In the Public Interest

In the Public Interest launches December 8!From COVID-19 and civil unrest to climate change, the election and beyond, In the Public Interest explores the legal and policy challenges capturing the public interest. WilmerHale Partners John Walsh, a former Colorado United States Attorney, and Brendan McGuire, a former Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York, provide a front-row seat to the events making headlines. In each episode, they’ll pass the mic to those with unique perspectives on the most challenging issues of the day.Listen to the Trailer episode and subscribe today. Join us for our first episode, a discussion between Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot and WilmerHale Partner Debo Adegbile, available December 8 wherever you listen to your podcasts. 

US Commission on Civil Rights Commissioner and WilmerHale Partner Debo Adegbile and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot discuss the US Conference of Mayors’ blueprint for improving policing and promoting equal justice in America’s cities. The interview highlights the challenges of balancing the need to ensure public safety with crafting necessary reforms that protect people’s civil rights. They discuss the polarizing concept of defunding the police, the impact of COVID-19 on public safety, the importance of mayors having a seat at the table for city policymaking, and the critical responsibility of both police departments and communities in ensuring peace.Topics covered:The US Conference of Mayors’ August release of a Report on Police Reform and Racial Justice.WilmerHale served as counsel to the working group that developed the blueprint.Lightfoot’s professional background in law.Bringing policymaking to the city level, not just the federal level. Defunding the police versus ensuring an equitable distribution of resources in communities.Reexamining the job description for police officers.The impact of COVID-19 on public safety.Communities’ impatience following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others, and how the public can play a role in putting into action the blueprint from the US Conference of Mayors’ report.The Trump Administration’s view of police reform and civil unrest in contrast with that of the Obama Administration and other administrations.Other links:John Walsh’s bioBrendan McGuire’s bio

WilmerHale Partner Louis Tompros and Counsel Stephanie Lin discuss the Pepe the Frog copyright infringement case with host John Walsh. Louis, Stephanie and a team from WilmerHale assisted Matt Furie, the creator of Pepe the Frog, with enforcing his intellectual property rights to end the misappropriation of Pepe by alt-right entities. Louis and Stephanie discuss the legal actions brought on behalf of Furie, and his efforts to reclaim his work. The interview also highlights the challenges of “memeification” and how it applies to copyright protection. Links:Background on Pepe the Frog copyright cases WilmerHale Assists Pepe the Frog Creator in Enforcing IP, Striking Back at Islamophobic Children’s BookPepe the Frog’s Creator Obtains Monetary Settlement from InfowarsIn trademark law, certain marks can become generic. Copyright law doesn’t have that exception: just because something becomes extremely popular doesn’t mean that the copyright holder loses control. United Feature Syndicate, Inc. v. Jeff Koons (regarding use of Odie image from Garfield comic strip)‘Meme-ification’ Isn’t A Thing, ‘Pepe’ Artist Tells Infowars (Law360—free login required)Furie v. Infowars, LLC“Feels Good Man” documentary: The film can be viewed on various streaming platforms and on PBS. Matt Furie’s website

WilmerHale Partner David Bowker talks with Jason Rezaian, a journalist with The Washington Post and the paper’s former Tehran bureau chief who was wrongfully charged and convicted by the Iranian government on false claims of espionage. While imprisoned in Iran for 544 days, Jason was repeatedly tortured for information that he clearly did not possess. David, along with a WilmerHale team that included Ambassador Robert Kimmitt, helped obtain Jason’s release and developed a legal strategy that resulted in a $180 million judgment against the government of Iran, including $30 million in compensatory damages for Jason and his family and $150 million in punitive damages. Jason speaks about:his life in Iran before his imprisonmenthis arrest and captivityhis sham Iranian trialthe extraordinary efforts that led to his eventual releasebringing the civil case against Iranthe current state of affairs between the US and IranLinks:BBC coverage of Jason’s conviction and trial:Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian held in IranWashington Post reporter Jason Rezaian 'faces Iran spy trial'Iran trial for Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian startsUS reporter Jason Rezaian 'sentenced' in Iran over spyingIran releases Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian in prisoner swap with USU.S. judge orders Iran to pay $180 million in damages to detained Post journalist Jason Rezaian and his family (Washington Post subscription needed)WilmerHale Wins $180 Million Judgment Against Iran For Jason Rezaian And FamilyJason’s book, “Prisoner: My 44 Days in an Iranian Prison—Solitary Confinement, a Sham Trial, High-Stakes Diplomacy, and the Extraordinary Efforts It Took to Get Me Out”

