Now more than ever, technology is influencing the way we do business, communicate, move through and around the world, access and manage our homes, receive and administer healthcare, make purchases, secure information, and protect our most valuable property. Morrison Foerster keeps pace with this rapidly evolving landscape across our internationally recognized corporate, finance, intellectual property, and litigation practices. MoFo Tech brings together our insights relating to fields such as blockchain and distributed ledger, cloud and as-a-service technologies, driverless cars, drones, fintech, computer hardware and software, the Internet of Things, semiconductors, and telecommunications. The MoFo Tech blog offers real-time, in-depth analyses of the trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry.<h2>ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Scott Llewellyn’s practice focuses on complex litigation in federal and state courts around the country, with an emphasis on patent and trade secret disputes. Over the past decade, he has worked on some of the most significant, high–profile IP cases involving technology for televisions, smartphones, and self–driving cars, relying on 40 years of experience with computer hardware and software. Scott also has significant experience with business divorce cases before courts and arbitrators, involving a mix of trade secret, patent, tort, and contract claims relating to technology development and implementation.Scott also has successfully tried general commercial arbitration and agency matters, briefed and argued various appeals in federal appellate court, and tried more than 20 cases for the Denver City Attorney’s office, most of them jury trials.Scott also has an active pro bono practice, having worked on a variety of criminal and immigration appeals, and having represented Colorado criminal defense and mental health organizations in high–profile suits against the state of Colorado for violations of the constitutional rights of defendants.At MoFo, Scott serves on the board of the Morrison & Foerster Foundation. In the broader legal community, he serves on the boards of the Colorado Lawyers Committee and Drop in the Bucket (a charity that builds wells and sanitation systems in sub–Saharan Africa).After law school, Scott clerked for the Honorable Clarence A. Brimmer, District of Wyoming, and the Honorable Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain, Ninth Circuit. He was also previously an adjunct professor at the Georgetown University Law Center.

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Scott Llewellyn’s practice involves complex litigation before state and federal courts around the country, with an emphasis on patent and trade secret disputes for high-tech companies, to which he brings more than 35 years of experience with computer hardware and software, in particular relating to the processing and transmission of audio, video, voice, and other types of data. Mr. Llewellyn has also tried commercial arbitration and agency matters; briefed and argued various appeals in federal appellate court; and tried more than 20 cases for the Denver city attorney’s office, most of them jury trials.

Scott F. Llewellyn

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MoFo Tech brings together legal insights and in-depth analyses on trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry, covering fields such as blockchain and distributed ledger, cloud and SaaS technologies, driverless cars, drones, FinTech, computer hardware and software, the IoT, semiconductors, and telecommunications.

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MoFo Tech brings together legal insights and in-depth analyses on trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry, covering fields such as blockchain and distributed ledger, cloud and SaaS technologies, driverless cars, drones, FinTech, computer hardware and software, the IoT, semiconductors, and telecommunications.

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At the Intersection of Technology, Law, and Business

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AI Executive Order – Patent Issues

What's the Forecast for Tech M&A?

Top 10 Considerations in Licensing Cleantech Innovations

High Walls and Small Gardens: Biden Administration Unveils Outbound Investment Screening

AI Leaders Commit to White House Supported Guidelines

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When most people think of autonomous vehicles (AVs), expansive highways filled with driverless sports utility vehicles and 18-wheelers likely spring to mind. But there’s another whole category of driverless vehicles in need of regulation: personal delivery devices (PDDs), small autonomous vehicles that mostly use sidewalks and driveways and are designed primarily for last-mile logistics.Find out which U.S. states already have PDD regulations in place, and how drastically those state regulations vary.Read our <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/publications/180302-personal-delivery-devices.html">Client Alert</a>.

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Tessa Schwartz has an active practice counseling companies on intellectual property issues, and negotiating complex intellectual property and commercial agreements. She advises on a range of strategic transactions, including key patent licenses and acquisitions, technology procurement agreements, and complex development, collaboration, joint-venture and distribution deals. 

Tessa J. Schwartz

Tessa Schwartz has an active practice counseling companies on intellectual property and technology transactions issues, and negotiating complex intellectual property and commercial agreements.

Tessa Schwartz

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Personal Delivery Devices (PDD): New Transportation Frontiers Emerge for Autonomous Vehicle Rulemakers

USDOT Issues New Policy on Development and Deployment of Automated Vehicle Technologies

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When most people think of autonomous vehicles (AVs), expansive highways filled with driverless sports utility vehicles and 18-wheelers likely spring to mind. Bu

Personal Delivery Devices (PDD): New Transportation Frontiers Emerge for Autonomous Vehicle Rulemakers

New regulations from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles are the first in the nation to allow permits for the testing—and the post-testing deployment—of automatic vehicles (AVs) without a human driver present in the vehicle.California’s new regulations aren’t without significant requirements, however. Find out what qualifications must be fulfilled to permissibly test and deploy a vehicle that is not carrying a human driver in California. And learn the status of federal self-driving policy, which is developing at a slower rate than California’s but is nevertheless maintaining some momentum.Read our <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/publications/180228-california-driverless-cars.html" target="_blank">Client Alert</a>.

