Baker Donelson

From the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) expansion of rights for nonunion employers – think protected, concerted activity and social justice activity in the workplace – to its labor-friendly rules regarding union organizing and the union representation process, the NLRB has pushed the boundaries of the National Labor Relations Act to new places over the last couple of years. How might that be affected by the upcoming Presidential election? Join Louis Cannon online this Thursday to explore how these changes could shift with the upcoming Presidential election and what that means for your organization. Register now: https://lnkd.in/gWgm3-WG

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recently settled two ransomware cases with covered entities. These cases signal the government's growing concern with health care organizations' ability to plan for and potentially remediate vulnerabilities prior to any third-party threat actor attempting to compromise a system. In early October, OCR settled its investigation and case with a health care provider in Washington state, Cascade Eye and Skin Centers, P.C., (Cascade) for $250,000 following a ransomware attack that exposed 291,000 files containing electronic protected health information (ePHI). Cascade is also required to implement an extensive corrective action plan with two years of ongoing monitoring. The Cascade settlement is OCR's fourth settlement involving a ransomware attack. In its announcement, OCR noted that it has seen a 264 percent increase in large ransomware breaches since 2018. Read more: https://lnkd.in/db8NAwqd by: Layna Cook Rush and Alisa Chestler, CIPP US, QTE

Baker Donelson is proud to congratulate Charline K. Gipson and Christopher Hannan as New Orleans CityBusiness’s 2024 Leadership in Law honorees. Charline and Chris were joined by colleagues and family during the annual Leadership in Law event on October 7 hosted at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Pictured left to right:?Kaylan Richardson, Lauren (Tootsie) Burk, Christopher Hannan, Charline K. Gipson Ben Janke, and William Wildman

This month, we're celebrating our annual Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year Awards, honoring attorneys throughout the Firm for their Pro Bono work. Today, we recognize Lucas L. Lopez, our Birmingham Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. #probonomonth Mr. Lopez was recognized for his pro bono work with two Alabama non-profits. He was integral in the formation of the Vestavia Hills Arts Council (VHAC) and provided extensive related legal support for the non-profit, including securing VHAC's Employment Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service and drafting governance documents necessary to receive 501(c)(3) status. He also assisted in securing 501(c)(3) status for Hub in the Hills, Inc., an Alabama non-profit corporation, as part of their mission to repurpose the former Vestavia Hills Central Elementary into a "hub" for educational non-profits. Mr. Lopez was also part of a team of Baker Donelson attorneys who assisted a client from Afghanistan in applying for asylum.

Vivien Fang Peaden, AIGP, PLS, CIPP/US/E, CIPM has been appointed to the State Bar of Georgia’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence and Technology. This committee will focus on key issues at the intersection of law and technology, including: · Assessing how the Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct adapt to advancements in artificial intelligence and other technologies. ·?Evaluating whether current rules and Bar policies sufficiently address technology-related conduct for lawyers. · Exploring ways the State Bar can support its members in effectively integrating AI and emerging technologies into their legal practices. In addition to this role, Vivien is among the first to achieve the "AI Governance Professional" designation at the IAPP's Global Privacy Summit in April 2024.?

This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Andrea Sanders joins Tim Lupinacci to share her leadership journey and the broader impact of building a strong organizational culture. She talks about the importance of trust within a team, recognizing blind spots, and fostering a positive environment where taking risks is encouraged. Andrea also touches on how essential it is for leaders to create spaces where mistakes aren’t feared but are seen as opportunities for growth, emphasizing that the best learning often comes from missteps. Find this episode and past episodes of Everybody Leads on Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your favorite shows: https://lnkd.in/exGqxWWU

This month, we're celebrating our annual Pro Bono Attorneys of the Year Awards, honoring attorneys throughout the Firm for their Pro Bono work. Today, we recognize Bob Johnson, our Atlanta Pro Bono Attorney of the Year. #probonomonth Mr. Johnson was recognized for his leadership in assisting in the creation and development of a much-needed non-profit school in the Atlanta community. Established in 2018, the International Charter Academy of Georgia (ICAGeorgia) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation organized for the purpose of operating Georgia's first public English-Japanese dual language immersion charter school for elementary students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Mr. Johnson was instrumental in meeting the legal needs to start ICAGeorgia, then joined the newly established board of directors with chief governance officer responsibilities, and served in that capacity for six years, including as chairman of the board for the past four years.

Many businesses struggle to adequately consider the risk to their operations if a third-party vendor experiences a cybersecurity incident. The sudden lockout or shutdown of a critical vendor can cripple business operations. The recent Change Healthcare breach nearly gridlocked the U.S. health care sector and should serve as a wake-up call for businesses to carefully consider their vulnerability to vendor cybersecurity incidents. Vendor risk mitigation, business continuity planning, and contractual protections are now critical considerations for companies, particularly those with a large suite of vendors. Read More: https://lnkd.in/eivzhKcZ By Dan Parks and Layna Cook Rush

In this episode of the Tennessee Bar Association’s BarBuzz podcast, TBA President Edward Lanquist shares his goals for his term, including the importance of indigent representation and the potential impact of artificial intelligence on the legal field. Joined by Executive Director Sheree Wright, Lanquist provides insights into the future of the profession and highlights key issues facing Tennessee attorneys. ? https://lnkd.in/eHpgSZF5

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster declared a State of Emergency on September 25, 2024, to prepare for Hurricane Helene. On September 29, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a Federal Major Disaster Declaration (FEMA-4829-DR) for South Carolina. On September 30, 2024, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared a public health emergency in South Carolina, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued several blanket waivers to provide greater compliance flexibility and continuity of care while responding to Helene in the geographic area covered by the President's declaration. These waivers provide health care facilities with flexibility in service delivery, staffing, and patient care, aimed at alleviating the strain caused by Helene. Further, HHS, the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS), and other regulatory bodies have announced relief efforts, all aimed at reducing administrative burdens so providers can continue to care for and treat those in need. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e6pCvwEr By Alissa Fleming, Matthew Wolfe, Catherine Wrenn, and Yann Kaufman