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Blockchain and GDPR — Frenemies?
In a nutshell, GDPR mandates that individuals have access and control over the use and maintenance of their data in certain circumstances, while the foundation of blockchain relies on the immutability of data. On the surface, these concepts seem in direct conflict with each other. This article discusses the points where GDPR and blockchain share common ground, where conflicts may exist and possible approaches for mitigating those conflicts.
Features

General Data Protection Regulation: Defense or Offense?
Ostensibly, GDPR's mission is to strengthen and unify the EU's protection of online privacy rights and promote data protection for citizens of the 28 countries currently in the EU. In the global economy, however, GDPR serves as an alarm to all countries with business flowing across Europe and well beyond. Where business flows, data follow.
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Current Issues In Enforcing Judgments Against LLCs
When a creditor obtains a judgment against a debtor, the debtor's assets are sometimes held in membership interests in an LLC, which presents challenges for the creditor seeking recovery. The Uniform LLC Law provided for a charging order in such instances. Although the precise terms of each state's LLC laws vary, some version of the charging order procedure is available in all states.
Features

When Is a Bid or Offer a 'Spoof'?
<b><i>U.S. Supreme Court Denial of Cert Leaves Statute Vague</i></b><p>This article analyzes the confusion faced by commodity futures traders in assessing whether their trading strategies constitute illegal spoofing and examines whether the CFTC and Seventh Circuit have provided sufficient guidance on the distinction between spoofing and legitimate trading activity.
Features

Chapter 15 Practice: U.S. Venue Selection Clause Does Not Trump Distribution Scheme in Italian Restructuring Plan
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware recently ruled that choice of law and venue selection provisions in a contract between a U.S. creditor and Italian debtor did not trump the debt restructuring plan approved by an Italian bankruptcy court.
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Are U.S. Records Retention Requirements on a Collision Course with the GDPR's 'Right to Erasure?'
U.S. laws require companies to retain records for years, and sometimes forever, and violating U.S. records retention laws can result in domestic fines and penalties. How can U.S. companies comply with the GDPR's “right to erasure” while still fulfilling their U.S. records retention obligations?
Features

Vendor Risk Management for Law Firms: 7 Steps to Success
Most firms have extensive cybersecurity measures in place, but emerging or unclear regulatory requirements embroil them in a never-ending cycle of evaluation, best-practices review, and implementation. Firms don't just need to have their own systems secured; a responsible firm must also reduce the risk of breach at their third-party vendors. As cloud service providers become commonplace, so too does a firm's responsibility to ensure their vendors are managing risk appropriately.
Features

You're Going to Need a Bigger Boat
<b><i>Small Law Firms Face Large Regulatory Requirements</b></i><p>Unlike large firms with comparable resources with which to protect client non-public information, small firms can find themselves trapped between cyberattacks, like ransomware, that don't prejudice based on the size of firm, and regulators who are indifferent to your size, when investigating a potential violation.
Features

How the New UST Fee Schedule Is a Ticking Tax-Bomb for Middle Market Debtors
As of Jan. 1, 2018, each jointly administered debtor with quarterly disbursements of at least $1,000,000 must pay a fee of 1% of all disbursements, up to $250,000 per quarter. Although this change in the law was only intended to address shortfalls in UST funding, it has taken a little-noticed component of bankruptcy and magnified it into a ticking tax-bomb for unsuspecting debtors and their lenders.
Features

SEC Releases New Guidance on Cybersecurity Disclosures and Controls
On Feb. 21, 2018, the SEC voted unanimously to approve a statement and interpretive guidance to assist the public in preparing disclosures about cybersecurity risks and incidents. The new guidance expands upon previous guidance provided in October of 2011.
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