WilmerHale Partners Seth Waxman and Felicia Ellsworth talk with Lawrence Bacow, the 29th President of Harvard University, about the lawsuit filed by Harvard and MIT challenging the Trump administration’s controversial directive to ban international students from the United States if they took most of their fall 2020 courses online. Waxman, Ellsworth and a team of lawyers represented the universities during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ultimately filing a lawsuit challenging the directive in a mere 23 hours and obtaining a successful result. Links:Harvard’s decision to close the campus on March 10, 2020 and the impact on students, especially international students, faculty and scholars (Boston Globe)ICE’s July 6, 2020 directive (NPR)Summary of Reversal (LawFare)Harvard President Lawrence Bacow's bioSeth Waxman's bioFelicia Ellsworth's bio

WilmerHale podcast co-host and Partner John Walsh welcomes Partner Jason Chipman, who moderates a discussion between fellow WilmerHale lawyer Matthew Ferraro and special guest Nina Schick on “deepfakes”—using synthetic media to spread misinformation or disinformation.Schick is an author, advisor and speaker who has become an expert on how technology and artificial intelligence are reshaping our society. She is the author of the 2020 book Deepfakes: The Coming Infocalypse. Ferraro, a counsel at WilmerHale, is a prolific writer on deepfakes and disinformation. Before joining WilmerHale, he worked as an intelligence officer with the US government and brings to his practice his experience in intelligence issues and national security. Chipman’s practice focuses on how the rapidly evolving world of technology interacts with the law—and the opportunities and challenges that interaction presents.Ferraro and Schick talk with Chipman about the definition and examples of deepfakes, the fast-developing technology used to create and detect deepfakes, the potential for AI technology to be used for good, and the implications of deepfakes on government, business and society as a whole.  Links: Nina Schick’s website and book, Deepfakes: The Coming InfocalypseMatthew Ferraro's bioJason Chipman's bioOrson Welles’ War of the Worlds broadcast (Smithsonian Mag)“Slick Tom Cruise Deepfakes Signal That Near Flawless Forgeries May Be Here” (NPR)“Reddit Just Shut Down the Deepfakes Subreddit” (Vice)MIT’s Center for Advanced Virtuality’s project, “In Event of Moon Disaster”“Some Deepfaker on YouTube Spent Seven Days Fixing the Shitty De-Aging in The Irishman” (Esquire)WilmerHale’s thought leadership on deepfakes

As President Biden’s first executive orders demonstrate, climate change is now at the heart of the federal environmental policy agenda. Outside of government, there’s a growing momentum among private companies to focus on and invest in renewable energy. In this episode, WilmerHale podcast co-host and Partner John Walsh welcomes Partner Peggy Otum, who leads a discussion with special guests Professor Daniel Farber and Marsden Hanna on climate change and renewable energy. Otum is the co-chair of WilmerHale’s Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Practice. Her practice focuses on representing corporate clients in a variety of environmental regulatory compliance, litigation and transactional matters. Farber is a professor at UC Berkeley’s Center for Law, Energy & the Environment, and Hanna is the Head of Sustainability and Climate Policy at Google. Farber and Hanna discuss how the Biden Administration is reinvigorating efforts around climate change regulation, the growing commitment from private companies like Google to counteract climate change (and why they’re doing it), the role of technology in addressing climate change, and what they expect to see from the Biden Administration in the march toward sustainability. Links:Professor Daniel Farber’s bioSustainability.googleUC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the EnvironmentBiden’s Executive Orders (CNN)“Here’s how Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure plan addresses climate change" (CNBC)Renewable Energy Buyers AllianceGoogle’s Environmental Insights ExplorerClimate TraceUN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (COP26)

This episode profiles Dewey Bozella, a former professional boxer and WilmerHale client who spent 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Bozella is interviewed by WilmerHale Partner Ross Firsenbaum and former WilmerHale lawyer Shauna Friedman, two of the lawyers who worked tirelessly to establish his innocence and secure his freedom. Bozella speaks about the circumstances that led up to his arrest and wrongful conviction, his multiple trials and the injustices that kept him imprisoned, and how he’s maintained a resilient and positive mindset despite the overwhelming challenges he’s faced during his life.Bozella’s story of courage and perseverance has inspired millions across the country. In 2011, Bozella was honored at ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards show as the recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award, and in 2012, ESPN aired a 60-minute documentary entitled “26 Years: The Dewey Bozella Story,” which chronicled Bozella’s quest to earn his freedom and pursuit of his single dream to fight a professional boxing match as a free man. 

