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Carlton Fields is dedicated to addressing the full spectrum of technology companies' legal needs. We work both with established tech companies and with growth-stage firms on cutting-edge intellectual property, corporate, employment, and privacy and cybersecurity matters.

Technological advances are constant, rapid, and unrelenting. To address these challenges effectively and efficiently, Carlton Fields employs an integrated team approach to help our clients develop, protect, and capitalize on their technology assets and to help them rapidly grow their businesses. In every stage of our technology clients' life cycles, we render counsel with the goal of helping our clients succeed.

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Aviation

Blockchain and Digital Currency

EdTech

Esports and Electronic Gaming

Fintech

Health Care Tech and Electronic Health Records

Insurtech

IT, IT infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

Online Commerce

Software, Mobile Applications, and Software as a Service (SaaS)

Telecommunications

AdTech

New business and regulatory challenges are emerging daily for businesses in the adtech space, and Carlton Fields’ team is uniquely equipped to assist advertisers, agencies, publishers, digital advertising companies, and technology businesses with regulatory compliance, privacy consulting, data rights and ownership, terms of service, brand and intellectual property protection, M&A support, contract review, and other day-to-day technology transaction needs. Learn more about our capabilities in adtech.

Aviation

Our aviation practice employs several licensed pilots, and we have advised international and domestic aircraft manufacturers and pilots in all manner of regulatory, litigation, and intellectual property disputes. We have particular recent experience with the use of unmarred aerial vehicles and drones, including their use in construction and survey projects and in high-density areas. We also support companies that provide software and hardware services to aviation clients and transit systems more broadly. Learn about our capabilities within the aviation industry.

Blockchain and Digital Currency

Carlton Fields has worked for years not just to respond to the laws applicable to blockchain and cryptocurrency but also to develop that legal regime alongside our clients, who are themselves technology and business innovators in this space. Carlton Fields has taken a forward-looking approach to working with clients on blockchain-related issues, including those arising from the use of cryptocurrencies and smart contracts. For growth-stage companies, including exchanges, we provide cost-effective regulatory, litigation, and transactional support and outside general counsel services. For established companies, including financial services firms and merchants, we partner with in-house professionals and business leaders to integrate blockchain technologies and work with cryptocurrency while minimizing legal risk. Learn more about our capabilities in blockchain and digital currencies.

EdTech

Carlton Fields has long been trusted outside counsel to K-12 schools and colleges and universities, including some of the top private boarding schools and universities where we serve as outside general counsel. Our technology attorneys partner with this education practice to serve companies that provide software, hardware, and related consulting solutions to education customers. This support includes contract review, employment and outsourcing advice, M&A, intellectual property services, and, when necessary, litigation on intellectual property and complex billing disputes. Learn about our capabilities within the education industry.

Esports and Electronic Gaming

Our team of technology lawyers stretches across practices and disciplines to provide innovative and tailored solutions to help our clients reach their legal and business goals in esports and electronic gaming. We combine our passion for technology and video games with our collective experience in key industries to deliver comprehensive legal services — both traditional and emerging. Our attorneys are thought leaders for esports, and we represent teams (both private and collegiate), individual talent, investors, and promoters and leagues. We also assist growth-stage companies that market to the industry. We work with publishers and content developers on corporate and employment matters, and to protect their intellectual property. Learn about our capabilities in esports and electronic gaming.

Fintech

Carlton Fields has worked with financial services clients since our inception 120 years ago, and we have grown alongside our clients as fintech and payment technologies have made traditional banking and insurance services more accessible than ever. We support traditional banks, financial services firms, private equity, and venture capital, as well as the growth-stage companies whose ideas are fueling an explosion of innovation in fintech. We have particular experience in legal services to the crowdfunding industry and service providers in the insurance space. Learn about our capabilities in financial services and regulatory industries.

Health Care Tech and Electronic Health Records

Our traditional health care practice has long included legal advice on emerging technologies, including sophisticated medical devices for patient care and, in the back office, electronic health records, medical billing, and records processing. This has included regulatory support, intellectual property protection, contract review, and privacy and cybersecurity advice, in this highly regulated space. In the past year, we have also advised on a number of cutting-edge telehealth and telemedicine issues. Our work for providers of electronic medical billing services, software, and support has included internal investigations, government investigations, and class action defense. Learn about our capabilities within the health care industry.

