What are the risks and opportunities in a marketplace where everything can be done from everywhere? Taxes, leasing arrangements, cybersecurity, logistics, employment, land use – the list of legal and business implications companies face in a virtual world is long and varied.
Womble Bond Dickinson’s Everything from Everywhere hub will explore these issues and provide business leaders with critical insights on some of the biggest challenges the digital economy will present in the coming year.
Nancy Giordano, the keynote speaker for the Everything from Everywhere Summit, joined our In-house Roundhouse podcast to discuss the evolution of technology and how it impacts business.
The following articles offer insights from Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys into the current and future state of several key sectors.
At-home working is not going away anytime soon, even once the pandemic ends. Nor are bad actors looking to hack their way into unsuspecting business’ systems.
American businesses and employees responded remarkably to the abrupt shift to at-home working brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. What does the long-term future of work look like and how do employers need to respond?
There are a multitude of unknowns as health officials across the country race to administer the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine. Employers must also evaluate a number of factors as they decide whether or not to mandate that their workers get vaccinated.
As this new world of remote litigation becomes more familiar, creating new efficiencies and more effective processes, the notion of simply returning to “the way things were” becomes less realistic. We expect to see a hybrid system – one in which both in-person and remote proceedings will be commonplace.
In order to keep pace with e-commerce boom, retailers must focus on maximizing the in-store experience for customers, strengthening online retail offerings and being mindful of rising costs related to operating a brick-and-mortar store.
Like every other industry, the “Everything from Everywhere” marketplace and digital economy is changing how the legal industry works. Chief among these changes is the growth of the Alternative Legal Service Provider. Inspired by the needs of corporate clients, Womble Bond Dickinson’s ALSP team, GCSolutions, shares a few tips for anyone considering these outsourced services.
The use of digital technologies has accelerated almost overnight due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with healthcare providers and patients finding new and innovative, socially-distanced ways to deliver and receive services. We explore the current digital health landscape, assess its benefits, discuss some challenges to its continued widespread adoption, and address what is on the horizon for digital healthcare.
Manufacturers are encountering myriad challenges as they address delays sourcing materials and producing goods, while meeting the expectations of retailers and consumers who expect fast delivery. The challenges present opportunities for producers to improve their supply chains and distribution channels.
Our attorneys discuss which areas of the hotel and restaurant industries minimized the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in some cases beat predictions. We also look at how those efforts and other factors of the last year might impact these businesses over the next few years.
The movement to localize some or all of internet data has grown over the past five years as countries introduce new laws restricting data flows, and others try to boost local businesses by placing burdens on international competition. While popular among authoritarian governments, including China, major U.S. trade partners like the U.K. and the EU are also adopting these isolationist policies. The trend could slow American companies expanding abroad by creating new risks and costs.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted significant gaps in the availability of broadband access faced by millions of rural and low-income Americans, and the vulnerability of our broadband networks to single points of failure and other threats. We discuss recent and near-term initiatives that are intended to address these issues in the coming years, and opportunities and risks they present.
The following presentations are the breakout sessions from our Everything from Everywhere Virtual Summit, which took place on January 29th, 2021.
The Future of Work: How Might COVID-19 Change the US Workplace in the Years to Come
Speaker: Beth Tyner Jones, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
It’s been less than a year, but in-person meetings and business travel seem so far away. What trends should employers anticipate and what steps should they take now to prepare their workplaces for the future?
Shot Heard Around the World: The Impact of the COVID-19 Vaccine in the US Workplace
Speakers:
- John Pueschel, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Benita Jones, Of Counsel, Womble Bond Dickinson
As health officials race to administer the long-awaited vaccine throughout the US, employers face questions about its implications for their workplaces. We will discuss “carrots and sticks” for managing the vaccine with employees; key points to know about discrimination and accommodation laws as well as GINA; and addressing safety concerns from employees and customers.
Remote Litigation: Lessons Learned from a “Zoom” Trial
Speakers:
- Mary Bourke, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Daniel Attaway, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Led by Womble attorneys who argued before the Court in one of the nation’s first “Zoom” trials during COVID-19, this session outlines experiences preparing for and navigating the first fully remote patent trial in the Southern District of New York, including lessons learned and tips and tricks for effectively presenting witnesses and evidence in remote proceedings. The speakers will also share their experience with remote oral arguments at the Federal Circuit and their thoughts on the future of remote litigation.
The Future of Digital Healthcare
Speaker: Toni Peck, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
In this breakout session, we will discuss trends relating to the digital transformation of healthcare. With the onset of COVID-19, the healthcare industry has seen an increase in the use of digital technologies to deliver healthcare and the relaxing of regulations (some temporarily) to advance the use of digital technologies in the delivery of care. Even before COVID times, the healthcare industry has continuously moved towards digital strategies (artificial intelligence, wearable medical devices, etc.) to improve the provision of healthcare. We will evaluate the present digital healthcare market and analyze the regulatory landscape as it relates to the future of digital technology in healthcare.