In today’s interconnected world, personal information has never been more broadly collected and analyzed by governments and corporations alike, making it imperative that we understand, enforce and update privacy laws in order to safeguard individual privacy. In this episode, WilmerHale podcast co-host and Partner John Walsh welcomes two national leaders in privacy law of all kinds: Partner Kirk Nahra and guest Stacey Gray.Nahra is the co-chair of WilmerHale’s Big Data and Cybersecurity and Privacy Practices. Among his other accolades, he is the winner of the 2021 Vanguard Award from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)—one of the most prestigious in the privacy field—which recognizes one IAPP member each year who demonstrates exceptional leadership, knowledge and creativity in privacy and data protection. Gray is a Senior Counsel at the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) and leads FPF’s engagement on federal and state privacy legislation. Prior to leading FPF’s legislative engagement, she spent several years focusing on the privacy implication of data collection in online and mobile advertising, platform regulation, cross-device tracking, Smart Homes, and the Internet of Things. Nahra and Gray talk with Walsh about the challenges of having states with different privacy laws and why that may ultimately drive a single national law. They also dive into consumer consent and the complexities of regulating the collection and sharing of personal data. The episode wraps up with tips for individuals and companies to keep in mind when considering privacy and personal data.Links:General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)Future of Privacy ForumStacey Gray's bioWilmerHale's Privacy and Cybersecurity Law blogKirk Nahra's bio

In July 2020, the death penalty attracted national attention when the Trump Administration and the Department of Justice reinstituted federal executions for the first time in more than 17 years. Ultimately, the administration carried out an unprecedented 13 executions in six months. The death penalty continues to make headlines today amid several recent important developments. In this episode, WilmerHale podcast co-host and Partner John Walsh welcomes Partner Seth Waxman and guest Professor Carol Steiker for an in-depth discussion of the death penalty in America. Waxman, who is the co-chair of WilmerHale’s Appellate and Supreme Court Litigation Practice, served as Solicitor General of the United States from 1997 through January 2001. He is one of the country’s foremost appellate advocates, including in death penalty cases. He has represented death row inmates over the course of 36 years while in private law practice, and has argued and won several death penalty cases in the US Supreme Court. Those victories include Roper v. Simmons, in which the Court declared the death penalty unconstitutional for juvenile offenders. Most recently, Waxman was part of a team of WilmerHale lawyers who represented Wes Purkey, a federal inmate who was executed in July 2020.   Steiker is the Henry J. Friendly Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and the Harvard faculty sponsor of the Capital Punishment Clinic. She served as the faculty co-director of the Harvard Criminal Justice Policy Program from 2015–2020. A former law clerk for US Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, Professor Steiker focuses on criminal justice, with an emphasis on issues related to capital punishment. She is an author on death penalty matters, including the recent book Courting Death: The Supreme Court and Capital Punishment, which she co-authored with her brother Jordan Steiker, a professor at the University of Texas School of Law. Links:Carol Steiker’s books, Courting Death: The Supreme Court and Capital Punishment and Criminal Procedure Stories: An In-Depth Look at Leading Criminal Procedure CasesCharles L. Black, Jr.'s book, Capital Punishment: The Inevitability of Caprice and MistakeJack Carlton House caseDeath Penalty Information Center (see page about Race and the death penalty)Most Americans Favor the Death Penalty Despite Concerns About Its Administration (Pew Research...

