Fenwick & West will open an office in Washington, D.C., adding two partners for the new office, the firm announced on Aug. 31. Thomas Ensign and Melissa Duffy will both serve as partners in Fenwick's Antitrust and Trade Regulation practice. Duffy, who comes from Dechert, "advises on export controls, sanctions, trade policy, programs under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), regulation of emerging technologies, digital trade, CFIUS and national security issues involving U.S. agencies," Fenwick said. Ensign is an antitrust adviser on issues including intellectual property agreements, distribution arrangements and joint ventures. Fenwick, which says it concentrates on serving the technology and life sciences industries, has offices in California, New York City, Seattle and Shanghai.
Fenwick & West will open an office in Washington, D.C., adding two partners for the new office, the firm announced on Aug. 31. Thomas Ensign and Melissa Duffy will both serve as partners in Fenwick's Antitrust and Trade Regulation practice. Duffy, who comes from Dechert, "advises on export controls, sanctions, trade policy, programs under the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), regulation of emerging technologies, digital trade, CFIUS and national security issues involving U.S. agencies," Fenwick said. Ensign is an antitrust adviser on issues including intellectual property agreements, distribution arrangements and joint ventures. Fenwick, which says it concentrates on serving the technology and life sciences industries, has offices in California, New York City, Seattle and Shanghai.
A new DOJ Cyber Fellowship program is designed to develop “prosecutors and attorneys equipped to handle emerging national security threats,” the agency said Friday. The program will be coordinated through the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, it said.
The Q4 2021 domestic box office will be about 65% of Q4 2019 -- and the full year at about 35% of 2019 -- Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter modeled in a Friday investor note after CinemaCon 2021 in Las Vegas last week. The Q4 box office could rebound if studios are willing to “hold their Q4 movie releases and not delay further,” and if Disney chooses an exclusive window for its Q4 releases, Pachter said. There’s “a lot riding on Q4,” said the analyst, “as COVID persists and as studios settle on the right theatrical windowing formula to maximize box office.” Studio executives and talent thanked attending exhibitors often via prerecorded video, he said. Themes emerging from the National Association of Theatre Owners and exhibitors included concerns about day-and-date releases, led by piracy and cannibalization, Pachter said. A repeated theme was that day-and-date releases weren’t financially viable for studios, which gave “consistent messaging” signaling a commitment to the theatrical window for a “semi-normal” state in 2020, he said. Disney didn’t make a presentation, leaving its release plans unknown. Other unknowns for the industry are whether the delta variant will lead to theater closures or reduced demand and whether studios will stick to the current release slate, said Pachter, who believes attendance will continue to be driven by content vs. virus concerns.
A new DOJ Cyber Fellowship program is designed to develop “prosecutors and attorneys equipped to handle emerging national security threats,” the agency said Friday. The program will be coordinated through the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, it said.
The Biden administration appointed John Porcari, deputy transportation secretary under President Barack Obama, as “port envoy” to its supply chain disruptions task force, the White House announced Friday. The task force was formed in June to address supply and demand “mismatches that emerged in several sectors,” including semiconductors, it said. Porcari will work with the task force and the National Economic Council to address the congestion at U.S. ports, it said. The congestion is being felt “particularly acutely” at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, “which together handle the largest share of containerized cargo moving through U.S. ports,” it said. Containerized cargo volume jumped 40% in the first half of this year compared with the same 2020 period, it said. Porcari's role will be to address “the backlog and associated delivery delays and product shortages being experienced by American consumers and businesses,” said the White House. The National Retail Federation is “encouraged” by Porcari's hiring, said David French, senior vice president-government relations. “The supply chain disruptions that continue to evolve pose a threat to many American businesses,” said French Friday. “The bottlenecks and congestion we are seeing at our ports highlight the need for an improved and sophisticated supply chain that can handle these issues.”
The Q4 2021 domestic box office will be about 65% of Q4 2019 -- and the full year at about 35% of 2019 -- Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter modeled in a Friday investor note after CinemaCon 2021 in Las Vegas last week. The Q4 box office could rebound if studios are willing to “hold their Q4 movie releases and not delay further,” and if Disney chooses an exclusive window for its Q4 releases, Pachter said. There’s “a lot riding on Q4,” said the analyst, “as COVID persists and as studios settle on the right theatrical windowing formula to maximize box office.” Studio executives and talent thanked attending exhibitors often via prerecorded video, he said. Themes emerging from the National Association of Theatre Owners and exhibitors included concerns about day-and-date releases, led by piracy and cannibalization, Pachter said. A repeated theme was that day-and-date releases weren’t financially viable for studios, which gave “consistent messaging” signaling a commitment to the theatrical window for a “semi-normal” state in 2020, he said. Disney didn’t make a presentation, leaving its release plans unknown. Other unknowns for the industry are whether the delta variant will lead to theater closures or reduced demand and whether studios will stick to the current release slate, said Pachter, who believes attendance will continue to be driven by content vs. virus concerns.
A new DOJ Cyber Fellowship program is designed to develop “prosecutors and attorneys equipped to handle emerging national security threats,” the agency said Friday. The program will be coordinated through the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, it said.
California’s public advocate wants a delay in updating state LifeLine wireless minimum service standards until the California Public Utilities Commission considers the impact of the federal Lifeline MSS increasing Dec. 1 to 18 GB. By failing to acknowledge the federal MSS increase, the CPUC's Aug. 6 proposed decision could mean customers lose federal support, warned the agency's independent Public Advocates Office (PAO) in comments posted Friday. California’s proposal also includes automating the renewal eligibility process and updating specific service amounts. AT&T raised concerns about how much the state plans to replace federal support for wireline services that don’t meet federal broadband minimum standards.
More than 5 million households have enrolled to date in the FCC emergency broadband benefit program, the agency said Friday. Experts welcomed the more granular data about enrollment figures that accompanied the announcement and said the program may last 18 months.