Insurtech

Our attorneys have worked closely with in-house legal departments and service providers to the insurance industry as the past 10 years have seen cosmic shifts in the delivery of underwriting, claims adjusting, and marketing of those services. We have supported service provider clients whose customers include property and casualty, automotive, hurricane, and life insurance carriers and brokers. Our industry clients — the insurers and brokers themselves — are some of the largest insurance and reinsurance companies and insurance brokerages in the world, and we assist them in innovating and developing this technology, including through incubators. We bring this deep industry experience to scale when serving growth-stage customers and disrupters that are pushing technology forward. We provide regulatory, employment, intellectual property, and privacy support, as some of our work.

IT, IT Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

Carlton Fields has provided legal support to information technology and IT infrastructure clients, and recent work has included cloud providers and data centers in transactions, employment, regulatory, and litigation. We also work closely with the growing cybersecurity industry, including managed security service providers, and such work has included M&A support, privacy consulting, and contract review. Our team includes former computer engineers and former federal cyber prosecutors. Learn about our capabilities in cybersecurity and data privacy.

Online Commerce

Carlton Fields represents some of the largest online retailers and marketplaces throughout the country, as well as companies that do business online with the public and those that support the electric and physical sides of the supply chain. Our work includes protection of intellectual property, employment advice, and cybersecurity and privacy concerns. We also represent insurance carriers and brokers, including P&C carriers and health insurance brokers, with substantial direct-to-consumer internet presence. While our legal support is holistic for our clients' needs in online commerce, our recent experience has included corporate transactions, consumer litigation (including class actions), and cybersecurity incident response.

Software, Mobile Applications, and Software as a Service (SaaS)

Our litigators and intellectual property attorneys, including former software engineers, have represented software and SaaS companies for years. We also have substantial experience with mobile applications, in providing legal services both to established developers and to growth-stage companies and individual entrepreneurs. Our work includes monitoring intellectual property portfolios, often at a fixed monthly cost, to ensure appropriate protections and enforcement. Recent projects have included support for distance learning software and infrastructure, including issues raised under COPPA for data collection on minors. Our attorneys also have substantial experience providing legal support to virtual reality and simulations projects.

Telecommunications

Our telecommunications practice is nationally recognized, and we serve some of the largest mobile and telecommunications providers in the world. Recent legal issues on which our attorneys have assisted include significant mergers and acquisitions, the development of fraud recovery programs, cybersecurity advice and incident response (including as to consumer proprietary network information), and legal issues involving 5G and related technology. Learn about our capabilities within the telecommunications industry.

All Insights

 No Password Required: Threat Intelligence Analyst at Recorded Future, the Ransomware Sommelier, and a Guy With a Mildly Exciting Expense Account

No Password Required: Threat Intelligence Analyst at Recorded Future, the Ransomware Sommelier, and a Guy With a Mildly Exciting Expense Account

September 22, 2023

Allan Liska is a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future. In this episode, Allan returns to No Password Required to talk with Carlton Fields attorney Jack Clabby and KnowBe4’s Kayley Melton about his experiences in the ever-evolving battlefield of cyber threats, what has changed in ransomware since his first time on the show, and his perspective on the power of AI in the battle against cyber threats.

No Password Required: CEO of Paragon Cyber Solutions, Family-Night Game Champion, and Calculated-Risk Taker

No Password Required: CEO of Paragon Cyber Solutions, Family-Night Game Champion, and Calculated-Risk Taker

September 5, 2023

Courtney H. Jackson is the CEO of Paragon Cyber Solutions, a Tampa-based cybersecurity solutions provider. If Courtney’s name sounds familiar, that may be because she was awarded the Global 2022 Cybersecurity Woman Entrepreneur of the Year! In addition, Courtney is a 2023 Business Woman of the Year Honoree and a veteran of the U.S. Navy, where she was introduced to the world of cyber and IT.