WilmerHale podcast co-hosts and Partners Brendan McGuire and John Walsh welcome Partner Brittany Amadi, who is joined by guests Malini Moorthy and Ajit Narang to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at Medtronic. Amadi is a partner at WilmerHale who focuses her practice on intellectual property litigation at the trial and appellate stages. She was recently named a National Bar Association “40 Under 40 – Nation’s Best Advocates” honoree for 2021. These annual awards recognize the nation’s top lawyers under the age of 40 who exemplify a broad range of high achievement in the legal field, including in advocacy, innovation, vision, leadership and overall legal and community involvement. She was also recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as a “Woman Worth Watching in STEM.” Moorthy is vice president and chief deputy general counsel and Narang is chief counsel of pelvic health at Medtronic, a global leader in medical technology, services and solutions. Medtronic is leading the way in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the legal field by adopting a collaborative approach to engage outside counsel.Amadi, Moorthy and Narang share their perspectives on how companies and law firms can work together to foster opportunities and increase awareness to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace. 

From COVID-19 and civil unrest to climate change, the election and beyond, In the Public Interest explores the legal and policy challenges capturing the public interest. WilmerHale law firm Partners John Walsh and Brendan McGuire provide a front-row seat to the events making headlines. In each episode of season one, they passed the mic to those with unique perspectives on the most challenging issues of the day.In this wrap-up episode, McGuire and Walsh look back on the season and share episode highlights, reflect on the process of recording a podcast, and chat about memorable challenges along the way.

Announcing Season 2 of In the Public Interest, a podcast from WilmerHale! Tune in for an update on our hosts and a preview of what to expect this season.From international human rights and reproductive rights to cryptocurrency, the environment and beyond, this podcast explores the legal and policy challenges capturing the public interest. WilmerHale law firm Partners John Walsh, former Colorado United States Attorney, and Felicia Ellsworth, Vice Chair of the firm's Litigation Department, provide a front-row seat to the events making headlines. In each episode, they pass the mic to those with unique perspectives on the most challenging issues of the day.

In this episode, In the Public Interest welcomes WilmerHale Partner Alyssa DaCunha, who speaks with Walmart’s Executive Vice President of Global Governance, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary Rachel Brand. In her role, Brand oversees hundreds of employees in the company's legal, compliance, ethics, corporate security, corporate governance, digital citizenship, aviation and investigative functions. Before Walmart, Brand spent more than a decade in government, working for three different administrations and serving most recently as the United States Associate Attorney General. She also previously spent time in the private sector, including a stint at WilmerHale.DaCunha’s practice focuses on government and internal investigations and crisis management assistance. She has represented major corporations and individuals in congressional, white collar and civil matters, and has extensive experience representing companies facing parallel proceedings, including cross-border investigations, civil and criminal litigation, and state attorney general inquiries. DaCunha speaks with Brand about her unique and impressive legal career, working at Walmart, and how her years of experience in government and in the private sector have shaped her as a leader today.

In the Public Interest welcomes Partner Kim Parker, who speaks with Helene Krasnoff, the Vice President of Public Policy Litigation & Law at Planned Parenthood, and Dr. Amna Dermish from Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas. Planned Parenthood is a nonprofit organization that provides reproductive healthcare services in the United States and around the world. The organization has also been a key player in challenging laws that restrict abortion rights and access in the United States.Their discussion focuses on two recent US Supreme Court cases with major implications for reproductive rights: Whole Woman’s Health v. Jackson, a case that challenges a Texas law that bans abortion once cardiac activity is detectable in the pregnancy, typically at 6 weeks, and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case that involves a Mississippi law that bans abortions after 15 weeks, with Mississippi also asking the Court to overturn longstanding precedents like Roe vs. Wade, which would then potentially allow states to ban all abortions.Parker is the vice chair of WilmerHale’s Litigation/Controversy Department and co-chair of the firm’s Pro Bono and Community Service Committee. Parker has represented Planned Parenthood and other reproductive health providers in numerous legal challenges over the past 20 years. In the Jackson Women’s Health Organization case, Parker and a team of WilmerHale lawyers helped several leading medical organizations file a brief in support of Jackson Women’s Health, arguing that access to abortion is a critical part of reproductive healthcare.At Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA), Krasnoff leads a team of attorneys who challenge attempts to restrict access to reproductive health care, advise Planned Parenthood affiliates around the country about the legal issues raised by such attempts, and assist with PPFA’s efforts to influence state and federal legislation in order to improve access to reproductive health services. She has been with PPFA since 2000 and has been in a lead counsel, co-counsel, or supervisory position in dozens of challenges at every level of the state and federal courts to laws and policies that limit the availability of reproductive health care services. She has also worked with members and staff on Capitol Hill on many pieces of legislation, including the Affordable Care Act.Dr. Dermish is a board certified OB/GYN with fellowship training in Complex Family Planning. She received her medical degree from the University of Colorado, followed by residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia and fellowship training at the University of Utah, where she also completed a master's degree in Clinical Investigation. Dr. Dermish is currently the Regional Medical Director for Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas where she also provides abortion care and oversees their transgender healthcare services, including gender affirming hormone therapy. Her clinical and research interests are in addressing barriers to accessing reproductive and sexual healthcare.Related Resources: Brief amici curiae of Planned Parenthood of Greater Texas Surgical Health Services, et al. What you need to know about Texas’ new abortion ban effective Sept. 1, 2021 (SB 8) (Planned Parenthood)SCOTUSblog: Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s...

