This is the second of two episodes with MIT Professor David Mindell.  In these conversations we are exploring the detailed realities of "human in the loop" systems.  In the first session we learned about the Apollo Program's lunar landing control system.  In this episode we are going to explore a contemporary human plus computer control system failure involving a US Navy warship.

We will be looking at a collision in the Singapore Strait in the pre-dawn darkness of August 21, 2017.  The National Transportation Safety Board, or NTSB, determined that the causes of the collision between the destroyer USS John S McCain and the tanker Alnic MC included a lack of effective operational oversight, insufficient training, and inadequate bridge operating procedures.  Also contributing to the accident were the McCain bridge team’s loss of situational awareness and failure to follow steering loss emergency procedures.

Mind The Gap: Episode 23: Challenges for Humans in the Loop

In this episode, Judge Elizabeth Gunn is joined by attorneys Abigail Ryan and Jason Binford to discuss the astonishing saga of a relentless debtor who turned the bankruptcy system into his personal battlefield.

It began when Abigail Ryan’s client needed to evict a tenant for unpaid rent. But instead of leaving quietly, the tenant filed for bankruptcy, halting the eviction and launching a wave of litigation. As Abigail and Jason soon discovered, he was no stranger to this tactic, filing bankruptcy petitions on the eve of evictions, contempt hearings, and other legal trouble to stall proceedings and frustrate creditors. After exhausting his welcome in state court, where he was declared a vexatious litigant, he shifted to federal court, flooding dockets with motions, adversary proceedings, and procedural maneuvers. 

Join them for a riveting exploration of legal strategy, courtroom battles, and the fight to protect the integrity of the bankruptcy system from serial abusers.

Bad Boys of Bankruptcy: S2E7: Vexatious Litigant and Serial Bankruptcy Filer

Stephen Lawrence and Thomas Thompson both sat in prison, holding the proverbial keys to their own cells, for years on end. One was alleged to have stashed assets in an offshore trust before filing for bankruptcy; the other was alleged to have stashed the golden spoils of a shipwreck beyond the reach of creditors. Joined by Professor Christopher Hampson and Mac VerStandig, Judge Gunn explores two cases where people seemingly valued riches over freedom, and how those cases yielded two of the longest stretches of civil incarceration in modern American history.

Bad Boys of Bankruptcy: S2E8: The Pirates of the Penitentiary

Host Gary J. Ross speaks with Erik Syvertsen, Chief Legal Officer of AngelList. After a brief introduction, Erik starts off the chat by outlining some of AngelList’s key offerings, including SPVs, Rolling Funds, and Roll Up Vehicles. Gary and Erik then go into how AngelList funds tend to be structured, as well as how AngelList navigates regulatory concerns such as general solicitation and the investment adviser and broker-dealer rules. The episode concludes with a conversation about regulatory trends affecting the platform and the broader venture capital ecosystem, including potential initiatives to expand VC access to retail investors.

VC Law: Episode 39: A Talk with Erik Syvertsen, Chief Legal Officer of AngelList

Host Gary J. Ross speaks with Ruth Jin, Partner at Mintz Levin, about GP-led secondary transactions, in which a general partner of a fund initiates a sale of one (or more) of its portfolio companies to a new fund, called a continuation vehicle (CV), which is typically managed by the same GP. Ruth describes the setting up and marketing of the continuation vehicle, and the options given to the current fund’s limited partners. Gary and Ruth spend significant time on the conflict of interest issues, and how they are mitigated. Ruth also touches on the necessary disclosures that must be made in the CV’s offering documents.

VC Law: Episode 40: GP-Led Secondary Transactions with Ruth Jin, Partner at Mintz Levin

In Episode 7, host Jordan L. Fischer, Esq. interviews Representative Stephanie Scialabba, a state representative in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who is using her experience in her prior career as a practicing attorney in data privacy and cybersecurity to advance the privacy rights of Pennsylvanians and create realistic solutions for evolving issues. In this episode, Representative Scialabba discusses her perspective on the legislative process around technology, privacy, and how she is approaching such a fast-paced and highly influential area of the law.

For more information on Representative Scialabba, visit: https://www.repscialabba.com/. To contact our host, Jordan L. Fischer, Esq., regarding this podcast or to inquire into becoming a guest, please contact Ms. Fischer at jordan@jordanfischer.me.

Cyber Security and Data Privacy: S5E7: A Pennsylvania Regulator's Perspective on Privacy Laws

Join us to celebrate the federal trial bench and to hear from Magistrate Judge Gina Simms, of the US District Court for the District of Maryland, as she describes her path first in public service, including a judicial clerkship, and some seventeen years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia and Maryland and as an Associate Independent Counsel tasked with investigating a former Cabinet secretary – and then in private practice for six years, where she continued to work on criminal and civil compliance and enforcement matters.    Judge Simms shares her thoughts on how to have a good day in her courtroom, and what missteps to avoid. 

Bench Talk: Episode 1: A Conversation with Magistrate Judge Gina Simms

Join us to celebrate the federal trial bench and to hear from Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr., of the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri, as he describes his path from Natchez, Mississippi, to public service as a Judge Advocate and Captain in the US AirForce JAG Corps, and then as Assistant Special Counsel-US Department of Justice in the Waco Investigation – and then to solo practice, big firm practice, and head of litigation for a leading financial services firm. Judge Epps offers his insights on how each of these positions contribute to who he is a judge today, and shares practical tips on how to have a good day in his courtroom. 

Bench Talk: Episode 2: A Conversation with Chief Magistrate Judge Willie Epps, Jr.

Host Gary J. Ross talks with Chris Harvey, Managing Partner at Harvey Esquire and a prolific LinkedIn contributor, about three bipartisan bills pending in Congress that could reshape the VC ecosystem: the Equal Opportunity for All Investors Act (HR 3339), which would create an exam-based path to accredited investor status; the Improving Capital Allocation for Newcomers Act (HR 4431), which would raise Section 3(c)(1) fund limits to 500 investors and $50 million; and the Venture Capital Advisor Flexibility Act (HR 4429), which would increase the allowable percentage of secondaries and fund-of-funds investments for exempt reporting advisers.

VC Law: Episode 41: Pending VC-Friendly Legislation with Chris Harvey

This session will set up the basis of why and when to mediate, including the benefits of mediation, figuring out whether mediation is right for your dispute, selecting the right mediator and determining the right time to mediate. Speakers: Kate Gonzalez, Senior Legal Counsel at Airbus, Chris McDonald, ADR Office of Chris McDonald.

New tracks tagged #ToTheExtentThat