No Password Required: Founder of Cyber Security Unity, Member of the Order of the British Empire, and Appreciator of '80s Soap Operas

No Password Required: Founder of Cyber Security Unity, Member of the Order of the British Empire, and Appreciator of '80s Soap Operas

July 19, 2023

In this episode of No Password Required, Lisa joins Carlton Fields’ Jack Clabby and KnowBe4’s Kayley Melton to share how she went from working on the U.K. version of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” to becoming an award-winning leader in the cybersecurity industry. She also tells us about receiving her honorary award from the British Parliament, her love of 1980s American soap operas, and the sci-fi world she’d most want to live in.

No Password Required: Threat Researcher at Cisco Talos and a Veteran of the Highest-Profile Cyber Incidents Who Roasts His Own Coffee Beans

No Password Required: Threat Researcher at Cisco Talos and a Veteran of the Highest-Profile Cyber Incidents Who Roasts His Own Coffee Beans

June 20, 2023

Nick Biasini leads a team of threat researchers at Cisco Talos who patrol the cutting edge of the threat landscape. Not only has he investigated some of the most significant cyberattacks in history, but he also has hands-on experience with the 1980 Olympic bobsled track.

No Password Required: Gautam “Gotham” Sharma, a Cybersecurity Consultant and Comedian Who Injects Fun Into Infosec

No Password Required: Gautam “Gotham” Sharma, a Cybersecurity Consultant and Comedian Who Injects Fun Into Infosec

May 2, 2023

Gotham Sharma is a cybersecurity consultant, writer, educator, and stand-up comic. He’s on a mission to help folks build successful careers in information security through his latest venture, AccessCyber.co.

Website Tech Fueling Privacy Litigation: How to Reduce Your Risk

Website Tech Fueling Privacy Litigation: How to Reduce Your Risk

April 17, 2023

Website technologies (such as cookies, session-replay software, and other tools) are fueling a rise in privacy class actions and drawing regulators’ scrutiny. Plaintiffs’ attorneys are pursuing these claims under a variety of theories that implicate federal and state statutes as well as common law causes of action.

No Password Required:The Teenage CEO of Girls Who Hack and Secure Open Vote, Who Is as Comfortable Behind a Mic as She Is Behind a Keyboard.

No Password Required:The Teenage CEO of Girls Who Hack and Secure Open Vote, Who Is as Comfortable Behind a Mic as She Is Behind a Keyboard.

April 6, 2023

Bianca Lewis, also known by her hacker handle BiaSciLab, is a next-generation teenage hacker and the CEO of Girls Who Hack. Bianca’s cybersecurity journey started at age 11 when she was part of a team that successfully compromised a simulated election-reporting system at DEF CON 26

No Password Required: The Sailing CTO of Sylint Group Who Routinely Defends Against Nation-State Attacks on Critical Infrastructure 

No Password Required: The Sailing CTO of Sylint Group Who Routinely Defends Against Nation-State Attacks on Critical Infrastructure 

August 17, 2022

Serge Jorgensen is a founding partner and CTO at Sylint Group, where he provides response and remediation guidance on international espionage incidents, cyber-security attacks, and counter cyber-warfare. An engineer by training, he has a bias for action over theory. In this episode, Serge joins the No Password Required team to talk about his time in the industry, his experience coaching sailing at the Paralympic Games, and his favorite childhood toy. Ernie, Jack, and Pablo discuss the cybercriminals that are posing as Twitter employees and journalists to breach academic and Middle East policy data. In the Technologue segment, Pablo teaches the team the history of the world’s largest hacking competition, DEF CON.

NFT Perspectives: A Discussion With Artist and Filmmaker Haik Kocharian

NFT Perspectives: A Discussion With Artist and Filmmaker Haik Kocharian

June 29, 2022

From ownership to expression to revenue, it’s no secret that non-fungible tokens (NFTs) have made a significant impact on the art world in the last 18 months. Join Carlton Fields crypto attorney Matt Kohen as he discusses the explosion of NFTs into the art scene with award-winning artist and filmmaker Haik Kocharian, a New York-based creative using NFTs for fine art photography, poetry, and film.

