Husch Blackwell announced today the launch of an Internet of Things (IoT) team that brings together lawyers from across the firm’s existing practices to serve as a resource to clients in this rapidly evolving area of business. The IoT team features more than 30 attorneys from 11 offices across the firm who specialize in areas ranging from data privacy and security to financial services and regulatory compliance.
Led by partners Melinda Giftos and Andrew Schlidt and associate Bob Bowman, this cross-practice collaboration includes lawyers with relevant industry experience, including the regulation of healthcare data systems, financial services transactions, development and protection of consumer products and software, precision agriculture, 'smart-grid' electric technologies, and retail consumer products and software, IoT manufacturing platforms. For this reason, the IoT team is a natural extension of Husch Blackwell’s industry focus.
"The opportunities IoT presents are exciting and seemingly limitless, but they also come with challenges, including a largely yet-to-be developed regulatory framework. Husch Blackwell is at the forefront of these issues so that we can help our clients successfully leverage IoT in their industries," Giftos said. "As IoT rapidly continues to become more integrated in the day-to-day business operations and product/service offerings of companies, our team is there to guide them from initial planning through product launch or implementation."
"IoT is bringing together legal and strategic concerns that formerly had very little to do with one another," said Schlidt. "In effect, when you start integrating IoT technologies into the analog world of tractors and thermostats, every company becomes a technology company, and they have to think about risk and opportunity in a vastly different way."