Atlanta (November 9, 2015) – Companies that create and make smart products which rely on the Internet to deliver services have a new legal resource. Law firm Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP has launched a practice group to focus on the “Internet of Things,” or IoT. It will serve software and product developers as well as manufacturers working on all aspects of connected homes, vehicles and devices.
“More and more cars, household appliances, wearable and implantable healthcare and fitness devices, industrial sensors and other products depend on Internet connectivity,” said Partner-elect Daniel Sineway, who co-chairs the group with associate Ben Warlick. “The growing IoT sector can include everything from navigation systems to soap dispensers.”
“The technology lets smart devices deliver unprecedented service – but the businesses that produce and use them should be prepared to avoid potential data security, privacy and regulatory compliance issues,” Warlick added.
For example:
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Many IoT companies transmit and collect data – sometimes just fragments of data. Since many grey areas exist between current regulations and reality, issues could arise with federal regulators.
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Data security is extremely important, since anything connected to the Internet could possibly be hacked. Such breaches could endanger data, and in some cases, people’s physical safety and well-being.
Morris, Manning & Martin’s IoT group includes a number of attorneys in its Technology, Data Breach & Security, Intellectual Property, Corporate and other groups. In addition to Sineway and Warlick, other members of the interdisciplinary group include partners John Fry, Larry Kunin and John Harris, along with associates Bryan Stewart and Lee Strasburger. The firm already represents several IoT companies, and is also prepared to serve those just entering the market.
MMM also has a strong background with startup, early stage and growth companies. It has helped hundreds of companies with angel, venture capital and private equity funding, as well as protecting unique designs, trade secrets and other assets.
About Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Morris, Manning & Martin (www.mmmlaw.com) is an AmLaw 200 law firm with national and international reach. We dedicate ourselves to the constant pursuit of our clients’ success. To provide our clients with optimal value, we combine market-leading legal services with a total understanding of their needs to maximize effectiveness, efficiency and opportunity. MMM enjoys national prominence for its real estate, corporate, litigation, technology, healthcare, intellectual property, energy & infrastructure, capital markets, environmental, international trade, insurance, and timberland & forest products practices. MMM has offices in Atlanta, Raleigh-Durham, Savannah, Taipei, Beijing and Washington, D.C. and an alliance with GCN in São Paulo, Brazil.
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Media Contact for MMM: Terri Thornton, (404) 932-4347