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California Opens the Road to Fully Driverless Cars; Federal Policymaking Slowly Rolls Forward

California Opens the Road to Fully Driverless Cars; Federal Policymaking Slowly Rolls Forward

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New regulations from California’s Department of Motor Vehicles are the first in the nation to allow permits for the testing—and the post-testing deployment—of a

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in September 2016 released a policy that affects stakeholders in the autonomous-vehicle-technology (AV technology) industry. The policy, among other things:<ul><li>Requires entities that are planning to develop AV technology to submit to the USDOT a detailed report enabling the agency to assess the technology’s safety;</li><li>Provides that, until an AV technology is fully automated, state law will regulate issues including the technology’s licensing and insurance requirements;</li><li>Cites regulatory resources that the USDOT can access to expedite the development and deployment of AV technologies; and </li><li>Contemplates data-collection practices transparent enough to facilitate the sharing of information among AV-technology stakeholders and to expedite the development and deployment of AV technologies.</li></ul>The USDOT accepted stakeholders’ comments on this policy for 60 days following its September 20, 2016 release and expects to update the policy every year.Read the full Client Alert <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/publications/160919-autonomous-vehicles.html" target="_blank">here</a>.

USDOT Issues New Policy on Development and Deployment of Automated Vehicle Technologies

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) in September 2016 released a policy that affects stakeholders in the autonomous-vehicle-technology (AV technology)

On May 19, 2017, a federal appellate court struck down part of the FAA’s attempt to safely monitor and integrate small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) into the national airspace. The D.C. Circuit found that the FAA’s Registration Rule, which was promulgated in December 2015 and subject to an expedited rulemaking process, directly conflicted with the FAA’s enabling statute, the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (the “2012 Act”).Before the Registration Rule, model aircraft flown for hobby or recreation were not required to register. Despite conflicting with the 2012 Act, the FAA’s Registration Rule applied equally to both commercial and hobbyist operators.  The Registration Rule was therefore immediately challenged by model aircraft pilots.The D.C. Circuit’s decision was unequivocal: “Section 336 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act prohibits the FAA from promulgating ‘any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft.’”The FAA is considering its options; we believe it may be more fruitful for the FAA to seek assistance from Congress than to seek certiorari from the Supreme Court. In the meantime, model aircraft operators need not comply with the Registration Rule.Read the full <a href="https://www.mofo.com/resources/publications/170623-faa-lacks-authority.html" target="_blank">Client Alert</a>.

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A Simple Case of Statutory Interpretation: The FAA Lacks Authority to Require Model Aircraft Operators to Register

A Simple Case of Statutory Interpretation: The FAA Lacks Authority to Require Model Aircraft Operators to Register

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On May 19, 2017, a federal appellate court struck down part of the FAA’s attempt to safely monitor and integrate small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) into the n

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that, as of April 14, 2017, the restrictions that apply to drone flights near populated areas and airports will also apply to drone flights near 133 military facilities.The first airspace restrictions to apply specifically and solely to drones, these new rules will restrict drone flights within 400 feet of the lateral boundaries of the military facilities. Theoretically, failure to comply with them could result in criminal and civil penalties, but the Department of Justice has yet to prosecute a criminal action against a non-compliant drone operator.Read the full <a href="http://dcdownload.mofo.com/transportation-and-infrastructure/faa-announces-first-ever-drone-specific-airspace-restrictions/" target="_blank">Client Alert</a>.

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FAA Announces First-Ever Drone-Specific Airspace Restrictions

FAA Announces First-Ever Drone-Specific Airspace Restrictions

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that, as of April 14, 2017, the restrictions that apply to drone flights near populated areas and airports w

Topic Archives: Artificial Intelligence

Personal Delivery Devices (PDD): New Transportation Frontiers Emerge for Autonomous Vehicle Rulemakers

By: Tessa J. Schwartz

California Opens the Road to Fully Driverless Cars; Federal Policymaking Slowly Rolls Forward

By: Tessa J. Schwartz

USDOT Issues New Policy on Development and Deployment of Automated Vehicle Technologies

A Simple Case of Statutory Interpretation: The FAA Lacks Authority to Require Model Aircraft Operators to Register

FAA Announces First-Ever Drone-Specific Airspace Restrictions