A proposed ballot initiative in California known as the California Privacy Rights Act, which is likely to pass if placed on the 2020 ballot, would both clarify and expand the existing California Consumer Privacy Act. Companies doing business in the state should closely monitor these developments and prepare for compliance, as we outline in this article. A California ballot initiative known as the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) would clarify and expand the California Consumer…

In recent weeks and months, legal and technical issues related to use of facial recognition systems in the United States have received national attention, including concerns that the technology lacks accuracy in identifying non-white individuals and that its widespread use by police departments may play a role in racially discriminatory policing. Privacy considerations will play a key role in the ongoing debate over the future of facial recognition technology. Facial recognition systems (FRS) are automated or…

Stay-at-home orders and business closures during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have led to a sharp increase in online shopping. While e-commerce has helped businesses stay afloat during this challenging economic time, there has also been a spike in litigation alleging that certain websites are not accessible to individuals with disabilities. In an article for Bloomberg Law, Jeremy White, Matthew Cin and Brian Long review the legal landscape governing accessibility of websites – including specific rules…

The need for speedy and more complete access to data is instrumental for healthcare providers, researchers, pharmaceutical, biotech and device companies and public health authorities as they work to quickly identify infection rates, disease trends, outcomes, including antibodies, and opportunities for treatments and vaccines for COVID-19. A variety of data sharing and collaborations have emerged in the wake of this crisis, such as: Requests and mandates by public health authorities, either directly or via providers’…

We are pleased to announce that our Healthcare Group received a national Band 1 ranking for the eleventh year in a row in the 2020 edition of Chambers USA. After more than a decade at the top, we are once again the only one to rank Band 1 nationally. The Health team also earned Band 1 state-level rankings for its healthcare practices in California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts and Washington, DC. Additionally, the team also earned…

Background: Issuing Florida’s Emergency Order On March 16, 2020, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Scott Rivkees signed, stamped and finalized Emergency Order 20-002. In doing so, Florida joined what would become the vast majority of states in modifying licensure requirements for physicians in response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. The surgeon general’s order waived licensing requirements for out-of-state healthcare professionals, advanced life support professionals and basic life support professionals so that they could render services…

On April 2, 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) launched the $200 million Coronavirus (COVID-19) Telehealth Program contemplated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Telehealth Program is distinguishable from the broader Connected Care Pilot Program, which will make an additional $100 million in federal universal service funds available for telehealth over the next three years. Telehealth Program Notwithstanding telehealth’s advantages, most low-income Americans are unable to utilize telehealth…