Clearing the Corner of Your Desk with the Help of Alternative Legal Service Providers
Speakers:
- Stefanie Holland, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel, Albemarle Corporation
- Steve Heinrichs, Chief Legal Officer, Mueller Water Products
- Tara Trantham, Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel, Southern Management Corporation
- John Jaye, Former Senior Division Counsel, GCSolutions, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Stephanie Hinrichs, Former Senior Director of Sales, GCSolutions, Womble Bond Dickinson
Businesses are asking law firms to go beyond traditional legal service delivery models to help them achieve their objectives. They seek innovative partnerships with in-house teams to efficiently handle projects on time and under budget. In this session, we’ll hear how companies have used ALSPs, including Womble’s own GCSolutions, to their advantage in areas like operations, project management, and pricing.
Has Office Space Become a Dinosaur Because We Are All Working Successfully from Home? (No, But Your Employees Will Want Changes.)
Speakers:
- Nellie Sullivan, Former Firm Attorney, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Audra Cunningham, EVP & Chief Administrative Officer, T. Dallas Smith & Company, LLC
Many companies (delightedly) surprised themselves by their ability to rapidly enable their workforces to successfully work from home despite previous barriers (including internal policies to the contrary) to such arrangements. Is the genie out of the bottle? When the pandemic no longer requires such arrangements, will workers want to come back to offices? Will employers utilize the chance to cut the high cost of office rents and require that more of their workforces work from home? Our session explores the changing approaches to office space – what is a fad, and what is likely to be a trend?
Intellectual Property: Protecting Innovation at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences
Speaker: Karthika Perumal, Ph.D., Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
AI is part of every aspect of the life sciences ecosystem - from understanding new targets of disease and development of therapeutics to the diagnosis, prognosis and management of disease. Protecting these innovations requires a complex overlay of patents and trade secrets. Join us to discuss what 2021 holds with respect to these different types of IP for AI innovations.
Non-Remote Manufacturing in a Remote World
Speakers:
- Jack Hicks, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Michael Sullivan, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Mark Henriques, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
This breakout session will be an interactive discussion about how manufacturing has changed, including who must be physically present, remote management, and whether the need to do “more with less” is accelerating movement to Manufacturing 5.0? We will also discuss how changes in the consumer/customer behavior are impacting manufacturing and supply planning.
The Pandemic and the Service Industry: A Look at the Winners and Losers in the Hotel and Quick Service Restaurant Sectors
Speakers:
- Joe Foltz, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Seth Johnson, Associate, Womble Bond Dickinson
While the pandemic has had negative impacts in both the hotel and quick service restaurant industries, certain property types and operators have fared much better than others. We will discuss contributing factors for those results.
E-commerce’s Impact on Small Business in the Age of COVID-19
Speaker: Morris Ellison, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
E-commerce was here to stay even before the pandemic devastated small businesses and placed an even greater premium on technology. This session will examine some of the legal and economic challenges faced by small business as they try to remain competitive in the changed COVID-19 landscape which has placed a premium on innovation. The session will focus on occupancy costs such as property taxes and legal impediments to small businesses competing in this environment.
Energy from Everywhere – A Closer Look at the Trends Impacting Consumers
Speaker: Belton Zeigler, Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
Disbursed work is changing energy usage patterns. At the same time, information technology is giving consumers powerful new tools to manage usage and control costs. Green energy technology is creating demand for decarbonized energy portfolios for companies and employees. Storage technology is coming on strong, supporting individual microgrids and self-sufficient reliability plays. In this breakout session, we will take a look at what these trends mean for those interested in a more thoughtful approach to energy usage and their carbon footprint.
Panel: Best Practices for Managing Cyber Risks in a Cyber World
Panel includes:
- David Coher – Principal, Strategic Planning & Power Supply, Southern California Edison
- Stephanie Lambert – AVP, Chief Compliance Counsel, NetScout Systems, Inc.
- JoAnna McFadden – Deputy Chief, Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division
- Tara Cho, CIPP/US, CIPP/E – Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson
- Mark Henriques – Partner, Womble Bond Dickinson (Moderator)
As digitization and connected technologies accelerated during the pandemic to support a remote workforce and serve customers and clients, data breaches, targeted ransomware attacks and other cybersecurity risks surged. Recent high-profile cyber-incidents include hackers targeting software platforms FireEye and SolarWinds. How companies monitor, manage and assess cyber risks is critical – requiring effective compliance practices, specialized due diligence, contractual indemnity protections, and tailored cyber insurance policies.
The Everything from Everywhere White Paper explores the business implications of a world attempting to do everything from everywhere. In a collection of articles written by our attorneys, we examine issues that will impact the marketplace in the near term.
