Thought Leadership - Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Bots Beware: Website Chat Bots Become Latest Target for California Class Actions

California class action lawyers have turned their sights on a new target: websites that employ “chat bots,” digital assistants that allow companies to communicate with customers without employing live website customer service representatives.

SEC Investigates Possible Brokerage Activities Linked to Token Listings

Following the recent filing of the SEC’s insider trading complaint against a former manager of Coinbase Global, Inc. (“Coinbase”), the SEC is now investigating Coinbase.

SEC Enforcement Case Labels Some Cryptocurrency Tokens as Securities

In the long running question of whether cryptocurrency tokens are securities, the Securities and Exchange Commission has volleyed new claims against a former employee of Coinbase Global, Inc., alleging insider trading of securities listed on the exchange.

7 Ways Companies Can Harness Failure to Drive Success

In his latest column for Entrepreneur, Manatt Digital and Technology Managing Director Kalon Gutierrez examined the value of failure and how it is a necessary ingredient of success.

Justices Limit EPA Greenhouse Gas Emissions Regulation, Stop Short of What Observers Hoped/Feared

The Supreme Court severely limited the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) asserted authority to regulate greenhouse gases from existing emission sources such as coal-fired power plants.

Telehealth Model Legislation—A Comparison of AMA, FSMB and ULC Model Bills and Guidelines

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a drastic increase in telehealth utilization across the country, which meaningfully changed the way providers deliver care and illuminated novel state telehealth policy design challenges.

Health App Providers May Have Confidentiality Obligations Under State Law

The wave of new state legislation limiting abortion access has raised concerns about the privacy and security of reproductive health data not subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.

Navigating the Virtual Care Explosion: Mapping the Shifting Policy, Payment and Strategy Landscape

By March of this year, more than 61% of Americans had experienced a telehealth visit—and almost 88% want to continue using telehealth for nonurgent consultations, even after the pandemic passes, according to findings reported in Healthcare Finance.

2022–2023 State Budget Update

California legislators have passed a 2022–23 spending proposal. This year’s budget measure, Senate Bill 154, totals over 1,000 pages.

The Founder's Opportunity: What Do I Want My Company to Be When It Grows Up?

In his latest Entrepreneur column, Manatt Digital and Technology Managing Director Kalon Gutierrez discussed the importance of building a roadmap for startup companies that is aligned with founders@ future personal and professional objectives. Gutierrez noted that, just as parents conjure up archetypes for their children, entrepreneurs may have a skewed vision for their enterprises and long...