Thought Leadership - Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

Manatt Ventures VC Market Update - June 2023

The Manatt Ventures team constantly evaluates changes in the market, both for our clients and for the Manatt Venture Fund, our internal venture capital (VC) fund.

California Senate Approves Greenhouse Gas Disclosure; SEC Remains Conspicuously Silent

The California Senate passed two bills that would require climate-related disclosures from specified companies doing business in California.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration—“Essential,” but Too Little, Too Late?

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR), including carbon capture and sequestration, was once derided as little more than a corporate ploy to prolong reliance on fossil fuels.

Regulation of AI Systems is Already Here – Look to Data Protection Laws

As the scramble continues to reckon with the rapid advancement of generative artificial intelligence models like ChatGPT, Bard, DALL-E, and Midjourney, and the promise of other AI and machine learning systems (for simplicity, “AI systems”) to come, legal and business professionals across industries are asking whether these systems will be regulated, and if so, how.

Carbon Capture and Sequestration – “Essential,” But Too Little, Too Late?

Manatt Land Use Partner David Smith wrote an article for Energy Law Journal about the efforts to adopt carbon dioxide removal strategies and the necessity of enacting them to combat climate change and accomplish Paris Agreement objectives.@Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) consists of methods such as carbon capture and sequestration, direct air capture, and @net-zero@ emissions aimed at reducing the...

Startup Financing: When Is a SAFE Not So Safe?

Startups have been raising money using the Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) since it was first introduced by Y Combinator in 2013.

Startups, SAFE Act, Financing, Entrepreneurs

Manatt Represents Iron Pillar in Pando’s $30M Series B Funding

A Manatt team successfully represented Iron Pillar, a venture growth investor backing companies building from India for the world, as the lead investor in Pando’s $30 million Series B funding.

AI Has Captured the Attention of the U.S. Public—and Federal Enforcers

Four federal agencies issued a unique Joint Statement this week on enforcement priorities related to “automated systems,” including artificial intelligence.

Greenhouse Gas Disclosure Mandates Advance in California Legislature; SEC Remains Silent

Two bills that would require climate-related disclosures from specified companies doing business in California advanced in the Legislature this week.

Berkeley’s Natural Gas Ban in New Housing and Businesses Not Allowed, Says Ninth Circuit

Local or state regulations seeking to decarbonize new buildings by banning natural gas appliances or infrastructure are preempted under federal law according to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.