Opening conversations on a “micro level” can be a catalyst for change in recognizing systemic racism and working toward equity and inclusion, said Kimberly Hulsey, a legal recruiter with Major Lindsey, during an FCBA webinar Tuesday. Ensure new associates have representation, equal access to assignments and clients, access to speaking opportunities and support for growth, said Wiley's Anna Gomez, who heads FCBA’s diversity and inclusion committee. “If management is very sincere about increasing the diversity, managers have to be tasked with that, and their compensation has to be linked to that,” said Hulsey. Employers must insist those they do business with are focused on equity and inclusion, said Clint Odom, T-Mobile vice president-strategic alliances and external affairs. Build a pipeline, so when a diversity hire on a law firm partnership track leaves, others are still on track, he said. “Your ability to hire people who are diverse is not constrained by Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act.”
Virginia could soon become the second state with a comprehensive privacy law, after California. The Senate voted 32-7 Friday to send HB-2307 to Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who's expected to sign (see bulletin). Business privacy attorneys are watching New York and Washington as possible next states and monitoring bills in Connecticut, Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Utah, they said in interviews last week. The Virginia and Washington bills are weaker than California’s mandate and would do more harm than good, privacy advocates told us.
FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr announces that Joseph Calascione, who was his acting legal adviser-wireline and consumer issues, detailed as FCC counsel to Senate Commerce Committee ... Wiley adds ex-Department of Commerce International Trade Administration Assistant Secretary-Industry and Analysis Nazak Nikakhtar as partner in International Trade Practice and co-chair of National Security Practice; she worked on e-commerce, data privacy, cybersecurity and emerging technology ... Wilkinson Barker lawyer-trademark expert Ronnie Raju promoted to partner.
The Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment will recommend the FCC support a bill on minority tax certificates, advocate for more interagency cooperation to assist libraries in providing digital services and make accessible information for newcomers to broadcasting, according to reports from the ACDDE’s working groups at the current iteration’s second-to-last virtual meeting Thursday. The committee’s charter expires in July, and the last meeting, where final recommendations will be voted on, is June 24.
Top Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are beginning to prod President Joe Biden to move swiftly to name a permanent FCC chair and nominate a third Democratic commissioner, given the agency's 2-2 deadlock. Top committee Republicans told us they oppose Biden or Senate Democrats moving quickly given the likelihood it would lead to a return of net neutrality rules like the ones the commission adopted in 2015 (see 2101060055). The Senate is processing Biden’s nominees to cabinet posts, including attorney general nominee Merrick Garland and commerce secretary nominee Gina Raimondo.
DocuSign hires Cinnamon Rogers, ex-CompTIA, as its first in-house head-global government affairs ... T-Mobile hires for government affairs Will Adams, ex-FCC (see this section, Dec. 11), as vice president-strategic policy and planning; and Clint Odom, ex-National Urban League, as vice president-strategic alliances and external affairs ... NetApp hires Kristen Verderame, who was consulting for the company, as vice president-government relations ... Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon (R) taps Public Service Commission Secretary-Chief Legal Counsel Christopher Petrie as a PSC commissioner, replacing Kara Fornstrom, who resigned for a job outside the state.
Sinclair taps Jeffrey Lewis, ex-AT&T, for chief compliance officer, new position supervising functions including regulatory, competition and privacy; broadcaster promotes Billy Robbins to vice president-general manager, WBFF Baltimore, also overseeing company’s services to WNUV Baltimore ... Rob Leathern, ex-Facebook, says he joins Google Privacy and Data Protection Office to lead product development and is a vice president; company doesn't comment ... Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and Leadership Conference Education Fund add Kiersten Thornton, ex-National Association of Home Builders and Wiley law firm, as vice president-people and culture; and Stephen Peters, ex-Modern Military Association of America, as director-media relations; and moves Tamara Chrisler to senior adviser-organizational compliance and development.
On his way out of the White House, former President Donald Trump released current and former members of his administration from their ethics pledge. He rescinded last week an executive order barring them for five years from lobbying the agency where they previously worked. Experts said in interviews this week the change means some former officials face fewer restrictions as they look for work. They still face a two-year restriction under federal law.
Department of Agriculture names Justin Maxson, who has led Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, deputy undersecretary-rural development, overseeing agencies including Rural Utilities Service, which itself hasn't named a head ... Department of Commerce names Christopher Hoff deputy assistant secretary-services, a job that Information Technology Industry Council notes "will oversee U.S. negotiations on a new data transfer agreement following the invalidation of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield framework by the European Court of Justice" in Schrems II ... Kelley Drye moves Steve Augustino to lead Communications practice, succeeding John Heitmann, who remains a partner at the firm.
Communications Decency Act Section 230 becoming a big issue was a "remarkable turn of events," FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said during an FCBA virtual event Thursday: "I still can't believe that a $740 billion defense bill got vetoed over a telecom issue." FCBA bid farewell to Pai as FCC chairman, with predecessors welcoming him to life post-commission, including Newton Minow, Richard Wiley and Julius Genachowski. Another former chairman, NCTA CEO Michael Powell, said Pai joins the "Former Chairman Hall of Lame," adding he will have to "turn in that huge Reese's mug" that Pai drinks from during monthly commissioners' meetings. Other commissioners, past and present, thanked Pai for his efforts to expand access to 5G and spectrum, among other things. Pai acknowledged there's a long line of potential successors (see 2012310023) and offered an additional suggestion: the Philadelphia Flyers mascot, Gritty. Pai cracked jokes, as FCC chiefs would do in a non-pandemic year at FCBA's annual in-person chairman's dinner. He quipped that FCBA wanted to set up the event at the Washington Hilton but instead booked it at Washington Hilton Total Landscaping. Pai joked his separation due to working from home from Commissioner Brendan Carr was "too much to bear." And in a nod to campaign ads, Pai said "at this point, I think it is only appropriate to acknowledge and to congratulate the winner of the 2020 election -- American broadcasters." He said the commission has remained busy and noted the C-band auction passed $80 billion (see 2101070053). Pai ended by raising his Reese's mug, saying there will be a "big mug to fill" (see 2011300032) and thanking staff: "We made it, and we made it together."