Business Better

This episode is part of our "Bridging Campuses: Legal Insights on Education Industry Consolidation" series, where we discuss trends in the consolidation and closures in higher education, and outline common characteristics of at-risk institutions.

To kick-off this series, we focus on mergers and acquisitions, and antitrust considerations in the higher education industry. We explore obstacles that institutions face when considering consolidation, such as cultural and academic alignment, and regulatory approvals. We also discuss the impact of antitrust regulations, including changes to the Hart-Scott-Rodino filing requirements.

Bill Rhodes, a partner and leader of Ballard Spahr's Education Industry Team, hosts the discussion. Bill is joined by Laura Giles, a partner in Ballard Spahr's Mergers and Acquisitions Group, and Liz Weissert, an associate in Ballard Spahr's Antitrust and Competition Group.

This episode is an introduction of our new series "Bridging Campuses: Legal Insights on Education Industry Consolidation," where we will discuss trends in the consolidation and closures in higher education, and outline common characteristics of at-risk institutions.

In today's episode, we focus on key factors driving these trends, including declines in demographic and enrollment, and the outline the challenges institutions face in making difficult strategic decisions due to competing interests of various constituencies.

Bill Rhodes, a partner and leader of Ballard Spahr's Education Industry Team, and Laura Giles, a partner in Ballard Spahr's Mergers and Acquisitions Group, host the discussion.

This episode is part of our new series "Manufacturing Moment," where we will discuss important developments in the manufacturing space, and provide insight on how these major changes will affect the industry.

Today, we're taking a look at the Trump administration and his manufacturing priorities. This episode features a discussion with Charles Crain, Managing Vice President of Policy at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). We discuss regulatory priorities, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and preserving the benefits of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

Brendan K. Collins, a partner in Ballard Spahr's Environmental and Natural Resources Group, and leader of the firm's Manufacturing and Consumer Products Industry Group, hosts the discussion.

In light of recent executive orders, today's podcast focuses on what organizations can expect with the new administration's promises on immigration, as well as what employers can do when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrives to the workplace. We discuss which documents need to be in order, protocols that employers should have in place in case of a raid, and what to do in the aftermath of this event.

Stephen Stigall, a partner in Ballard's White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group, leads the discussion. He is joined by Hank Hockeimer, a partner and leader of the White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group, and Dustin O'Quinn, a partner and leader of the Immigration practice group.

In this episode, we discuss the impacts of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (a.k.a. Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)) on U.S. infrastructure on its third-year anniversary. While the IIJA/BIL has unlocked significant funding for major projects, it has also highlighted afresh important questions about the long-term sustainability of our infrastructure investments. We explore the balance between immediate construction goals and the need for planning long-term maintenance and resilience. We also look ahead at key priorities for the future.

John P. Smolen, Co-Leader of Ballard Spahr's Infrastructure Group, hosts the discussion. John is joined by Sam Headon, the head of infrastructure investments at S&B USA Concessions; and Jennifer Hara, the acting head of innovative finance and technical assistance for the Build America Bureau of the United States Department of Transportation.

This episode features a discussion with Nick St. John, Director of Federal Compliance at America's Credit Unions. We discuss the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking issued by FinCEN and federal banking regulators regarding the enhancement and modernization of anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism ("AML/CFT") compliance programs under the Bank Secrecy Act ("BSA"). This discussion focuses on the risk assessment process, the NPRM's impact on the industry, "de-risking" strategies, technological innovation, feedback from law enforcement on the utility of BSA filings, hiring qualified compliance officers, and what it means for an AML/CFT program to be "effective."

Peter Hardy, partner and co-leader of Ballard's AML Team leads the discussion. He is joined by Kaley Schafer, also a member of the AML Team and an associate in the firm's business and transactions department.

This episode is part of our Sustainability Spotlight series, which highlights the sustainability efforts that businesses are making to combat climate change and other environmental challenges.

This episode features a discussion with Matt O'Malley, Chief Sustainability Officer, and Jeannie Morris, Vice President of Government Affairs at Vicinity Energy. Vicinity Energy is the largest owner and operator of district energy systems in the U.S. and the first in the nation to offer carbon-free eSteam™ to rapidly decarbonize customers and achieve net zero carbon emissions across all operations. Our guests share the ways Vicinity is combating the climate crisis and why more businesses need to take action now.

Brendan K. Collins, a partner in Ballard Spahr's Philadelphia Office and leader of the firm's Manufacturing and Consumer Products Industry Group, hosts the discussion.

This episode is part of our Cyber Adviser series, where we discuss emerging issues in the world of privacy and data security.

Today, we're joined by Paolo Sbuttoni, a partner at Foot Anstey with years of experience specializing in technology and data. We compare the AI regulatory landscape in the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We also provide insight on the scope of recent regulations that have been enacted in the EU and U.K., and those that will be enacted on a state by state basis in the U.S.

Greg Szewczyk, leader of Ballard Spahr's Privacy and Data Security Group, hosts the discussion.

This episode is part of our Cyber Adviser series, where we discuss emerging issues in the world of privacy and data security.

In today’s episode, our lawyers explore the basics of Daniel's Law and how it has ignited a wave of privacy class action lawsuits. They delve into the elements of a claim, recent litigation, and practical steps businesses can take to mitigate risk.

Matt Thornton and Lexi Chapman, Associates in our Privacy and Data Security Group, host the discussion.

This episode is part of our Cyber Adviser series, where we discuss emerging issues in the world of privacy and data security.

Today, our lawyers discuss new state consumer health data laws in Connecticut, Nevada, and Washington, highlighting the laws' scope, obligations for regulated entities, and enforcement mechanisms.

Greg Szewczyk, Leader of Ballard Spahr's Privacy and Data Security Group, and Kelsey Fayer, an Associate in the Privacy and Data Security Group, host the discussion.