of information important to the public dialogue, he was exited from Twitter today,” Elon Musk tweeted. What You Need to Know Elon Musk fired Twitter Deputy General Counsel James…

AARP In-House Veteran Tapped as 3E's GC

What You Need to Know Audrey Jean was AARP's chief privacy officer and earlier led data compliance at Bloomberg.Her new employer helps clients with environmental, health and safety compliance. 3E, a data and software company that helps companies…

AT&T to Pay $6.25M to Settle SEC Charges It Leaked Internal Data to Analysts

What You Need to Know It was the largest-ever SEC settlement of alleged Regional FD violations.While agreeing to the penalty, the telecom giant did not admit or deny the allegations.Under the deal, three executives also will pay $25,000 each. AT&T…

'There Are Many, Many Pitfalls': How In-House Counsel Can Help Navigate Layoff Minefield

What You Need to Know In-house legal teams teams need to be involved from the get-go.In addition to mitigating risk, they need to ensure affected workers are treated humanely.That includes ensuring company communications are open and honest, not BS.…

'A Huge Shift': Job-Hunting Attorneys Turn to Stable Companies, Cash Over Stock Options

What You Need to Know Sexy startups have lost some of their allure.Candidates worry they'll be out of a job if funding dries up.Some in-house attorneys are considering going back to law firms. Top in-house lawyers in the job market are ratcheting…

'Surprised, Angry, Dismayed': Legal Departments Vow to Fight Law Firms' Rate-Hike Plans

ANALYSIS “This feels more like law firms throwing spaghetti up against a wall and seeing what sticks," said Jason Winmill, managing partner of Argopoint. November 28, 2022 at 05:29 AM 7 minute read Maria Dinzeo What You Need to Know Law firms want to…

Disney's Impending Restructuring Presents a Test for Its Star General Counsel

“Any time you have a CEO shakeup of any sort, the first idea is, will the general counsel be around?" said Robert Foehl, a professor of law and business ethics at Ohio University. November 23, 2022 at 07:41 AM 6 minute read Corporate Governance Maria…

Executives in Crosshairs as FTC Bears Down on Companies Over Data Breaches

What You Need to Know In two recent cases, the FTC held a senior leader accountable for a company's lax data security.A recent action against the CEO of Drizly would follow him to other employers.A debate is raging within the FTC on the approach. The…