No Password Required: The Former NSA Director, an Elite Storyteller Whose Life Resembles a Grisham Novel

No Password Required: The Former NSA Director, an Elite Storyteller Whose Life Resembles a Grisham Novel

June 13, 2022

Vice Admiral Mike McConnell is the former director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and the current Executive Director of Cyber Florida. In this two-part episode, VADM McConnell stuns the No Password Required team to silence with stories of his life. A few highlights include the reason he refuses to drink cheap beer (or formaldehyde), some iconic moments during his time at the NSA, and more.

No Password Required: A Cybersecurity Education Specialist, Whose Passions Include the Forest, DIY, and Deviled Eggs

No Password Required: A Cybersecurity Education Specialist, Whose Passions Include the Forest, DIY, and Deviled Eggs

May 11, 2022

Dr. Melissa Dark is the Founder of DARK Enterprises, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and supporting cybersecurity education at the secondary level. In this episode, Dr. Dark joins the No Password Required team to discuss her career in “training the trainers,” the early days of cybersecurity education as an academic subject, and how to encourage cybersecurity awareness among today’s students.

No Password Required: The Motorcycle-Riding Founder of Cyversity Who Values Mentorship and Inclusivity Above All Else

No Password Required: The Motorcycle-Riding Founder of Cyversity Who Values Mentorship and Inclusivity Above All Else

April 7, 2022

Larry Whiteside Jr. is the President and Director of Cyversity, an organization whose mission is to achieve consistent representation of women and underrepresented minorities in the cyber industry through programs designed to diversify, educate, and empower.

No Password Required: The Philosopher CISO of Tallahassee Who Lives to Help Other People

No Password Required: The Philosopher CISO of Tallahassee Who Lives to Help Other People

March 1, 2022

Thomas Vaughn is the current Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of the City of Tallahassee and the former CISO of Florida. In this episode, Thomas joins the No Password Required team to talk about his journey from the military to cybersecurity, the top-tier candy that he can’t live without, and the philosophical lessons that he carries with him throughout his life.

No Password Required: A Former Police Officer Who Embodies All the Qualities of a Great Leader

No Password Required: A Former Police Officer Who Embodies All the Qualities of a Great Leader

January 28, 2022

Chase Fopiano is the Founder of CyberTech Analytics, a cybersecurity provider that combines the worlds of both law enforcement and information security. Chase began his career as a police officer before diving headfirst into the cybersecurity world, and has since carried the lessons he learned during that time into both his life and his career.

No Password Required: Cyber Threat Management Leader at Wells Fargo Who Has a Passion for Adventure

No Password Required: Cyber Threat Management Leader at Wells Fargo Who Has a Passion for Adventure

December 10, 2021

Debbie Janeczek is the Cyber Threat Management Leader and Technology Executive at Wells Fargo. At her core, Debbie is an outdoorswoman who is passionate about conquering the mountains of Colorado and beyond with her sidekick, her dog, Jack.

No Password Required: A Child of the 1980s With a Knack for Storytelling, Comedic Timing, and Building an Elite Cybersecurity Team

No Password Required: A Child of the 1980s With a Knack for Storytelling, Comedic Timing, and Building an Elite Cybersecurity Team

November 19, 2021

Asim Fareeduddin is the Vice President of IT Security & Regulatory Controls Assurance at the RELX Group. In addition to his impressive professional resume, Asim is a guy who is never afraid to take a chance - from stand-up comedy to teaching masters-level students at Georgia State University; he’s done it all.

No Password Required: An Infowar Expert Who Paved the Path From Rock-And-Roll to Cybersecurity

No Password Required: An Infowar Expert Who Paved the Path From Rock-And-Roll to Cybersecurity

October 8, 2021

Winn Schwartau is a security, privacy, infowar, and cyber-terrorism expert who has been paving the way in cybersecurity since 1983. He is often referred to as the “Civilian Architect of Information Warfare” and is known for his straight-shooting, no-BS originality.