In the Public Interest welcomes renowned environmental activist and former Argentine Secretary of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Romina Picolotti, who speaks with WilmerHale Senior Associate Kelsey Quigley and Counsel Jessica Lutkenhaus. This episode focuses on the important intersection of climate justice and human rights, and highlights the work of environmental defenders around the world—and the threats that they sometimes face. Picolotti has filed a claim before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, challenging Argentina’s criminal prosecution of her for a crime that she did not commit, and which she alleges is politically motivated and filed in retaliation for her groundbreaking environmental justice efforts. The case has been stagnating in Argentine courts for nearly 15 years, and is just one example of how judicial and criminal processes around the world have sometimes been used to threaten and intimidate environmental defenders—at a time when their work fighting the climate crisis is ever more important. Quigley and Lutkenhaus are two of the lawyers on Picolotti’s WilmerHale legal team, which also includes Partner David Bowker and Associate Courtney Murray, who both deserve special thanks for their work on this case.Quigley focuses her practice on representing individuals and corporations involved in investigations, enhancing regulatory compliance, and complex litigation/controversies. She is part of the firm’s globally renowned litigation team, and is active in pro bono matters involving human rights and critical issues related to Latin America. Lutkenhaus represents corporations and individuals in criminal defense and civil and government regulatory litigation matters, and has substantial experience in government and internal investigations. Lutkenhaus was selected as WilmerHale’s 2019 Pickering fellow and spent six months at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). She also represents pro bono clients in various matters, including one alleging numerous violations of the American Convention for Human Rights.Related Resources:Report on the Misuse of Criminal Justice Systems to Retaliate Against Environmental DefendersInforme sobre el uso indebido de sistemas de justicia penal para tomar represalias contra los defensoras y defensores del ambientePetition Alleging Violations of the Human Rights of Environmental Defender Romina Picolotti by the Republic of ArgentinaPetición...

In honor of those who serve our country, WilmerHale’s In the Public Interest podcast is proud to highlight our nation’s veterans and the work being done by the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP). WilmerHale has had the privilege of assisting former members of the United States Armed Forces who apply for combat-related disability services.We are first joined by Rochelle Bobroff, director of NVLSP’s pro bono program Lawyers Serving Warriors®, to discuss the impactful work being done to help veterans. The NVLSP is a national nonprofit organization that has worked since 1981 to ensure that the government delivers to our nation's 22 million veterans and active duty personnel the benefits to which they are entitled because of disabilities resulting from their military service. The NVLSP has been able to support hundreds of veterans in securing vital benefits.We are then joined by Rob, a veteran who served in Afghanistan, and WilmerHale Partner Amy Doberman, who worked on his case. While Doberman has more than 25 years of experience in securities and financial services, she has also dedicated her practice to working with veterans and helping them apply for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC). Rob served as a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps for 12 years, including during the war in Afghanistan. He was medically retired in 2019 after sustaining serious injuries in the line of duty and was able to secure CRSC with the help of Doberman and the NVLSP. Before his retirement, Rob was stationed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where he served three tours of duty between 2009 and 2013.Related Resources:Lawyers Serving Warriors® (LSW) ProgramNational Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP)

