Brown Rudnick LLP

Partner Benjamin Chew joins “Today Extra" in Australia to discuss the conviction of former president Donald Trump on 34 felony counts of falsifying documents to cover up a payment to silence adult film actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election. Trump faces up to four years in prison, though those convicted often receive shorter sentences, fines or probation. Incarceration would not legally prevent him from campaigning, or taking office if he were to win. “I think it’s more likely that there might be a sentence of house arrest,” Chew said. “If this were a congressperson, that congressperson would be out of Congress. Ironically, when you get to the higher levels of our government there seems to be less accountability. Legally, a convicted felon can run for president.”

Are you based in Latin America and interested in learning about how OFAC sanctions apply in the region?   The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), a division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is responsible for enforcing executive orders related to foreign policy and national security, including the imposition of sanctions against certain countries, entities and individuals that pose a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economy.   Clara Krivoy explains the four lists OFAC maintains that are particularly relevant in Latin America, as well as the two types of licenses which OFAC may issue to authorize certain types of transactions and activities that would otherwise be prohibited under U.S. sanctions regulations:   1. General licenses, which apply broadly to all persons or entities covered by the relevant general license. 2. Specific licenses, which are issued on a case-by-case basis in response to a written license application submitted to OFAC.            To learn in greater detail how OFAC sanctions may affect your business’s day-to-day operations, please visit the link below: https://lnkd.in/eHWtTGQS

Partner Wayne Dennison sits down on the Law & Crime Network to discuss the latest updates in the Karen Read murder trial. The jury heard testimony from medical experts who said the Mansfield woman was legally drunk when she allegedly killed her cop boyfriend by hitting him with her SUV. Read was also taken to the hospital for a mental health evaluation and her blood was drawn as part of a medical evaluation, Dr. Justin Rice testified. Rice, who was an emergency room doctor at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton when O'Keefe died, described it as an "involuntarily detention," usually over a mental health concern. Asked about the importance for a witness to be properly prepared by their attorney, Dennison said “especially” when you’re talking about a medical expert. “You’re talking about somebody who the jury is going to look at and say this gentleman has some level of expertise, he went to the University of Virginia medical school,” Dennison said. “And for him to come off as unknowledgeable as quite frankly he’s having difficulty following the questioning. It doesn’t advance your ball as a prosecutor and it’s probably not good look for your witness.”

Partner Ian DiBernardo is quoted by WIPR - World IP Review regarding actress Scarlett Johansson's objection to OpenAI’s alleged use of her voice in its latest ChatGPT system. The star of “Black Widow” decried the latest AI voice, “Sky,” which enables ChatGPT to communicate with users through speech, arguing that it sounds remarkably similar to her own distinctive vocals. According to DiBernardo, while OpenAI may subscribe to the adage that “any press is good press” and may “welcome the buzz” surrounding ChatGPT 4.0, there are major drawbacks. “Requesting a license doesn’t always mean it is necessary to have [one],” he explains. “However, once a request has been made, it can [become] difficult for a defendant.” DiBernardo argued that while the situation highlights the concerns of celebrities regarding deepfakes and unauthorized use of likeness involving celebrities, it also emphasizes the fundamental concern of unauthorized use of data generally as inputs to train AI models. “Depending on the underlying inputs, different rights are implicated, and in some instances, the law may need to catch up with the technology. For example, copyrights are being used by The New York Times, but that doesn’t extend to a celebrity’s voice,” he explained. Click image to read the full article.

Partner Ken Aulet provided insight to Bloomberg Law about the increase in bankrupt companies being able to select their preferred court for Chapter 11 proceedings. Due to the decades-old bankruptcy venue rules that use headquarters or office location to establish where a business can file, the U.S. Trustee has failed twice this year to convince judges to move Chapter 11 proceedings out of a Texas court on the grounds that it lacked ties to the location. “I don’t think anybody cares which state their bank account is in unless it comes time for bankruptcy venue,” Aulet said. “If a company wants to go somewhere, it’s very difficult to find a way that it can’t, unless a judge doesn’t want it to file there.” Click image to read the full article.

We are delighted to be a co-sponsor of FemTech Lab’s Decoding the Future of Women conference, a two-day event to be held on June 10-11 in London. Partners Merri Moken and Sage Revell will serve as moderators. On Monday, Moken’s panel will explore the state of the space travel industry, exactly how close we are to having commercial space stations, how does space travel affect the female body and could it one day be possible for humans to reproduce in space. On Tuesday, Revell’s panel will focus on key investment trends. Click image to register.

In an appearance on the “Today Show" in Australia, partner Benjamin Chew discusses the closing arguments lawyers gave on Tuesday in the criminal trial of Donald Trump. A 12-person jury, which has listened to 22 witnesses and over six hours of arguments began deliberating today. It could be hours or days or weeks before they make a decision. A unanimous jury is needed to either convict or acquit the former president on 34 felony counts of falsified business records. “Nobody of course knows what those 12 people are thinking and what they’re thinking is by definition the only thing that matters,” Chew said. “I think the prosecution did a good job putting its 20 witnesses in, so I think it’s still a strong case but there is of course a very real possibility of a hung jury as well.”

In the first part of a BRiefing series focused on sustainability-linked loans (SLL), Eleni Zodiates and Imogen Wilson introduce and break down the main mechanics behind one. “With increasing regulatory, political and investor focus on climate change and sustainability, it comes as no surprise that the SLL has been readily gaining recognition in the world of financing since the first green bond bloomed in 2007,” they wrote. “But what exactly is an SLL and will it really make a difference to global sustainability efforts?” Click image to read the full post.

Andrew J. Sherman, Partner at Brown Rudnick, Outside counsel needs to embrace AI and accept it enhances our offerings. Unless we do, we face severe consequences. #ai #legaltech #outsidecounsel #lawfirminnovation

Partner James Bedar is quoted by Modern Counsel regarding Steven Scrogham, who was promoted earlier this year to chief legal officer at ProFrac Services, a client of Brown Rudnick. “Steve leads an impressive legal team at ProFrac,” Bedar said. “He’s laser-focused on empowering business results and fosters that approach across his team. When we’re working with ProFrac on mergers and acquisitions, financings, or compliance matters, the work is complex and can be incredibly nuanced.” Click image to read the full article.