Chair of the Technology Industry Group

Key Contacts

AdTech

Christina M. Gagnier

Christina M. Gagnier

Shareholder

310.843.6320

vCard

Gail Podolsky

Gail Podolsky

Shareholder

404.815.2714

vCard

Aviation

Bruce J. Berman

Bruce J. Berman

Shareholder

305.539.7415

vCard

Edward J. Page

Edward J. Page

Shareholder

813.229.4308

vCard

EdTech

James M. Sconzo

James M. Sconzo

Shareholder

860.392.5022

vCard

John E. Clabby

John E. Clabby

Shareholder

813.229.4229

vCard

Esports and Electronic Gaming

Charles W. Throckmorton

Charles W. Throckmorton

Shareholder

305.539.7284

vCard

Gail Podolsky

Gail Podolsky

Shareholder

404.815.2714

vCard

Fintech

Barry Leigh Weissman

Barry Leigh Weissman

Shareholder

310.843.6322

vCard

Health Care Tech and Electronic Health Records

James J. Kennedy III

James J. Kennedy III

Shareholder

813.229.4379

vCard

Patricia S. Calhoun

Patricia S. Calhoun

Shareholder

813.229.4221

vCard

Jonathan

Jonathan "Tre" Dixon III

Shareholder

813.229.4129

vCard

Insurtech

Ann Young Black

Ann Young Black

Shareholder

305.347.6859

vCard

Edmund J. Zaharewicz

Edmund J. Zaharewicz

Shareholder

305.347.6932

vCard

IT, IT Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity

John E. Clabby

John E. Clabby

Shareholder

813.229.4229

vCard

Joseph W. Swanson

Joseph W. Swanson

Shareholder

813.229.4335

vCard

Online Commerce

William Giltinan

William Giltinan

Shareholder

813.229.4241

vCard

Eleanor M. Yost

Eleanor M. Yost

Shareholder

813.229.4395

vCard

Software, Mobile Applications, and Software as a Service (SaaS)

William Giltinan

William Giltinan

Shareholder

813.229.4241

vCard

Eleanor M. Yost

Eleanor M. Yost

Shareholder

813.229.4395

vCard

Telecommunications

Stacey K. Sutton

Stacey K. Sutton

Shareholder

202.965.8172

vCard

Gail Podolsky

Gail Podolsky

Shareholder

404.815.2714

vCard

Amanda Romfh Jesteadt

Amanda Romfh Jesteadt

Shareholder

561.650.0354

vCard

The Future is Female

Carlton Fields is excited to celebrate entrepreneuHERs! We recognize the specific challenges and hurdles female founders, CEOs, and small business owners face on a daily basis. Carlton Fields is not just another law firm. It was one of the first Southern law firms to hire female, Black and Jewish partners, and to adopt same-sex benefits for its LGBTQ+ employees. Selecting a female chair for its technology practice was intentional as was creating a team of female attorneys to help female founders with all of their legal needs.

Whether you are just launching your venture or busy growing it, you face critical decisions about every aspect of your business. Seeking legal advice early can help you avoid some of the most common mistakes and pitfalls that can trigger significant legal issues, ruin deals, or cause financial repercussions.

 

  • Are you evaluating using a promissory note, a SAFE, or an equity sale to raise funds?
  • Have you taken appropriate steps to protect your intellectual property?
  • Are your fundraising documents and pitch deck in compliance with applicable law?
  • Are your lease agreements structured for flexibility, profitability, and legal enforceability?
  • Are you in compliance with all consumer data privacy laws? 
  • Are you prepared for a cyberattack?
  • Are you maintaining adequate employment documentation, such as client handbooks or manuals?
  • Have you considered important tax issues, credits, rebates, and incentives, such as employee retention credits, sales tax, payroll tax, Section 83(b) elections, and stock option issues?
  • Do you have strong guidelines on conflicts of interest, nondisclosure, stock options/investment, and insurance?

 

We are ready to help you and your company navigate the constantly evolving tech sector and elevate your trailblazing innovations.
 

Featured Insights

Disclaimer

The information on this website is presented as a service for our clients and Internet users and is not intended to be legal advice, nor should you consider it as such. Although we welcome your inquiries, please keep in mind that merely contacting us will not establish an attorney-client relationship between us. Consequently, you should not convey any confidential information to us until a formal attorney-client relationship has been established. Please remember that electronic correspondence on the internet is not secure and that you should not include sensitive or confidential information in messages. With that in mind, we look forward to hearing from you.