Over the last two years, one topic has dominated headlines and conversation across the world: the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, new variants of the coronavirus have emerged, but so too have vaccines, antiviral treatments, mask mandates and more. In this episode, co-host and Partner Felicia Ellsworth is joined by fellow Partner Thomas Strickland to discuss the current landscape of COVID-19 with one of the nation’s leading authorities on the pandemic, Andy Slavitt. Slavitt is a former senior advisor to the White House’s pandemic response team under President Biden and a former consultant to WilmerHale. Prior to serving on Biden’s COVID-19 response team, Slavitt served as the acting administrator of the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services under President Obama. He is the author of “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response,” and host of his own podcast, “In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt.” Strickland served as Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks for the United States Department of the Interior during the Obama Administration. He also served as United States Attorney for the District of Colorado and Chief Legal Officer at UnitedHealth Group.  Ellsworth and Strickland speak with Slavitt about the trajectory of COVID-19 over the next few months and the politicization of the pandemic response. They also delve into the complex patchwork of local and state government policies to combat COVID-19 infection rates. The episode wraps up with an eye toward the future, attempting to answer one salient question: are we ready for the next pandemic?Related Resources:Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus ResponseIn the Bubble with Andy SlavittObama’s health care guru has been right so far about coronavirus. His message: This will be over, but it’ll hurt. (Chicago Tribune)Ex-Obama official who helped fix botched healthcare.gov rollout to join Biden’s Covid-19 team (CNN)The Health 202: Andy Slavitt describes life on the White House coronavirus task force (The Washington Post)What COVID might look like in the U.S. once we reach the endemic phase (NPR)

Cryptocurrency continues to dominate the headlines, from starting the year at a high with major TV ads to questions in recent weeks about the stability of the market. In this episode of In the Public Interest, co-host and Partner John Walsh is joined by fellow Partners Tiffany Smith and Zachary Goldman to explore the world of Web3 with Jai Ramaswamy. Ramaswamy is the Chief Legal Officer at Andreessen Horowitz—otherwise known as “A16Z,” an ode to the practice of shortening long words used repeatedly in code by taking the first and last letter of a word and the number of letters in between. Prior to joining A16Z, Ramaswamy served as the Chief Risk and Compliance Officer at cLabs. He has over a decade of experience at the Justice Department, first serving as a prosecutor focused on white collar crime and cybercrime in the Southern District of New York and later as Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section. Ramaswamy also worked in the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section at the Justice Department. Smith and Goldman regularly advise clients on regulatory issues related to cryptocurrency and the broader FinTech sector. Both write frequently on regulatory developments affecting the Web3 space, including cryptocurrency and stablecoins. Smith, Goldman and Ramaswamy probe the many applications of decentralized systems in Web3, from cryptocurrency to NFTs and beyond. Ramaswamy shares why he believes regulatory concerns—not technology issues—will be the principal roadblock in this new decentralized ecosystem. The episode also touches on the delicate balancing act of promoting innovation while mitigating the emerging risks associated with decentralized computing.

On August 15, 2021, the Taliban overthrew the Afghan government shortly after the United States announced it would withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. In the weeks that followed, the US government evacuated over 120,000 US citizens and Afghan allies from Afghanistan, and the United States welcomed 76,000 Afghans as refugees, most as humanitarian parolees. While many Afghans are now safe in the United States, thousands more are waiting for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Agency (USCIS) to review their applications for humanitarian parole.  In this episode, co-host and Partner John Walsh is joined by Senior Associate Alexandra Stanley to hear from Mr. Ahmed, an Afghan refugee who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. Mr. Ahmed worked as a translator for the U.S. military in Afghanistan beginning in 2011, and as a result, his life was put in immediate danger when the Taliban took over the country in 2021. Alexandra Stanley is a senior associate who focuses her practice on complex securities enforcement matters and investigations and has dedicated her pro bono practice to assisting Afghan refugees applying for humanitarian parole.   Today, Mr. Ahmed shares the story of his flight from Afghanistan and his experience living through the Taliban takeover. Walsh and Stanley speak with Mr. Ahmed about his heroic endeavors to help 109 refugees escape Afghanistan, his work with WilmerHale to help other Afghans apply for humanitarian parole, and the work that is still to be done.  As of June 2, 2022, USCIS has only approved 297 humanitarian parole applications, while over 90% of reviewed applications have been denied. These applications can take more than a year to be reviewed, leaving families to continue hiding from the Taliban in Afghanistan or in neighboring countries, hoping the United States will grant them a safe place to restart their lives. Mr. Ahmed reminds listeners of the thousands of other refugees, many of whom worked shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. government, who remain in peril.