Weekly IP Buzz for the Week Ending September 12, 2020
In this week's post, we see as an economy is pushing companies into downsizing and budgeting, the use of virtual general counsel services can provide a solution for addressing legal needs without large in-house attorney salaries.
Also, the passage of Florida’s H.R. 1189 genetic data privacy law marks a new development in data privacy regulation and raises a question about genetic data as personal property.
Peace of Mind for Downsizing Companies: Virtual General Counsel
Virtual general counsel refers to experienced attorneys in a specific industry that serve companies as trusted advisors, providing legal advice and services on an as-needed basis that a company may need for a specific event or situation where additional counsel assistance becomes necessary for a period of time. It is meant be real help in a pinch as well as a money saving option.
Those attorneys that have held the General Counsel title know that they are expected to handle legal questions covering a myriad of subjects and areas of law. Even the most experienced general counsel utilize different legal teams and will at some point look to outside counsel assistance to address some legal matters. Virtual general counsel is an option to consider in finding the legal experience needed to quickly advise on or handle certain matters within a budgeted service or temporary program.
Read more here.
Florida Passes New Genetic Privacy Law: Marks Important Development in Privacy Regulation
Genetic data has become increasingly accessible as companies such as 23andMe and Ancestry.com have enjoyed continued popularity since their emergence in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The use of genetic information culled from these kits have been used by a wide range of industries ranging from health coverage to law enforcement. In July, Florida became the first U.S. state to enact a genetic privacy law that creates new prohibitions on health insurance providers when it comes to their use of genetic data.
While the U.S. government has prohibited health insurance companies from requesting genetic information when making coverage and pricing decisions since 2008, when it passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”), the new Florida law goes one step further by also prohibiting health insurance companies from using genetic data in regards to life, disability, and long-term care coverage decisions. Although it is important to note, however, that if an insured’s DNA results have been already included in their health records, an insurance provider may then legally access it.
Read the full article here.
Click to read the previous Weekly IP Buzz on Thriving Attorney.
For more posts, see our Intellectual Property Law Blog.
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In addition to Thriving Attorney, Darin M. Klemchuk is founder of Klemchuk LLP, a litigation, intellectual property, and transactional law firm located in Dallas, Texas. Click to read more about Darin Klemchuk's practice as an intellectual property lawyer.