RopesTalk

On this episode of There Has to Be a Better Way?, co-hosts Zach Coseglia and Hui Chen speak with Kevin Espinoza, a former collegiate coach who moved into compliance from sales and marketing. He talks about how this unique perspective has informed his approach to build compliance programs that embed compliance within the business, with compliance professionals focused on the same business goals as their colleagues.

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s podcast series, The Sponsor’s Edge: Insights on Growth and Venture Investing, asset management counsel Catherine Skulan hosts the second of a two-part conversation between Brad Flint, partner and co-lead of Ropes & Gray’s venture investing & emerging companies practice, and Raj Banerjee, a senior associate in that practice. Brad and Raj cover some traditional means of bridging valuation gaps before discussing the emergence of additional terms and investor protection mechanisms recently taking root in the market.

Section 337 investigations at the U.S. International Trade Commission are known for their speed. But in recent years, the ITC has introduced multiple avenues designed to resolve some of these cases even more quickly—including just a few months after institution. On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s ITC-focused podcast series, Talkin’ Trade, IP litigators Matt Rizzolo, Matt Shapiro, and Brendan McLaughlin are joined by summer associate Ava Kamb to examine the development and history of the ITC’s so-called “100-day program,” as well as the more recent interim initial determination pilot program. They discuss the purpose and motivations behind these early disposition proceedings, the mechanics of how they are invoked and progress to a resolution, and consider whether these programs have lived up to expectations. 

On this episode of Ropes & Gray’s California Law for Asset Managers podcast series, asset management counsel Catherine Skulan and Chelsea Childs provide an overview of the lobbying law regime and registration requirements applicable to asset managers seeking investments from California pension plans and retirement systems.

On this episode of There Has to Be a Better Way?, co-hosts Zach Coseglia and Hui Chen talk to Dr. Rumman Chowdhury, a pioneer in the field of responsible AI. Currently a Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard, with prior leadership roles at Twitter and Accenture, Rumman has first-hand insight into the real harms of AI, including algorithmic bias. She discusses how data scientists seek to understand these problems, and the importance of trustworthiness in the future of AI development. Having recently testified before Congress about AI governance, she shares her thoughts about building a governance ecosystem where human ingenuity can flourish.  

We are pleased to introduce a new Ropes & Gray podcast series, The Sponsor’s Edge: Insights on Growth and Venture Investing, which explores a variety of subjects of importance to growth and venture fund sponsors. This series will feature attorneys from a number of practice groups at Ropes & Gray, including private funds, venture investing & emerging companies, and restructuring, as they examine issues germane to growth and venture fund sponsors in the current investment environment.On this opening episode, asset management counsel Catherine Skulan hosts the first of a two-part conversation between Brad Flint, partner and co-lead of Ropes & Gray’s venture investing & emerging companies practice, and Raj Banerjee, a senior associate in that practice. Brad and Raj discuss down rounds and their alternatives, including recapitalizations when a down round isn’t enough. Their discussion also sheds light on evolving and emerging terms that are becoming increasingly common in today’s deal landscape.Please stay tuned for the second part of their conversation, where they will cover the emergence of additional terms and investor protection mechanisms recently taking root in the market. 

On this Ropes & Gray podcast, health care counsel Leslie Thornton discusses the recent developments and trends related to at-home care coming out of the public health emergency (PHE). She talks about impacts of pandemic-era waivers and flexibilities, focusing on telehealth—including on state licensure, telefraud, HIPAA, and hospital-at-home—remote prescribing, and clinical trials, as well as the future of these flexibilities as we exit the PHE.

On this episode of There Has to Be a Better Way?, co-hosts Zach Coseglia and Hui Chen speak with researchers at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business about the value of corporate compliance programs. Compliance can be (inaccurately) perceived as a “cost center” or an “enabling function,” supporting rather than contributing to product development and business strategy. But business law and ethics professors Todd Haugh and Suneal Bedi tested this idea by assessing the role of compliance in value creation. They discuss findings from their recent study, which explores how consumers value compliance—as a unique product feature—using a statistical technique called conjoint analysis. 

On this episode of Women @ RopesTalk, hosted by health care partner Christine Moundas, life sciences regulatory & compliance counsel Beth Weinman interviews Jennifer Zachary, executive vice president and general counsel of Merck. Jennifer describes her unique trajectory from science major in college to associate chief counsel at the FDA to law firm partner and finally to her role as the top lawyer at Merck. She breaks down the differences and similarities between private and public practice, noting that the desire to protect the public health is just as strong in both places, and shares important advice for early career attorneys: work hard, seek out interesting cases, surround yourself with lawyers you admire, and make sure you’re having fun. Jennifer also describes the invaluable roles that mentorship, sponsorship and diversity efforts played in her transition in-house, and talks about the needle-moving diversity initiative she oversees at Merck.

Join Jeff Thomson, former CEO of the Global Institute of Management Accountants, Shari Littan, Director of Corporate Reporting Research at IMA, and Doug Hileman, an ESG consultant with over 40 years of experience, as they dive into the COSO Internal Control Framework for sustainability reporting. They discuss the urgent need for effective internal control in light of new sustainability requirements. The trio elaborates on the framework's evolution, its importance for transparency, and the collaboration needed across disciplines to enhance sustainability disclosures and corporate governance.