Ballard Spahr LLP’s Post

We’re excited to announce that Ballard Spahr will begin 2025 by combining with Lane Powell PC—a firm with strength in a range of practices and a reputation for excellence in the Pacific Northwest. Our combined firm, which will retain the name Ballard Spahr, will have more than 750 lawyers in 18 U.S. offices. Joining forces will expand the ways we can go beyond for clients. What a way to celebrate our 140th anniversary! Read more about our combination here: https://bit.ly/3XAbXQU

On Nov. 12, Sam Whitfield, Senior Vice President and Head of Congressional Affairs for the Consumer Bankers Association, will join Alan Kaplinsky and John Culhane, Jr. from our Consumer Financial Services Group for a post-election assessment of what the results of the presidential election may mean for the banking and consumer financial services industry. The panelists will discuss what legislative bills might gain traction in 2025, any expected changes to regulatory agendas, and what, if anything, will happen during the current administration’s lame duck session. Register here: https://bit.ly/487wakL #BallardBusinessAndTransactions #Election #ConsumerFinancialServices

The lawsuit we filed along with co-counsel remains in place against the Escambia County, Florida, School Board. We're working with advocacy organization PEN America and fellow plaintiffs to challenge School Board actions that "violate the Constitution and the rights of students, parents, authors and publishers,” said Lynn Oberlander, who leads the Ballard Spahr team working pro bono on the case. Read more from PEN America: https://bit.ly/4h2rZLi #ConstitutionalRights #BallardProBono #BallardLitigation

Thank you to all who joined our firm and EisnerAmper for our reception at ACG Philadelphia's M&A East, one of the largest and most significant mergers and acquisitions events in the country! We appreciated the opportunity to show our clients, alumni, and friends how much our productive working relationships mean to us.

In this week’s episode of the Consumer Finance Monitor podcast, Kaitlin Caruso from the University of Maine School of Law and Prentiss Cox from the University of Minnesota Law School join Alan Kaplinsky to discuss negative option consumer contracts, a topic on which they recently wrote an article for the American University Law Review. These agreements, which allow a seller to assume a customer’s silence is an acceptance of an offer, are ubiquitous in today’s marketplace, but, in the eyes of critics, may harm consumers. Listen in as the panelists describe how and why these agreements are used, which federal and state laws apply and where they may come up short, and what, if anything, might need to change: https://bit.ly/3Y0xscL #BallardBusinessAndTransactions #Contract #FTC

Beau Hurtig spoke to Christine DeRosa of Law360 about his decision to join Ballard Spahr’s Business and Transactions Department and Mergers and Acquisitions team in Minneapolis. "It was important to me that I join a firm that had deep strength in financial services M&A and regulatory work, coupled with strong relationships in the banking industry and financial institution sector,” he said. "I knew Ballard Spahr had those, based on 13 years of prior private practice experiences across the negotiating table, and the more I learned about the firm — its commitment to innovation, its pro bono work and connections to community, its dedication to client service — the more it became clear that this was the place for me." Read more of what Beau had to say here: https://bit.ly/4eTvGAT #BallardBusinessAndTransactions #Mergers #Acquisitions

The Maryland legislature recently passed several laws that affect pay transparency, family and medical leave, the scope of the state’s antidiscrimination laws, workplace safety, and noncompete agreements. Michelle McGeogh, Rebecca Leaf, and Katie Rodriguez, attorneys in our Labor and Employment Group, discuss the steps Maryland employers need to take to ensure compliance. Read the full advisory here: https://bit.ly/3XYejYP #BallardLitigation #LaborLaw #EmploymentLaw

Law360 wrote about the New York City Bar Association calling on Congress to put U.S. Supreme Court justices under enforceable ethics rules, in a report our lawyers David Schulz and Anna Kaul helped to draft. Read more about the report: https://bit.ly/3U3083s #USSupremeCourt #EthicsRules #BallardLitigation

On October 17, HR professionals and in-house attorneys in Arizona should join Jay Zweig, Marjorie Peerce, and Melissa (Berren) Costello at the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club for a one-hour presentation on advising on and conducting internal employment investigations. There will a full breakfast served and opportunity to network with other HR and in-house legal professions from more than 50 companies. CLE, HRCI and SHRM credits are pending. Register here: https://bit.ly/4exLeKy #BallardLitigation #LaborLaw #EmploymentLaw

The changing of the seasons is a wonderful opportunity to bring clients, alumni, and friends together for celebration and reflection. The attorneys and business professionals of our New Jersey office would like to thank everyone who joined us at Stokelan Winery to give fall a very warm welcome!