WilmerHale

Join WilmerHale Partner Amanda P. Masselam Strachan at the Informa Connect Transparency & HCP Engagement Conference in McLean, VA from August 12-14. Amanda will participate in a fireside chat with Lauren Kootman, Principal Assistant Deputy Chief, Corporate Enforcement & Compliance Unit, Fraud Section of the DOJ at Informa Connect’s Transparency & HCP Engagement Conference.

Organizations in the EU that develop or use AI systems—particularly those processing personal data—must ensure GDPR compliance. This involves legal, technical, and operational teams across sectors. In this five-part series, authored by Martin Braun, Anne Vallery, and Itsiq Benizri, AIGP, CIPP/E, GDPR compliance is explored across the AI lifecycle: planning, design, development, deployment, and usage. The series emphasizes data protection by design and the evolving responsibilities of organizations. View the full series in the links below.   Episode 1: The Planning Phase: https://bit.ly/4fKTAR3 Episode 2: The Design Phase: https://bit.ly/4frsZrJ Episode 3: The Development Phase: https://bit.ly/47ikXiP Episode 4: The Deployment Phase: https://bit.ly/46N21c6 Episode 5: Using AI: https://bit.ly/4fnmtCo

In an article published in New Law Journal, Partner Lloyd Firth argues that Recommendation 44 from the Leveson Review—which mandates judge-only trials for serious and complex fraud—undermines defendants' rights and fails to provide meaningful relief to the Crown Court backlog, raising the question: should justice be decided by one legal mind or twelve citizen voices?

Congratulations to the 12 WilmerHale Partners recognized in the 4th edition guide of The Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators! The guide highlights lawyers who “assiduously work to resolve disputes between nations, bring justice for human rights abuses, address financial fraud that crosses borders and unearth stashed assets."

Partner Alan J. Wilson, JD, CPA was recently featured on Workiva’s The Pre Read podcast to discuss the legal considerations of #AI and how businesses can most effectively utilize it. Learn more and listen to the episode: https://bit.ly/4oqUh5G

From August 11–15, Counsel Georgia Tzifa will participate in the Helsinki Geoeconomics Week, a premier event that brings together global policymakers, corporate strategists, financial experts and academics to tackle the pressing geoeconomic challenges of our time. Hosted by the Helsinki Geoeconomics Society onsite in Helsinki, the event’s theme this year – “Trump Six Months On: Geoeconomics in a Fractured Global Order” – examines the global shifts and challenges posed by a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Georgia will speak on four panels, including: • August 12 – “Economic Lawfare: How States Use Law as a Weapon of Advantage” • August 12 – “The Eurozone Advantage: Arbitraging Financial Stability in a Volatile Order” • August 14 – “Geoeconomics as a Career: Building Strategic Lives Across Sectors” • August 14 – “Legal Careers in Geoeconomics” For more information about these panels and this event, please visit the link below.

Partner Jekkie Kim and Counsel Dimitry Lensky advised Magnefy, a Stanford spin-out pioneering an edge AI-powered, high-frequency magnetic sensing platform for real-time predictive maintenance of critical power assets, in its recently announced closing of its pre-seed financing. Learn more about the deal: https://bit.ly/40WhoLv

Over the past couple of months, the New York office hosted its 11th annual ping pong tournament. Often one of the highlight events for the New York summer associates, this year’s field included over 60 people, all of whom received gift cards to the office café. On the final day of competition, four players qualified to the semifinal round, including Partner Brendan McGuire – the reigning champion hoping to defend his title from 2024 – and Associate Evan Engel paired in the first semifinal match, while Associate Walker Schulte Schneider and Partner Jonathan Pressman faced off in the second. Both partners emerged victorious from the semifinal matches, with Brendan getting a decisive win in the first match while Jonathan prevailed in the second to qualify for the final. After valiant attempts from both competitors, Brendan ultimately dominated in the final round to win the tournament title for the second year in a row. He is the second person to snag back-to-back wins in tournament history, following in the footsteps of tournament coordinator Joseph Ciraco.

WilmerHale Partners Michael Bongiorno, Timothy Perla and Jessica Lewis and Counsel Sonia Sujanani analyze a pivotal California Supreme Court decision in EpicentRX v. Superior Court of San Diego County in their latest article for Bloomberg Law. The decision affirms the enforceability of Delaware forum selection clauses in California courts—even when they result in the loss of a jury trial right—offering clarity for Delaware-incorporated companies doing business in California. The authors explore the ruling’s implications for corporate governance, litigation strategy and contractual certainty, while highlighting unresolved questions that may shape future shareholder disputes. Read the full article at the link below.

The United Kingdom’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) recently published a Cryptoassets Threat Assessment that examines current threats and risks facing the crypto sector specifically related to financial sanctions. This client alert by Counsel Fred Saugman discusses key findings from the report and how companies can improve compliance efforts.